I love Michael as Santa......
Still trying to catch up, but enjoyed this latest post.
Thanks,
Carolyn
Doo 'awéé ééhoozIIh da-The Lost Child(M/M,TEEN)155 - 8/24/19 - Complete
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keepsmiling7
- Roswell Fanatic
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Re: Doo 'awéé ééhoozIIh da-The Lost Child(M/M,TEEN)126-8/9/1
Last edited by keepsmiling7 on Tue Aug 11, 2015 1:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Doo 'awéé ééhoozIIh da-The Lost Child(M/M,TEEN)126-8/9/1
You girls squeezed this well-known episode in the story! I enjoyed the little winks and the quotes. It really fitted in.
So, Isabel is thinking that Michael is her brother? I must admit that I had the same thoughts, and I'm not only referring to this story. The way those two resemble to each other (inward and by looks) is very striking.
So, Isabel is thinking that Michael is her brother? I must admit that I had the same thoughts, and I'm not only referring to this story. The way those two resemble to each other (inward and by looks) is very striking.
Take a look at Eva's world
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ArchAngel1973
- Addicted Roswellian
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- Joined: Sun Sep 24, 2006 7:02 pm
Doo 'awéé ééhoozIIh da-The Lost Child(M/M,TEEN)127-8/16/15
keepsmiling7 – Well, it was too good to pass, Michael as Santa is a classic, really.
Eva – Yes, it’s eerie how much Michael and Isabel look like each other, both tall, well built, dirty blond hair, brown eyes, full lips, strong faces, strong personalities with a mean streak and deep down, a golden heart. It’s a surprise that this hasn’t been used more in fics because really, when you look at it, Michael and Isabel look more like each other than Isabel and Max or Max and Michael.
Author’s Note: There are a few lines borrowed from the Season Three episode Samuel Rising.
Part 127
Charlie Cunningham’s legs swung back and forth, the toes of his hiking boots colliding with Santa’s knee repeatedly. Every other strike Santa would reach down and attempt to still his legs but before long the nervous movements started all over again. The little boy was intimidated by the big man and every time he tried to open his mouth to say what he wanted for Christmas the words just froze in his throat and he couldn’t speak. It didn’t keep him from trying though.
Michael cleared his throat as his gloved hand once more stilled the foot that was going to leave his knee black and blue. “Relax, buddy,” he said when the kid looked like he was about to cry. Why did people push their kids to go sit on some stranger’s lap and tell him what they wanted? Charlie hadn’t wanted to sit on Santa’s knee. He’d been resistant but his dad had kept nudging him forward and it had been easy to see in spite of his apprehension he just wanted to make his dad happy.
Maria and Liz did their best to keep the other kids calm while they waited their turn, but they were impatient to get their few minutes with Santa. It didn’t help that he had managed to hit it off with every kid that crossed his path.
“You like Snapple, Charlie?” He nodded when the boy gave an affirmative response. “What do you say we have one of my elves go get one?”
“Okay,” he agreed with a shy smile.
Michael snapped his fingers to get the elves’ attention. “Hey, Snowflake, go fetch me a Snapple.”
Maria shot a murderous look at her boyfriend. He was having entirely too much fun with his role as Santa. All afternoon it had been one order after another and the elf-hating kids were eating it up. “Excuse me?”
He had the audacity to smirk at her when he caught the annoyance in her tone. She was absolutely gorgeous and she had no idea. “Charlie and me could use a drink. Oh, and grab a couple of cookies while you’re at it.”
Okay, yeah, it was kind of cute the way he was drawing Charlie out, but there had to be some sort of North Pole law against elf abuse. “This elf is taking a break.” She had been on her feet for the past three hours nonstop and she was going to find someplace to sit down and take her pointy-toed shoes off so she could put her feet up for a few minutes.
“Uh, Snowflake, I think you’re forgetting who you work for.” He turned to look at the kids watching the battle of wills and hanging onto every word. “Kids, don’t you think Snowflake should fetch Santa a Snapple?”
His question was met with agreement as the little mob of urchins began to hurl commentary in favor of Santa. Ronnie Simpson, a boy destined to be a troublemaker, was leading the pack and when he tossed out his insulting, “Of course she should, she’s just an elf,” that was the last straw. But before she could say a word Michael was getting Charlie’s Christmas wish and sending the little boy on his way with a Snapple and a cookie that had been ‘fetched’ by Candy Cane.
“Okay, kids,” he said as he got to his feet, “Santa’s gonna take a break and be back in ten.” He glanced at his girlfriend, taking in the cheeks flushed with annoyance and just a hint of anger. “Let’s make that fifteen.” He motioned to Liz. “Candy Cane will hand out cookies and make sure you guys don’t lose your place in line.”
“Wait,” Liz protested, “by myself?” It was hard enough when there were two of them.
Michael just looked at her. “You’re an elf. It’s your job. If there’s any question about that I’m sure Isabel can –”. The rest of his comment was lost when he was yanked away from the crowd and dragged over to the elf house.
“I can’t believe you,” Maria hissed as soon as they were alone.
He feigned a clueless expression. “What?”
“What,” she echoed as she whirled around to look at him. “Fetch me a Snapple?” She shook her head when she saw the amusement in his features and she reached out to yank his fake beard down. “This isn’t funny, Michael.”
“You have no idea how beautiful you are,” he rasped. He watched her as she tried to figure out what he was talking about and after a few moments she looked down at herself, trying to see what he saw.
It was ridiculous, she thought. There was absolutely nothing attractive about the stupid costume she was wearing. But, it was no more ridiculous than thinking he was hot wrapped up in a red velvet suit that was in no way sexy, was it? The air crackled with electricity as they stared at each other, frozen in place for the space of a heartbeat before they suddenly collided.
It was difficult getting as close as she wanted to get to him with all the layers and the padding that made him look like Santa. The beard scratched and tickled, the Santa glasses slipped down his nose, and as he crowded closer, one of his boots got tangled in a costume hanging off its hook and dragging the floor.
The air was forced from her lungs when Michael landed on top of her and her hands braced against his chest in as effort to keep him from crushing her on impact. “Okay,” she wheezed, “that’s not exactly what I had in mind.”
“But it’s somewhere in the vicinity?” He smirked and pulled the beard down further as he shifted to take the bulk of his weight off of her. His eyes traveled over her features, pausing when they reached her lips and he slowly lowered his head to kiss her again. Outside noise filtered in but went ignored in favor of more pleasurable pursuits and it wasn’t until a childish voice pierced the air around them that they broke apart again.
“Santa and Snowflake are kissing!”
“Crap, we gotta hide.”
“I think it’s too late for – “
“Gross! Mommy, Santa and Snowflake are doing it! They’re doing it!”
“Off,” Maria said insistently, shoving against his shoulders. “Get off!”
He attempted to move but it only made the situation worse when the buckle from his belt got caught up in some part of her costume. “I can’t. The damn belt’s stuck. I can’t move.”
One of the kids, showing off their more dramatic side, screamed and ran off just as Isabel stepped into the doorway. Her mouth formed a shocked ‘O’ for a brief moment before she collected herself. She grabbed one end of her scarf and jerked on it, possibly as a means of attempting to control her temper. But it didn’t take long before she lost that battle and she took another step towards them.
“Get up! Both of you, right now!” Her voice was low but the threat that loomed if they didn’t comply wasn’t disguised in the least. Her eyes rolled impressively when they made another attempt to disengage from each other and the result was the sound of clothing ripping. She reached down and repaired the material under the guise of helping them to their feet. “Do you have any idea what you’ve just done to this institution?”
Maria straightened her outfit as well as she could as Michael fidgeted next to her. Well, he was so sure he and Isabel were brother and sister, maybe this was his chance to really see what he would be getting into if he decided to pursue his suspicions.
“We were on a break,” he started as a defense and had to force himself to stand still when Isabel’s eyes blazed with anger.
“Are you incapable of controlling your rampaging hormones for the small amount of time that you’ve agreed to participate in this production?” She didn’t wait for an answer. She was on the move, hands constantly in motion as she gestured wildly. “There are hundreds of children here today. Sweet, innocent children that you’ve probably corrupted with your behavior.”
“I don’t think – “
She whirled around when he dared to open his mouth. “No, you didn’t think. You had one job to do and what’d you do? You disrespected the uniform!” Her eyes widened when he made a sound that sounded suspiciously like a snort, the kind of sound people made when they were trying to cover their inappropriate laughter.
Maria shifted, suddenly conscious of the fact that they had been joined by Liz, Max and Alex. “I’m pretty sure break’s over. Maybe we should get back out there.”
“Get back out there,” Isabel repeated incredulously. “No, no, no. You’re fired, both of you.”
“There’s no reason to punish the kids,” Michael attempted to reason with her. “I mean, there’s gotta be at least thirty or forty kids still waitin’ to talk to Santa.”
“Yes, there are, but they won’t be talking to you!” She snapped her fingers as she motioned to the suit he was wearing. “Go take it off.” How was she going to replace him this late in the game? She huffed an annoyed breath and froze in the process of turning to storm out of the elf house. “Max.” She eyed him critically for a few seconds before nodding. “Yes, you’ll do.”
“Wait,” he said warily, “I’ll do what?”
“You’re standing in for Santa.”
“No, Isabel, you can’t ask me to do this.”
“I’m not asking,” she said with exaggerated sweetness, “I’m telling you.”
He looked down when the beard came flying across the room and landed against his chest before falling to the ground. He shook his head when his sister snatched it up and turned to face him, holding it out. Nothing in her expression suggested she was joking. “Um, I’m really not the kinda person who fits the role. I’m not very… jolly.”
“Fake it.” Her tone said she wasn’t taking no for an answer.
“Ho, ho, ho,” he muttered without an ounce of enthusiasm. “Look, Isabel, this isn’t me.”
“It’s easy,” Alex said as he took the beard and held it up in front of his own face, “you just put the suit on and just go from your gut.” He took a deep breath and belted out a hearty “ho, ho, ho” that suddenly had everyone’s attention. “Kids are easy enough to talk to and really, they just want someone to sit there and listen to what they want, ask them if they’ve been good all year, give them a candy cane and send them on their way.”
“Alex.”
He turned to look at Isabel, eyebrows lifted at her tone. “What’s up?”
“You’re Santa.”
“No, but I don’t…” He shook his head. “I wasn’t trying to take Max’s gig.” And he didn’t want it.
“Don’t worry, I have something else in mind for Max.” She smiled at her brother as her gaze bounced between him and Maria. “I’m suddenly an elf short and there’s no way Candy Cane can handle all those kids out there by herself.”
“Whoa,” Max held his hands up before nodding at Maria. “I’m not wearing that getup.”
“But, Max,” Liz whispered, “it’s not that bad, remember?”
He glared at her when she threw his words back at him.
“It’s Santa or Snowflake. Those are your options, little brother.”
“I’m good being Santa,” Alex said before Max could speak up and he held the beard out of reach just to be safe. There was no way he was putting on a pair of tights for the rest of the afternoon.
Isabel shot an icy look at the couple who had started the whole mess. “You have five minutes to get out of those uniforms and then you should go home.” Her attention focused on her brother and Alex once more. “And you, I expect to see you front and center in ten minutes. Not a single minute later.” And with that she was gone.
Michael stared after her in disbelief. “Jeez, I expected her to start breathin’ fire like a damn dragon at any second. That’s one scary girl.”
“Tell me about it,” Max grumbled. “I would’ve stepped in, but smart money says you don’t cross her when she’s on the warpath.”
The two guys exchanged a look and a moment of understanding passed between them.
“Yeah, well, sorry you got the short end of the stick.” He felt a little sorry for the guy growing up with Isabel. He’d had it a lot easier with Maggie and he wouldn’t have traded that for anything before, but now? No way. “Maybe I can help though.”
“I think you’ve helped enough.” He shot a baleful look at Maria’s costume. How in the world was he going to get out of this?
“Michael’s great at wardrobe fixes,” Maria offered, hoping to take some of the sting out of Max’s predicament.
“There’s no fix good enough to get me outta this.”
“Out of it, no, but maybe it’ll get you out of it with your dignity intact.” She shrugged one shoulder. “Most of the elves you see in Christmas movies are guys anyway, right?”
Were they? He never paid much attention. He looked at Michael and received a shrug in response. Apparently he didn’t either. “What’s your point?”
“Their costumes aren’t feminine.” They weren’t real masculine either, but there was no reason to point that out.
“So what’re we talking about? Robin Hood rather than an elf? Because really, I think the only difference is the bow and arrow.”
She tried hard not to laugh but he sounded so offended that it was hard not to. “Okay, look, at least it’s only for a couple more hours. The worst of it’s already over.”
“No, it’s not. The later it gets the crankier those kids out there are getting.”
“Well, Alex will just keep the line moving. He’ll keep it brief instead of bonding with them over their dislike of elves.”
“I don’t dislike elves.” Michael shrugged when she just looked at him with a disbelieving stare. “Well, not all of them anyway.” I like you. The words weren’t spoken but they were conveyed in the look he gave her.
“You guys, maybe we should get this done before time runs out because I can assure you she’s watching the clock and if she doesn’t see her orders being carried out she’ll be back here to find out what the holdup is,” Alex spoke up from his position by the doorway.
“We don’t want that,” Max said with a nod of agreement.
“We’re gonna have to fatten you up,” Liz said as she looked at Alex. “Otherwise you’re gonna be the skinniest Santa this town’s ever seen.”
“Let’s get changed.” Maria grabbed Michael’s hand to lead him back to the dressing rooms. “And before we leave I think you should have your picture taken with the Roswell reindeer.”
“Wait, the donkey with the fake antlers?”
“Yeah, Isabel hasn’t quite managed to get her hands on a genuine reindeer yet.” Max snickered. “Feel free to comment on that.” It would annoy her but right now he was alright with that.
“Hell no.” Michael shuddered as he followed Maria out of the elf house. There was no way he was going to say anything that might unleash her wrath on him again. He nodded when Max yelled for him to hurry up. “How exactly do you make an elf costume look masculine?” he asked when they were out of earshot.
“You can’t. About the only thing you can do is to make sure it just doesn’t look completely feminine.” She shrugged. “I’m pretty sure we can figure something out so he doesn’t face total humiliation.”
“Yeah, a hockey mask.”
“That’d just be creepy.”
He snorted in agreement. There was little they could do to salvage Max’s dignity at this point but he couldn’t just leave the guy hanging in the wind. “Too bad there’s no time to get Maggie here. She’d be thrilled to be an elf.” He shrugged. “She’s twisted that way.”
Maria laughed. “Still think you and Isabel are related?”
“I think it might be safer if I kept that to myself.” He wasn’t sure if he was ready to unleash Isabel on his personal life. She knew how to get what she wanted and once she’d made her mind up there was no changing it. She was downright scary at times and he didn’t know if he could deal with that on a regular basis. Maggie could be a pest but she’d never crossed the line to scary. He’d give it some more thought before he made a decision.
Eva – Yes, it’s eerie how much Michael and Isabel look like each other, both tall, well built, dirty blond hair, brown eyes, full lips, strong faces, strong personalities with a mean streak and deep down, a golden heart. It’s a surprise that this hasn’t been used more in fics because really, when you look at it, Michael and Isabel look more like each other than Isabel and Max or Max and Michael.
Author’s Note: There are a few lines borrowed from the Season Three episode Samuel Rising.
Part 127
Charlie Cunningham’s legs swung back and forth, the toes of his hiking boots colliding with Santa’s knee repeatedly. Every other strike Santa would reach down and attempt to still his legs but before long the nervous movements started all over again. The little boy was intimidated by the big man and every time he tried to open his mouth to say what he wanted for Christmas the words just froze in his throat and he couldn’t speak. It didn’t keep him from trying though.
Michael cleared his throat as his gloved hand once more stilled the foot that was going to leave his knee black and blue. “Relax, buddy,” he said when the kid looked like he was about to cry. Why did people push their kids to go sit on some stranger’s lap and tell him what they wanted? Charlie hadn’t wanted to sit on Santa’s knee. He’d been resistant but his dad had kept nudging him forward and it had been easy to see in spite of his apprehension he just wanted to make his dad happy.
Maria and Liz did their best to keep the other kids calm while they waited their turn, but they were impatient to get their few minutes with Santa. It didn’t help that he had managed to hit it off with every kid that crossed his path.
“You like Snapple, Charlie?” He nodded when the boy gave an affirmative response. “What do you say we have one of my elves go get one?”
“Okay,” he agreed with a shy smile.
Michael snapped his fingers to get the elves’ attention. “Hey, Snowflake, go fetch me a Snapple.”
Maria shot a murderous look at her boyfriend. He was having entirely too much fun with his role as Santa. All afternoon it had been one order after another and the elf-hating kids were eating it up. “Excuse me?”
He had the audacity to smirk at her when he caught the annoyance in her tone. She was absolutely gorgeous and she had no idea. “Charlie and me could use a drink. Oh, and grab a couple of cookies while you’re at it.”
Okay, yeah, it was kind of cute the way he was drawing Charlie out, but there had to be some sort of North Pole law against elf abuse. “This elf is taking a break.” She had been on her feet for the past three hours nonstop and she was going to find someplace to sit down and take her pointy-toed shoes off so she could put her feet up for a few minutes.
“Uh, Snowflake, I think you’re forgetting who you work for.” He turned to look at the kids watching the battle of wills and hanging onto every word. “Kids, don’t you think Snowflake should fetch Santa a Snapple?”
His question was met with agreement as the little mob of urchins began to hurl commentary in favor of Santa. Ronnie Simpson, a boy destined to be a troublemaker, was leading the pack and when he tossed out his insulting, “Of course she should, she’s just an elf,” that was the last straw. But before she could say a word Michael was getting Charlie’s Christmas wish and sending the little boy on his way with a Snapple and a cookie that had been ‘fetched’ by Candy Cane.
“Okay, kids,” he said as he got to his feet, “Santa’s gonna take a break and be back in ten.” He glanced at his girlfriend, taking in the cheeks flushed with annoyance and just a hint of anger. “Let’s make that fifteen.” He motioned to Liz. “Candy Cane will hand out cookies and make sure you guys don’t lose your place in line.”
“Wait,” Liz protested, “by myself?” It was hard enough when there were two of them.
Michael just looked at her. “You’re an elf. It’s your job. If there’s any question about that I’m sure Isabel can –”. The rest of his comment was lost when he was yanked away from the crowd and dragged over to the elf house.
“I can’t believe you,” Maria hissed as soon as they were alone.
He feigned a clueless expression. “What?”
“What,” she echoed as she whirled around to look at him. “Fetch me a Snapple?” She shook her head when she saw the amusement in his features and she reached out to yank his fake beard down. “This isn’t funny, Michael.”
“You have no idea how beautiful you are,” he rasped. He watched her as she tried to figure out what he was talking about and after a few moments she looked down at herself, trying to see what he saw.
It was ridiculous, she thought. There was absolutely nothing attractive about the stupid costume she was wearing. But, it was no more ridiculous than thinking he was hot wrapped up in a red velvet suit that was in no way sexy, was it? The air crackled with electricity as they stared at each other, frozen in place for the space of a heartbeat before they suddenly collided.
It was difficult getting as close as she wanted to get to him with all the layers and the padding that made him look like Santa. The beard scratched and tickled, the Santa glasses slipped down his nose, and as he crowded closer, one of his boots got tangled in a costume hanging off its hook and dragging the floor.
The air was forced from her lungs when Michael landed on top of her and her hands braced against his chest in as effort to keep him from crushing her on impact. “Okay,” she wheezed, “that’s not exactly what I had in mind.”
“But it’s somewhere in the vicinity?” He smirked and pulled the beard down further as he shifted to take the bulk of his weight off of her. His eyes traveled over her features, pausing when they reached her lips and he slowly lowered his head to kiss her again. Outside noise filtered in but went ignored in favor of more pleasurable pursuits and it wasn’t until a childish voice pierced the air around them that they broke apart again.
“Santa and Snowflake are kissing!”
“Crap, we gotta hide.”
“I think it’s too late for – “
“Gross! Mommy, Santa and Snowflake are doing it! They’re doing it!”
“Off,” Maria said insistently, shoving against his shoulders. “Get off!”
He attempted to move but it only made the situation worse when the buckle from his belt got caught up in some part of her costume. “I can’t. The damn belt’s stuck. I can’t move.”
One of the kids, showing off their more dramatic side, screamed and ran off just as Isabel stepped into the doorway. Her mouth formed a shocked ‘O’ for a brief moment before she collected herself. She grabbed one end of her scarf and jerked on it, possibly as a means of attempting to control her temper. But it didn’t take long before she lost that battle and she took another step towards them.
“Get up! Both of you, right now!” Her voice was low but the threat that loomed if they didn’t comply wasn’t disguised in the least. Her eyes rolled impressively when they made another attempt to disengage from each other and the result was the sound of clothing ripping. She reached down and repaired the material under the guise of helping them to their feet. “Do you have any idea what you’ve just done to this institution?”
Maria straightened her outfit as well as she could as Michael fidgeted next to her. Well, he was so sure he and Isabel were brother and sister, maybe this was his chance to really see what he would be getting into if he decided to pursue his suspicions.
“We were on a break,” he started as a defense and had to force himself to stand still when Isabel’s eyes blazed with anger.
“Are you incapable of controlling your rampaging hormones for the small amount of time that you’ve agreed to participate in this production?” She didn’t wait for an answer. She was on the move, hands constantly in motion as she gestured wildly. “There are hundreds of children here today. Sweet, innocent children that you’ve probably corrupted with your behavior.”
“I don’t think – “
She whirled around when he dared to open his mouth. “No, you didn’t think. You had one job to do and what’d you do? You disrespected the uniform!” Her eyes widened when he made a sound that sounded suspiciously like a snort, the kind of sound people made when they were trying to cover their inappropriate laughter.
Maria shifted, suddenly conscious of the fact that they had been joined by Liz, Max and Alex. “I’m pretty sure break’s over. Maybe we should get back out there.”
“Get back out there,” Isabel repeated incredulously. “No, no, no. You’re fired, both of you.”
“There’s no reason to punish the kids,” Michael attempted to reason with her. “I mean, there’s gotta be at least thirty or forty kids still waitin’ to talk to Santa.”
“Yes, there are, but they won’t be talking to you!” She snapped her fingers as she motioned to the suit he was wearing. “Go take it off.” How was she going to replace him this late in the game? She huffed an annoyed breath and froze in the process of turning to storm out of the elf house. “Max.” She eyed him critically for a few seconds before nodding. “Yes, you’ll do.”
“Wait,” he said warily, “I’ll do what?”
“You’re standing in for Santa.”
“No, Isabel, you can’t ask me to do this.”
“I’m not asking,” she said with exaggerated sweetness, “I’m telling you.”
He looked down when the beard came flying across the room and landed against his chest before falling to the ground. He shook his head when his sister snatched it up and turned to face him, holding it out. Nothing in her expression suggested she was joking. “Um, I’m really not the kinda person who fits the role. I’m not very… jolly.”
“Fake it.” Her tone said she wasn’t taking no for an answer.
“Ho, ho, ho,” he muttered without an ounce of enthusiasm. “Look, Isabel, this isn’t me.”
“It’s easy,” Alex said as he took the beard and held it up in front of his own face, “you just put the suit on and just go from your gut.” He took a deep breath and belted out a hearty “ho, ho, ho” that suddenly had everyone’s attention. “Kids are easy enough to talk to and really, they just want someone to sit there and listen to what they want, ask them if they’ve been good all year, give them a candy cane and send them on their way.”
“Alex.”
He turned to look at Isabel, eyebrows lifted at her tone. “What’s up?”
“You’re Santa.”
“No, but I don’t…” He shook his head. “I wasn’t trying to take Max’s gig.” And he didn’t want it.
“Don’t worry, I have something else in mind for Max.” She smiled at her brother as her gaze bounced between him and Maria. “I’m suddenly an elf short and there’s no way Candy Cane can handle all those kids out there by herself.”
“Whoa,” Max held his hands up before nodding at Maria. “I’m not wearing that getup.”
“But, Max,” Liz whispered, “it’s not that bad, remember?”
He glared at her when she threw his words back at him.
“It’s Santa or Snowflake. Those are your options, little brother.”
“I’m good being Santa,” Alex said before Max could speak up and he held the beard out of reach just to be safe. There was no way he was putting on a pair of tights for the rest of the afternoon.
Isabel shot an icy look at the couple who had started the whole mess. “You have five minutes to get out of those uniforms and then you should go home.” Her attention focused on her brother and Alex once more. “And you, I expect to see you front and center in ten minutes. Not a single minute later.” And with that she was gone.
Michael stared after her in disbelief. “Jeez, I expected her to start breathin’ fire like a damn dragon at any second. That’s one scary girl.”
“Tell me about it,” Max grumbled. “I would’ve stepped in, but smart money says you don’t cross her when she’s on the warpath.”
The two guys exchanged a look and a moment of understanding passed between them.
“Yeah, well, sorry you got the short end of the stick.” He felt a little sorry for the guy growing up with Isabel. He’d had it a lot easier with Maggie and he wouldn’t have traded that for anything before, but now? No way. “Maybe I can help though.”
“I think you’ve helped enough.” He shot a baleful look at Maria’s costume. How in the world was he going to get out of this?
“Michael’s great at wardrobe fixes,” Maria offered, hoping to take some of the sting out of Max’s predicament.
“There’s no fix good enough to get me outta this.”
“Out of it, no, but maybe it’ll get you out of it with your dignity intact.” She shrugged one shoulder. “Most of the elves you see in Christmas movies are guys anyway, right?”
Were they? He never paid much attention. He looked at Michael and received a shrug in response. Apparently he didn’t either. “What’s your point?”
“Their costumes aren’t feminine.” They weren’t real masculine either, but there was no reason to point that out.
“So what’re we talking about? Robin Hood rather than an elf? Because really, I think the only difference is the bow and arrow.”
She tried hard not to laugh but he sounded so offended that it was hard not to. “Okay, look, at least it’s only for a couple more hours. The worst of it’s already over.”
“No, it’s not. The later it gets the crankier those kids out there are getting.”
“Well, Alex will just keep the line moving. He’ll keep it brief instead of bonding with them over their dislike of elves.”
“I don’t dislike elves.” Michael shrugged when she just looked at him with a disbelieving stare. “Well, not all of them anyway.” I like you. The words weren’t spoken but they were conveyed in the look he gave her.
“You guys, maybe we should get this done before time runs out because I can assure you she’s watching the clock and if she doesn’t see her orders being carried out she’ll be back here to find out what the holdup is,” Alex spoke up from his position by the doorway.
“We don’t want that,” Max said with a nod of agreement.
“We’re gonna have to fatten you up,” Liz said as she looked at Alex. “Otherwise you’re gonna be the skinniest Santa this town’s ever seen.”
“Let’s get changed.” Maria grabbed Michael’s hand to lead him back to the dressing rooms. “And before we leave I think you should have your picture taken with the Roswell reindeer.”
“Wait, the donkey with the fake antlers?”
“Yeah, Isabel hasn’t quite managed to get her hands on a genuine reindeer yet.” Max snickered. “Feel free to comment on that.” It would annoy her but right now he was alright with that.
“Hell no.” Michael shuddered as he followed Maria out of the elf house. There was no way he was going to say anything that might unleash her wrath on him again. He nodded when Max yelled for him to hurry up. “How exactly do you make an elf costume look masculine?” he asked when they were out of earshot.
“You can’t. About the only thing you can do is to make sure it just doesn’t look completely feminine.” She shrugged. “I’m pretty sure we can figure something out so he doesn’t face total humiliation.”
“Yeah, a hockey mask.”
“That’d just be creepy.”
He snorted in agreement. There was little they could do to salvage Max’s dignity at this point but he couldn’t just leave the guy hanging in the wind. “Too bad there’s no time to get Maggie here. She’d be thrilled to be an elf.” He shrugged. “She’s twisted that way.”
Maria laughed. “Still think you and Isabel are related?”
“I think it might be safer if I kept that to myself.” He wasn’t sure if he was ready to unleash Isabel on his personal life. She knew how to get what she wanted and once she’d made her mind up there was no changing it. She was downright scary at times and he didn’t know if he could deal with that on a regular basis. Maggie could be a pest but she’d never crossed the line to scary. He’d give it some more thought before he made a decision.
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keepsmiling7
- Roswell Fanatic
- Posts: 2649
- Joined: Thu Jun 28, 2007 9:34 pm
Re: Doo 'awéé ééhoozIIh da-The Lost Child(M/M,TEEN)127-8/16/
Max standing in as Santa........I'd love to see that.
He has no dignity left!
Thanks,
Caroklyn
He has no dignity left!
Thanks,
Caroklyn
Re: Doo 'awéé ééhoozIIh da-The Lost Child(M/M,TEEN)127-8/16/
It was hilarious! Great scene!
Take a look at Eva's world
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ArchAngel1973
- Addicted Roswellian
- Posts: 373
- Joined: Sun Sep 24, 2006 7:02 pm
Doo 'awéé ééhoozIIh da-The Lost Child(M/M,TEEN)128-8/23/15
keepsmiling7: Well, it’s difficult to keep your dignity in an elf costume, even for a girl, so for a guy like Max, ouch! Better cover his… dignity, lol!
Eva: Thank you, we’re glad you found it hilarious. (Kudos to Angel for writing a funny part.)
Part 128
Maria walked through the city park at the heart of Roswell, weaving a path to the benches that were situated around the fountain that had been built at its center. The air was crisp and cold but there wasn’t a snowflake in sight. The sky overhead was a grayish white that threatened snow that it most likely wouldn’t deliver. The strands of Christmas lights threaded through the trees’ skeletal frames lacked the magic that filled the park at night.
She pulled her coat tighter around her when the wind blew and the branches swayed overhead, the occasional sound of the bulbs gently knocking together creating a melody. For years she and Liz had met up on Christmas morning, spending a few minutes together because they couldn’t bear to go an entire day without being with each other. She smiled when she rounded the fountain and saw Liz coming from the opposite direction. They hadn’t discussed it, they never did, and she had wondered if her old friend would be there this time.
“Merry Christmas, Maria,” Liz greeted her with a smile and a hug.
“Merry Christmas, Liz,” she returned the hug and when they separated they settled down on one of the benches.
The park was quiet and most of the town’s residents were probably still asleep because it was early and no one had to be up for work or school. Growing up in Roswell she’d never thought to question why absolutely nothing was open on Christmas Day. It wasn’t until she and her mom had gone to visit one of Amy’s friends that she’d even realized that other towns and cities didn’t necessarily follow that same rule.
Liz smiled when the wind blew and the bulbs strung through the trees clinked together. “You remember when we were little and your mom put all those bottles in the tree in your backyard?”
She laughed quietly. “Yeah, that was when I was so sure there was a ghost hiding in my closet.” Her eyes rolled at the memory. It was amazing what people believed when they were so young.
Bottles of various colors had swayed from the branches of that tree and as ugly as she had thought it was she’d been fascinated by Amy’s strange beliefs. “It was supposed to keep the ghost away, wasn’t it?”
“Well, it was supposed to draw the ghost into the bottle and trap it until morning when the sun came up.”
“Oh, that’s right. When the sun rose and the light hit the bottles the ghost would be vanquished.” She shifted to face Maria and rested her chin on her fisted hand. “That ghost had to be the hardest ghost to capture and get rid of.”
“Yeah. Mom used to tell me it was a different ghost every time I’d go running to her because it was back in my closet. For the longest time I thought we lived in a haunted house.”
Liz giggled. “I remember that. Every time I spent the night we’d sit up for hours, hiding under the covers with our flashlights, just waiting for that ghost to come out so we could catch it. And when that didn’t work we tried that séance. Remember that? We were in the tent in the backyard just waiting for the ghost to be drawn out to the bottles and Alex snuck up on us and scared us half to death.” She shook her head as their laughter died down. “We never did catch anything.”
“And ten years later we end up with aliens.” Maria smirked as she shifted to mimic Liz’s position. “It’s too bad there’s no way for us to get back at him now.”
“Yeah, nothing about Isabel scares him.” She shrugged. “Absolutely nothing.”
“I know, he’s like a puppy in heat.”
“Maria!” Liz snickered.
“Please, have you seen him with Isabel?”
“Yeah, is that anything like you and Michael?” she teased.
“Or you and Max?” Maria countered.
She conceded. “Probably, but since I’m pretty sure it’s the real thing I’m okay with that.”
“Me too.”
“Ladies.”
They jumped when Alex came up behind them without either of them noticing him.
“Alex!” Maria slapped his arm when he leaned forward to wrap his hands around the top of the bench.
“Woof, woof.” He grinned at their surprised expressions. “Puppy in heat? Really? That’s the best you could come up with?”
“Are you saying it’s not an appropriate description?”
He made a face at them. “I like to think I have a little more self control than that.”
The girls exchanged a look before speaking at the same time, “You’re a guy.”
“I’m so glad you’ve noticed. Anyway, I was just out dropping off a fruitcake Mom made for Mrs. Harvey in her book club and I saw you guys so I wanted to come over and say Merry Christmas.”
“Merry Christmas, Alex,” they chimed together, hugging him when he leaned down and wrapped his lanky arms around them.
“I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
“I should probably be getting home too,” Liz said. “Dad’s waiting to start breakfast.”
“Christmas pancakes?” Maria smiled. “He’ll probably still be making them when you’re an old married woman.”
“Yeah, and I’ll still eat them if he does. I’ll take that over having to spend every New Years’ Eve doing the Crashdown New Years’ at 10:30pm for the Desert Inn Retirement Community.”
“Girl, you’re only gonna get outta that if you leave Roswell and never come back for New Years’.”
She laughed. “Yeah, that’s true.”
Maria glanced at her watch. “Speaking of breakfast, I’d better get home. Gabriel’s coming over for breakfast and then he’s gonna help me with Michael’s present.”
“So you guys are spending the day with his family?” she asked curiously.
“Yeah. His Aunt Skye invited us and most of his family will be there. It’ll be overwhelming but it’ll be fun too. Besides, I’m dying to know what Michael got for me.”
The girls said their goodbyes and went their separate ways. As Maria walked back to her house her eyes wandered over the town she had grown up in, wondering what it would be like to come back and visit after being gone for a year or two. She didn’t know what was going to happen after graduation, but she was eager to find out.
She and Michael had agreed college wasn’t something they wanted to jump into right after graduating from high school. They wanted to take some time, explore their options before making a decision about what they wanted to do. College wasn’t very high on either of their lists and they weren’t going to force themselves to go just because it was expected. She was lucky though. Her mom knew she didn’t want to go right back to school after graduation but Michael hadn’t talked to his parents about it yet. He was waiting until after the holidays, hoping for a good reaction but not really expecting it.
She knew how badly he didn’t want to disappoint his parents but she also knew how badly he needed the space to decide what he wanted to do with his life. It was important to his parents that he go to college and she understood that; she just hoped they would be supportive when Michael finally talked to them and explained his position on the matter. She had a feeling John would be the easiest one to convince and she hoped he could work his magic on his wife and keep her calm.
She smiled and waved when she turned the corner and saw Gabriel pulling into the driveway. He had stayed over the night before and he’d been gone before she’d gotten up. She wondered if her mom really thought she didn’t know but decided it wasn’t worth asking. Mom was being careful with her relationship with Gabriel and there wasn’t a doubt in her mind that he was very serious about things between them.
“Good morning,” he called, stepping out of his truck as she crossed the lawn.
“Morning,” she said with a nod. “Weren’t you driving a car last time I saw you?”
“Cars and trucks each have their advantages.” He smiled and fell into step beside her as they walked up to the house. “Today, the truck works best for the situation.” He pulled the screen door open and held it while she unlocked the front door.
“Should we go ahead and get Michael’s present loaded?”
“No need to rush. We have plenty of time and your mom’s just about got breakfast ready.” He chuckled. “No need to let it get cold.”
“Good point.” She paused, turning to face him as he closed the door. “I’m glad you could come today, Gabriel.”
“Thank you for inviting me.” Amy had talked to him about the invitation from Skye and she had explained that she had left it up to Maria to decide if she was comfortable with him being included. “It’s an honor to be included.”
“I thought I heard you two,” Amy said as she appeared in the doorway to the kitchen, drying her hands on a dishtowel. “You’re just in time for breakfast.”
“Then we timed it perfectly.” He waited until Maria excused herself to wash up before he leaned in for a kiss. Things were moving along at a nice pace and now that Maria had accepted him it was also moving along more smoothly. He’d been pleasantly surprised when she’d sought him out for help with her boyfriend’s gift and then asked him for help getting it out to the Rez. The teenager knew what she wanted and she’d found a way to make it happen. She was like her mother in so many ways, he thought with an amused smile.
“What’s that smile for?” Amy whispered.
He shook his head. “I’m just very happy,” he murmured in a low voice.
“Impressionable teenager on the scene,” Maria called a few moments before she came around the corner. She was relieved to see that her mom and Gabriel had restrained themselves and were behaving like semi-normal people. She set the table and took her seat, watching the happy couple as they teased and flirted over the final breakfast preparations. She was glad to see her mom so happy and for once, so settled. It was a good thing, she decided. Mom wouldn’t be alone when she went off after graduation and that made her feel better. She made a face. And it was so much better that the guy that made her happy wasn’t Howard. That would’ve sucked. Her thoughts turned to her own boyfriend and the gift she had found for him. She hoped he loved it as much as she had imaged he would when she’d finally found it. It had taken time. Michael wasn’t exactly the easiest person to shop for and a gift for him had to be something special. And it was. She couldn’t wait to see his face when she gave it to him.
*****
John glanced up from the book he was reading when his son’s constant pacing drew his attention once again. The boy was keyed up, too restless to sit still for any length of time, and it was keeping him in constant motion. He shifted his gaze to his daughter. Maggie was curled up on the couch, dozing lightly while the puppy slept heavily against her. He could hear Catherine bustling around in the kitchen, putting the finishing touches on the dishes she had volunteered to make for dinner.
They had slept in that morning, waking mid-morning to the smell of breakfast cooking – their children’s gift to them. The chores had been done and the kids had even made a couple of the dinner dishes and packed them for the trip to Skye’s house later that day. They had sat down to breakfast and enjoyed it together before opening their gifts.
Maggie hadn’t let her new suede jacket out of her sight. It wasn’t a practical gift, but it was something they knew she wanted and they’d decided to splurge on it. Michael had been surprisingly easy to buy for, though his gift hadn’t been practical either. He’d had his eye on a new stereo for his room, though based on the size of the thing he had a feeling he’d had something else in mind… something like his own apartment maybe. A dorm room was out of the question. He knew his boy would never be able to share his space like that. An apartment though, that made sense.
Michael suddenly froze and just moments later John heard the sound of gravel crunching under tires. He didn’t bother trying to hide his amusement when his boy darted from the room, rushing back to his bedroom, most likely to unearth the gift he’d painstakingly made for her.
“Cath, our company’s arrived,” he called as he bookmarked his page and set his book aside for later.
“Our company,” she huffed under her breath. It hadn’t been her idea to invite anyone outside of her daughter’s boyfriend. She drew in a deep breath and exhaled slowly. No, she had decided she was going to handle this situation better than she had in the recent past. Michael was serious about Maria, more serious than she was comfortable with, but by their customs he was a man now and he deserved to be treated like one. She dried her hands and hung the dishtowel up before smoothing imaginary wrinkles out of her clothes. She forced a smile onto her face and then worked on it for a few moments in an effort to make it more relaxed before going to join her husband.
Maria dropped down out of the truck and smiled when she saw John step out onto the front porch with Catherine. “Merry Christmas!” she called as she hurried up to the steps. “Oh, wait, do you say that?”
John chuckled and nodded at the excitable girl. “Merry Christmas, Maria, and welcome back.”
“Thanks. Is Michael – “
The screen door was shoved open and Michael made a grab for it before it could smack against the wall. He quickly controlled his features, doing his best to look he wasn’t so eagerly anticipating this visit. “Hey.”
Maria rolled her eyes at his bored expression. “If that’s the best you’ve got I can take your gift back.”
That got a smirk out of him and he held up a soft leather pouch, swinging it teasingly in front of her. “I can take yours back too.”
Her eyes widened and locked on the gift. “Michael…”
“I think we should leave these two to exchange their gifts while the rest of us go inside where it’s warm.” At the moment the teenagers were plenty warm by simply being in each other’s presence. “Catherine just put on a fresh pot of coffee and I’m sure she expects us to drink it before we head over to Skye’s place.”
“So, where’s my present?” Michael asked, ignoring the adults as they disappeared into the house.
“Hi? Merry Christmas? Nice to see you?” She shook her head. “No? So you’ve lost the ability to communicate in a civilized manner?”
“Have I ever done that?” He grinned when she just looked at him. “I said ‘hey’.” He took her hand and pulled her up against his body, but was careful to keep the gift out of her reach. “Hey,” he whispered against her lips.
That was more like it, she thought as she melted against him. Her hands settled on his shoulders as his arms came around her waist, pulling her impossibly closer and surrounding her with his warmth. It was difficult to break apart but eventually the need for oxygen demanded to be met and they separated, leaving just enough space between them to catch their breath.
Maria smiled when their foreheads came to rest against each other. “Wanna exchange gifts now?” She was practically bouncing on the balls of her feet when he pretended to consider her question but after nearly a full minute he gave in and offered it to her. She gasped, the sound almost inaudible as her fingers brushed over the soft leather.
She released the ties and upended the bag, staring at the gift as it slid into her palm. She let go of the pouch when he reached for it, straightening up the beads and bones held together with strips of leather. “Michael…” Her voice was hushed as she breathed his name. Her fingers traced over the three rows of fine pipe bones that were dark in color. Silver beads provided spacing between the slabs and the silver concho at the center of the necklace. The slabs were decorated with carved symbols belonging to the Mesaliko tribe. Five distinct markings were etched into the concho to signify a bear claw and beneath that a turquoise stone was set into the sterling silver. “It’s beautiful.”
The pride was evident in his features and she knew immediately that he hadn’t purchased the piece. “You made this?”
He shrugged. “Yeah.” He didn’t have to ask if she liked it, the truth was written all over her face.
“What do the symbols mean?” she asked as she traced over the tiny carvings.
“This one,” he touched the one on the right, “is for truth in everything and the other,” his fingers brushed against hers, “is for honor and respect.”
“It’s beautiful,” she repeated, touched by the gift. She held it out to him and turned around when he took it, brushing her hair aside so he could tie the ends together. Her fingertips played over the fine bone, amazed that something so seemingly fragile could be assembled by his big hands. He pulled the choker until it was in place, just loose enough to be comfortable, and he secured the leather ties. She smiled when she felt his lips brush against her neck, whisper soft and warm, and she shivered lightly at the contact.
“Okay, my turn.”
She rolled her eyes when his focus suddenly shifted but she went with it. She turned to motion to the trailer hitched to the back of Gabriel’s truck and she nodded when his gaze bounced between the tarp tied down over the trailer and her. “You have to unwrap it.”
His eyebrows lifted in interest as he walked back to the trailer. “So,” he dragged a finger along the rough material of the tarp, “what’s under here is mine?”
She laughed, amused by his antics. “Yep, all yours.”
Michael reached for one of the bungee cords holding the tarp down, releasing it and then moving around and doing the same with the others. He could feel the anticipation building and once they were all removed he grabbed one end of the tarp and jerked it free. The tarp slipped from his fingers as he stared at the gift she had chosen for him and without giving it a second thought he jumped up on the trailer so he could run his hands over what had to be the best gift ever!
“I know it’ll take some work to make it run.” Maria moved closer as she watched him. “It’s about twenty years old and the guy I bought it from called it a fixer and – “
“No, no, Maria, not a fixer,” he corrected as he ran his hands over the scarred tank, “it’s what they call an FXR. It’s a designation that identifies the engine, front forks and the engine mount.” He took a step back so he could look at it. “And it’s a Harley.” Sure, it needed a lot of work, but he could just see what it would look like once it was restored. He reached up to grip the handlebars. “Where’d you find it?”
“Well, you said you wanted a motorcycle and I knew there’s no way I could afford a new one so I started looking at used ones, and well, they were out of my price range too. Not to mention, I didn’t really know what I was looking for. So I went to talk to Gabriel. He pulls stuff from old junkyards for some of his art so I thought maybe he’d be able to help and he did. We found this at an estate sale and I just knew when I saw it that it was the one.”
“Mom’s gonna hate it.” He grinned as he jumped over the low side of the trailer to stand in front of her. “But I love it and it’ll be fun to restore it.” He pulled her close and lowered his head to kiss her.
“Hey, Mom said it’s time to start loading everything in the truck,” Maggie hollered as she stepped out on the porch.
Michael growled low in his throat as he pulled back. “So start haulin’ stuff out.”
Maria laughed and gave him a small shove. “Go help your mom. Let’s not give her anymore reasons to be in a mood,” she teased and gave him a little shove.
“I love the bike, Maria. It’s perfect.” He sighed and gave in after another kiss, grinning at her as he took a step back. “Love you too.”
She smiled widely as she fingered the choker. “I love you.”
Maggie stuck her tongue out at her brother when he jumped up on the front porch, giving her a little shove before going inside. It was great to have things back to normal. “A motorcycle, huh?” she asked as she joined her brother’s girlfriend. “Nice.” She grinned when she noticed the way Maria kept playing with the choker. “Y’know, there’s significance to the number of rows on a bone choker.”
“Well, that makes sense.” There seemed to be symbolism or significance in just about everything related to the Native American way of life.
“Um-hmm.” She nodded at the house. “I’d better give him a hand before he starts complaining to Mom that I’m not doing my share.” She paused at the door to smile at the other girl. “Three rows mean completeness, but don’t tell him I told you that.” And with that she disappeared into the house.
Maria’s eyebrows lifted and she smiled as her fingers traced over the symbols on the slabs again. Completeness. She liked that. Yeah, she thought as she followed them inside, yeah, she liked that a lot.
Eva: Thank you, we’re glad you found it hilarious. (Kudos to Angel for writing a funny part.)
Part 128
Maria walked through the city park at the heart of Roswell, weaving a path to the benches that were situated around the fountain that had been built at its center. The air was crisp and cold but there wasn’t a snowflake in sight. The sky overhead was a grayish white that threatened snow that it most likely wouldn’t deliver. The strands of Christmas lights threaded through the trees’ skeletal frames lacked the magic that filled the park at night.
She pulled her coat tighter around her when the wind blew and the branches swayed overhead, the occasional sound of the bulbs gently knocking together creating a melody. For years she and Liz had met up on Christmas morning, spending a few minutes together because they couldn’t bear to go an entire day without being with each other. She smiled when she rounded the fountain and saw Liz coming from the opposite direction. They hadn’t discussed it, they never did, and she had wondered if her old friend would be there this time.
“Merry Christmas, Maria,” Liz greeted her with a smile and a hug.
“Merry Christmas, Liz,” she returned the hug and when they separated they settled down on one of the benches.
The park was quiet and most of the town’s residents were probably still asleep because it was early and no one had to be up for work or school. Growing up in Roswell she’d never thought to question why absolutely nothing was open on Christmas Day. It wasn’t until she and her mom had gone to visit one of Amy’s friends that she’d even realized that other towns and cities didn’t necessarily follow that same rule.
Liz smiled when the wind blew and the bulbs strung through the trees clinked together. “You remember when we were little and your mom put all those bottles in the tree in your backyard?”
She laughed quietly. “Yeah, that was when I was so sure there was a ghost hiding in my closet.” Her eyes rolled at the memory. It was amazing what people believed when they were so young.
Bottles of various colors had swayed from the branches of that tree and as ugly as she had thought it was she’d been fascinated by Amy’s strange beliefs. “It was supposed to keep the ghost away, wasn’t it?”
“Well, it was supposed to draw the ghost into the bottle and trap it until morning when the sun came up.”
“Oh, that’s right. When the sun rose and the light hit the bottles the ghost would be vanquished.” She shifted to face Maria and rested her chin on her fisted hand. “That ghost had to be the hardest ghost to capture and get rid of.”
“Yeah. Mom used to tell me it was a different ghost every time I’d go running to her because it was back in my closet. For the longest time I thought we lived in a haunted house.”
Liz giggled. “I remember that. Every time I spent the night we’d sit up for hours, hiding under the covers with our flashlights, just waiting for that ghost to come out so we could catch it. And when that didn’t work we tried that séance. Remember that? We were in the tent in the backyard just waiting for the ghost to be drawn out to the bottles and Alex snuck up on us and scared us half to death.” She shook her head as their laughter died down. “We never did catch anything.”
“And ten years later we end up with aliens.” Maria smirked as she shifted to mimic Liz’s position. “It’s too bad there’s no way for us to get back at him now.”
“Yeah, nothing about Isabel scares him.” She shrugged. “Absolutely nothing.”
“I know, he’s like a puppy in heat.”
“Maria!” Liz snickered.
“Please, have you seen him with Isabel?”
“Yeah, is that anything like you and Michael?” she teased.
“Or you and Max?” Maria countered.
She conceded. “Probably, but since I’m pretty sure it’s the real thing I’m okay with that.”
“Me too.”
“Ladies.”
They jumped when Alex came up behind them without either of them noticing him.
“Alex!” Maria slapped his arm when he leaned forward to wrap his hands around the top of the bench.
“Woof, woof.” He grinned at their surprised expressions. “Puppy in heat? Really? That’s the best you could come up with?”
“Are you saying it’s not an appropriate description?”
He made a face at them. “I like to think I have a little more self control than that.”
The girls exchanged a look before speaking at the same time, “You’re a guy.”
“I’m so glad you’ve noticed. Anyway, I was just out dropping off a fruitcake Mom made for Mrs. Harvey in her book club and I saw you guys so I wanted to come over and say Merry Christmas.”
“Merry Christmas, Alex,” they chimed together, hugging him when he leaned down and wrapped his lanky arms around them.
“I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
“I should probably be getting home too,” Liz said. “Dad’s waiting to start breakfast.”
“Christmas pancakes?” Maria smiled. “He’ll probably still be making them when you’re an old married woman.”
“Yeah, and I’ll still eat them if he does. I’ll take that over having to spend every New Years’ Eve doing the Crashdown New Years’ at 10:30pm for the Desert Inn Retirement Community.”
“Girl, you’re only gonna get outta that if you leave Roswell and never come back for New Years’.”
She laughed. “Yeah, that’s true.”
Maria glanced at her watch. “Speaking of breakfast, I’d better get home. Gabriel’s coming over for breakfast and then he’s gonna help me with Michael’s present.”
“So you guys are spending the day with his family?” she asked curiously.
“Yeah. His Aunt Skye invited us and most of his family will be there. It’ll be overwhelming but it’ll be fun too. Besides, I’m dying to know what Michael got for me.”
The girls said their goodbyes and went their separate ways. As Maria walked back to her house her eyes wandered over the town she had grown up in, wondering what it would be like to come back and visit after being gone for a year or two. She didn’t know what was going to happen after graduation, but she was eager to find out.
She and Michael had agreed college wasn’t something they wanted to jump into right after graduating from high school. They wanted to take some time, explore their options before making a decision about what they wanted to do. College wasn’t very high on either of their lists and they weren’t going to force themselves to go just because it was expected. She was lucky though. Her mom knew she didn’t want to go right back to school after graduation but Michael hadn’t talked to his parents about it yet. He was waiting until after the holidays, hoping for a good reaction but not really expecting it.
She knew how badly he didn’t want to disappoint his parents but she also knew how badly he needed the space to decide what he wanted to do with his life. It was important to his parents that he go to college and she understood that; she just hoped they would be supportive when Michael finally talked to them and explained his position on the matter. She had a feeling John would be the easiest one to convince and she hoped he could work his magic on his wife and keep her calm.
She smiled and waved when she turned the corner and saw Gabriel pulling into the driveway. He had stayed over the night before and he’d been gone before she’d gotten up. She wondered if her mom really thought she didn’t know but decided it wasn’t worth asking. Mom was being careful with her relationship with Gabriel and there wasn’t a doubt in her mind that he was very serious about things between them.
“Good morning,” he called, stepping out of his truck as she crossed the lawn.
“Morning,” she said with a nod. “Weren’t you driving a car last time I saw you?”
“Cars and trucks each have their advantages.” He smiled and fell into step beside her as they walked up to the house. “Today, the truck works best for the situation.” He pulled the screen door open and held it while she unlocked the front door.
“Should we go ahead and get Michael’s present loaded?”
“No need to rush. We have plenty of time and your mom’s just about got breakfast ready.” He chuckled. “No need to let it get cold.”
“Good point.” She paused, turning to face him as he closed the door. “I’m glad you could come today, Gabriel.”
“Thank you for inviting me.” Amy had talked to him about the invitation from Skye and she had explained that she had left it up to Maria to decide if she was comfortable with him being included. “It’s an honor to be included.”
“I thought I heard you two,” Amy said as she appeared in the doorway to the kitchen, drying her hands on a dishtowel. “You’re just in time for breakfast.”
“Then we timed it perfectly.” He waited until Maria excused herself to wash up before he leaned in for a kiss. Things were moving along at a nice pace and now that Maria had accepted him it was also moving along more smoothly. He’d been pleasantly surprised when she’d sought him out for help with her boyfriend’s gift and then asked him for help getting it out to the Rez. The teenager knew what she wanted and she’d found a way to make it happen. She was like her mother in so many ways, he thought with an amused smile.
“What’s that smile for?” Amy whispered.
He shook his head. “I’m just very happy,” he murmured in a low voice.
“Impressionable teenager on the scene,” Maria called a few moments before she came around the corner. She was relieved to see that her mom and Gabriel had restrained themselves and were behaving like semi-normal people. She set the table and took her seat, watching the happy couple as they teased and flirted over the final breakfast preparations. She was glad to see her mom so happy and for once, so settled. It was a good thing, she decided. Mom wouldn’t be alone when she went off after graduation and that made her feel better. She made a face. And it was so much better that the guy that made her happy wasn’t Howard. That would’ve sucked. Her thoughts turned to her own boyfriend and the gift she had found for him. She hoped he loved it as much as she had imaged he would when she’d finally found it. It had taken time. Michael wasn’t exactly the easiest person to shop for and a gift for him had to be something special. And it was. She couldn’t wait to see his face when she gave it to him.
*****
John glanced up from the book he was reading when his son’s constant pacing drew his attention once again. The boy was keyed up, too restless to sit still for any length of time, and it was keeping him in constant motion. He shifted his gaze to his daughter. Maggie was curled up on the couch, dozing lightly while the puppy slept heavily against her. He could hear Catherine bustling around in the kitchen, putting the finishing touches on the dishes she had volunteered to make for dinner.
They had slept in that morning, waking mid-morning to the smell of breakfast cooking – their children’s gift to them. The chores had been done and the kids had even made a couple of the dinner dishes and packed them for the trip to Skye’s house later that day. They had sat down to breakfast and enjoyed it together before opening their gifts.
Maggie hadn’t let her new suede jacket out of her sight. It wasn’t a practical gift, but it was something they knew she wanted and they’d decided to splurge on it. Michael had been surprisingly easy to buy for, though his gift hadn’t been practical either. He’d had his eye on a new stereo for his room, though based on the size of the thing he had a feeling he’d had something else in mind… something like his own apartment maybe. A dorm room was out of the question. He knew his boy would never be able to share his space like that. An apartment though, that made sense.
Michael suddenly froze and just moments later John heard the sound of gravel crunching under tires. He didn’t bother trying to hide his amusement when his boy darted from the room, rushing back to his bedroom, most likely to unearth the gift he’d painstakingly made for her.
“Cath, our company’s arrived,” he called as he bookmarked his page and set his book aside for later.
“Our company,” she huffed under her breath. It hadn’t been her idea to invite anyone outside of her daughter’s boyfriend. She drew in a deep breath and exhaled slowly. No, she had decided she was going to handle this situation better than she had in the recent past. Michael was serious about Maria, more serious than she was comfortable with, but by their customs he was a man now and he deserved to be treated like one. She dried her hands and hung the dishtowel up before smoothing imaginary wrinkles out of her clothes. She forced a smile onto her face and then worked on it for a few moments in an effort to make it more relaxed before going to join her husband.
Maria dropped down out of the truck and smiled when she saw John step out onto the front porch with Catherine. “Merry Christmas!” she called as she hurried up to the steps. “Oh, wait, do you say that?”
John chuckled and nodded at the excitable girl. “Merry Christmas, Maria, and welcome back.”
“Thanks. Is Michael – “
The screen door was shoved open and Michael made a grab for it before it could smack against the wall. He quickly controlled his features, doing his best to look he wasn’t so eagerly anticipating this visit. “Hey.”
Maria rolled her eyes at his bored expression. “If that’s the best you’ve got I can take your gift back.”
That got a smirk out of him and he held up a soft leather pouch, swinging it teasingly in front of her. “I can take yours back too.”
Her eyes widened and locked on the gift. “Michael…”
“I think we should leave these two to exchange their gifts while the rest of us go inside where it’s warm.” At the moment the teenagers were plenty warm by simply being in each other’s presence. “Catherine just put on a fresh pot of coffee and I’m sure she expects us to drink it before we head over to Skye’s place.”
“So, where’s my present?” Michael asked, ignoring the adults as they disappeared into the house.
“Hi? Merry Christmas? Nice to see you?” She shook her head. “No? So you’ve lost the ability to communicate in a civilized manner?”
“Have I ever done that?” He grinned when she just looked at him. “I said ‘hey’.” He took her hand and pulled her up against his body, but was careful to keep the gift out of her reach. “Hey,” he whispered against her lips.
That was more like it, she thought as she melted against him. Her hands settled on his shoulders as his arms came around her waist, pulling her impossibly closer and surrounding her with his warmth. It was difficult to break apart but eventually the need for oxygen demanded to be met and they separated, leaving just enough space between them to catch their breath.
Maria smiled when their foreheads came to rest against each other. “Wanna exchange gifts now?” She was practically bouncing on the balls of her feet when he pretended to consider her question but after nearly a full minute he gave in and offered it to her. She gasped, the sound almost inaudible as her fingers brushed over the soft leather.
She released the ties and upended the bag, staring at the gift as it slid into her palm. She let go of the pouch when he reached for it, straightening up the beads and bones held together with strips of leather. “Michael…” Her voice was hushed as she breathed his name. Her fingers traced over the three rows of fine pipe bones that were dark in color. Silver beads provided spacing between the slabs and the silver concho at the center of the necklace. The slabs were decorated with carved symbols belonging to the Mesaliko tribe. Five distinct markings were etched into the concho to signify a bear claw and beneath that a turquoise stone was set into the sterling silver. “It’s beautiful.”
The pride was evident in his features and she knew immediately that he hadn’t purchased the piece. “You made this?”
He shrugged. “Yeah.” He didn’t have to ask if she liked it, the truth was written all over her face.
“What do the symbols mean?” she asked as she traced over the tiny carvings.
“This one,” he touched the one on the right, “is for truth in everything and the other,” his fingers brushed against hers, “is for honor and respect.”
“It’s beautiful,” she repeated, touched by the gift. She held it out to him and turned around when he took it, brushing her hair aside so he could tie the ends together. Her fingertips played over the fine bone, amazed that something so seemingly fragile could be assembled by his big hands. He pulled the choker until it was in place, just loose enough to be comfortable, and he secured the leather ties. She smiled when she felt his lips brush against her neck, whisper soft and warm, and she shivered lightly at the contact.
“Okay, my turn.”
She rolled her eyes when his focus suddenly shifted but she went with it. She turned to motion to the trailer hitched to the back of Gabriel’s truck and she nodded when his gaze bounced between the tarp tied down over the trailer and her. “You have to unwrap it.”
His eyebrows lifted in interest as he walked back to the trailer. “So,” he dragged a finger along the rough material of the tarp, “what’s under here is mine?”
She laughed, amused by his antics. “Yep, all yours.”
Michael reached for one of the bungee cords holding the tarp down, releasing it and then moving around and doing the same with the others. He could feel the anticipation building and once they were all removed he grabbed one end of the tarp and jerked it free. The tarp slipped from his fingers as he stared at the gift she had chosen for him and without giving it a second thought he jumped up on the trailer so he could run his hands over what had to be the best gift ever!
“I know it’ll take some work to make it run.” Maria moved closer as she watched him. “It’s about twenty years old and the guy I bought it from called it a fixer and – “
“No, no, Maria, not a fixer,” he corrected as he ran his hands over the scarred tank, “it’s what they call an FXR. It’s a designation that identifies the engine, front forks and the engine mount.” He took a step back so he could look at it. “And it’s a Harley.” Sure, it needed a lot of work, but he could just see what it would look like once it was restored. He reached up to grip the handlebars. “Where’d you find it?”
“Well, you said you wanted a motorcycle and I knew there’s no way I could afford a new one so I started looking at used ones, and well, they were out of my price range too. Not to mention, I didn’t really know what I was looking for. So I went to talk to Gabriel. He pulls stuff from old junkyards for some of his art so I thought maybe he’d be able to help and he did. We found this at an estate sale and I just knew when I saw it that it was the one.”
“Mom’s gonna hate it.” He grinned as he jumped over the low side of the trailer to stand in front of her. “But I love it and it’ll be fun to restore it.” He pulled her close and lowered his head to kiss her.
“Hey, Mom said it’s time to start loading everything in the truck,” Maggie hollered as she stepped out on the porch.
Michael growled low in his throat as he pulled back. “So start haulin’ stuff out.”
Maria laughed and gave him a small shove. “Go help your mom. Let’s not give her anymore reasons to be in a mood,” she teased and gave him a little shove.
“I love the bike, Maria. It’s perfect.” He sighed and gave in after another kiss, grinning at her as he took a step back. “Love you too.”
She smiled widely as she fingered the choker. “I love you.”
Maggie stuck her tongue out at her brother when he jumped up on the front porch, giving her a little shove before going inside. It was great to have things back to normal. “A motorcycle, huh?” she asked as she joined her brother’s girlfriend. “Nice.” She grinned when she noticed the way Maria kept playing with the choker. “Y’know, there’s significance to the number of rows on a bone choker.”
“Well, that makes sense.” There seemed to be symbolism or significance in just about everything related to the Native American way of life.
“Um-hmm.” She nodded at the house. “I’d better give him a hand before he starts complaining to Mom that I’m not doing my share.” She paused at the door to smile at the other girl. “Three rows mean completeness, but don’t tell him I told you that.” And with that she disappeared into the house.
Maria’s eyebrows lifted and she smiled as her fingers traced over the symbols on the slabs again. Completeness. She liked that. Yeah, she thought as she followed them inside, yeah, she liked that a lot.
-
keepsmiling7
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Re: Doo 'awéé ééhoozIIh da-The Lost Child(M/M,TEEN)128-8/23/
great part,
Carolyn
Carolyn
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keepsmiling7
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Re: Doo 'awéé ééhoozIIh da-The Lost Child(M/M,TEEN)128-8/23/
great part,
Carolyn
Carolyn
Re: Doo 'awéé ééhoozIIh da-The Lost Child(M/M,TEEN)128-8/23/
The littekens christmas chat between our Friends was great. I loved the exhange of present , very romantic between young lovers.
Take a look at Eva's world
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ArchAngel1973
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Doo 'awéé ééhoozIIh da-The Lost Child(M/M,TEEN)129-8/31/15
keepsmiling7: Thanks for reading, we hope you like the new part.
Eva: The presents were important – they had meaning and showed that they know each other very well. They weren’t just regular presents.
Part 129
Michael looked around the room, his eyes locking on his girlfriend and remaining there for several long moments before he took in the rest of the activity. His cousins were scattered, taking up residence on every available piece of furniture and the floor. He watched his sister’s boyfriend as he engaged in a rather serious game of chess with Shyanne and it looked like she was giving him a run for his money.
Her fiancé had joined them for the holiday and as Maria had suggested, it had allowed Shyanne to relax and feel more comfortable with him there. Nick was likeable and his interest in the more traditional Native American dishes and their culture had immediately endeared him to the women that were packed into the kitchen. In spite of the cold the men had migrated to the backyard where Uncle Kaden was busy showing off his plans for the new barbecue grill.
He tuned back in to the conversation when someone called his name. “What?”
“She bought you a motorcycle?” Shadow asked, his tone incredulous.
Michael grinned smugly and leaned back against the wall, arms crossed over his chest. “Yep, it’s the real deal too.”
“No way,” Austin said and shook his head.
“Yes way. Harley Davidson.”
“Bet Aunt Catherine looked apoplectic,” Jacey said as she plopped down on the couch.
“SAT word?” Maria asked with a laugh.
“Yep.”
“Don’t get her started on her scores,” Shawnee warned as she joined them.
Jacey stuck her tongue out at her older sister. “You’re just jealous because my scores are higher than yours.”
“Anyway,” Shadow interrupted before the girls could get into a debate over which one was the smartest, “what’d Aunt Catherine say?” He glanced between his cousin and Maria, trying to decipher the look they were exchanging.
Michael shrugged. “She’s fine with it,” he said finally.
She wasn’t, not really. Mom really had looked apoplectic. Yeah, he’d taken the SATs too. But in spite of her misgivings he wasn’t giving the bike up. No way. He’d known before Dad asked what Maria had given him that Mom wasn’t going to like the answer. He was just grateful that whole scene had gone down in the kitchen without an audience.
“A motorcycle?”
He controlled his temper at the tone in his mother’s voice, but just barely. “Yeah, it’s a nice one too. Needs a little work, but I’m good with stuff like that so it’ll be a cinch.”
She ignored his response to pin Maria with a disapproving stare. “He got hurt before on a motorcycle.”
“He told me about that,” Maria said with a nod of agreement. “And he also told me that you made sure steps were taken to make sure he knew what he was doing if and when he got on another one.” She took a deep breath. “Michael knows how to ride without being reckless and realistically he could get hurt or worse riding his horse or driving the truck.”
Catherine’s eyes narrowed as she considered the young woman’s words. She had recently told John that she knew it was time to take a step back, to let Michael spread his wings and fly on his own, but it was easier said than done. Everything Maria had said was true, but it was still a gift that was dangerous.
“Cath, why don’t you finish getting ready and we’ll head on over to Skye’s place,” John suggested.
“Explain to them – “
“I’m not givin’ the bike back,” Michael interrupted stubbornly.
“That thing is not a dirt bike, Michael.”
“No, and I’m not fourteen years old anymore, Mom!”
“So I heard you got a new toy for Christmas,” Colton said as he herded his boys into the den where everyone under thirty had gathered. He gave Maria a high-five when he passed her. “Nice.”
“Hope you can keep your seat better than you did a few years ago,” Yancey teased without looking up from the video game he was playing.
Colton pushed his way in between a couple of the guys on the couch and took the other controller from Austin. “Lemme show you how this game’s played, kid.”
“I know how to stay on a bike,” Michael growled.
“You remember the way he went slidin’ across the ground when he crashed that bike a few years back, Colt?”
“Hard to forget that.” He collared his younger brother. “This one right here laid the other bike down and got tossed through the air.”
Shadow shoved his brother back. “We wouldn’t have done that if you guys would’ve just taught us how to ride.”
“And risk Mom’s wrath?” Colton snorted. “Or Aunt Catherine’s? No way, bud. You’ve gotta know when to hang back and when to push the envelope.”
“Yeah, and when it comes to Aunt Catherine’s baby boy…”
Michael flexed his hands where they rested on his upper arms, glancing around to make sure the younger kids weren’t looking before he extended his middle finger in their direction. “Bite me.”
“He’s so eloquent,” Shawnee muttered with a roll of her eyes. “You guys turn that stupid game off and let’s watch a movie.”
Maggie walked in just as the suggestion was made and the debate over an acceptable choice began. She squeezed onto the couch, taking the small space left between Maria and Sierra. “I thought the whole point of Mom making a bunch of stuff and bringing it over was so dinner would be ready sooner.”
Before anyone could respond the front door was opened and they could hear the adults exchanging greetings. It wasn’t long before footsteps ran through the hall and Shysie was scooped up in Michael’s arms. She rested her right arm on his shoulders as she turned to wave at her other cousins and she smiled widely at Maria when she waved back. She tugged on his collar and started to sign and he nodded in response.
“Joey and Uncle Elijah were comin’ in behind them.” He looked at his sister. “Go get her and wait until he gets in here before you bring her in.”
“Okay, everyone prepare for a round of rib-busting hugs,” Yancey said as he got to his feet.
It didn’t take long before Joey bounded into the room like a bundle of energy and he looked around, searching for a surprise and visibly deflating when he didn’t find it. He smiled when he turned and saw Maria walking towards him. “Merry Christmas!” he practically shouted.
Maria chuckled and whispered, “Easy, Mighty Joe,” as he pulled her into an exuberant hug. She felt him gentling his grip and she patted his back. “Nice work. Merry Christmas, Mighty Joe.”
The entire room released a relieved breath when he managed to hug almost everyone without once squeezing too tightly. He paused when he reached Michael and he gave his cousin a wide grin. “Gorilla hug!” And he pounced, wrapping his arms tight around Michael and lifting him off of the ground.
“Joey,” he wheezed as he patted his cousin’s shoulders, “Christmas present.”
“For me?” Joey released him right away.
“Yeah, Maggie’s bringing it in for you.” He glared at his girlfriend when she joined them, holding Shysie. “Gorilla hugs,” he muttered under his breath. “Thanks for that.”
She bumped him with her shoulder. “Merry Christmas, Spaceboy.”
“Merry Christmas, Joey,” Maggie said as she stepped through the doorway.
The boy’s eyes lit up when they landed on the puppy squirming in her arms and trying to lick her face. He was gentler than anyone had ever seen him when he reached for the puppy and cradled her against his chest. He rested his chin on her head and stroked her soft coat and she snuggled up to him, sighing contentedly.
Michael draped his arm around his girlfriend’s shoulders and leaned in close. “Told you she was the right one,” he growled in her ear.
Maria tipped her head back to shoot a look at him. “Really?”
Unseen by the room’s occupants Catherine had paused in the hallway to watch as Joey received his gift. But it wasn’t her nephew she was observing as she stood there. Her son and his girlfriend were teasing each other and she was struck by the picture they made as they stood there with Shysie held between them.
It wasn’t hard to imagine them as a family. As a matter of fact it was ridiculously easy. When he had returned from his vision quest she’d told John she was going to stop fighting the knowledge that their son was becoming a man and that she was ready to accept it. But since then she’d continued to fight it and she knew if she didn’t change the way she reacted to Maria and his relationship with her she was going to lose him.
It wasn’t right or fair, the way she had so easily accepted Jesse while digging her heels in and refusing Maria that same courtesy. The girl had embraced Michael, accepting his differences and challenging him when the situation called for it. She was his equal. She wasn’t going to back down in a fight or walk away because things were difficult.
She watched them for a few more minutes, feeling as if she was getting a glimpse into the future. Michael was more open than he’d ever been and it was a gift for him to be with someone who knew the truth about him. She sighed and nodded to herself before turning to go back to the kitchen. She knew why it was so hard for her to accept Maria in her son’s life and she knew the time had well passed for her to take that step.
*****
Catherine worked alongside the other women as they prepared the meal for their families, but for the first time she felt like she was on the outside of things. The last time the family had all been together she’d been hostile towards Maria’s mother and more than one of her family members had called her on that behavior. Amy Deluca seemed to be getting along just fine with everyone and she and Skye seemed to have quite a bit in common. Laughter and conversation flowed freely and Randolph’s wife Elizabeth had joined right in, curious about many of the dishes that were being prepared.
Her attention was pulled back to the conversation when Elizabeth’s future son-in-law asked a question. He had made himself right at home in the midst of the women, intrigued by their customs and happy to volunteer to taste any of the dishes they were preparing.
“Now, what’s this?”
“Oh, Nick, you’ll love that,” Amy enthused. “It’s fry bread.”
His dark eyebrows lifted. “Fried bread?”
“No, fry bread.”
“There’s a difference?”
Skye chuckled at his curiosity. “In 1863 our people were hunted and rounded up like cattle and forced to walk more than a hundred miles to Bosque Redondo. It was a reservation chosen for its location, isolated from the White settlements. The Long Walk saw hundreds starve to death and many more died during their internment at Bosque Redondo. Conditions were deplorable and different tribes were forced to coexist within the borders of the reservation. It was overcrowded and the people were no longer allowed to hunt for their food, to ensure their survival.”
“They were forced to rely on supplies provided by the government,” Sage added. “And the supplies were never adequate and what there was, well, it was often unfit for consumption. Fry bread came out of what few supplies they had that were edible. They had to make do with what they had and it became a staple.”
Storm lifted a piece of the fry bread out of the oil and drained it before sprinkling a mixture of cinnamon and sugar over it and handing it to him on a napkin. She watched him as he blew on it before taking a big bite and chewing thoughtfully for a few seconds. “Good?”
“Very good,” he agreed with a smile. “So it’s a dessert?”
“It can be used as a dessert or you can use it for tacos.”
Amy nodded. “They’re wonderful for tacos. Maria loves them.”
The discussion revolved around food for a while before gradually shifting to their children, husbands and jobs. As the time to begin serving dinner approached Catherine offered to make sure the dining room was ready, double checking the plates, silverware and glasses to ensure everyone was accounted for.
“Do you need any help?”
She turned her head when Amy spoke up from the doorway and she forced down the denial that was on the tip of her tongue. “I think Skye has everything ready.”
“She sets a nice table.” Her fingertips ghosted over one edge of the long cloth-draped table. “I wouldn’t risk a fine linen tablecloth like this with a bunch of kids though.”
Catherine chuckled and shook her head as she moved to open the double doors at the opposite end of the room. “They actually have a smaller room that they use for the kids,” she said as she gestured to the table that was set and prepared.
“Plastic tablecloth. I approve.”
“I love my children but get them together with their cousins over a meal of this magnitude and things can get messy. Even at their age.”
“I can imagine.” She was quiet for a few moments. “It must be so hard with both of them graduating next year.”
“It’ll be strange for the house to be so empty. They haven’t made their final decisions but I’m certain they’ll choose colleges out of state.”
“So they’ll both be going to college?” Amy asked carefully.
“Yes, it’s very important that they get a good education. Isn’t Maria planning to go to college?”
“Oh, she hasn’t made her decision about that yet. If she wants to go she’ll go, and if she chooses not to, well, I have faith in her. She’ll do well whatever she decides to do and in whatever career she chooses to pursue.”
“You’re not concerned that doors will be shut in her face because she doesn’t have a college degree?”
“My concern is that my daughter be happy regardless of the path she chooses in life. If she’s happy, if she’s healthy, nothing else matters.”
Catherine shook her head and sighed. This was one point they were never going to agree on. It was so important to have an education, especially these days! “I’ll have to respectfully disagree with you.” She had to find a way to get along with this woman even if their views were on completely opposite sides of the planet.
“I’m not suggesting that an education isn’t important, Catherine. I’m just suggesting that maybe it’s not the only path once they’ve graduated high school.”
“No, it’s not the only path,” she agreed. That much was true. “But you have to admit there are more options available to someone with a degree than someone without.”
“And you have to agree that with determination and a willingness to work hard those same options are attainable.”
“To some degree but there are many options that companies won’t give to employees who don’t possess a college degree.”
Amy just smiled. “And if she’s the one running the company that wouldn’t matter, would it?”
Catherine’s mouth opened to protest but she had no argument for that one. The world was filled with people who owned and managed their own companies all without the benefit of a college degree. “We’ll have to agree to disagree,” she said with a tight smile. She was trying but this woman was pushing it!
“We’re ready to serve dinner.” Skye paused in the doorway, her gaze bouncing between the two women as she tried to determine if they were going to have a scene over dinner. Her attention was pulled away by the sound of a wooden spoon being repeatedly struck against the bottom of a heavy pot and her husband’s voice hollering for everyone to come to the tables. She rolled her eyes. She was going to kill him one of these days. “Ladies, let’s get ready because we’re about to be swarmed by a bunch of hungry men and teenagers.” She looked down when a couple of little bodies latched onto her legs and she smiled at her grandsons as she reached for their hands. “Let’s go wash your hands.” She’d feel much better knowing their hands were washed before they started shoving their food in their mouths.
Catherine nodded at Amy and they silently agreed to a truce. Amy Deluca might be fine with her daughter not going to college, but she didn’t share that attitude. Her son would be going to college and he was going to have to have a job to help with expenses. It was going to be very important for him to learn to balance those things with a girlfriend, especially if she didn’t share that mindset.
Eva: The presents were important – they had meaning and showed that they know each other very well. They weren’t just regular presents.
Part 129
Michael looked around the room, his eyes locking on his girlfriend and remaining there for several long moments before he took in the rest of the activity. His cousins were scattered, taking up residence on every available piece of furniture and the floor. He watched his sister’s boyfriend as he engaged in a rather serious game of chess with Shyanne and it looked like she was giving him a run for his money.
Her fiancé had joined them for the holiday and as Maria had suggested, it had allowed Shyanne to relax and feel more comfortable with him there. Nick was likeable and his interest in the more traditional Native American dishes and their culture had immediately endeared him to the women that were packed into the kitchen. In spite of the cold the men had migrated to the backyard where Uncle Kaden was busy showing off his plans for the new barbecue grill.
He tuned back in to the conversation when someone called his name. “What?”
“She bought you a motorcycle?” Shadow asked, his tone incredulous.
Michael grinned smugly and leaned back against the wall, arms crossed over his chest. “Yep, it’s the real deal too.”
“No way,” Austin said and shook his head.
“Yes way. Harley Davidson.”
“Bet Aunt Catherine looked apoplectic,” Jacey said as she plopped down on the couch.
“SAT word?” Maria asked with a laugh.
“Yep.”
“Don’t get her started on her scores,” Shawnee warned as she joined them.
Jacey stuck her tongue out at her older sister. “You’re just jealous because my scores are higher than yours.”
“Anyway,” Shadow interrupted before the girls could get into a debate over which one was the smartest, “what’d Aunt Catherine say?” He glanced between his cousin and Maria, trying to decipher the look they were exchanging.
Michael shrugged. “She’s fine with it,” he said finally.
She wasn’t, not really. Mom really had looked apoplectic. Yeah, he’d taken the SATs too. But in spite of her misgivings he wasn’t giving the bike up. No way. He’d known before Dad asked what Maria had given him that Mom wasn’t going to like the answer. He was just grateful that whole scene had gone down in the kitchen without an audience.
“A motorcycle?”
He controlled his temper at the tone in his mother’s voice, but just barely. “Yeah, it’s a nice one too. Needs a little work, but I’m good with stuff like that so it’ll be a cinch.”
She ignored his response to pin Maria with a disapproving stare. “He got hurt before on a motorcycle.”
“He told me about that,” Maria said with a nod of agreement. “And he also told me that you made sure steps were taken to make sure he knew what he was doing if and when he got on another one.” She took a deep breath. “Michael knows how to ride without being reckless and realistically he could get hurt or worse riding his horse or driving the truck.”
Catherine’s eyes narrowed as she considered the young woman’s words. She had recently told John that she knew it was time to take a step back, to let Michael spread his wings and fly on his own, but it was easier said than done. Everything Maria had said was true, but it was still a gift that was dangerous.
“Cath, why don’t you finish getting ready and we’ll head on over to Skye’s place,” John suggested.
“Explain to them – “
“I’m not givin’ the bike back,” Michael interrupted stubbornly.
“That thing is not a dirt bike, Michael.”
“No, and I’m not fourteen years old anymore, Mom!”
“So I heard you got a new toy for Christmas,” Colton said as he herded his boys into the den where everyone under thirty had gathered. He gave Maria a high-five when he passed her. “Nice.”
“Hope you can keep your seat better than you did a few years ago,” Yancey teased without looking up from the video game he was playing.
Colton pushed his way in between a couple of the guys on the couch and took the other controller from Austin. “Lemme show you how this game’s played, kid.”
“I know how to stay on a bike,” Michael growled.
“You remember the way he went slidin’ across the ground when he crashed that bike a few years back, Colt?”
“Hard to forget that.” He collared his younger brother. “This one right here laid the other bike down and got tossed through the air.”
Shadow shoved his brother back. “We wouldn’t have done that if you guys would’ve just taught us how to ride.”
“And risk Mom’s wrath?” Colton snorted. “Or Aunt Catherine’s? No way, bud. You’ve gotta know when to hang back and when to push the envelope.”
“Yeah, and when it comes to Aunt Catherine’s baby boy…”
Michael flexed his hands where they rested on his upper arms, glancing around to make sure the younger kids weren’t looking before he extended his middle finger in their direction. “Bite me.”
“He’s so eloquent,” Shawnee muttered with a roll of her eyes. “You guys turn that stupid game off and let’s watch a movie.”
Maggie walked in just as the suggestion was made and the debate over an acceptable choice began. She squeezed onto the couch, taking the small space left between Maria and Sierra. “I thought the whole point of Mom making a bunch of stuff and bringing it over was so dinner would be ready sooner.”
Before anyone could respond the front door was opened and they could hear the adults exchanging greetings. It wasn’t long before footsteps ran through the hall and Shysie was scooped up in Michael’s arms. She rested her right arm on his shoulders as she turned to wave at her other cousins and she smiled widely at Maria when she waved back. She tugged on his collar and started to sign and he nodded in response.
“Joey and Uncle Elijah were comin’ in behind them.” He looked at his sister. “Go get her and wait until he gets in here before you bring her in.”
“Okay, everyone prepare for a round of rib-busting hugs,” Yancey said as he got to his feet.
It didn’t take long before Joey bounded into the room like a bundle of energy and he looked around, searching for a surprise and visibly deflating when he didn’t find it. He smiled when he turned and saw Maria walking towards him. “Merry Christmas!” he practically shouted.
Maria chuckled and whispered, “Easy, Mighty Joe,” as he pulled her into an exuberant hug. She felt him gentling his grip and she patted his back. “Nice work. Merry Christmas, Mighty Joe.”
The entire room released a relieved breath when he managed to hug almost everyone without once squeezing too tightly. He paused when he reached Michael and he gave his cousin a wide grin. “Gorilla hug!” And he pounced, wrapping his arms tight around Michael and lifting him off of the ground.
“Joey,” he wheezed as he patted his cousin’s shoulders, “Christmas present.”
“For me?” Joey released him right away.
“Yeah, Maggie’s bringing it in for you.” He glared at his girlfriend when she joined them, holding Shysie. “Gorilla hugs,” he muttered under his breath. “Thanks for that.”
She bumped him with her shoulder. “Merry Christmas, Spaceboy.”
“Merry Christmas, Joey,” Maggie said as she stepped through the doorway.
The boy’s eyes lit up when they landed on the puppy squirming in her arms and trying to lick her face. He was gentler than anyone had ever seen him when he reached for the puppy and cradled her against his chest. He rested his chin on her head and stroked her soft coat and she snuggled up to him, sighing contentedly.
Michael draped his arm around his girlfriend’s shoulders and leaned in close. “Told you she was the right one,” he growled in her ear.
Maria tipped her head back to shoot a look at him. “Really?”
Unseen by the room’s occupants Catherine had paused in the hallway to watch as Joey received his gift. But it wasn’t her nephew she was observing as she stood there. Her son and his girlfriend were teasing each other and she was struck by the picture they made as they stood there with Shysie held between them.
It wasn’t hard to imagine them as a family. As a matter of fact it was ridiculously easy. When he had returned from his vision quest she’d told John she was going to stop fighting the knowledge that their son was becoming a man and that she was ready to accept it. But since then she’d continued to fight it and she knew if she didn’t change the way she reacted to Maria and his relationship with her she was going to lose him.
It wasn’t right or fair, the way she had so easily accepted Jesse while digging her heels in and refusing Maria that same courtesy. The girl had embraced Michael, accepting his differences and challenging him when the situation called for it. She was his equal. She wasn’t going to back down in a fight or walk away because things were difficult.
She watched them for a few more minutes, feeling as if she was getting a glimpse into the future. Michael was more open than he’d ever been and it was a gift for him to be with someone who knew the truth about him. She sighed and nodded to herself before turning to go back to the kitchen. She knew why it was so hard for her to accept Maria in her son’s life and she knew the time had well passed for her to take that step.
*****
Catherine worked alongside the other women as they prepared the meal for their families, but for the first time she felt like she was on the outside of things. The last time the family had all been together she’d been hostile towards Maria’s mother and more than one of her family members had called her on that behavior. Amy Deluca seemed to be getting along just fine with everyone and she and Skye seemed to have quite a bit in common. Laughter and conversation flowed freely and Randolph’s wife Elizabeth had joined right in, curious about many of the dishes that were being prepared.
Her attention was pulled back to the conversation when Elizabeth’s future son-in-law asked a question. He had made himself right at home in the midst of the women, intrigued by their customs and happy to volunteer to taste any of the dishes they were preparing.
“Now, what’s this?”
“Oh, Nick, you’ll love that,” Amy enthused. “It’s fry bread.”
His dark eyebrows lifted. “Fried bread?”
“No, fry bread.”
“There’s a difference?”
Skye chuckled at his curiosity. “In 1863 our people were hunted and rounded up like cattle and forced to walk more than a hundred miles to Bosque Redondo. It was a reservation chosen for its location, isolated from the White settlements. The Long Walk saw hundreds starve to death and many more died during their internment at Bosque Redondo. Conditions were deplorable and different tribes were forced to coexist within the borders of the reservation. It was overcrowded and the people were no longer allowed to hunt for their food, to ensure their survival.”
“They were forced to rely on supplies provided by the government,” Sage added. “And the supplies were never adequate and what there was, well, it was often unfit for consumption. Fry bread came out of what few supplies they had that were edible. They had to make do with what they had and it became a staple.”
Storm lifted a piece of the fry bread out of the oil and drained it before sprinkling a mixture of cinnamon and sugar over it and handing it to him on a napkin. She watched him as he blew on it before taking a big bite and chewing thoughtfully for a few seconds. “Good?”
“Very good,” he agreed with a smile. “So it’s a dessert?”
“It can be used as a dessert or you can use it for tacos.”
Amy nodded. “They’re wonderful for tacos. Maria loves them.”
The discussion revolved around food for a while before gradually shifting to their children, husbands and jobs. As the time to begin serving dinner approached Catherine offered to make sure the dining room was ready, double checking the plates, silverware and glasses to ensure everyone was accounted for.
“Do you need any help?”
She turned her head when Amy spoke up from the doorway and she forced down the denial that was on the tip of her tongue. “I think Skye has everything ready.”
“She sets a nice table.” Her fingertips ghosted over one edge of the long cloth-draped table. “I wouldn’t risk a fine linen tablecloth like this with a bunch of kids though.”
Catherine chuckled and shook her head as she moved to open the double doors at the opposite end of the room. “They actually have a smaller room that they use for the kids,” she said as she gestured to the table that was set and prepared.
“Plastic tablecloth. I approve.”
“I love my children but get them together with their cousins over a meal of this magnitude and things can get messy. Even at their age.”
“I can imagine.” She was quiet for a few moments. “It must be so hard with both of them graduating next year.”
“It’ll be strange for the house to be so empty. They haven’t made their final decisions but I’m certain they’ll choose colleges out of state.”
“So they’ll both be going to college?” Amy asked carefully.
“Yes, it’s very important that they get a good education. Isn’t Maria planning to go to college?”
“Oh, she hasn’t made her decision about that yet. If she wants to go she’ll go, and if she chooses not to, well, I have faith in her. She’ll do well whatever she decides to do and in whatever career she chooses to pursue.”
“You’re not concerned that doors will be shut in her face because she doesn’t have a college degree?”
“My concern is that my daughter be happy regardless of the path she chooses in life. If she’s happy, if she’s healthy, nothing else matters.”
Catherine shook her head and sighed. This was one point they were never going to agree on. It was so important to have an education, especially these days! “I’ll have to respectfully disagree with you.” She had to find a way to get along with this woman even if their views were on completely opposite sides of the planet.
“I’m not suggesting that an education isn’t important, Catherine. I’m just suggesting that maybe it’s not the only path once they’ve graduated high school.”
“No, it’s not the only path,” she agreed. That much was true. “But you have to admit there are more options available to someone with a degree than someone without.”
“And you have to agree that with determination and a willingness to work hard those same options are attainable.”
“To some degree but there are many options that companies won’t give to employees who don’t possess a college degree.”
Amy just smiled. “And if she’s the one running the company that wouldn’t matter, would it?”
Catherine’s mouth opened to protest but she had no argument for that one. The world was filled with people who owned and managed their own companies all without the benefit of a college degree. “We’ll have to agree to disagree,” she said with a tight smile. She was trying but this woman was pushing it!
“We’re ready to serve dinner.” Skye paused in the doorway, her gaze bouncing between the two women as she tried to determine if they were going to have a scene over dinner. Her attention was pulled away by the sound of a wooden spoon being repeatedly struck against the bottom of a heavy pot and her husband’s voice hollering for everyone to come to the tables. She rolled her eyes. She was going to kill him one of these days. “Ladies, let’s get ready because we’re about to be swarmed by a bunch of hungry men and teenagers.” She looked down when a couple of little bodies latched onto her legs and she smiled at her grandsons as she reached for their hands. “Let’s go wash your hands.” She’d feel much better knowing their hands were washed before they started shoving their food in their mouths.
Catherine nodded at Amy and they silently agreed to a truce. Amy Deluca might be fine with her daughter not going to college, but she didn’t share that attitude. Her son would be going to college and he was going to have to have a job to help with expenses. It was going to be very important for him to learn to balance those things with a girlfriend, especially if she didn’t share that mindset.