***
Christmas morning, Nathanial shows up just after breakfast as he promised. Luke drove him and left to go help his mother prepare for the evening dinner for twelve. I would have loved to introduce Luke to my family, but they will meet him tonight. I hold Nathanial’s hand and lead him inside. He seems to feel very comfortable here. “Merry Christmas, everyone,” he announces.
“And to you as well, Nate” Florence returns the gesture.
A smile beams across my face as I watch the man I love walk to each member of my family and hug and kiss them. He really does belong with us and is the perfect fit.
Once the formalities are complete, Constance readies her camera. On the tripod stand she sets the timer to take a picture. “Okay, Nate. Time for one of our Christmas traditions. Every year, we gather in front of the tree and take a family picture.”
“That sounds great. I will take the picture for you.”
“Nate, we want you in the picture. You belong with us.” Florence says, and with a evil look from me, “even if only for a short amount of time,” She adds.
“Well, thanks. I am so glad you feel that way. I also believe I belong.”
The entire family, along with Nathanial, stands in front of our tree, and we smile for our newest Christmas picture.
“Why doesn’t everyone find a seat around the tree so we can open our gifts?”
Florence suggests.
The entire family finds a spot. Matilda and Alexander sit side by side on the floor, as do Nathanial and I. The older members sit on the couch, and Danika is in front of the tree, ready to play Santa.
“Another tradition we have, Nathanial, is that the youngest member gets to play Santa and pass out all the gifts,” Elijah explains.
“You must be relieved to pass on that tradition, Sophia. What? You did it for like a hundred years or something?” Nathanial asks.
“Yeah, something like that. I am glad to sit back and enjoy things a little more now.”
“As much as I want to go first, you are our guest, Nate, so I guess you can start.”
Danika hands him the first gift. “This is from me.”
Nathanial appears surprised that the entire family has gifts for him.
“You shouldn’t be so surprised, Nate. We told you that you are part of this family now, and we exchange gifts in this family,” Alexander explains.
He smiles and rips the paper off the box. A huge grin beams across his face as he pulls out a Patriots jersey and a certificate for name embroidering. “Thanks, Danika.
This is so cool. How did you know I like the Pats?”
“Well, they are the closest football team to Salem, and you are a football nut. It was a lucky guess.” She smile and winks at me.
“Yeah, I kinda am. Thanks so much. I love it,” he says excitedly.
We all take turns opening gifts of clothing, jewelry, and so on. Matilda and Alexander give me the entire Nickelback CD library so I can become more accustomed to Nathanial’s favorite band. I get some really great gifts, but I think my best gift is Nathanial. I really do not need anything more. He is everything I could ever wish for. I look over my shoulder at the man sitting next to me, and I realize again that he is so perfect.
Nathanial is so elated as he opens his gift from Matilda and Alexander. “I can’t believe you got me a designer pair of jeans, shirt, and this great sweater. It is way too much,” he says as he puts the sweater on right away. He looks great in it, not that he needs the help, but the sweater suits him perfectly. “You have got to be kidding me.” he screams. “Season tickets for the Patriots, plus the few games left for this season? I just can’t believe it. This is amazing. Thank you, everyone.” he screams as he begins to jump around like an over caffeinated monkey.
We nearly die of laughter.
“I think we did well!” Constance jokes.
“You did great! I can’t wait to wear my new jersey to a live game.”
“I told my family the New England Patriots is your favorite NFL team and that you have never seen a live game. I knew it would be something you would enjoy. They loved the idea, and we feel so bad that your football season ended early because of our kind.”
“This is the best. Thank you again and again. It could not get any better.”
“Well, Nate, you are not finished yet. This is from Elijah and Florence.” Danika hands him a small box with a small green bow.
He opens it and looks confused. “It is a key, but for what?”
“The other part of your gift is over here. Follow me.” Elijah leads Nathanial to the garage.
We all follow, and I hold Nathanial’s hand, he has a puzzled look on his face and keeps looking at me with a questioning look. I just smile and say, “You’ll see.”
Once the door to the garage is opened and we are all inside, Florence flips the lights on and there, with a big green ribbon, is a shiny new Honda Insight just for him.
“Oh my God! This is way too much. I can’t...you can’t be serious. Your family has been way too generous already.”
“But you can. We spoke with your parents, and they agreed to allow us to give this to you. You can’t always borrow your mom’s car, and you need to get to those Patriots games. We stretched the truth a little and explained that this is my car, but I do not like it and it is just sitting here. Now it’s yours,” Elijah insists and adds, “I suggested it would also be a good idea because of the distance between our houses, and I did not want Sophia to be driving you all the time, and being out late alone.”
We all huff and chuckle at that.
“I don’t know what to say. Thank you so much. This is unbelievable! I love the color, I don’t think I have ever seen anything like it before.” Nathanial is in complete shock, and we can all see it on his face.
“It is a pretty neat car. It is a hybrid, and the color is sky blue. We asked for green, but they don’t offer that color, so this was the next best choice,” Elijah says.
“It is great. Thank you. I just don’t know what to say.”
“Let’s go back inside. You still have my gift to open.” I tug at him after he does all the man things like looking under the hood and trying out the stereo.
Everyone heads back inside.
I stand in front of the gigantic spruce tree we decorated just a few nights earlier. I hold a small black box in my hands; it is wrapped with a red ribbon. “I found you less than four months ago, but I feel complete with you around. I want to protect you so that I can treasure you for every possible moment we have together.” I smile and continue,
“This gift is my way of keeping you safe.” I hand him the box, lean in, and give him a small kiss.
He opens it slowly and looks at the contents carefully. “This is amazing! I love it. But I don’t understand. How will a watch keep me safe?” Once again, he looks a little puzzled.
“Ebony and her sister put a protection spell on it. No supernatural power will be able to penetrate the protective field that surrounds you when you wear this, unless you willingly allow it to pass through,” I explain.
“So Alexander can’t read my mind now?”
“Not unless you want him to,” I confirm.
Nathanial puts the watch on his left wrist.
“Okay, Alexander. Try it out.” I order.
Alexander tries to see what Nathanial is thinking, and he trying to show him what he is thinking. The rest of us can see his frustration, and we laugh.
“Nothing. I can’t get a thing.” Alexander says with frustration.
“Okay. Now Nate, do you want him to see what you are thinking?” I suggest.
“There we go. I got it. Yeah, it is pretty cool,” Alexander agrees with what Nathanial is thinking.
“Now just a second. I know you told me about witches, but Ebony?” Nathanial seems a little surprised.
“Sorry. Ebony and her sister are two of the most powerful witches in the world, but things shouldn’t surprise you anymore. Anything is possible, and at this ra
te, I am not sure how much more you can take,” I reply.
“Yeah, I am starting to see that now. It is all very surprising though. I guess all that talk about her around school is true then”
“Yes, it is all true, but some students paint her being a witch as a bad thing. Her family is very amazing, and I promise you will learn more about them soon.”
He moves closer to me and gives me the sweetest, softest kiss ever. “This watch is amazing, just what I wanted. I love you, sweetie.”
“I love you too!” I sneak another kiss.
“I guess it is time for your gift now.” He smiles excitedly as he walks to the tree and pulls out a small box wrapped in shiny red paper.
I rip the paper off in excitement. I examine the small wooden box. It is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. Two colors of wood blend together, intertwined like two folded hands, to make the creation. It looks handmade, sculpted from the finest wood. I can even smell the fresh woody scent of the timber. One side has our names engraved in to it: SOPHIA AND NATHANIAL. The other side two words perfectly inscribed: FOR ETERNITY. After admiring the box for a moment, I open the lid. Inside is a small red gem shaped like a heart, a ruby, placed delicately in the center of a white gold setting, just like my necklace and day crystal, but a ring. The gold wraps around into two half circles as if hugging the heart forming the setting of the ring. In the lid of the box is a small note that reads, “I give you my heart to have and protect. All my love, Nate.” I am completely speechless. It is amazing, just like Nathanial.
“Alexander helped my vision come to life. May I help you put it on?” Nathanial asks.
I nod, and Nathanial takes the ring and places it on my left ring finger.
“This is my promise to you forever,” he says with a smile.
“Nate, it is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen!”
“Then I guess you have never looked in a mirror.”
“I love it, and I love you! Thank you so much.”
Nathanial brushes the ring on my finger with his thumb and then brushes my cheek, running his fingers through my hair.
“I love you more than life itself.” he whispers and leans in to kiss me.
I pull him closer for another. How could things get better than this? I now understand why people wait their whole lives to find that perfect one. It has taken me many lifetimes to find mine.
I am so caught up in the moment that the full meaning of the words Nathanial spoke, “This is my promise to you of forever,” didn’t register in my mind at first, but now all I can think of is only a vampire can love you forever. I’m just so full of emotion, so full of happiness that I never experienced before nor ever thought I would. Moving to Wenham has fulfilled every dream I’ve ever had. I have a great best friend, the most incredible man ever, and accepting family members on both sides. Who could ask for more?
Chapter Forty
Bonding
It’s only two o’clock, and it’s already the best Christmas ever. Nathanial and I pack up all the gifts for his family and place them in the trunk of his new car.
“I can’t wait to show my brother everything. He is going to be so jealous. I got all this great stuff, and the best part is I got the girl.”
“I think our families will enjoy each other,” I assume.
“Who couldn’t love your family? Plus, this is just the first of many more celebrations together.” He seems so enthusiastic.
My family brings some gifts for the McCord family and some wine to go with dinner. Both families greet each other with open arms.
“Please come in. Thank you for joining us,” Mrs. McCord says. “My name is Nikole.
This is my husband Arthur and our eldest son Luke. It is a pleasure to meet the family of the young girl who has stolen my son’s heart.”
Nathanial grabs Luke and they head outside to check out his new car. “Dude, you have got to see this.” The rest of us kids join them. Alexander begins telling them all the vehicle specs and all the car talk. The adults stay inside to become acquainted with one another. Although I notice them peeking outside at us from time to time with smiles on their faces.
“I don’t believe this. Are you sure you don’t have an older sister for me? How about it, Mati? Want to go out on a date?” Luke jokes.
“I would be honored, but I am spoken for!” She winks at Alexander.
“Yeah, I know. I am just teasing, Nate told me you and Alexander are a couple and not actually siblings. Alexander, you are a lucky man.”
“Yeah, I am. Thanks, man.” Alexander pats Luke on the shoulder, and Nathanial shakes his head.
“Bro, you are such a player!” Nathanial punches Luke in the shoulder.
“No, man. I am just jealous. I would give anything to find the right girl. Don’t get me wrong, I have had fun, but you found what Mom and Dad have, and I can only hope I will find it someday too,” Luke admits, hopping into the passenger seat.
“You will. I can feel it. You have a great soul.” Matilda offers.
“So are you gonna let me take it for a test drive?” Luke requests.
“Sure. Why don’t you go with Alexander? He can tell you all about it! We’ll wait out here for you to go around the block,” Nate agrees.
“The block? I want to open this puppy up.”
“Another day. It’s Christmas, and we have guests!” Nate argues.
“So right, little brother. Excuse my rudeness,” Luke agrees, and the two older brothers leave for a quick test drive.
While waiting for them to return, I can overhear the conversation going on inside the house.
“Florence, Elijah, it is way too much. We will never be able to repay you for the car,”
Arthur says.
“There is no need to worry. Our family is extremely privileged, and we enjoy sharing with those who come into our lives. This is a gift from our family, and if there is anything you need, please do not hesitate to ask. Sophia is happier than we have ever seen her. She has come out of her shell, and it is all thanks to your son. We can never repay you for that,” Elijah insists. “Our families are now joined by love, and to us, that is as good as blood,” he adds.
“Thank you. Our children have fallen fast for each other, but we believe it to be true, Nikole and I fell in love at first sight and have been together ever since,” Arthur admits.
“We completely agree. It has all happened very fast, but we believe in true love as well. Our kids are soul mates, meant to be together, and it will only improve with our support,” Elijah encourages.
Constance and Florence help Mrs. McCord put the finishing touches on dinner. By the time they finish, every counter in the kitchen, as well as the table, is filled with delicious-smelling food.
“Please fill your plates and have a seat wherever you can find room. It is a little snug, but try to make yourselves comfortable,” Nikole encourages.
I love this, even more perfection to the perfect day, I think as I take a seat next to Nate on the floor in the family room.
We enjoy the evening, opening yet more gifts, talking, and playing games. I will remember this day for all eternity. Not only do I love Nathanial, but I am falling in love with his family almost as fast as I did with him. Our two families seem to fit so nicely together, I hope to have at least a few more Christmases like this before having to move on.
“Thank you so much for a beautiful evening. I trust you will all be joining us for New Years?” Isaac asks.
“Yes of course. We would not miss it. Is there anything we can do to help?” Nikole responds.
“Not at all. Just the pleasure of your company again will be enough. Please do not hesitate to bring any guests of your own. We have more than enough room and would enjoy meeting any of the townspeople,” Constance adds.
Nathanial and I just look at one another without saying a word. I know we share the same thought: elation that our families fit so well together. I am now not only protective of Nathanial, but also of his entire fami
ly, and they all mean so much to me. It is very overwhelming. To fall in love at first sight with my soul mate was one thing, but his family is even more unexpected!
We exchange hugs with the McCord family and thank them again for a wonderful evening.
Nathanial sees us to our cars. “I promise to be over in the morning to finish with the party plans.” He reaches out to me, and we share a small kiss. “Sweet dreams, my love.” He closes the car door, only to stand and watch us drive away.
Back at home, my family raves about the wonderful family we just got to know. I think this could be a wonderful union between mortal and immortal. This may work out better than I ever expected, I thought to myself.
Chapter Forty One
Revisiting
We are having a little down time, and I think maybe this is the right time to talk to my family about Caspian again. I just don’t know how to bring him up. It has only been a week or so since the last time I spoke to them about him and how I want to find him.
“What about Caspian?”
“Alexander! Sometimes I really hate it when you do that. You do know that don’t you?”
“Sorry. I can’t help it.”
“What is it, though, Sophia? What about Caspian? We know he has been on your mind lately,” Florence asks.
“I have wanted to tell you for a few days now. Nathanial and I saw Caspian in the park the other night when we here delivering the New Year’s party invitations,” I begin to explain.
“What do you mean you saw him?” Constance questions.
“Caspian was the in the park, close enough for me to know without a doubt that it was him. I called to him, but he ran off. He is here. Caspian is in Wenham!” I announce excitedly.
“He’s here? He came back?” Matilda shouts.
“I didn’t see this! I must not be connected to him anymore. He has been gone too long. Maybe, if I had touched something that was his.” Constance lowers her head with disappointment.