gifts.
“Okay, so last year we did oldest to youngest, so this year youngest to oldest,” James says.
“Oh, that means me!” says Michelle, as she searches for a gift. “Ian, this one is for you. See, since I’m the youngest I get to play Santa first!”
Ian is overwhelmed by the moment. He glances at Grace, and she gives him a reassuring nod.
“Go on, open it!” James says, waving his hand at him.
Ian does not know what to do at first. Gifts were things rarely given to him growing up and practically never in his teen years. The only gifts he was used to receiving were secret ones he would exchange with his siblings. They had to be careful that their father did not catch them exchanging the gifts or displaying them once they were given. He looks around the room and all eyes are on him as he sits there dumbfounded with the present in his hand.
“Open it, silly!” Grace shouts.
“Wait, first you have to say who it’s from,” says Michelle.
Ian looks at the gift tag. “It’s from James,” Ian says, timidly. He opens the gift slowly to discover that it is sheet music. Ian knows it may seem like such a small present to most, but for him it captures the entire concept of family. “Thank you, man!”
James gives Ian a warm smile and a slow nod of his head which fills him with joy.
They continue to open the mass amount of gifts spread under the Christmas tree. Everyone’s wishes and some they did not even think of, have been granted.
Michelle is lying amidst the torn wrapping paper looking as though she has passed out. James gnaws on some beef jerky the girls got for him, and Grace just stares at Ian. I never dreamed I could feel like this.
“James?” she asks, quietly. “Don’t we have one more gift for Ian?”
James gets an immense grin on his face and says, “Well, you might just be right about that. Hmm, I wonder where it is? ”
Ian looks shocked. “More?”
“Just one tiny thing,” Grace says.
With these words, Michelle pops up out of her Christmas coma. “Ha, it’s in the garage, Ian! Don’t let them mess with you like that.”
James rises from his chair and motions for them to walk to the coat rack. They all gather up their coats, put them on, and head outside to the garage. On the garage door is a giant red and green ribbon. On an oversized tag, in Grace’s writing are the words: To: Ian, With Love, The Hathaway Family . Ian looks puzzled.
“You got me a garage?” he asks, jokingly.
“Oh, just open the door, stupid!” says Michelle. She nudges Ian in the arm gently.
Ian opens the door and gasps. In the middle of the garage is a black baby grand piano. Off to the side are a microphone and some type of recording devices. Ian gets light on his feet, and Grace has to put her arms around him to keep him steady.
“ Wha …” he gasps.
“Merry Christmas!” they all say in harmony.
“This is…this is too much,” he mutters.
“No, man, it’s not too much,” says James laying his arm around Ian’s shoulders, “my sister never shuts up about what an incredible musician you are and I honestly didn’t need your rent money, so here you go. Amaze me!”
After eating their Christmas feast, Grace sits next to Ian at the piano. She waits patiently as he thumbs through sheet music, looking for a familiar song to play. No words pass between them as he stumbles through a few chords of the first song he chooses from the book.
“It’s been a while since I’ve played.”
“It will come back to you,” she says.
His fingers randomly press keys. “I’m so stoked. Your family….you,” he says, shaking his head in disbelief.
Grace pulls his face to hers, and she kisses him for a lengthy moment. He grabs her waist and pulls her closer to his body, kissing her harder. As they are kissing, dampness on his cheek startles her. She pulls away from him and opens her eyes. Ian has tears streaming down his face.
Looking into his eyes she softly wipes
“Okay, so last year we did oldest to youngest, so this year youngest to oldest,” James says.
“Oh, that means me!” says Michelle, as she searches for a gift. “Ian, this one is for you. See, since I’m the youngest I get to play Santa first!”
Ian is overwhelmed by the moment. He glances at Grace, and she gives him a reassuring nod.
“Go on, open it!” James says, waving his hand at him.
Ian does not know what to do at first. Gifts were things rarely given to him growing up and practically never in his teen years. The only gifts he was used to receiving were secret ones he would exchange with his siblings. They had to be careful that their father did not catch them exchanging the gifts or displaying them once they were given. He looks around the room and all eyes are on him as he sits there dumbfounded with the present in his hand.
“Open it, silly!” Grace shouts.
“Wait, first you have to say who it’s from,” says Michelle.
Ian looks at the gift tag. “It’s from James,” Ian says, timidly. He opens the gift slowly to discover that it is sheet music. Ian knows it may seem like such a small present to most, but for him it captures the entire concept of family. “Thank you, man!”
James gives Ian a warm smile and a slow nod of his head which fills him with joy.
They continue to open the mass amount of gifts spread under the Christmas tree. Everyone’s wishes and some they did not even think of, have been granted.
Michelle is lying amidst the torn wrapping paper looking as though she has passed out. James gnaws on some beef jerky the girls got for him, and Grace just stares at Ian. I never dreamed I could feel like this.
“James?” she asks, quietly. “Don’t we have one more gift for Ian?”
James gets an immense grin on his face and says, “Well, you might just be right about that. Hmm, I wonder where it is? ”
Ian looks shocked. “More?”
“Just one tiny thing,” Grace says.
With these words, Michelle pops up out of her Christmas coma. “Ha, it’s in the garage, Ian! Don’t let them mess with you like that.”
James rises from his chair and motions for them to walk to the coat rack. They all gather up their coats, put them on, and head outside to the garage. On the garage door is a giant red and green ribbon. On an oversized tag, in Grace’s writing are the words: To: Ian, With Love, The Hathaway Family . Ian looks puzzled.
“You got me a garage?” he asks, jokingly.
“Oh, just open the door, stupid!” says Michelle. She nudges Ian in the arm gently.
Ian opens the door and gasps. In the middle of the garage is a black baby grand piano. Off to the side are a microphone and some type of recording devices. Ian gets light on his feet, and Grace has to put her arms around him to keep him steady.
“ Wha …” he gasps.
“Merry Christmas!” they all say in harmony.
“This is…this is too much,” he mutters.
“No, man, it’s not too much,” says James laying his arm around Ian’s shoulders, “my sister never shuts up about what an incredible musician you are and I honestly didn’t need your rent money, so here you go. Amaze me!”
After eating their Christmas feast, Grace sits next to Ian at the piano. She waits patiently as he thumbs through sheet music, looking for a familiar song to play. No words pass between them as he stumbles through a few chords of the first song he chooses from the book.
“It’s been a while since I’ve played.”
“It will come back to you,” she says.
His fingers randomly press keys. “I’m so stoked. Your family….you,” he says, shaking his head in disbelief.
Grace pulls his face to hers, and she kisses him for a lengthy moment. He grabs her waist and pulls her closer to his body, kissing her harder. As they are kissing, dampness on his cheek startles her. She pulls away from him and opens her eyes. Ian has tears streaming down his face.
Looking into his eyes she softly wipes
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