There are so many people here, they’re eating wherever they can manage to find a seat, and the bar’s been covered with all the various food dishes. I know Baker cooked the turkeys and some brownies, but many other people brought dishes to add to it. Maria, whom I used to strip with, is here and she’s brought her famous rice, as well as some orange salad dish I’ve never heard of. She’s doing well for herself and has two food trucks she runs. The woman can cook, I know, because we stop by and get food all the time.
“Merry Christmas corazón mío. Are you having fun?” He got to dress up as Santa Claus earlier, which he thought was thebest thing ever. Blow’s daughter has been over the moon since they got here and she found out there are presents under the trees here for everyone. Baker showed up a bit later dressed as Santa Claus, also, so naturally, the two Santas had to wrestle outside to determine who was allowed to deliver presents to the clubhouse. I’d say it was the most ridiculous thing I’ve seen, but it’d be untrue. After being around Powerhouse for the past year, I’ve learned my big man likes to be goofy and laugh when he has the chance.
“Yes, I’m stuffed. No room for any of the sweet stuff until later, except for you.”
I grin. He’s forever saying the sweetest things to me. I was afraid that with time, that part of him would lessen or disappear completely, but it’s been the opposite. I swear he wakes up each day with the mission in mind of finding a new way to show me or tell me how much he loves me.
We’ve also had some heart-to-heart conversations covering some impactful life decisions. I found out that he doesn’t want children. He loves them, he’s just worried that all of his fighting over the years will impact his life in ways he’s unsure of in the future. He doesn’t think it’s fair to bring a child into the world and place emotional trauma like that on them, nor place the responsibility of potentially having to parent them alone all on me. It hurts my heart each time he voices his concerns over him possibly dying earlier than all the others because he’s gotten into so many vicious fights in his younger days. He confessed that he never cared before, but now that he has me, everything has changed for him, and he wants to be around for a long time to love me.
“I’ll toss your plate, big man.” I stand and grab the dirty disposable plates and utensils. He’s always doting on me when we eat, so I don’t mind doing the same for him when he gives me the opportunity to.
I’ve just tossed everything in the trash when Alice sidles up next to me, bumping her shoulder with mine. “Did you get the thing?” She whispers, leaning in so we won't be overheard.
I nod, gesturing for her to follow me to the hall. I dig Powerhouse’s gift out of my pocket and hold it out to show her.
“He’s going to love it.”
“You’re sure?”
She nods, and I stare at the chunky silver ring. It has a raven perched on a fist carved into the thick, shiny surface. It’s supposed to represent him and me, I hope he thinks it’s as cool as I do. I had a local jeweler make it, whom I met at the community center. He’d come in to teach a few classes, and once we got to talking about his custom pieces, I knew I had to contact him for this. I showed it to my abuela before I left her casa this morning. I went with her to midnight mass last night, and then we had breakfast with Powerhouse when he came to pick me up. I managed to snag some of her homemade tortillas and pozole before I left, and we had those for lunch. I could eat those every week of my life, I never get tired of them.
Powerhouse comes up beside me, and I twist in the opposite direction for a moment, quickly stuffing the ring in my pocket before he sees it. Is it weird for a woman to give a man a ring? I know it’s usually the other way around, but I’m not proposing or anything. Powerhouse says I’m his and he’s mine, and that’s perfectly enough for me. We may never get married, and that’s just fine. I only want to be by his side, it’s all I ask. “Alice,” he greets, then turns his attention to me. “We need to take a short drive.”
“Oh, is anything open?”
He shrugs. “Just need to show this to you real quick, cause everyone’s gonna be opening presents and mine’s not here.”
My brow furrows as my head tilts a touch to the side. It’s strange because he literally dressed up as Santa and cameprepared with a Santa sack. I know for sure there were real presents in there because he ordered everyone car air fresheners and socks, both with his face on them, and I helped him wrap everything. “Mind if we take a cage, because you know how sore I get if it’s a super cold ride.”
“I got you, my yummy chocolate strudel.”
I roll my eyes, letting out a huff and laughing. He comes up with the most ridiculous pet names. “Onward, my chariot.”
He lightly flicks at my earring close to my implant, making me laugh more and duck away. He’s been doing that ever since I started wearing dangly earrings, and it always makes me smile. My hearing isn’t perfect, but I can actually hear now after the surgeries, and I’ve had time to heal.
“I teach you how to bob and weave. Now you think you’re faster than me, hm?” He teases, catching me around the waist to toss me over his shoulder. I’m so used to him carrying me in this fireman’s carry, princess style, and piggyback, I just laugh and hold on. Occasionally, I lean forward to either bite his perky fat ass or else smack it. I’m kind of obsessed with his bubble butt, and I never let him forget it.
He tosses my jacket over my thighs, as everyone calls out, asking where we’re going. He yells back that we’ll return soon. His arms are tight enough to keep me in place, but not squish me as he continues outside. The crispy cold air shocks my senses as chills race over my flesh, making me wrap my arms around his trim waist and suck in his warmth. It only takes us a minute before he’s loading me up in his brother's truck, through the driver’s side. I scoot to the middle, it’s old enough, it doesn’t have a center console, just a bouncy bench seat.
Once I’m right where he likes me to be, he reaches across my lap, buckling me in. I fought him about it the first few times he did it until I eventually gave in. Taking care of me makes him happy, and in turn, when he’s happy, I’m happy.
“Where are we going?”
“You’ll see. “He switches the station to the one playing Christmas carols and immediately starts singing along. His voice is rich and deep, and when he’s not being silly, like right now, it’s sexy. I just want to climb right onto his lap and ride him until we both see stars.
My thoughts are drawn away as we pull into a parking lot in a quaint little area close to the community center. They have this amazing donut shop over here that serves cinnamon rolls as big as your plate. They even top them with all these delicious different items like cinnamon and peaches. That one is my favorite. We’re obviously not getting donuts because nearly everything is closed for Christmas.
He pulls to the curb in front of an empty storefront. It’s bigger than the few shops beside it, I notice as he hops out. He comes around the front of the vehicle, opening the passenger door for me and catching me as I hop out. He closes the door and meets my stare. “We’ll get a ticket, hotshot, this is the fire zone.”
He grins widely, making me mimic his expression. My stomach fills with excited butterflies. I have no idea why, but I know he’s up to something. I now have a conditioned response of being happy with anticipation for whatever he’s got up his sleeve.
“Feliz Navidad, Raven.”
“Feliz Navidad, amore.” I respond, still confused, until he grabs my arms and turns me to face the door.
Raven’s Dance Studiois on the window of the front door in bright blue script.
My mouth pops open. “Wait…No way. Powerhouse, what is this?”
