12 Days of Christmas

2011

Rory had her hands on her hips and was staring up at Finn, who was staring forward and scowling. Their shirts matched, and she had on a tasteful skirt. They were in a park, and fighting over how their situation should be handled. And it was all caught on film.

“I still think we should use this picture, love,” Finn told her. “I think it captures us perfectly, don’t you?”

“Who are we, the Honeymooners?” she sarcastically replied.

“One of these days…” he playfully threatened.

She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, yeah, to the moon.”

“But seriously,” he began again, “I think that in the spirit of Christmas, we need to show all our loved ones how we really are. At least it will keep my family from trying to visit.”

“First of all, your parents love me. Second of all, fighting and scowling is not how we are on a day-to-day basis, so I’m failing to understand your logic on this one.”

“Do you ever understand my logic?”

“True. But seriously, Finn. Our Christmas card picture is not going to be of us fighting. These were professional pictures taken by a professional photographer to show our friends and family what an awesome couple we are, even if we are kind of far away, and I’m not going to send them a picture of us fighting about how stupid you think it is!”

“See? We always fight. So this is perfect.”

Rory could have screamed in frustration. “Okay, what’s wrong with this one?” She held out a picture to him of the two of them sitting on a rock. She was smiling up at him and he had his lips pressed up against the back of her hand.

“Too cheesy. It looks too posed.”

“It wasn’t, you know.”

“I know it wasn’t, doll, I was there.”

Rory rolled her eyes and looked at the sales associated apologetically. “I’m sorry about this, I’m sure we’re the most difficult customers you’ll ever have.”

The girl laughed. “Don’t worry about it, if things like this were easy it just wouldn’t be Christmas.”

“Which one do you like?” She held out three different pictures to the girl, who bent over the counter to get a closer look.

“I kind of like the one with the two of you holding hands on the swing.”

“So do I!” Finn exclaimed. “It’s perfect. Rory, can I have a quarter for a gumball?”

“That depends, will you pay for the cards when I order them?”

“If you ever order them,” he grumbled.

“Finn!” she scolded. “How old are you, five?”

He looked down at his shoes. “No.”

“That’s right, you’re not. You’re twenty-eight. Now go get your gumball.” She handed him a quarter and he happily skipped off. “Guys are kind of stupid sometimes.”

The girl giggled. She was kind of young to be handling the stress of the holiday season in retail, Rory noticed. “Yeah, they can be. So have you decided on anything yet?”

“I was wondering if there was any way we could use all three pictures, actually.”

“Yeah, there are a few things you can do.” As the girl began to talk about the different ideas for holiday cards, Finn returned and casually draped an arm around Rory.

He was lucky to have her, in all honesty. She actually packed up all her things and moved across the country to be with him when he was transferred by his company. Yeah, she was that good of a girlfriend. He couldn’t believe it. Without an engagement ring or anything.

He was probably the luckiest man alive. With the hottest girlfriend ever. But that was beside the point. He had his present for her tucked away in his car. Every girl wanted a blue box. Well, maybe not every girl. But every girl who had ever watched Breakfast at Tiffanys.

“Wait, how much?” He was shocked out of his thoughts by the sales associate telling them the price of the cards. “Five hundred dollars? Rory, darling, love of my life: No.”

“But, Finn, they’re so cute.”

“You don’t even know what our pictures will look like on them.”

“The girl who does them is our best card designer here,” the sales girl helpfully told him.

Rory looked up at him, her blue eyes sad and her lower lip in a perfect pout formation. He sighed and reached for his wallet. “That’s just unfair.”

She smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck. “They’ll be perfect, I pinky promise.”

He linked pinkies with her and laughed. “I know they will. Because we’re the most handsome couple I know, if I do say so myself.”

“Well, obviously.”

After getting his credit card back and having been told it would be a day until the sample would be ready, the two walked out. “Now we have to address all these envelopes,” Finn sighed.

“I changed my mind, I don’t want to do cards this year.”

Finn kissed the top of her head. “You are a piece of work, Ms. Gilmore.”

“Sir, we are going to have ourselves a merry little Christmas this year.” She looked up at him innocently.

“Line stealer,” he muttered, pulling her closer.