More Than A Memory-Ch15

I'm deeply sorry, but this chapter had a tendency to skip alot of the deatails of Christmas. I skipped over it to make room for some things that are going to be happening in Sid and Peyton's near future. Hope you like it though!

Happy Holidays to everyone!


Chapter 15:

We spent the next 3 days cleaning and cooking. Well, I did most of the cooking, he watched. We had small arguments throughout those days…

"I don't understand why you have to go all out on this" he said leaning against the doorway with his arms crossed. My back was to him and I rolled my eyes. He was mad, or as he put it, "concerned" about me setting both tables lavishly with gold charger plates, a beige table cloth, gold bead garland and candles, when they were going to be messed up anyway."I mean really it doesn't have to be fancy." I dropped a folded napkin and turned around. "Because it looks nice, and we look like we know what we're doing. And it is my first time giving Christmas dinner, it has to be perfect." He shrugged, still not understanding, but clearly giving up his argument. "Do you need help with anything?" He asked carefully, knowing that I had a precise way of doing everything. I smiled, "You can go put all those boxes back in the basement and then vacuum the living room rugs. His goofy grin appeared as he nodded and walked out to the kitchen.

*

We sat in the airport at the baggage claim. He had his hat pulled down as far as it would go and his jacket pulled up to his chin. I was gnawing on a bagel tediously and watching the large monitors. We had arrived to pick up his parents, who conveniently forgot to tell us their flight had been delayed by an hour and a half. There was no use in us leaving just to have to turn around by the time we got back home. I was tapping my feet on the shiny stone floor when he smacked my knees. I looked over at him, he was scowling.

"Cheer up princess" I joked. I received a death glare in return. "Look, we only have to wait a half hour more!" I said cheerfully pointing to the screen. "Yay! Only an hour and a half more than we should be waiting!" He said sarcastically. I rolled my eyes and he saw it. "Seriously Pey, its Christmas eve. Your family is already at the house, doing god knows what. They didn't call telling us the flight was delayed either. Don't you think my folks are cutting it a little close?" He asked, actually he stated. I huffed again. "Sidney it is Christmas. You should be happy your family is coming here. Some people don't have anyone. Stop being so mopey, you have no reason to be" I said like a mother scolding their child. I scared myself a little as I turned away from him. A minute passed and I felt his hand curl around mine. His voice came from right on my neck. "Sorry baby. I'm just very... Temperamental." I smiled a little and felt him drop a kiss on my cheek.

*
After waiting and picking up his parents, which was very uneventful, we drove back to the house and all of us began cooking. Well, us girls anyway. The fathers sat around the television watching some football game. Sidney was playing with all the little rug rats, just like he was their age. I was busy over making homemade scalloped potatoes when I felt a hand on my waist. I turned to meet a caramel gaze that still made me a little weak in the knees.

"What's cookin' good lookin'?" He joked. "Nothing that I could get you to eat. It isn't organic, well the potatoes are, but the cream sauce is definitely not low cal" I joked back. He rolled his eyes, "I can splurge once in a while." I laughed back and kissed him on the cheek only to be interrupted by my little niece, Brenna. "Um, excuse me auntie but do you think Sid can come play with me?" My heart melted as he bent down to her level. "Of course I can play! What game would you like to play?" She thought for a moment. "Hide and seek!" "OK ready you go hide I'll count to 20. Ready... Go! 1...2..." He covered his eyes and started counting as she sprang off looking like the happiest girl in the world. I leaned up and kissed his lips while he was pausing in between numbers.

**

We ate dinner, which turned out to be absolutely delicious, and the kids ran into the living room and begged us to let them open one present each. I sat next to Sidney and watched as the kids ripped open the paper in pure joy. Soon after they were all settled it was bed time. Sid's cousins left and all the relatives were assigned to their rooms. We then cleaned up all the dirty dishes and wrapped all the left over’s. We turned off the lights and made our way upstairs.

When he closed the door behind him he wrapped his hands around my waist and pulled me into him. I enjoyed the warmth his body brought and the way we fit perfectly. After a few moments of standing in silence, he bent his head to me and pressed his lips to mine. After a few sweet kisses he pulled me to him on the bed. "Do you want one present tonight too?" He asked softly. I shook my head and he kissed my cheek before disappearing into the closet. He reappeared moments later with a small box and an envelope.

"This first" he whispered handing me the envelope. We sat in the middle of the large bed, both sitting cross-legged facing each other in the barley lighted room. He sat in silence as I eyed him slipping my fingers through the flap of the envelope pulling out a fancy piece of paper with his familiar scrawl.

When the rain is blowing in your face
And the whole world is on your case
I could offer you a warm embrace

To make you feel my love
When the evening shadows and the stars appear
And there is no one there to dry your tears
I could hold you for a million years
To make you feel my love

I know you haven't made your mind up yet
But I would never do you wrong
I've known it from the moment that we met
No doubt in my mind where you belong

I'd go hungry, I'd go black and blue
I'd go crawling down the avenue
No, there's nothing that I wouldn't do
To make you feel my love

The storms are raging on the rolling sea,
and on the highway of regret
Though winds of change are throwing wild and free
You ain't seen nothing like me yet

I could make you happy, make your dreams come true
Nothing that I wouldn't do
Go to the ends of the Earth for you
To make you feel my love

I love you.
Sidney

Towards the end of the letter I felt tears rolling down my face. He silently wiped them away as I finished reading. When I was done I placed the letter on the bed and threw my arms around his neck. I held him for a minute and then pulled away only to press my lips to his. He pulled away, "This goes along with it." I wiped my face, speechless, and opened the small box.

My breath caught in my throat as I looked at it. It was only small, but so beautiful. It was a small white gold ring, with small diamonds all around it. I looked at the engraving on the inside of the band. 'To make you feel my love' was etched in. He took it out of my shaking hands and placed it on my right ring finger. "It was calling your name. I couldn't resist" he said with a chuckle. The tears began to flow and a concerned look grew on his face. "What's wrong? You don't like it?" I began laughing and crying at the same time. "I love it! I'm just so happy! And overwhelmed. You really are perfect you know that?" He smiled and our lips met, fueled by passion. He pulled away and looked me deep in the eyes. "I love you." "I love you too." And with that we crawled under the covers.

He fell asleep before me, and I stayed up gazing at my ring and twirling it around. It was funny how every time I looked at the ring I could picture him leaving me. I shook those thoughts out of my head as I looked over at his sleeping figure lying next to me.