"Shall we get started?" he finally offered.
We took our time opening the box with the artificial tree and the various packages of decorations. Once we had everything spread out across the living room, including the decorations our parents had sent a week earlier, we began to construct the tree. With all the branches snugly in place, we took a quick break to finish the coffee, then began to add the lights: two strands of white lights and three strands of multicolored lights wound around the branches in a haphazard, crisscrossing pattern which would likely be somewhat awkward to unravel in January. Next came the ornaments: a few which had been in the family for generations, the ones our parents had sent, the ones we had bought that afternoon, and even a few we had made in art classes in school.
The tree skirt was next, my big brother kneeling to wrap it around the base of the tree. While he worked under the tree, I retrieved the final three items: two ornaments and a star. These two ornaments were rather plain in appearance: large white balls sprinkled with gold glitter. But what made these ornaments special to us was that they bore our names: Vicki and Victor.
At last, my big brother stood and turned to me. I held out the two ornaments to him, and he smiled – it was clear that these two items also held a special meaning for him. He located a branch at the front of the tree, about halfway up, and added both ornaments, then I handed him the star to add to the very top of the tree, and he stepped back to inspect his work.
We cleaned up the living room, then I sat on the sofa as my big brother plugged in the lights. The tree looked absolutely beautiful, the contrast of white and multicolored lights adding a visual appeal. The tree itself was smaller and less densely decorated than what our parents would have this year, but there was one significant difference: This particular tree was ours and ours alone.
As my big brother approached the sofa, I thought of the meanings of how he had placed the Vicki and Victor ornaments: touching. Anyone who knew us would likely think of it as a symbol of the close bond my big brother and I had always shared. But to me, it represented the inseparable nature of our lives, the way we were practically fused together.
"Put out the candles," I suggested, and he did before he joined me on the sofa. In the light of our first holiday tree, we held each other close, essentially mimicking the position of those two special ornaments.
"Happy holidays, baby sister," my big brother whispered. "You're the best possible gift I could ever have." Then he kissed me, adding to the warmth I already felt both in the air and deep within me, and we spent the rest of the evening on the sofa, our hands exploring and our lips adoring each other. It was a beautiful way to end the day, and to begin the holiday season.
