Christmas Eve has always been more of an excitement for me rather than Christmas day for some reason, I have just finished the traditional dinner with the family on Christmas Eve and now I was in the car on my way to spend the rest of Christmas Eve with River, Rain and the Phoenix family. Me and River had seen everyday since he has been back, all I wanted this Christmas was for him to stay here in Gainesville forever but I already knew that wouldn't be happening as on January 8th River would be off again to start filming his next film “Running On Empty”. A few days ago, River got a call off his agent informing him that Martha would be playing his love interest in “Running On Empty”, he was pleased that she had gotten the role as he thought she was an extremely talented actress but he worried about what I thought of it all, of course I told him not to be stupid and that this was his job plus I have no right to be jealous or say anything.
Arriving at the Phoenix house could make anyone smile, as soon as you pulled up it was full of light and laughter. River appeared as I got out my Mom's car and said goodbye, he was stood at the front door of the house with a big smile on his face, he waved my Mom off as she drove away. “Hey you”, he whispered as he pulled me in for a hug and lightly pressed his lips to mine. He guided me through the house to the kitchen where the whole Phoenix family were sat alongside some other family that had come down for the holidays. Rain ran up and gave me a hug as I walked in followed by Joaquin and Heart, “Happy Christmas Eve”, I smiled to everyone as I took a seat between River and Rain. The topic of conversation round the table was that of Christmas and its meaning, everyone was in good spirits and laughter was present in the room, I looked beside me to River who was looking round the room with the biggest smile ever on his face, his eyes full of love and pride. Family really did mean everything to River, everything he was doing currently with work was for his family, he wanted to make the world a better place starting with his own family.
A little under an hour later people started saying goodnight and heading to bed, myself, River, Rain, Joaquin, Sky (cousin) and Joaquin and Heart were still up talking in the kitchen. I had just finished off my drink when River tapped me on the arm and came in close to my ear and whispered, “I need to show you something”, I smile into his smile and nod, “Ok”, I whispered back. “Please excuse me and Autumn, I have something I need to show her tonight”, he said as he started to stand up I noticed he was looking at Heart who was beaming up at River, clearly she knew what he was going to show me. Heart and mine eyes met, smiles spread across both our faces as I followed River out of the kitchen and into the garden. It looked as though we were walking to the spot where a week ago River held a picnic for me, but we soon passed that and a little further down we stopped beside some a flower patch. River stopped and turned to face me with his hands brushing up and down my arms, “I wanted to get you a gift that would last forever”, he smiled as I couldn't help but smile back at him. He suddenly bent down and looked up at me ushering me to copy him so I did, I looked beside me at him where he was still smiling. I watched as he began to brush again some of the soil that was in front of us, “Here”, he whispered as his stopped over a patch of soil. I looked down where his hand was and then back up at him with a smile and a slightly confused look at him, which caused him to laugh softly. “It's a seed here”, he smiled, as I looked back down to where his hand was. “In time it will grow into a tree, it'll be forever and we'll get to watch it grown into something special, it'll grow with us and remind us of journey forever”, he continued, I couldn't help but smile more than I ever had before, tears were now welling up in my eyes as I placed my hand over his on the soil and looked up into his eyes, “I love it......this is the best presents I have ever and will ever receive”, I whispered which caused the smile on his face to grown even wider and his eyes glistened in the night as well. “I want us to be together officially.....will you be my girl Autumn?”, he asked with an expression of love and fear on his face, I reached over and brushed his cheeks with my fingers and whispered back, “Always”, and with that the fear on his face vanished and he leaned in once again and press his lips against mine, he was mine and I was his, how it will always be.
