I Don't Care About the Presents

The Jonas household was a flurry of hustling and bustling as the entire family set up last minute decorations for the Christmas party they were holding for other family and friends. Joe and Kevin were outside hanging up lights around the windows and doorframe. Kevin stood on the ladder attaching lights as Joe held it securely in place.

“Hey, Kev…” Joe said, thinking of what he was going to say.

“Yeah?”

“What do you think of Steph?” Joe asked. Stephanie was Joe’s girlfriend of two and a half years.

He had met her during one of their tours. He and his brothers had walked into the dressing room right when she turned around and hit Joe in the chest unknowingly. She had been setting up the dressing room and hadn’t heard them come in. As soon as their eyes met he knew he needed to get to know her.

“She’s really cool. You guys make an awesome couple.” Kevin said nonchalantly.

“You think so?” Joe asked, tapping a finger against the metal of the ladder.

“Yeah. Why?” he asked giving his brother a concerned look.

“Uh, no reason.” Joe said, shifting his gaze down.

“Okay…”

Inside Nick and Frankie were putting last minute decorations on the tree. Nick hung one of his personal favorites up near the top; a small red nutcracker with his name on the base. Frankie was busy attaching plastic icicles to certain light bulbs.

“Mom said the Johnson’s are coming.” Frankie said. Nick’s eyes widened and the ornament he was holding slipped out of his fingers and hit the floor with a slight thud.

“You okay Nick?”

“What did you say?” Nick asked, blinking and lifting his eyes from the dropped ornament on the floor.

“I asked if you were okay…”

“No. No, before that.”

“Oh… the Johnson’s are coming.” Frankie said, shrugging his shoulders.

“As in Nicole’s family?” Nick asked, suddenly feeling all clammy and his heart was racing.

“Yes, Nick. Nicole Johnson and her parents are coming tonight. Geez. It’s not like it’s a big deal or anything. Her parents are friends with Mom and Dad anyway.”

“Yeah… yeah, you’re right.” Nick said, nodding his head and picking up the ornament as his curls bounced back into place.

“Whatever.” Frankie said, rolling his eyes.

In the kitchen, Denise and Danielle were busy baking last minute cookies as well as prepping the main course for dinner. Denise was peeling potatoes as Danielle pulled the last set of cookies out of the oven. She set to dicing carrots while the cookies cooled.

“Those cookies smell wonderful, Danielle.” Denise said, smiling up at her daughter-in-law.

“Thank you. They’re from one of my grandmother’s oldest recipes.” Danielle replied, placing some of the newly cut carrots in a bowl on the counter. She set the knife down and picked up a spatula to move the cookies.

As her hand smoothly moved from pan to rack with cookies on the spatula she suddenly felt a wave of nausea hit. The spatula slipped through her fingers and fell with a light clang on the marble countertop. She clutched her stomach and walked as quickly as possible to the adjacent bathroom.

“Danielle, are you alright?” Denise asked concerned, putting down the half peeled potato.

Danielle stopped in the doorway to the bathroom and turned to her mother in law.

“Fine,” she gasped before shutting the door and locking it. She dashed to the toilet and knelt down, retching into the porcelain white bowl just in time. She sat there for a minute, making sure it had passed.

She took a deep breath and flushed the toilet, wiping the sweat from her brow. She grabbed a washcloth from the cabinet and wet it with warm water, wiping her face. She looked up into the mirror making sure nothing had splashed out at her. She took another deep breath, dried her face, and went back out to the kitchen. Denise stood in front of the door with Kevin who had a worried expression on his face.

“Dani, are you okay? Mom came and got me saying you were sick.” He said, wrapping his arms tenderly around his wife’s waist. He brought a hand up to her cheek and felt her skin. “You don’t have a fever.”

“Kevin, I’m fine. I promise.” She said, patting her husband’s cheek. “Just a small… bug.”

“Will you make it through the night?” he asked, worry etched in his eyes.

“Yes, I’ll make it.” She said with a slight laugh. “Really, it’s nothing to worry about.”