Page 66 of Chasing Fireflies

I nod and walk over to throw a few logs into the fireplace before grabbing the box of lights and setting it beside my beer on the table. “Well, let’s put some lights on it.”

*

We put every ornament that we have on the thing. It’s crowded, but Sara loves it, so that’s all that matters. We sit on the couch with our feet propped up on the coffee table. A few empty beer bottles surround us, and Sara is cute tipsy. The old Christmas CD she has plays over and over, and the soft glow of the tree and the red flames of the fire are the only things that light the room. It’s warm in here, and snow continues to fall slowly outside. I take my wife’s beer from her hand and place it onto the table. She laughs because she’s drunk, and I take advantage. “Let me kiss you.”

“I’d never stop you.” Her lips touch mine, and I taste beer, salt, and limes on her tongue. Crazy love likes limes in her beer and salt on her rim. It tastes good, and I want more. I push her back onto the couch and run my hand up her sweater, lifting it a little as my hand travels north. Our kisses grow more needy, and I climb on top of her and settle between her thighs. She wraps her legs around me, and I lift her sweater up and over her head, tossing it onto the floor beside us. I reach down and unzip my jeans, and she unbuttons hers and slides her zipper down. I lean back and grab the waist of her pants, yanking them off of her legs before I pull mine down. She grabs my neck and kisses me again. She’s breathing hard, and I’m slipping her panties to the side, feeling her wetness. I grab myself and push inside. She moans into my mouth and bites my lip as I sink all the way in.

“God,” she breathes as I move.

“Hold on to my hands, baby cakes.”

She giggles and links her hands with mine. I put them above her head and move faster. The fire crackles and pops, and I hear the song fromA Charlie Brown Christmasstart playing as I love my wife in front of the tree I snuck a kiss behind earlier.

“I love you,” I tell her. My voice is raspy, and I’m close to letting go.

“I love you forever, baby,” she says as she falls, and I follow.

*

“Baby.” I hear softly. My eyes open, and I see my wife. “Merry Christmas.” She smiles like a kid, and my heart melts. I look over at the clock.

“It’s awful early, girl.”

“Or late, whichever way you wanna look at it.”

I smile and roll over on my back, stretching as she climbs on top of me.

“Whoa,” she says. “Someone happy to see me, or is that just morning—”

“I’m always happy to see you,” I cut her off, and she leans down and kisses my nose.

“Up you get, husband.” She jumps off of me and walks to the bedroom door. “I’ve got a few gifts under that kissing tree that have your name on them,” she says before she disappears out of the bedroom.

I sigh and look out the window. It’s frosted, and I see a heart has been drawn on it. “Crazy woman,” I say, getting up and sliding my pajama bottoms up over my briefs. I walk to the bathroom and brush my teeth, smelling coffee and bacon as I do.

*

“What do you think?” she asks me as I look at my new wallet.

“I love it,” I say, standing up.

“Where are you going?”

“I’m going to get my old one, so I can switch it out.”

I hear her laugh as I run up the steps. Walking into our room, I grab my wallet from yesterday’s jeans and walk back down the steps. Tossing my new wallet onto the table, I unload my old one.

“It’s seen better days, hasn’t it?” I ask her.

“For sure.”

“Do you like your necklace?” I ask her. It’s not much. It’s small and dainty, and I got it at the pawnshop, but it’s new to Sara.

“I’ll probably never take it off,” she says, holding on to the small heart pendant. I lean over and steal a kiss.

“I’ve got somewhere I gotta go,” I say after switching my cards and old photo booth pictures of us from one wallet to another.

“Where?” she asks, likereally?“Everything is closed.”

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