Every Christmas Eve it was a tradition for the Chasez family to go their grandfather’s house. There, they would eat dinner, read scriptures from the Bible, sing Christmas carols…it was the ideal holiday gathering. Once again, Lexi thought that she would feel uncomfortable in this environment, but she didn’t. His entire family was naturally nice, and JC didn’t leave her side the entire time.
They left his grandfather’s house very late, and when they got home they all exchanged presents. (Lexi was used to exchanging presents on Christmas morning, but she didn’t mind doing it early.) Lexi gave all of them the presents she had bought for them, and they all said that it wasn’t necessary and thanked her. She was going to give JC the cross she bought for him, but she decided that she wanted to give it to him in private.
After talking and laughing for a while, everyone headed up to bed. Once the house seemed quiet, Lexi grabbed the wrapped box that the cross was in, and went to his room. She knocked on his door, he answered, and she went inside.
“Hey, I was going to give this to you with everyone else, but I decided that I wanted to give it to you in private.”
JC smiled at Lexi and said, “Well since we’re exchanging gifts…I have another one for you too.” He went to a drawer in his dresser and pulled out a nicely wrapped, rather small box.
“Here,” he said handing her the gift. “Open yours first.”
“Ok.”
Lexi carefully ripped the paper, which revealed a flat, red, velvet box. She looked at JC, smiled, and opened the box. Inside, there was a necklace made of white gold. It was an outline of a cross with a clear stone in the center.
“Omigawd…it’s so beautiful! I-is this a diamond in the middle?”
“…”
“Josh? Is it?”
“…yeah.”
“This really wasn’t necessary…”
“Of course it wasn’t. I wanted to.”
“Well, thank you,” she said giving his a big hug and a kiss on the cheek. “I’ll never take it off. Ok, you next!”
Lexi handed him his present and thought, How weird it is that we both got each other crosses? Coincidence...?
JC opened the gift and almost froze when he saw what it was.
“Lexi…are you telling me that we both got each other the same thing?”
“It sure looks like it.”
He chuckled, and then looked deep into Lexi’s chestnut eyes with his sapphire ones and said, “Thank you.”
They hugged once again and emotions we obviously running through them like wild fire.
Ok, JC thought. I have to tell her I feel, and this is the perfect time to do it…lemme get this over with before I lose my nerve.
They parted their hug, and JC brought a hand up to Lexi’s face. He took a deep breath and started.
“Lexi, there’s something that I’ve been wanted to tell you for a while now, but I wasn’t sure how to go about doing it. I think this seems like the right time. I just wanted to tell you that…”
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK
The door flew open without JC telling the person on the other side to come in. It was Tyler.
“Oh, I’m sorry, was I interrupting?”
“No,” Lexi said, “I was just about to go to bed anyway.” She got up to leave, and when she reached the door she turned about. “Oh, Josh, what were you going to tell me?”
“Oh…nothing. It can wait.”
“Ok. Good night, guys.”
Once Lexi was in her room, JC turned to his brother.
“You idiot!!”
“What what what?”
“I was talking to her!”
“Whatdaya mean you were talking to her…oh. You were about to tell her you…”
“Yes!”
“Oh. My bad.”
“Yeah, you’re bad.” JC sighed. “Now I have to find another time to tell her, and I don’t know when that’s going to be. Hopefully it will be soon.”