I reached her house in twice the time it should have taken me but the cold made me move more slowly. I looped around the corner to her room in the back. I pressed my face against the glass and saw her figure underneath the covers in the light of her blinking alarm clock. She hadn’t yet reset it from the power outage last week. She was so cute.
I sighed in relief as I watched her sleeping. I thought about leaving and coming back every hour to check on her because the idea of waking her pained me, but standing in the cold brought me back to reality quickly and I decided to take a chance. I pushed up her window easily, the old locking mechanism was worthless after being broken by Jesse and the new one had yet to be installed.
I clumsily toppled onto her floor making a loud noise and lay frozen on the ground afraid I woke her parents. I didn’t hear any stirring in the room or across the house and then decided shut the window.
I crawled toward her bed and stared at her angelic face for a moment but she woke and sucked in a breath to yell. I plastered my palm to her mouth and that calmed her instantly. The electric shock gave me away and we both waited for either her mom or dad to come streaming into the room, but they were obviously as deep a sleeper as Jules was, must have been inherited.
“What are you doing here Elliott?!” She panted.
“I couldn’t stand knowing you were here alone and that Jesse knew it. I’m here to stay with you until I feel it’s safe enough to leave again.”
She threw her hands around my neck and kissed my cheek.
“My parents picked tonight of all nights to demand I start sleeping in my room again. I haven’t told them about the nightly break ins. They thought it was a one-time deal. I’m surprised I even fell asleep.” She hugged me more tightly, “I’m so grateful you came.”
“I wouldn’t have been able to sleep without knowing how you were.”
I fixed her alarm clock to display the correct time and set the timer for four thirty, half an hour before my dad woke for work. Jules gave me one of her pillows and a few extra blankets and made me a comfortable pallet on the floor. I fell asleep quickly knowing I was near Jules and we both dreamed until the deafening pulse of her electric alarm clock woke us both. I kissed her on the neck my goodbye and she squeezed my hand. I slipped out of the window and ran back to my own bed, my parents none the wiser. I did the same thing Christmas Eve.
Christmas Eve, we decided together, since tangible gifts were out of the question, thanks to Jesse, that our Christmas gifts to each other this year would be a question we couldn’t say no to. It was Jules’ idea, and a good one at that. I got really excited at the prospect of the question but she informed me of the limitations so that ruled out ‘Will you marry me?’
I tried to think of a question and could come up with no loop hole to her addendum. I thought of ‘Will you wear this ring?’ but that would mean it was only a piece of jewelry and not the commitment I wanted from her. (Besides, I didn’t want to trick Jules into marriage. Although, I wasn’t above faking a pregnancy. She’s a traditional gal. She wouldn’t leave me hanging. Nyuck. Nyuck.) So, a ring would have to be at the bottom of my list unfortunately, for several years, I was starting to feel. I was so disappointed.
Surprisingly, my parents hadn’t grounded me for hitting Jesse so I took Jules out to Charleston in the morning so we could finish our own shopping for our families.
“I’m dying to know your question,” I said while we walked hand in hand.
“I’m dying to ask you,” she said.
“You could ask me now, you know?” I teased.
“It wouldn’t be much of a Christmas gift then would it?”
“No, I suppose not,” I sighed.
I had figured out what question I wanted to ask her while laying in bed the night before and I was so proud of it. I couldn’t wait to ask her.
“Elliott?”
“Yes my love?” I asked warily.
“You can’t stay in my room every night. Eventually one of our parents will figure it out.”
“I know Jules, but it’s worth the risk. I refuse to let him get away with frightening you anymore regardless of what others think of him. We know the truth and I’m afraid the truth is a chilling one,” I inwardly shuddered. “Come on,” I said, changing my tone, “I’m buying you a pretzel sweetheart.”
“Just what I need. You know me so well,” she winked. “When Jules is upset, give her carbs.”
“Quiet Jules! I’m just trying to fill you out a little, you’re looking much too thin these days and I think the anxiety’s to blame.” I kissed her protruding cheekbones. She was growing very thin, her jeans hung on her bones. This was affecting Jules’ health and her body wasn’t the only thing thinning. My patience was running a close second.
On Christmas day, my family woke at the crack of dawn with a squealing Maddy running up and down the hall giddy with excitement. I had slept the night at Jules’ and had only gotten home a few minutes prior. I was still freezing from the walk.
When I tumbled out of bed, I threw on a faded pair of grey sweatpants and I vaguely remember stumbling into the hallway. Maddy grabbed my hand and pulled me down the stairs toward the tree.
My mother always made the most beautiful trees. Always a noble fir, always multicolored lights, chock full of a million homemade ornaments and a million strands of cranberry and popcorn garland that she and Maddy would make after Thanksgiving, a mother and daughter tradition.
Along her ancient tree skirt were peppered boxes and bags, most with Maddy’s name on them, though she didn’t deserve them. She didn’t just get gifts from our parents either. She got them from me, Jules, Jules’ parents, and Jules’ family from Mauch Chunk and Philadelphia. She was certainly spoiled, especially by Jules’ uncommonly generous family.
Maddy was an oddity in Bramwell, not because she was strange although she was, but because she was one of the only kids under the age of twelve here. Most of the families here were established for over thirty years. She was also the youngest child Jule’s family knew since all the kids were grown. She raked in the spoils and she was shameless about it. It was actually kind of funny to watch. I didn’t blame her, not at all.