Mrs. Grinch In Love

7. Memories

We were still talking about Christmas in town and some old memories when he reminded me of our first meeting. "Remember the first time we met, I caught you stealing our food." He teased.

I groaned. "I specifically told you I wasn't."

"Of course you did..." He smirked. "Mrs. Grinch."

I gasped. "No, please, not that again!" I buried my face in my palms.

I heard him laughing. "Oh, come on, that was a funny story you told me."

"It... was... embarrassing," I mumbled in my hands.

"You know, I remember you owe me something." I peeked at him through my fingers. "You never told me why you hated Christmas." He pointed out.

"It's a long story," I said, trying to close the topic.

"It's not like we have anything to do." He plopped one leg on the couch, sitting on it, placing his elbow on the couch's head. He leaned on his palm, turning his full attention towards me. "Unless..." He added. "You've something else in mind." He smirked, wiggling his brows.

My mind went straight to his glove box where he had a stock of... you know. My entire face burned at that thought. He burst out laughing.

"You-you should have seen your face!" He cackled.

I turned my head away from him, covering my face with my hair I started telling him my story, better to divert his attention.

"I didn't always hate Christmas." I started making him stopped laughing. "I used to love Christmas, the presents we get and everything..." I gulped, "... but something never remains the same. I was at my grandparents' house visiting them on Christmas. My parents were surgeons, and they had an emergency case for which they had to leave us." I heard him taking a sharp breath.

Maybe he already got my point.

*~*~*~*~*

I was nine-year-old and it was Christmas Eve; I was sitting at our window waiting for my parents to show up.

"When will they be here?" I whined, bouncing in my place.

They called a few hours ago, saying they were on their way. I was anxiously waiting. Mom said they were bringing me a special gift for Christmas that made me more excited.

I loved Christmas, because you get so many gifts, you decorate the whole house with sparking lights and get gifts, play in the snow and make a snowman, get gifts, visit grandparents, eat cookies and special treats my grandma makes, and... Did I mention gifts?

"They are on their way Tori and this is the last time I'm answering you." Caleb, my fourteen-year-old brother, grumbled, playing games on his phone.

"But you said the same thing hours ago!" I screamed.

"You have to wait, they are driving in a car here, not in a plane." He mumbled, cursing at his game.

My five-year-old brother started repeating Caleb's words." I am going to tell mom you are teaching Owen dirty words." I chimed in.

"No. You. Won't." He glared.

"Yes. I. Will." I retorted.

"Come here, you little-" He launched at me, I run away from him screaming.

"GRANDMA HELP MEEEEE!" I screamed, running around the house, with Caleb chasing me.

My little legs weren't fast enough. He caught up to me and tickled me.

"S-Stop-AHAHAHA..." I cried between my giggles.

"Say sorry first."

"NEV-NEVER!"

"As you wish, my dear little sister." He continued tickling me until I gave up.

"O-okay, I give up." I squealed that made him stop and wait for me to say it on top of me. "Assho-AHAHA!" I couldn't finish, and he started tickling me again.

Owen kept laughing from behind, rolling on his stomach when finally my grandma came.

"Stop it, Caleb, she going pee here then I have to clean it." She fake glared at my brother.

"She has to say so-" his phone ringing cut him off, and he got up from me to get his phone.

He frowned at his phone and picked it up, "Hello... Yes, this is Jones speaking." He nodded his head while listening to it.

I went towards my Owen. "You bad little boy, laughing at your sister getting tortured." I glared at him, which made him laugh more.

"Y-You laugh like a dying cat!" He snickered.

I gasped. "Why you litt-" I was about to tickle him but stopped when my brother cut the call. "What happened?" I asked him. He looked haunted.

He went towards Grandma and whispered something to her. "What's going on?" I questioned.

Grandma covered her mouth with her hands, tears building in her eye, she let a sob and rushed upstairs calling grandpa.

I looked at my brother, who stood there gripping his hair. "What's going on Caleb? Why was grandma crying?" I repeat.

He glanced at me with his teary eyes. "Mom and Dad..." He paused.

"Mom and dad, what Caleb? Tell me!" I pleaded.

"They got in an accident."

*~*~*~*~*

Tears built in my eyes. I squeezed them and continued. "After that everything went in a blur, the funeral, moving to grandparents permanently, changing schools." Wiping the tears from my cheeks, "Everything changed after that." I sniffed.

I felt Daniel's gaze boring at me, but I didn't dare look at him. I felt something nudging my leg and saw Mini looking at me with her big, sad eyes.

[Don't cry, I am with you.] I picked her up and she snuggled with me.

"The rescuers said they were caught in a storm and couldn't make out of it. When they found their car, it was flipped upside down and buried in snow, they were already de-" I choked.

Daniel moved closer to me. Mini jumped down, letting Daniel wrap his arms around me. He picked me up on his lap and hugged me, rubbing my back.

I didn't know what suddenly clicked in me, but I started crying. I don't cry; I didn't even cry at the funeral, and now I was sobbing my guts out. I felt Daniel's arms around me tighten.

"It's all right I'm here." He murmured.

That made me cry even more.

*~*~*~*~*