Page 21 of Daddy's Little Drummer Boy
More than once, Papa had told me I needed to get a couch, but there wasn’t room for it. We went to his place sometimes, but with my schedule, this apartment tended to be easier with that one caveat. Either we were sitting on the bed together, or we were sitting on the bed together. If I stayed here, I needed to reevaluate the furniture situation. Maybe a lounge chair would do?
I grabbed Rooney and plopped into my chair, which was angled more like a bed currently. Papa pulled out a box wrapped in paper covered with tiny Rudolphs.
“Now, I know we’re doing presents tomorrow, but this is a Christmas Eve present. Which means, you can open it today.”
I wasn’t sure where that logic came from, but I wasn’t going to argue with it if it meant I got to open my gift now. I took a long sip from my cup, set it down, and grabbed the present. The paper was almost too adorable to rip, but my excitement made the decision for me. I tore it open with abandon.
Inside the box was a movie, some microwave popcorn, folded-up popcorn boxes, a box of my favorite candy, and a little stuffed popcorn box from my favorite stuffie company. I’d seen them in bookstores, hugged them, and wanted to take them home, but I could never justify the price.
Now, not only did I have one, but it was the cutest thing I’d ever seen.
“Are we having a movie night, Papa?”
“We are.” He took the DVD collection out of the box.
I was probably one of the only people in the city who still had a DVD player, but of course, Papa knew that and planned accordingly.
“This is a collection of all the Christmas ‘classics,’” he said, putting the word all in quotes. “There are some cute ones missing, but there’s a lot here. We can watch movies all night long if we wanted to.”
I had other things I’d rather do if we were staying up all night, but movies sounded fun…at least for a little while.
“Do you want your snacks now?”
I shook my head. “My tummy’s still full from dinner. Can we watch on the bed so I can snuggle you, Papa?”
“Yeah, I’d like that a lot.”
He turned off the light over the stove, put the DVD in the player, and climbed into bed with me. I snuggled up close, hugging him tightly as the opening credits rolled.
I wasn’t sure what it was about the moment—all the sweet planning that went into it, the feel of his arms around me after a long, hectic season, knowing this was the first Christmas I’d had any joy in years, or what.
But as I looked up at him, the words flowed from my mouth. “I love you, Papa.” They felt natural and true and perfect.
When he met my eyes, he said, “I love you, my sweet Bobby, so very much.”
I snuggled back into him asThe Night Before Christmasfilled the screen. It was officially Christmas, and I was spending it with Papa. What more could a little ask for?
Chapter Sixteen
Nick
The sun was not yet up when I woke on Christmas morning. With Bobby in my arms and the sweetness of the day littles and lots of big people waited all year for, I didn’t want to waste a moment.
And I didn’t consider my sweet boy nestled in my arms to be wasted time, so as he slumbered on, I just held him and considered all the changes that took place in our life in the last few weeks. I’d met him when I was hoping for a promotion that I was denied and then given. Now I recognized I’d used my job as an excuse not to live a full life. And I was positive I’d be having that now with Bobby.
“Are you awake, Papa?” his sleepy voice asked. “I’m hungry.”
“Then you’re in luck because we have a big breakfast planned, remember?”
He rolled on top of me. “Cinnamon rolls and sausages and eggs and…everything.”
“And then presents.”
“Maybe first presents?” he asked. “I waited all night.”
“We agreed, didn’t we?”
He let out a huff. “I didn’t know it would be so hard.”
