Not Your Ordinary Millionaire Love Story (completed)

Decorating For Christmas

"We did. What's mine is yours and what's yours is ... mine."

"Okay," I nodded sarcastically.

"I am Mrs. Robinson! The best singer this world has ever seen and the wife of a multimillionaire! Now bow before me peasants!" She directed with a new spatula. I smiled and huffed.

"Cute," I said under my breath. I went to the front room and called back to Josie. "What about the tree? Do they not decorate Christmas trees in New York?"

"I wanted to decorate it with you," she came to my side, wiping her hands on her apron. I looked at her and looked her up and down. She was in fuzzy socks; loose, light jeans; and a white turtle neck with her sleeves rolled up to the elbow. Her strawberry blond hair was pulled back into a ponytail and she wasn't wearing any makeup. Man, she looked pretty.

"Really?"

"Well, you're taller than me by a foot so you can put the lights on better and put ornaments higher up on the tree."

"That's what a ladder or chair is for." I teased. She pushed at my shoulder.

"This is our first Christmas as a married couple. Let's make the best of it." I nodded. I took off my suit coat and undid my tie, leaving myself with no shoes on and black suspenders. I set them on the couch and noticed wrapped presents behind it.

"Josie, what are these?"

"Oh, presents for you to open tomorrow."

"But I didn't get you anything? And how did you know what to get me?"

"You're a guy, I guessed." I just nodded. She came up to me with boxes of lights and began opening them. "Don't worry if you didn't get me anything. You gave me your credit card. That's a huge gift. And basically you bought these presents yourself because I used your money."

"Our money."

"Right. Our money." She shook her head with a goofy grin as she sought after the ornaments she bought. I started at the top of the tree with a female end of the lights and began stringing them around the branches, just as my mom taught me to when I was little. Then, Josie and I helped each other place ornaments and bulbs on the green tree. It really felt like Christmas for the first time in forever as the smell of cookies and the music of the holidays filled the house. It began snowing outside and Josie wanted to build a snowman once the tree was done. I placed an angel on the top before my wife practically dragged me outside to the back porch.

We built the snowman and made snow angels. Josie laughed and giggled and sang songs to herself with that beautiful voice of hers and I tried my best to enjoy it all.

The memories of the Christmas I had at twelve wouldn't stop creeping in. My mom leaving my dad and I. Walking out of my life, as if it would be for forever. But she just had to come back into it when she found out I was in the states five years ago. Old hag.

"Harry, are you okay?" Josie sat up in her snow angel and looked down on me. I quickly wiped at a tear with my stiff snow gloves and got up.

"Yeah. Just ... thinking about something."

Josie sat there with me in the snow for a second in silence. She studied me as I avoided her eyes. "Are you thinking about work?" I shook my head. Again, silence. "Come on inside. I'm getting cold and you need to try my cookies. My cookies makes anyone happy. And you need a dose of happiness." I scoffed and got up. I held out my hand for her and she took it. We went inside and I tried one of her sugar cookies.

"Where did you learn to bake?"

"I worked at a bakery for a while a few years back. Learned a thing or two. I also worked at a few different bars and restaurants. So I can cook, too."