Tara
I pressed the doorbell and shivered as a cold gust of wind blew snowflakes at me. Rose answered the door with a cheery 'Merry Christmas Eve!'
She pulled me in and gave me a hug, I coughed as tinsel tickled my nose. Rose stood back and grinned.
She was wearing a Christmas jumper, tinsel in her hair and she smelled of cinnamon. She could have been a poster girl for a Christmas movie.
"Oh Tara, darling! You look beautiful!" She grabbed my hand and dragged me into the kitchen. She handed me a glass of mulled wine and clinked her glass against mine.
"I thought Zeke was going to pick you up?" She asked as she took a swig.
"He was but he had a few essays to hand in," I took a small sip and coughed. "Wow this is strong!"
Rose laughed, "I'm well known for my mulled wine!"
I smiled at her and took another sip.
Rose turned and took the casserole dish out of the oven. She lifted the lid and stirred it gently. It smelled delicious.
"Lamb stew," she said softly. "It's Zeke's and his dad's favourite meal. We always have it on Christmas Eve."
She scooped some out of the dish and into a small bowl. I heard the front door open and close, footsteps then there he was. Red cheeks, snowflakes in his ruffled hair, scarf wound around his neck. Zeke grinned as he saw me and I grinned back.
"Hi," he said. He took off his scarf and kissed me on the top of my head. I wrapped my arms around him and breathed him in. He smelled like winter.
"Hi," I replied. Zeke took a sip of the glass I had rested on the counter and choked.
"Mulled wine?" He gasped.
"It's not that bad!" Rose placed the lid on the small dish and put on her coat that had been draped over one of the chairs. I heard a horn beep outside.
"Oh there's my ride, I'm off to see your dad Zeke. I'll see you both in the morning for presents!" She kissed us both on the cheek then walked briskly out the room.
Zeke poured the drink down the sink and got a beer out the fridge, "That stuff is toxic!"
I laughed and took the beer from him, "Yup!"
We filled bowls up with the stew and sat at the table. The fire crackled and the fairy lights twinkled on the small tree that Rose had decorated on the table. Bing Crosby was crooning in the background. Zeke seemed thoughtful.
"What's on your mind? Is it your essays?" I asked.
Zeke picked at the label on his bottle, "No. I've been offered a job."
I grinned, "That's brilliant! Where?"
"At a camp. Teaching sports to underprivileged kids."
I furrowed my brow, "Whereabouts? There's nothing like that here, is there?"
He looked at me with sad eyes, "No. It's in Washington."
"America? When? How long for?" I felt a heavy weight form in the pit of my stomach.
Zeke sighed and ran his hand through his hair, "It's for a year, Tar. I teach them at their schools and the clubs then go to a camp for the summer. I applied for this long before I met you. It's what I wanted to do. It's the reason I do all these sport classes so I can get my teaching degree and help kids."
I chewed my bottom lip and looked at the table, "When would you go?"
"I'm not going to take it!" Zeke pushed back his chair and knelt beside me. "I just got you back. I'm not leaving you."
I sighed and closed my eyes briefly. This hurt more than I thought it could.
"You're taking it,Zeke."
He opened his mouth to retort and I rushed on, " I know you don't want to take it. You're going to though. This is what you want to do and I am not going to stop you."
Zeke looked at me with puzzled eyes, "What are you saying Tar?"
I rested my hands on his shoulders and leant my forehead against his.
"I'm not saying anything. I'm not going to stand in your way."
Before he could answer, I kissed him. He pulled me closer to him and kissed me back hard. There was a feeling of sadness and uncertainty in his kiss and I knew he felt it too. I didn't know what was going to happen but all I knew was that I had Zeke now.
It was all I needed.