Christmas music was playing on the CD player. The fireplace roared brightly in the darkly lit room. The tree glowed with hundreds of lights and light reflected in a warm glow on the walls and ceiling around it. Candles added to the warm glow of the room.
The room looked like a Christmas card to me as I entered it. “Festive and inviting” I thought. He went to a lot of work to make the room look this way. He was trying to cheer me up for the holiday and he was doing a good job of it. The presents were stacked under the tree, many of them awaiting their owners the day after Christmas at our annual holiday party. We were invited to friends for the day but I didn’t feel up to being festive and jolly and I just wanted to spend the day alone.
I never really liked Christmas since I was a child, thanks to a dysfunctional family, but being far from my friends and family this year made it a little worse. I promised that I would celebrate Christmas when he got back from our friend’s house, so I left the warm cocoon of our bed and came downstairs to see what he put together. A bottle of 86 Cabernet Sauvignon sat on the coffee table with 2 glasses. A platter of cheese and fruit with crackers sat next to it. I could smell something wonderful coming from the kitchen.
I followed my nose into the kitchen to find him hard at work putting the finishing touches to my favorite meal. He was really putting an effort into making me happy and feeling better about things. It had been a bad week for me and it probably would have been a lot worse if it weren’t for him.
I kissed him hello and wished him a Merry Christmas and he told me dinner would be ready in a few minutes. I sat down at the island and watched him serve dinner. He really out did himself with dinner. Cooking was one of his favorite things to do and we actually fought over who was cooking on a regular basis.
After a wonderful dinner, we went into the family room to enjoy the wine and relax and talk and just cuddle by the fire. I rested my head against his broad chest and the sound of his heart beating soothed me to no end. He was my world. He made me feel safe and protected for the first time in my life.
After an hour of drinking wine and making plans for the future, he kissed me. I kissed him back and turned to face him. He touched my face and kissed me more. The wine relaxed both of us and I was in a much better mood.