The Gray Brothers: The Beginning✔️ (Kindle version)

'Tis the season

Patty

With Nate and I making things official and our families knowing, Lucille and Mom conspired together. Why is everyone conspiring together?

It was also Christmas vacation, which meant doing all Christmas-related things. I helped the Grays decorate their tree, and Nate helped decorate ours.

Lucille and Mom baked cookies together and roped me into helping them. They made all kinds of cookies. I like cookies, but I'm sick of them around this time. As they baked and I decorated, the garage door opened. Nate walked in, dirty from work. He popped his head into the kitchen.

"Well, hello, Betty Crocker." He grinned.

"Hey, Grease Monkey."

He laughed.

"I'll clean up and come help." He walked into the side bathroom. The shower turned on, and I continued frosting cookies.

"Hey, Lucille?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm getting Nate something for Christmas. Do you think he would like a model car for Christmas?"

Mom and Lucille looked at me as I looked at them.

"What? Is it a terrible gift?"

"No, but why a model car?" Lucille asked me.

"Well, because he loves putting model cars together, and I broke a couple when I was younger. I figured a model car would be something he likes. Or not." Damn. I need to reconsider a gift because the idea was horrible.

The shower turned off. A few minutes later, Nate appeared in sweats, a tee-shirt, and socks. His wet hair hung on his forehead. I looked at him, realizing my gift was a bust. The worst part was I had already bought his gift.

I didn't say anything else about the gift. What's the point? I have a boyfriend who does thoughtful things for me, and I buy him a model car — some gift.

*****

I worked and tried to get into the Christmas spirit during most of my vacation. My mind kept wandering to Nate's gift as I sat on my bed and stared at the present wrapped with a red bow.

I became tempted to throw the gift away and figure something else out because the gift was stupid. I sighed.

Nate knocked on the door. "Patty?"

My eyes widened as I got up, snatching the gift from my dresser. I held it as Nate opened my bedroom door, and I hid the present behind my back.

"What's that?"

"What's what?" I tried to act like I didn't know what he was referring to while holding his gift in my hands.

"What do you have behind your back?" He pointed behind me.

"This? Oh, it's nothing." I smiled.

"What are you holding?" He walked over, closing the gap between us.

"Nothing."

He reached behind me and pulled the gift from my hands. I tried to take the gift back, but he held it out of my reach. He looked at the tag. "To Nate. From Patty. Huh?"

"It's stupid."

"Can I open it?"

"It's not Christmas yet, and I plan on getting you something different."

"Okay, then I can open it."

"Nate! Don't!"

He tore the wrapping paper and looked at the gift. I placed my hand on my face and held my other arm around my waist.