Christmas Day

Christmas Day
Christmas morning had started quietly for Crane and me. We exchanged our gifts immediately after waking up.

I had watched Crane open mine with a smile that stayed on his face long after he finished reading the note I had written for him. He had given me my own gift afterward, and I had been so touched that I had pulled him into my arms before I could properly thank him.

Now we were driving toward his family's home.

Thanksgiving had been spent with my family, so Christmas belonged to the Xanders.

I liked that arrangement.

It made our relationship feel woven into both families rather than divided between them.

When we arrived, I could already smell food before Crane even opened the front door.

"Merry Christmas," I said as we stepped inside.

"Merry Christmas!"

His grandmother appeared almost immediately.

Her face lit up when she saw me.

"Elias!"

Before I could say anything else, she walked straight toward me and wrapped both arms around me.

"Merry Christmas, Grandma," I said, laughing as I hugged her back.

She held me tightly.

"I've been waiting for you."

"I've been waiting to see you too."

She finally released me and placed both hands on my cheeks.

"Look at you."

I laughed.

"Grandma."

"You've grown thinner."

Crane groaned behind me.

"She says that every time."

His grandmother turned toward him.

"And you look tired."

"Thank you."

She laughed and hugged him too.

I watched them.

The affection between them was obvious.

She loved Crane deeply.

But I had gradually learned that she had made room for me in that same affection.

Grandpa walked over next.

He gave me a warm hug before shaking my hand firmly.

"Merry Christmas, young man."

"Merry Christmas, Grandpa."

He smiled.

"Good to have you here."

"Good to be here."

Crane looked at me.

"Told you."

I smiled.

"You did."

From the kitchen, his mother called out.

"Are you two just going to stand there?"

Crane laughed.

"Coming, Mom."

We walked into the kitchen.

Mrs. Xander stood beside the counter while Colton worked beside her.

The kitchen looked like a Christmas battlefield.

There were dishes everywhere.

Pots covered the stove.

Bowls sat across the counters.

The smell alone made me hungry.

"What are you doing?" Crane asked.

"Finishing everything," his mother replied.

Colton looked at me.

"She has been bossing everyone around since seven."

"I heard that," Mrs. Xander said.

Colton grinned.

They had already prepared most of the food earlier, but the final work still needed to be done.

The turkey sat on the counter, already roasted and waiting to be carved.

There was glazed ham, mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans, roasted carrots, stuffing, sweet potato casserole, cranberry sauce, dinner rolls, and a large bowl of salad.

Mrs. Xander had also prepared her famous biscuits.

I had learned quickly that those biscuits had almost legendary status in this family.

Crane walked toward the counter.

"What can we do?"

His mother pointed toward the vegetables.

"Finish arranging those."

Then she looked at me.

"Elias, can you help with the rolls?"

"Of course."

I moved beside her.

She handed me the basket.

"Put them in here."

I carefully arranged the rolls.

Colton watched me.

"You're getting good at this."

"At what?"

"Being part of the family."

I laughed.

"Are you complaining?"

"No."

He grinned.

"Just observing."

Crane threw him a look.

"Leave him alone."

Colton laughed.

His grandmother sat nearby, watching all of us.

"You boys look like you belong in this kitchen."

I looked at Crane.

He smiled.

"We've had practice."

"Plenty of it," his mother added.

For the next half hour, we moved around the kitchen together.

Crane checked the vegetables.

I helped transfer food into serving dishes.

Colton carried things from the refrigerator.

Mrs. Xander inspected everything.

At one point, Crane reached for a spoon and tasted the gravy.

His mother caught him.

"Crane."

He froze.

"I was checking it."

"You were eating it."

"I was checking it while eating it."

Everyone laughed.

Eventually, Mrs. Xander looked around the kitchen and nodded.

"That's enough. We're ready."

She turned toward us.

"Now set the table."

Crane nodded.

"Dining room?"

"Yes."

We walked into the dining room.

I stopped when I saw it.

The room had been decorated beautifully.

A long table stood in the middle beneath the chandelier.

A Christmas centerpiece sat in the middle, surrounded by greenery, small gold ornaments, and candles.

The chairs had been arranged evenly around the table.

There were ten places.

"Wow," I said.

Crane smiled.

"Mom always does this."

"She did a good job."

We began carrying the food from the kitchen.

The turkey went in the center.

Then came the ham.

The mashed potatoes.

The vegetables.

The stuffing.

The sweet potato casserole.

The gravy.

The cranberry sauce.

The biscuits.

The dinner rolls.

The salad.

By the time we finished, the table looked almost completely covered.

Crane stepped back.

"Looks good."

"It does."

He reached for the plates.

I watched him carefully.

He placed a serving plate in front of each chair.

Then he began arranging the glasses.

I stood beside him.

"What are you doing?"

"Setting the places."

"I've never actually learned how."

He looked at me.

"You don't know how to set a dining table?"

"No."

He smiled.

"Then watch."

He explained where everything went.

Dinner plate.

Fork.

Knife.

Spoon.

Water glass.

He moved around the table with the confidence of someone who had done it countless times.

I followed closely.

"Like this?"

"Yes."

I copied him.

He checked my work.

"Perfect."

I smiled.

"Finally."

He laughed.

His grandmother appeared in the doorway.

"You two finished?"

"Almost," Crane said.

She looked at the table.

"Beautiful."

I looked around.

For some reason, the sight affected me more than I expected.

Ten places.

Ten people.

Family.

Food.

Christmas.

And somehow, I was part of it.

Crane came to stand beside me.

"You okay?"

I nodded.

"Yeah."

He slipped his hand briefly into mine.

His mother walked into the room.

"Everything looks wonderful."

His Dad appeared behind her.

"Are we eating now?"

"Not yet," she said.

Dad sighed dramatically.

Colton laughed.

"He's been waiting all morning."

"I have been smelling food for hours," Dad replied.

Everyone laughed.

Then the doorbell rang.

The sound echoed through the house.

Dad looked toward Colton.

"That must be your aunt and her family. Go get the door."

Colton immediately turned toward the hallway.

"Coming."

Crane and I exchanged a smile.

The house suddenly seemed even more alive.