His low chuckle broke the spell and I pulled back with a wry smile along with a mumbled apology. “Your eyes pull me in. I love the way the colors swirl.”
He looked at me oddly for a moment, the violet draining and black and brown creping in.
“I think I know most of them,” I commented and watched the violet come back. Distractedly, I reached out to close the sandwich he just finished and handed the plate to him. In my mind, I sorted through the colors I’d witnessed.
Expertly, I assembled a second sandwich only slightly aware of his intense scrutiny as he ate. Yes, I did think I knew what they meant, but I’d need to test them before I shared my thoughts. Just in case, I’d made a mistake.
Putting away thoughts of colored particles, I asked what we should do for the rest of the afternoon. We still had three hours to kill before my mom wanted us home. Once there, we’d decorate the tree together while the meal finished cooking. After that, presents. The thought of presents brought me up short, and I stifled a groan. I’d completely forgotten about Morik. What could I get a four-thousand-year-old man that he couldn’t get for himself or didn’t already have?
He suggested a movie and I agreed. It would give me some time to think. Before he led me downstairs, I peeked out the window at the gently falling snow. “We should go back early and make snow men in the front yard,” I commented. “Mom would like that. It could be our gift to the family.”
He nodded his agreement clearly amused by me. Moving away from the window, I followed him down the steps and stared around in amazement. He obviously spent a lot of time down there. A huge television with various gaming devices on a shelf next to it sat centered on a wall with a pair of recliners right in front of it.
In awe, I approached the chairs while he used a remote to dim the lights and pull up a movie menu. One chair appeared new, the other well worn. He’d gotten it just for me. No bow or ribbon adorned it. It wasn’t a gift. He’d bought it hoping that I’d spend enough time with him to use it.
Settling into the chair, I suggested a Christmas classic. He started the movie and then sat beside me. We watched in silence for a moment. The question of his gift bounced around in my skull until I gave in to it.
“I asked you before what you wanted - besides a companion,” I quickly clarified. “And you disappeared on me. I’m still curious.”
He quirked a smile, still looking at the screen. “A kiss.”
“You already asked for that and can kiss me whenever you want. Isn’t there something else you want?”
His eyes flared in surprise and sought mine. I quickly backpedaled, “No. No, not that! I mean…” I lost my voice for a second as a neon blush decorated my face. I didn’t want to revisit how he’d interpret that. I tried again, slightly subdued. “Is there something else, material, or food, or something, that you’ve wanted to own or try?”
“Nothing, Tessa. You are what I want.”
Yeah, I figured as much. It would make for a crappy Christmas for him. Then a spark of brilliance ignited a plan. We had one tradition in our family for the men we chose. I just hoped my mom wouldn’t throw a fit when I asked her.
Chapter 14
We had the snowmen built in the front yard before three. I even added one for Morik.
His years of crafting made it easy to sculpt the snow into lifelike human forms whose legs flared into a snow mound. The time he spent shaping the face on my snowman brought a smile to my lips. Flicks of green swamped the silver orbs behind his yellowed lenses as he finished. It looked amazingly real.
I turned back to my own very inartistic rendition of Morik. Three snowballs in decreasing size stacked vertically with a finger scraped smile completed my labors.
While standing in the falling snow trying to figure out how to add more life to snow-Morik, I shivered. Wearing my old wool coat hadn’t been the best idea, but I wanted to save the leather jacket for the bike. Morik noticed my shiver and suggested I go in.
He eyed the driveway and waved me toward the door saying he’d shovel before following me. A snowplow swept by, spraying snow far into the yard, and after it passed, a rather large pile of snow blocked the end of the driveway. I offered to help, but he insisted I warm up five minutes first.
Willingly marching through the snow, I opened the door and was welcomed by a myriad of aromas, which circled around me. Gran stood at the stove, lid in one hand and spoon in the other, giving something a quick stir. When she saw me, she smiled.
“Merry Christmas!” she greeted me. “Take off your things. I have cocoa ready for you two. I saw your pretty work out there.”
Quickly closing the door behind me, I peeled off my gloves, but held onto them. “I’m just going to warm up and then help Morik with the driveway. The plow came through and buried it. Stephen won’t get in if we don’t clear it.”