Ho, Ho, Hoes, Merry Chrissymas

"GO!" dad barked, and we all ripped into our presents, which resulted in overlapping squeals, chuckles, and sighs. Toby smiled at me, and thanked me for the quality pen/stylus combo I had picked out for him. Everyone else loved their gifts, too.

"Misses Santa, your turn," dad said, and Evelyn looking amused at her new role. She selected presents, and handed them out. We each started unwrapping them as we received them. This time, it was a round of "Oohs & Aahs", and then everyone chuckled and thanked the giver.

"Tara, the oldest, is next," dad said. Tara chose, passed them out, and the sounds of tearing paper, approval, and thanks were repeated.

"Toby, your turn," Dad advised. Toby distributed his selection, handing me a somewhat large box. The tag said it was from Toby, and its decorations were something I had not remembered seeing in the truck when we had loaded at college.

We all started to unwrap our presents. As soon as I opened one end of mine, I knew what it was, and my smile gleamed at Toby. Before I unwrapped it further, I said, "How?"

"Santa's elves," said Toby, with a grin. I glanced around, and saw the little smile on mom's face. I took the rest of the wrapping off of the Toy Story Woody doll, and showed it to everybody. Reaching through the hole in the back of the box, I pulled the ring. "You're my favorite deputy!" I chuckled happily, but then my face started to sag, fighting tears.

"Excuse me!" I exclaimed, as I trotted off to the guest bathroom for tissues. I came back shortly, with extra tissues in my hand, which I then stuffed in my robe pocket. No one said anything, and I looked at dad & mom, and was surprised not to see concerned faces. "My turn" I sniffed, and grabbed a round of presents.

Finishing that round, there were a few leftovers, which dad handed out. Having finished with all the wrapped presents, Tara and I started collecting the scattered, torn wrapping paper from everyone. I wadded one into a ball, and showed it to Tara, to which she laughed and nodded at the remembrance of the paper ball fights we had after Christmases, years ago.

When we had cleaned up, dad said, "Tara and Chrissy, would you please sit, but exchange places?" Curious at that request, I sat near Toby, who looked back at me with an equal curiosity. "Please scoot together," mom requested. I responded slowly, my mind busy trying to solve this puzzle.

Hip to hip with Toby, we both watched dad get up and walk to the back of the Christmas tree, while mom stayed watching Toby and me. Dad retrieved an envelope, which he then handed to me. The envelope simply said, "Chrissy & Toby". I looked at Toby. He clearly had no clue. I looked at Tara, and she winked. I looked at dad & mom, who were holding hands, with a rather tight, anxious grip.

Dad said, in a level, quiet tone, "Evelyn and I talked about this at length, and Evelyn composed it for the two of us." Then he gestured that we look at it.

I opened the envelope, and unfolded the single sheet of paper. I read it aloud, both for Toby, and to confirm to myself that words existed on this paper.

"To our children: We have each raised you to be kind, thoughtful, caring individuals, and believe we have succeeded. It is our desire, and wish, that you be independent of us in thought and deed, each to choose the path in life which best suits your talents and desires, irrelevant of what our hopes for you as children may have contained. None of our efforts were designed to have you suffer for our needs."

"It is clear that you two are attracted to each other. Even though it has only been a short time since you met, your strong bond seems clear to all those around you. It is not our wish that you suffer the common restraints of society about brothers & sisters, just because your separate parents chose to marry."

I had to reach for a tissue and dab at my eyes, before I continued, choking slightly.

"You are adults now, and you both have our blessings to discover all that your relationship may be. In the unlikely case that the relationship should dissolve unhappily, we accept that risk willingly, and we will deal with whatever consequences there may be."

"But IF, as we suspect (and again, we put no pressure on you to fulfill our expectations), your relationship flourishes, and you two should choose to make Chrisilla Marie a member of the Wittendons, we would be most honored and proud if..."

I had to stop reading at that point, and grab the tissues from my pocket, as my tears were wetting the paper. With my sobbing unabated, I handed the letter to Toby to complete, as I desperately sought to catch the flood my eyes were producing.

He continued, smiling happily, "...most honored and proud if you would use Chrissy's mother's (Christine's) rings to signify your bond to each other. We wish you, both, all the love, joy, and happiness this world can offer. Merry Christmas."

I looked at Toby, and handed him my last dry tissue, as I saw his eyes welling up, too. I sobbed to dad & mom, "How did you know!?"

"Chrisilla, dear," Evelyn said, "that first night he tickled you on this couch, the sparkle in your giggles & laughter, and in your eyes, warned us this would not be the family we had predicted." I couldn't help but giggle, wetly, at that memory.

Dad added, "The way you two even glance at each other, the way you badly acted like there was a distance between you, the way you snuck those hugs in as you danced...you are much more transparent than you realize."

"And there were those sounds from Tara's room that first night," dad smirked and looked in his new wife's eyes. I looked at Toby's face, to see if it was a red as mine felt. I looked at Tara, and saw her full-wattage smile.

When I looked at Toby, a funny grin was growing on his face. Then he slid off of the couch, and dropped to one knee. My gasp was the loudest of everyones.

"Chrisilla Marie Harrison, will you..."

"NO!" I shouted, "I mean you can't...yet! I haven't even had a chance to tell you that I love you...yet...and..." I went silent with the realization of what I had just revealed, even to myself.

"And do you?" He asked, with a huge smile. I looked at dad & mom's smiles, and nodded, as I slowly turned to face him.

"Then Chrisilla Marie...will you be my roommate...well, duplex mate really, when we get back to college?" With the roomed filled with happy laughter, I screamed, "YOU BRAT!" before I lunged and knocked him flat on the floor, lying on top of him with my residual tears wetting his face. I kissed all those tears on him, kissing him all over his face, "YES!" (kiss), "Yes!" (kiss), "yes!" (kiss), "yes, yes, yes" (kiss, kiss, kiss). Then I planted a kiss square on his lips and ravished them, sharing with him the overflowing joy and relief that I felt.

Above me, I heard my new parent's chuckling, "We had better give Toby Christine's rings before they leave tomorrow!"