Mon Amour

" So what do you want to buy for your father?"

Caelan sipped at his smoothie and glanced at the ceiling of the mall thoughtfully.
The king of Prussia mall was crowded, full of screaming children, parents and a man dressed as Santa who kept "Ho Ho Ho ing" every time they passed him.

Cameron and Carson were sharing a giant pretzel, while she and Caelan passed a smoothie back and forth and brain stormed ideas for Christmas presents for the boys. She had already bought for Claude and Danny, the kids, and a few of the boys. Now she had the kids out to shop.

"Hockey stuff? Dad needs some new gear."

"What about a gear bag!"

"Pictures of us!"

They all looked at Cameron.

"You know, those frames with a bunch of picture spaces. We could fill it with pictures of all of us!"
Ellie smiled "great idea Cam."

After the boys were finished eating they set off through the mall.

"How bout this one?" Carson asked, picking up a gear bag with many large pockets and zippers. Danny's gear bag looked like it had been through Vietnam and back. Carson also found a matching water bottle, and Caelan found his dad a new set of pads and gloves for practices. Ellie frowned.

"Where's Cameron?" She spun, eyes widening.

"Cameron!"

"Excuse me Miss?"

She turned to see a man, dressed in an employee uniform, early twenties dark hair and bright green eyes with one hand on Cameron Briere's shoulder.

She grabbed at her heart.
"Oh thank god. I thought I'd lost him."

The man in front of her smiled, a wide almost too perfect smile.

"No worries. I found him by the skates." Cameron glanced up at her through his lashes.

"Sorry Ellie. I didn't mean to wander off I just. I'm sorry."

She held her arms out and swept him up.
"It's okay. Just don't scare me like that okay?"

He grinned and she gave him a light shove and turned back to the man.

" thank you again, so much."

"Not a problem ma'am. I'm josh." He outstretched his hand. He was several inches taller than her, clean cut, and good looking in a ken doll type of way. She took it.

"Ellie."

"Pleasure to meet you. Are they yours?" He gestured to the boys behind her.

"I'm their....babysitter, sort of." She laughed "I live with them, and their father and his teammate."

"Teammate?"

"My daddy is Daniel Briere!" Carson piped up behind Ellie.

"Wow. Really?" Ellie nodded, shifting uncomfortably. Something about this man gave her the heebejeebes, but she couldn't quite figure out what it was. Perhaps it was the way he stared right into her eyes, and deep down into her soul. Not in a perverted way, but in a leering way. Like he wanted to harm her. She pushed Cameron and the boys behind her and made to take a step back as she smiled. She wanted to get away from him.

They chatted for a few moments before the boys began to pull Ellie towards the door.

"Well lovely meeting you!" She waved.

"Likewise."

As the boys ushered her from the store so they could make their purchases and go home she turned feeling someone staring at her. Josh was still standing where she had left him, no longer smiling. Just staring.

Strange she thought.
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Claude's eyes had been glued to his phone for the last 30 minutes.

"G?"

Nothing.

"G....?"

Still, nothing.

"Oh hey Ellie!" Claude's eyes snapped up as he have a yelp and dropped the phone. Jeff, Richie and Carcillo laughed so hard big fat tears came out of their eyes. Claude frowned and gave them the finger.
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Ellie hummed absently to herself as she wrapped Claude's Christmas present. She ran her fingers over the long rectangular box, knowing that when he opened it he would certainly curse at her in french and insist she paid too much, but he was going to take the damn golf clubs and he was going to like them. She finished with that one and began to wrap the boys presents, finally coming down to the slim rectangular box sitting in the middle of her-his... their bed.

Inside it was the present she was most excited to give him. It would be the one she would give him Christmas Eve when they were by themselves.

It was a long braided chain, deep grey and strong. Hanging from it was a circular pendant with the words " Toujours et pour toujours " which meant Always and Forever, something Claude had a habit of saying to her. On the back it read simply, All my love -Ellie. She blushed with excitement hoping she could wait another week and a half till she could finally give it to him. Just as she finished wrapping, the door opened and closed and he and Danny called through the house. She quickly lifted the bed skirt and tucking it away between the frame and the mattress and hurried from the room to greet them, smiling to herself.
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After yet ANOTHER spirited reading of the Grinch from Ellie all three boys were sound asleep, and Danny had retired to his room, brooding and angry. Sylvie, had phoned the house earlier and told him she wouldn't be taking the boys for Christmas Eve, but rather was jetting off with a new fling to some island somewhere. Not that Danny minded, he loved his boys around the house for Christmas, but he couldn't understand how he was made to pay her child support when she never had her children.

Ellie found Claude in the kitchen, glass of wine in hand, another on the counter. He pushed it at her.

"Oh thank you, I need it." he chuckled, " Too much Grinch?"

She fake scowled at him, and sipped the wine, feeling immediately warm. She was tired, and toasty in her oversize sweater and heavy leggings. Claude came around the counter and rubbed her shoulders.

"ready for bed?"

She followed him through the house, down the stairs and into their room. She bumped the door shut and turned to find Claude out of his shirt and shedding his jeans. She gulped, thankful for the dark to hide the blood pooling in her cheeks, and she climbed into bed, shedding her sweater leaving her in only a tank top. Claude followed her, and gently wound an arm around her waist, his bare skin pressing against her back.

She sighed and smiled.