Holiday Havoc

Twelfth day of Christmas

Loretta's mom was ashamed of her daughters actions. And she followed her daughter up to her room. She had silently opened the door and watched as her daughter opened the remaining boxes. The dolls were beautiful. Helen watched as her daughter than silently began to cry. And as the tears flowed more the crying got slightly louder and Helen heard her daughters words. "What have I done?" This is when she finally knocked on the door and pretended to open and close the door. She heard Loretta once again. "Leteesha please go away"

Shaking her head Helen said. "You will listen to me. And you will listen now"

"Mother?" Loretta said as she spun around on her bed while wiping her tear streaked cheeks.

Helen wanted to comfort her daughter but she figured there was time for that later. Right now she needed to be talked to. "Loretta you acted very rudely. You ARE going to apologize to mr. and mrs. Bowtrel for your behaviour. Than you will apologize to Adam."

"I know mother. I just .... I just couldn't face them." Loretta stammered as a new wave of tears threatened to spill.

Helen sighed but stood her ground. "You will go now and apologize. Than we will go on with the day and have cake before bed. Now go." Helen pointed towards the door and Loretta got up slowly. She didn't want to at all.

Everyone had partied and much to Loretta's relief she was able to escape and head to bed early. All day she avoided the Bowtrel's. She just couldn't face them after her apology at breakfast.

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Adam had also disappeared from the party but his mother had followed him. "Adam may I speak with you?" She asked.

"Yes mother." Adam said with a sigh.

"Adam all I want to say is maybe you should give up. It is obvious that Loretta won't marry you."

"Mother I have seen the way her eyes sparkle. The way she looks at me when she doesn't think I notice. I am winning her heart. It just will take more time than planned."

"You were given enough time Adam. She won't I think make the twelfth day the final day and say your goodbyes. Maybe just maybe you are right and she won't want you to go."

Adam nodded his head and a sad smile spread across his handsome face. "I have just the idea." He said as he hugged his mother. "Thank you."

"Your welcome my son. Now please lets end this. It is upsetting our lovely hosts as well."

"I will apologize to them mother and pay for all damages that my gifts have cost."

"I know you will make things right. But I must go. Sleep Adam."

"Night mother." Adam said.

~~~

Morning came and the family and their guests didn't attend breakfast together instead they all attended their breakfast in their rooms.

They even had lunch in their rooms. They all seemed to be avoiding each other. Adam however tried to reach out to everyone. And with no success he decided to book train tickets for him and his parents to head home. It was obvious that this whole plan wasn't going to work. He changed his final gift and went to Loretta's room. When he got there he saw Loretta's parents leaving her room. They spotted him and smiled politely. Adam bowed and spoke. "Please allow me to gather you all to the sitting room."

"Of course. We will have Loretta come down. " Helen said to the young man.

Again Adam bowed and headed to his parents room. There he knocked and when the door opened he had them come down as well. Than he turned and headed down the stairs to wait for everyone.

It only took a few minutes and the group gathered. Adam smiled at all of them. Than he took a breath and spoke "I would like to first apologize to both of you." He said to the Kane's. "You have both been generous hosts. And I want to make things right by paying for any and all damages that I have caused with my gifts." Than he tuned and looked at his parents "mother and father. I am sorry for all the embarrassment I have caused you two. And as part of our agreement I have booked tickets to go home. The train leaves at four." Than he looked at Loretta. "My dearest to you I am most sorry to. I have caused you the most pain and I hate myself for making you cry. This..." he takes out a bouquet of purple roses "will be my final gift. Let's call it a parting gift with no hard feelings. I have accepted that you don't want to marry me. I respect your decision." He handed the bouquet to Loretta and turned on his heals. He needed to pack and he also didn't want to hear Loretta's negative response. And though he didn't want to admit it. He was heart broken.

He went to his room and silently began packing.

:::

The parents stood rooted in their spots as they watched Adam leave the room. They only couldn't believe how grown up he sounded when he spoke. Each parent remembered the boy he used to be but now they respected the man he was. Mrs. Bowtrel was the first to speak though her voice seemed strained. "I guess we must retire to our room and pack our things. We have only two hours to prepare for our departure. It is with great sadness that we must leave this way."

"I understand. We won't hold you up." Mrs. Kane said as she walked over to her friend and hugged her.

Each man shook hands silently in parting and the Bowtrel's headed towards their room to pack.

Mrs. Kane looked at her daughter and the first time she saw tears freely running down her daughters cheeks.

"Mother I am sorry. I didn't want this to happen." Loretta said looking her mother in the eyes.

"I told you there would be consequences for your actions. If you don't want him to leave than tell him. But don't lead him on. Marry him or not but tell him how you feel." Her mother responded.

Loretta's father agreed with his wife and added. "Go now. Make your feelings known. Don't have any regrets."

"Yes father." Loretta said. She had almost taken the bouquet with her but her mother stopped her. "Hand me those flowers. I will put them in a vase."

Loretta handed them over and ran off to find Adam. She ran to his room and knocked on the door. He opened it and Loretta threw herself into him. "I do." Was all she said.

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On the twelfth day of Christmas my betrothed gave to me twelve purple roses, eleven porcelain dolls, ten fiddlers playing, nine prairie lilies, eight Christmas wreaths, seven opera tickets, six stolen kisses, five golden bracelets, four fur coats, three silk gowns, two glass slippers and a diamond engagement ring. And I gave to him a matching wedding band.

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Thank you everyone. This story is over. :) was it all you expected? Let me know.