all I want for Christmas is you
It was the week before Christmas, but it seemed like I had been getting ready for the holiday for years. The malls were crazy, the traffic even more chaotic. Of course the bookstore was busy from the moment the doors opened until we literally had to push them outside at closing. Taking advantage of my day off, I decided to wrap Zac’s gifts in the spare bedroom we had converted into an office and where I had also hidden his gifts. I brought out my gift wrap, turned on the Christmas music and got to work.
This year I bought him some new art supplies since a lot of his stuff was old and falling apart. His brushes had reached the point of losing bristles and he had to literally hammer his paint from tubes and cans to squeeze anything out. His sketch pad was also full and he needed some new paper for his easel.
"Hey Max,” I said hearing the tinkle of his collar bell a moment before he waddled into the room.
He grinned at me with that silly face only a dog could produce and proceeded to plop onto the length of wrapping paper I had carefully laid out on the floor. I groaned when I heard it crinkle. Gift wrapping wasn’t exactly my greatest skill and the last thing I needed was to wrangle with torn, wrinkled paper.
“Move your butt!” I cried, reaching down to nudge him off. I gave his head a good scratch when he settled beside me. “That’s better. You can play with the scraps when I’m done.”
Mindful of the time, we got busy wrapping Zac's gifts. He was at the local sports bar with some of his buddies for an informal Christmas get together, but as I wasn’t sure when he’d be home, I didn’t want to have to rush to hide any unwrapped gifts.
I had barely cleared up when Max suddenly rose and scooted out the door. A moment later I heard the garage door open. Watching him waddle into the hallway, I could only shake my head and smile. Max was better than any clock when it came to knowing when Zac was home.
Gathering all the gifts into my lap, I wheeled into the living room.
“Well, hello there, sweet cheeks,” I said as Zac smiled and bent down to kiss me. His face felt chilly from the cold.
“You’ve been busy, I see,” he said, carefully eyeing the gifts. “Would you like me to put those underneath the tree for you?"
“Please," I said with a smile, “as long as you don’t start groping them.”
Zac glanced at me with mock horror. “You think I feel up the gifts?” he asked. “You’re the only thing I like groping.”
“Nice try,” I said with a grin. “What were you doing snooping around the office this morning? You don’t usually go in there first thing, at least not without your coffee.”
Zac avoided my eyes as he arranged the gifts beneath the tree. It was still bare because I wanted to have all the gifts in place first before tackling the lights and decorations.
“I thought I left my phone by the computer,” he said, trying his best to keep a straight face.
I turned to Max, busily sniffing the gifts. “You two are such lousy liars. Just remember, I’m watching you.”
After Zac finished arranging the gifts, we settled on the couch to relax.
“So, did you and your buddies have a nice time?" I asked.
“We sure did,” Zac said, pulling me into an embrace. “It was great to see them again. Phil and Rob are in town for business and Greg’s opening a second location for his retail store.” His gaze wandered to the naked tree and the boxes of decorations piled beside it.
“Don’t worry,” I said with a laugh. “I’ll decorate it tomorrow. I’ve been so busy I haven’t had time.”
“That’s not what I was thinking about,” Zac said, kissing the top of my head. "So … do you still want me for Christmas?”
“Oh, yeah … wrapped in ribbon with a big shiny red bow on your head,” I said coyly. “Wrapping paper optional.”
“Well, at least Santa won’t have to struggle with what to get you this year,” Zac said.
“You know what,” I said, watching Max settle down on Zac’s moccasin slippers until they were mashed beneath his chubby butt. “I don’t care if I’m good or bad. Santa can bring me whatever he wants as long as I have you.”
***
The following week was mayhem. Zac was working double shifts so he could take time off over Christmas while I was bogged down at the bookstore with hordes of customers rushing to buy last minute gifts.
This year we decided to split Christmas the same way we did for Thanksgiving so we could spend time with both our families without rushing around like fools. We spent Christmas Eve with Carrie and Macy and enjoyed a wonderful ham dinner. Christmas Day we spent with my family, and we overdid it on roast turkey and all the trimmings. We had a lot of fun sitting by the fireplace talking and then later watching movies. Things had improved a lot with my family over the years, and the old tensions with relatives and friends finally seemed to have resolved themselves.
While we exchanged gifts with family members, Zac and I decided to wait until we got home to give each other our gifts and came home early to do so. I guess we were both so burned out by the holiday frenzy all we wanted to do was to spend some quiet time together.
Max was certainly glad to see us when we arrived laden with gifts and enough leftovers to last us a week. After we changed into our sweats, we sat by the tree, now ablaze with lights and sparkling decorations, and played with Max. He certainly enjoyed the both the doggy stocking and the new bed and toys Santa brought him.
“So why don’t we open our gifts now?” I asked, stifling a yawn. “It’s been a great day but I’m really tired.”
“Sounds like a great idea,” Zac said, rising from the couch. “Let me get us some drinks first.”
I settled against the cushions while Zac went to the kitchen. A moment later, he returned without any glasses but with something hidden behind his back. I eyed him suspiciously.
“Lose the glasses?” I asked.
Zac grinned like a little boy that had just peeked into his older sister’s diary. “I couldn’t wait any longer,” he said, handing me a portrait.
I stared at his beautifully painted self-portrait with growing emotion as I saw the deeper meaning of the image. Even Max got up to take a look, his tail wagging with approval.
“It's Super Nurse,” I said, blinking back tears at the cape flowing his dark blue scrubs.
The detail was amazing, down to Zac’s ponytail, the name tag on his left pocket and the stethoscope hanging around his neck. On his chest, the words ‘Super Nurse’ were printed in bold red comic book style letters, and beside his head, a bubble with the words read, ‘Saving One Patient at a Time.’
"So you like it?” Zac asked.
“Like it?” I cried, pulling him onto the couch and hugging him. “I love it! It’s the most wonderful gift I’ve ever received!” As I looked at it again, the coin suddenly dropped. “Okay … now I get it. So that really wasn’t a portrait of me you were working on in the garage all this time.”
Zac shrugged. “That’s actually my next project, but I had to say something to keep you from snooping around in the garage.”
I laughed and shook my head. Guess we were both snoopers at the end of the day.
“It’s fantastic, Zac,” I said. “You really do have a talent for art.”
“Maybe, but it takes me a while to get there. This is the second version. I wasn’t happy with the first because I painted a mask on my face with the cape, but it looked weird so I had to remove it.”
“Well, when I go to work I’ll take it to the frame shop. I’d like to hang it in the office.”
Zac’s look of pleasure said it all. I knew there was no greater compliment for an artist. Before we both got too emotional, I looked at the other gifts under the tree.
“I still see more we need to unwrap,” I said.
Zac gathered the gifts and set them on the couch between us. I handed him the one I had been wrapping in the office when he had been out with his friends.
His face lit up again as he tore off the paper. “Awesome, Linds!” he cried, inspecting his new brushes. “Thanks! They’re the ones I really wanted.”
"You're welcome, sweetheart," I said.
It was wonderful to see how happy Zac was after opening his gifts, and I was delighted with my i-Pad docking station, new books and bubble bath set.
“How about a nice mug of cocoa?” Zac asked, noticing my drooping eyes.
“That sounds wonderful,” I said, resting my head against the cushions.
“Come on, Max,” Zac said, rising from the couch. “I think there may be a stray marshmallow for you.”
I hadn’t realized I’d fallen asleep until I felt Max’s rough tongue licking my face. My eyes flew open at the smell of marshmallows, but they widened even more when I looked past the two mugs of steaming cocoa on the coffee table. Lounging beneath the tree, Zac was wrapped only in strategically placed red ribbon and a large bow on his head.
He grinned at my stunned expression that quickly turned into an appreciative smirk.
"Merry Christmas, baby,” he said, getting up.
I could barely keep my hands off him as he approached the couch and scooped me up in his arms. Giggling, I gave his ass a hard squeeze before hugging him tightly.
"At the risk of sounding like a romantic sap,” I said, “you’re the best Christmas gift I ever could have wished for."
"You're welcome, Linds," he said, pressing his lips against mine.
It really was the best Christmas either of us could have asked for.
***
The next morning, I was cooking bacon and French toast while Zac assembled his new supplies in the garage. We had slept in, but the moment we got up Zac had scrambled out of bed like a little boy eager to play with his new toys.
After I set the plates on the table, I sneaked Max a piece of bacon and wheeled into the garage. Not only were Zac’s new supplies all neatly organized, but his new easel paper was already mounted with some brushes and paint ready and waiting nearby.
"Breakfast is ready,” I said.
Zac turned and grinned at me. “Smells wonderful,” he said.
After breakfast, we spent the day relaxing on the couch. I read one of my new books while Zac busily sketched beside me. Max was the most energetic as he batted around his new squeaky toy bone.
"Can I peak?” I asked, curious to see what Zac was working on with such concentration.
He nodded and handed me the sketchbook. I smiled at a half-completed drawing of Max playing with one his toys.
“Zac, this is amazing!” I said. “You should really think about showing these. They’re as good as anything I’ve seen in a gallery.”
Zac smiled with genuine pleasure. “You think so?”
“I know so. You have a genuine talent. I think you should seriously considering taking this beyond just a hobby.”
Zac leaned over to kiss me. “I’ve actually been thinking about it. I started drawing because I enjoyed it and it also helps relieve a lot of stress, but it just evolved from there. I always thought when I retired from nursing I might take it up full time.”
I squeezed his hand. “Why wait until you retire? Why not start now? You already have quite a body of work. Post some online, or start showing at local art events and galleries. I think you’d have great following.”
Zac studied me for a few moments and slowly nodded. “You know, I just might do that. I was thinking about creating a Facebook page and uploading some of the sketches.”
“Go for it, Super Nurse,” I said, resting my head against his shoulder. “Who knows? Maybe the next superhero we see in a movie might be you …”