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Expertly, I assembled a second sandwich only slightly aware
of his intense scrutiny as he ate.  Yes, I did think I knew what they meant,
but I’d need to test them before I shared my thoughts.  Just in case, I’d made
a mistake.

Putting away thoughts of colored particles, I asked what we
should do for the rest of the afternoon.  We still had three hours to kill
before my mom wanted us home.  Once there, we’d decorate the tree together
while the meal finished cooking.  After that, presents.  The thought of
presents brought me up short, and I stifled a groan.  I’d completely forgotten
about Morik.  What could I get a four-thousand-year-old man that he couldn’t
get for himself or didn’t already have?

He suggested a movie and I agreed.  It would give me some
time to think.  Before he led me downstairs, I peeked out the window at the
gently falling snow.  “We should go back early and make snow men in the front
yard,” I commented.  “Mom would like that.  It could be our gift to the
family.”

He nodded his agreement clearly amused by me.  Moving away
from the window, I followed him down the steps and stared around in amazement. 
He obviously spent a lot of time down there.  A huge television with various
gaming devices on a shelf next to it sat centered on a wall with a pair of
recliners right in front of it.

In awe, I approached the chairs while he used a remote to
dim the lights and pull up a movie menu.  One chair appeared new, the other
well worn.  He’d gotten it just for me.  No bow or ribbon adorned it.  It
wasn’t a gift.  He’d bought it hoping that I’d spend enough time with him to
use it.

Settling into the chair, I suggested a Christmas classic. 
He started the movie and then sat beside me.  We watched in silence for a
moment.  The question of his gift bounced around in my skull until I gave in to
it.

“I asked you before what you wanted - besides a companion,”
I quickly clarified.  “And you disappeared on me.  I’m still curious.”

He quirked a smile, still looking at the screen.  “A kiss.”

“You already asked for that and can kiss me whenever you
want.  Isn’t there something else you want?”

His eyes flared in surprise and sought mine.  I quickly
backpedaled, “No.  No, not that!  I mean…”  I lost my voice for a second as a
neon blush decorated my face.  I didn’t want to revisit how he’d interpret
that.  I tried again, slightly subdued.  “Is there something else, material, or
food, or something, that you’ve wanted to own or try?”

“Nothing, Tessa.  You are what I want.”

Yeah, I figured as much.  It would make for a crappy
Christmas for him.  Then a spark of brilliance ignited a plan.  We had one
tradition in our family for the men we chose.  I just hoped my mom wouldn’t throw
a fit when I asked her.

We had the snowmen built in the front yard before three.  I
even added one for Morik.

His years of crafting made it easy to sculpt the snow into
lifelike human forms whose legs flared into a snow mound.  The time he spent
shaping the face on my snowman brought a smile to my lips.  Flicks of green
swamped the silver orbs behind his yellowed lenses as he finished.  It looked
amazingly real.

I turned back to my own very inartistic rendition of Morik. 
Three snowballs in decreasing size stacked vertically with a finger scraped
smile completed my labors.

While standing in the falling snow trying to figure out how
to add more life to snow-Morik, I shivered.  Wearing my old wool coat hadn’t
been the best idea, but I wanted to save the leather jacket for the bike. 
Morik noticed my shiver and suggested I go in.

He eyed the driveway and waved me toward the door saying
he’d shovel before following me.  A snowplow swept by, spraying snow far into
the yard, and after it passed, a rather large pile of snow blocked the end of
the driveway.  I offered to help, but he insisted I warm up five minutes first.

Willingly marching through the snow, I opened the door and
was welcomed by a myriad of aromas, which circled around me.  Gran stood at the
stove, lid in one hand and spoon in the other, giving something a quick stir. 
When she saw me, she smiled.

“Merry Christmas!” she greeted me.  “Take off your things. 
I have cocoa ready for you two.  I saw your pretty work out there.”

Quickly closing the door behind me, I peeled off my gloves,
but held onto them.  “I’m just going to warm up and then help Morik with the
driveway.  The plow came through and buried it.  Stephen won’t get in if we
don’t clear it.”

“What?” my mom, who’d been working with Aunt Grace to stack
the boxes of Christmas decorations, looked up with dismay.

Gran shifted the curtain to the side and looked out.  “Don’t
worry, Clare.  Morik has it clear already.  Tess, he sent you in because he
knew he’d be done before you warmed.  Just take your coat off.”

I peeked out the high window by the door and saw she was
right.  He only had another few moments of work left.

Hanging my jacket, I took the opportunity to start whispering
in ears about the gift I wanted to give Morik.  Gran and Aunt Danielle agreed
without hesitation.  Aunt Grace looked at Mom with worried eyes before
nodding.  I saved Mom for last knowing she’d be the only one likely to oppose
it.  But I needed her to agree because she still had it in her possession.

She watched me with a sad look when I approached her.  I
closed my eyes and leaned in to whisper the words bound to start an argument.  “Can
I have the family ring to give to Morik?”

My father had last worn the ring, a plain band worn by most
of the husbands who married into Belinda’s line.  Gran’s own husband never wore
it.  She’d kept it from him saying he’d just take it off and lose it anyway. 
He’d been a cheater.  When sisters needed to marry like Mom and Aunt Grace, the
first one to marry could offer it to her husband.  We’d never lost it in the
line.  According to Gran, it’d seen at least six generations.

Mom pulled back, and studied my face for a moment before
nodding with reluctance.  I hugged her tightly, trying to put all my gratitude
into the embrace as Morik knocked on the door.  I hurried to answer it and
pulled him in with a smile, excited now that I knew what to give him.

Gran shooed us to the living room with our hot chocolate so
we could begin decorating.  Mom and Aunt Grace had obtained a beautifully
pathetic tree.  We worked together to transform it into our own Christmas
miracle.

An hour later, lights shone on the thin branches, putting a
sparkle to the tinsel and glittering off the ornaments.  The tree, lit by those
reflections, looked magnificent.

Morik excused himself to scrape the driveway again after
hearing the plow pass through.  I took the opportunity to wrap his gift in a
scrap of paper and tucked it into my pocket.  I brought out the rest of the
gifts excited to exchange them.

As soon as Morik came back in, we started.  There weren’t
many gifts, so it didn’t take long.  Aunt Grace scolded me for the shirt, but
swore she loved it.  They all gushed over the earrings and I quickly pointed
out that Morik helped me make them.  Mom gave me a knit hat to match the first
scarf Morik had given me.  Aunt Grace gave me a bucket of homemade caramel corn
and praline mix, my favorite gift from her, which she only gave at Christmas. 
It never lasted long.  Gran and Aunt Danielle gave Morik and me a set of
cookbooks.  Gran admitted to purchasing it, but swore she’d thrifted it.  She
couldn’t stand thinking of things he’d never tried.  He smiled thanking her and
started thumbing through the pages.

When a knock sounded at the door, we all looked at Mom, her
face lit with anxious anticipation.  Morik slid on his glasses.  He tried to
honor my request to keep them off when we were together, including around my
family, thanks to Aunt Danielle.  But I didn’t think Stephen would be as open. 
Not at first anyway.  I hoped it would change if he stuck around and got to
know us.  I really wanted Mom to be happy.

After taking his things, she reintroduced him to me.  I’d
met him once before when I’d gone to work with mom.  Then she introduced Gran,
who’d yet to meet him.  When I turned, I saw Aunt Danielle had disappeared.  Of
course.

He shook Gran’s hand and turned to Morik.  I wondered how
Mom would introduce him and what Stephen’s reaction would be.

“This is Tess’s friend Morik,” she said, her excitement over
Stephen not dimming.

“A pleasure to meet you Stephen,” Morik said formally,
shaking Stephen’s hand.

Stephen nodded with a smile, but I noticed his gaze flick
over the hat and glasses.  I struggled not to frown at him.

We moved to the table to start dinner.  For Christmas, we
went all out content to live off leftovers for a while.  There were more dishes
of food on the table than people.

I enjoyed watching Morik try a little of everything.  His
eyes widened in surprise when he sampled Gran’s chutnied chicken.  After a bite
of Aunt Grace’s cheesy-spiced potatoes, he nudged me asking who made them.  I
nodded in the correct direction and he asked for the recipe.  I shook my head,
smiling.

Christmas dinner was a celebration of flavors.  Mom once
explained they came up with the idea to signify life’s choices still left open
to us.  Many of the dishes clashed with the main course, but on their own, each
held a unique fulfilling flavor that had you coming back for more.

I noted the fading light as I leaned back in my chair,
contentedly full.  Unsure how to excuse us, I glanced at Mom who’d been
skillfully guiding the conversation throughout the meal.  She caught my look,
glanced out the window and then at Stephen.  I could see the worry in her eyes.

“Mrs. Sole, would it be alright if Tessa and I walked to my
house?” Morik asked saving us from having to come up with some lame excuse. 
For being such great planners, we hadn’t planned the details of my leaving
tonight.  Dusk crept too close.  Would I even be safe walking out the door?

Mom agreed and Morik thanked everyone for the wonderful
dinner while taking our plates to the sink.

I quickly grabbed my coat and mittens, not forgetting my new
hat.  Morik met me by the door with Gran following behind him.  She kissed my
cheek and whispered that she’d see us in the morning.  I nervously eyed the dying
light through the window.

Morik tugged on his jacket in slow measured moves,
completely relaxed.  He smiled at Gran when she patted his cheek and moved to
the side, blocking us from Stephen’s view.

His calm helped put me as ease.  He pulled me to his side,
opened the door, and blinked us away.

We stood in his living room.

“We didn’t close the door,” I pointed out.

“That’s why your Grandmother came to send you off.  She
didn’t want you stepping outside any more than you wanted to go out.”  He
helped me from my jacket.

I hummed an acknowledgement, looking around.  I didn’t want
to go to bed yet.  “You said your house was better protection than the chant. 
Does that mean I can stay up?”

“Yes, if you’d like that.”

“Very much.  We can watch movies until we pass out and then
I can sleep in until I feel like waking up.”

He took my coat and hung it in the closet.  With his back to
me, I took a moment to dig his gift out of my pocket.  When he turned to face
me, I had it out and ready, extended toward him sitting in my palm.

“What’s this?”  He titled his head, violet flashing in his
eyes.

“A gift,” I said smiling at him.  “It’s the reason I asked
what you wanted.  Come on.  Take it.  Open it.”  I bounced it in my hand a
little.

He reached out slowly, studying the crumpled tiny wad of
wrapping paper.  I agreed it didn’t look like much.  Closing his fingers around
it, he plucked it from my hand.  I didn’t watch him carefully untangle the
paper.  I watched his eyes.  Violet, brown, yellow and green danced together in
their depths.

It took a moment for me to realize his focus had shifted
from the gift to me.  His eyes questioned, yet I read hope in them too.

“I know you want me to choose you,” I said meeting his
eyes.  “And I’m working on that, but until I figure it out, I wanted you to
have this.”  The ring lay in the palm of his hand.  I carefully lifted it up
for his inspection.  “It’s something our husbands have worn for, according to
Gran, at least the last six generations.  It’s my promise to you to keep
trying.”  I set it back into his waiting palm.  “I hope you’ll be the last one
to wear it.”

Brown dominated his eyes as he slid the ring onto his third
finger, a tight fit over the knuckle.  I doubted it’d ever come off even if he
wanted it to.

“Merry Christmas,” I whispered.

He pulled me into his arms and kissed me gently.

I truly cared for him.  I liked kissing him and being with
him.  Why couldn’t I just choose him already?  He pulled back with a wide smile
showing me his lower teeth in full detail.  Wow…  I held my surprise in check and
smiled in return.  Those were sharp teeth.  Despite all the time I spent with
him, I still didn’t feel completely comfortable with all of his differences.  I
needed to work on that.

*    *    *    *

Morik got us both a soda and led the way downstairs.  He
taught me how to play a few of his favorite games until our stomachs rumbled
again.  We drifted upstairs for new drinks and I thought of my Aunt’s popcorn
and praline mix.

“Do you think you could sneak in and grab it?” I asked Morik
with a mischievous smile after telling him what I wanted.

His eyes flicked to the windows.  “Yes,” he said drawing out
the word.

“I sense a 'but' coming,” I teased.

“It’s dangerous to leave you at night,” he explained.

The disappointed I felt rushed to my face before I could
stop it.  Ochre flitted into his gaze and I quickly assured him, “That’s okay. 
We can raid your supplies.”