The Most Precious of All (A Christmas Story)

Chapter 1 - Love

The cold woke Georgie and she reached out.  Finding Robert's warm body, she moved closer so she could snuggle against his back.  As soon as he felt her, he rolled over and wrapped his arms around her.  She sighed deeply, burrowing against him and he pulled the blankets tighter around her to help warm her.

Even though it was early, she knew it was almost time for her alarm to go off.  She sighed again, thinking about what the day had in store for her.  She’d give anything to be able to stay here in her warm bed, wrapped up with Robert. 

“Good morning, Georgie.  Did ya sleep well last night?” he asked, his deep voice soft in their small apartment.

“Yes, very well,” she replied quietly.  “What about you?  Did you sleep well?”

“Yeah.”  She could tell by the tone of his voice, he’d guessed she hadn’t told the truth.  “What’s the matter Georgie?” he asked gently, and she couldn’t help sighing again.

“I’m worried about my exam.  What if I don’t pass it?”  As the school term had progressed, she’d found the coursework had gotten progressively harder.  It was the first time in her life she was facing what every other student was used to; exam jitters and the stress of a heavy study load. 

“You’ve been studying so hard.  I know you’ll do well,” he reassured her, and kissed the top of her head.

“I wish I could believe that.  I just don’t want to be a failure,” she added miserably.

“Listen to me, Georgie,” he said, moving back and lifting her chin so he could look in her eyes.  “You will never be a failure, and you especially won’t fail at school,” he added firmly.  “I don’t know anyone who works as hard as you, yeah?”  The earnest way he was looking at her, made her feel better.

“I guess so.” 

Before she could say more, he smiled and said, “Y’know, after your exam, it’s the start of the Christmas break and you still haven’t told me what you want.”  He finished by kissing the tip of her nose.

She started running his fingers through his curls while she thought.  Every time he’d asked her, she hadn’t been able to think of anything.  She already had everything she could ever want.  She was free and living with the boy she loved more than anything.  But as she considered it again, an answer suddenly came to her.

“I know what I want for Christmas,” she said, smiling up at him.

 “What’s that?”

“I want to wake up on Christmas morning in your arms.”  Robert looked confused. 

“That’s all you want?”  She got up on her elbow. 

“That’s all I’ve ever wanted,” she said soberly, and then kissed him.  He slipped his fingers in her hair as he returned the kiss, his lips soft and the stubble on his upper lip rough.  When she released him, his eyes were soft.

“But – you wake up with me every morning.”

“I know.  But Christmas presents are supposed to be something that makes you truly happy, and – that’s all I need to be truly happy.”

A look crossed his face and he pulled her close for a tight hug.  Lying against his warm body, she could feel his heart beating against her and his chest moving as he breathed deeply. 

“I reckon I can manage that,” he said, his voice rougher. 

She smiled against him, but a tear escaped as her love for him overwhelmed her.  The moment was broken by her alarm going off.  She sighed again when he released her and she reached over to turn it off.