Status: Active, updates may be very slow though, but bare with me
Shoulder to Shoulder
Twelve
As it was every year, Christmas Day was one of Elena’s favourites; to be surrounded by her family in a loving environment was so comforting. At her grandmother’s house, she was able to be herself, and with her funny uncles and cousins, there was never a shortage of laughter chiming it’s way through the house.
Her brother had stayed over at their parent’s house on Christmas eve, as his girlfriend had gone up to Manchester to spend the festive period with her own family. When they were kids, Elena would always wake up first and go to Daniel’s room and knock on his door really quietly; although she’d never bother to wait for a reply. Padding in slowly, she’d wake up her brother and they’d go downstairs together where their parents would be waiting for them.
Just because they were 21 and 25 years old, Elena saw no reason why the tradition should stop seeing as they were in the same house. So at 9:30 in the morning, she went into Daniel’s room and shook him softly, waking him up.
“What?” he mumbled from deep under his quilt, although it would’ve sounded more like a grumble to anyone who wasn’t used to talking to Daniel before midday.
“It’s Christmas morning!” she whispered excitedly.
“It’s just like when we were kids,” Daniel grinned poking his head out from the blanket. She nodded back at him, a grin adorning her lips.
He got out of bed quicker than Elena had ever seen before, and put on his slippers.
Upon going down the stairs, they saw their parents in the living room, surrounded by presents, with a mug of tea each.
“Merry Christmas!” they all chorused to one another, hugging in greeting.
Elena sent Juan a text, Merry Christmas! Hope you have a great day, I’ll call you later. Love you xxx
She sat down on the floor next to the tree and began her annual job of distributing the presents between the members of her family. Once she’d given them all out, her phone buzzed next to her foot.
Merry Christmas to you too, love you. Can’t wait to talk to you. Wish we were together x
She smiled at his message, and placed her phone back on the floor. Daniel made an offhand comment about how it could only have been Juan’s message that she was reading because he was the only one who could make her smile like an idiot. Elena threw a cushion at him then started opening her presents.
David had bought her a beautiful Miller and Jeeves purple clutch bag. “Thank you so much!” she’d squealed when she opened it, she’d never even seen it before, but she loved it. Her mum and dad bought her a pair of navy Chelsea boots from Office, she was so happy. One day she’d gone out shopping with her mum and mentioned in passing that the boots were really nice, but they were so expensive that she couldn’t afford them. “I can’t believe you remembered mum, thank you!”
Elena had bought her mum a box of products from The Sanctuary; she’d always loved their stuff, so it was a safe bet to buy her things from there. For her dad, she’d got him an iPad – she’d split the cost with Daniel so it hadn’t been to expensive. Lastly, for Daniel she’d bought him a selection of movies on Blu Ray.
“Ah, you picked some great films, El!” he told her as he browsed through the titles she’d picked.
“Well, I was planning on buying you two tickets to go and watch Chelsea, but someone else got in there first!” she said, getting an envelope from the mantelpiece. “This is from Juan,” she said passing it over. He’d given her two tickets for Daniel and her dad to the home match against QPR.
“Score!” Dan said with a fist pump. “I love your boyfriend!”
“Do you want his number so you can text him and say thanks?” she asked while putting wrapping paper in the bin.
He sat up on his knees, “You mean, I’d have Juan Mata’s phone number?” Dan asked, his eyes glistening like a little child.
Elena giggled at her brother’s clear admiration for Juan. “Yeah, just so you can tell him you appreciate it…”
She continued clearing up, before she remembered that Juan had also sent something for her mother too. Running into the kitchen where her mum was making breakfast, “Juan asked me to give this to you, Mum.” Elena said, holding another envelope, she actually didn’t know what Juan had got from her Mum, he wouldn’t tell her.
Her Mum turned down the heat under the frying pan of bacon and opened the envelope. She began to read a note inside, “Merry Christmas Emma, I didn’t forget you. This is for you and Elena to enjoy.”
Emma went to unfold a piece of card that entitled two people to a massage at the Sanctuary spa in Covent Garden.
“He really is a little charmer, isn’t he?” Emma smiled fondly to her daughter. Elena quickly got out her phone and sent Juan another text.
Thank you so much for the spa gift card, I love it! So does my mum x
It didn’t take long for Juan to respond.
Tell your mum she’s most welcome. And that’s only the first bit of your present… ;)
Elena was intrigued as soon as she read his message. They’d already had a discussion about presents; she’d told him that he clearly earned a ton more money than she did, so she didn’t want him to spend too much on her, he had told her that he understood. But, even so, that he was going to spend as much money as he wanted to on the ones that he loved – and that included Elena. He said there was no point in earning a lot of money and just buying things for himself.
The rest of the day was spent at her Grandmother’s, and as per usual after the feast that her Granny would cook, Elena could barely move. Spending the day with family was amazing, and she had so much fun.
Lying in bed at home, Elena sent Juan one more text.
Goodnight Juanny. Merry Christmas again, I’ll speak to you tomorrow. Good luck, I’ll be cheering you on from my front room. I love you x
She was drifting off, when her phone buzzed on her bedside table, whipping her back into consciousness. His simple text all in his native language sent her off to sleep with a smile on her face.
Buenas noches querida. Te amo x
(Goodnight my dear. I love you x)
Her brother had stayed over at their parent’s house on Christmas eve, as his girlfriend had gone up to Manchester to spend the festive period with her own family. When they were kids, Elena would always wake up first and go to Daniel’s room and knock on his door really quietly; although she’d never bother to wait for a reply. Padding in slowly, she’d wake up her brother and they’d go downstairs together where their parents would be waiting for them.
Just because they were 21 and 25 years old, Elena saw no reason why the tradition should stop seeing as they were in the same house. So at 9:30 in the morning, she went into Daniel’s room and shook him softly, waking him up.
“What?” he mumbled from deep under his quilt, although it would’ve sounded more like a grumble to anyone who wasn’t used to talking to Daniel before midday.
“It’s Christmas morning!” she whispered excitedly.
“It’s just like when we were kids,” Daniel grinned poking his head out from the blanket. She nodded back at him, a grin adorning her lips.
He got out of bed quicker than Elena had ever seen before, and put on his slippers.
Upon going down the stairs, they saw their parents in the living room, surrounded by presents, with a mug of tea each.
“Merry Christmas!” they all chorused to one another, hugging in greeting.
Elena sent Juan a text, Merry Christmas! Hope you have a great day, I’ll call you later. Love you xxx
She sat down on the floor next to the tree and began her annual job of distributing the presents between the members of her family. Once she’d given them all out, her phone buzzed next to her foot.
Merry Christmas to you too, love you. Can’t wait to talk to you. Wish we were together x
She smiled at his message, and placed her phone back on the floor. Daniel made an offhand comment about how it could only have been Juan’s message that she was reading because he was the only one who could make her smile like an idiot. Elena threw a cushion at him then started opening her presents.
David had bought her a beautiful Miller and Jeeves purple clutch bag. “Thank you so much!” she’d squealed when she opened it, she’d never even seen it before, but she loved it. Her mum and dad bought her a pair of navy Chelsea boots from Office, she was so happy. One day she’d gone out shopping with her mum and mentioned in passing that the boots were really nice, but they were so expensive that she couldn’t afford them. “I can’t believe you remembered mum, thank you!”
Elena had bought her mum a box of products from The Sanctuary; she’d always loved their stuff, so it was a safe bet to buy her things from there. For her dad, she’d got him an iPad – she’d split the cost with Daniel so it hadn’t been to expensive. Lastly, for Daniel she’d bought him a selection of movies on Blu Ray.
“Ah, you picked some great films, El!” he told her as he browsed through the titles she’d picked.
“Well, I was planning on buying you two tickets to go and watch Chelsea, but someone else got in there first!” she said, getting an envelope from the mantelpiece. “This is from Juan,” she said passing it over. He’d given her two tickets for Daniel and her dad to the home match against QPR.
“Score!” Dan said with a fist pump. “I love your boyfriend!”
“Do you want his number so you can text him and say thanks?” she asked while putting wrapping paper in the bin.
He sat up on his knees, “You mean, I’d have Juan Mata’s phone number?” Dan asked, his eyes glistening like a little child.
Elena giggled at her brother’s clear admiration for Juan. “Yeah, just so you can tell him you appreciate it…”
She continued clearing up, before she remembered that Juan had also sent something for her mother too. Running into the kitchen where her mum was making breakfast, “Juan asked me to give this to you, Mum.” Elena said, holding another envelope, she actually didn’t know what Juan had got from her Mum, he wouldn’t tell her.
Her Mum turned down the heat under the frying pan of bacon and opened the envelope. She began to read a note inside, “Merry Christmas Emma, I didn’t forget you. This is for you and Elena to enjoy.”
Emma went to unfold a piece of card that entitled two people to a massage at the Sanctuary spa in Covent Garden.
“He really is a little charmer, isn’t he?” Emma smiled fondly to her daughter. Elena quickly got out her phone and sent Juan another text.
Thank you so much for the spa gift card, I love it! So does my mum x
It didn’t take long for Juan to respond.
Tell your mum she’s most welcome. And that’s only the first bit of your present… ;)
Elena was intrigued as soon as she read his message. They’d already had a discussion about presents; she’d told him that he clearly earned a ton more money than she did, so she didn’t want him to spend too much on her, he had told her that he understood. But, even so, that he was going to spend as much money as he wanted to on the ones that he loved – and that included Elena. He said there was no point in earning a lot of money and just buying things for himself.
The rest of the day was spent at her Grandmother’s, and as per usual after the feast that her Granny would cook, Elena could barely move. Spending the day with family was amazing, and she had so much fun.
Lying in bed at home, Elena sent Juan one more text.
Goodnight Juanny. Merry Christmas again, I’ll speak to you tomorrow. Good luck, I’ll be cheering you on from my front room. I love you x
She was drifting off, when her phone buzzed on her bedside table, whipping her back into consciousness. His simple text all in his native language sent her off to sleep with a smile on her face.
Buenas noches querida. Te amo x
(Goodnight my dear. I love you x)
♠ ♠ ♠
Christmas! What did you all think?