Niall
FOUR
Christmas Eve looked nothing like the ones I'd grown up with.
Snow-covered rooftops and frozen sidewalks belonged to Michigan. Here, Christmas came with mild evening air, palm trees wrapped in red and green lights, and the faint sound of the ocean somewhere beyond the rows of houses.
I stood at the end of the driveway, staring at the palm tree in front of the Fosters' house. "There are Christmas lights on a palm tree."
Eli appeared on the porch beside me, slipping his hands into the pockets of his hoodie. "There are."
"That feels illegal."
He laughed. "It's California."
"I know." I shook my head. "I'm just saying... somebody looked at a palm tree and thought, 'You know what this needs? Christmas lights.'"
"I'll make sure to pass your complaint along to the appropriate department."
I smiled.
Behind us, the front door opened. "I'm heading out to finish a little shopping," Cheyenne said as she walked past us, keys in hand. "Try not to get arrested by the Christmas Tree Police."
"They're called palm trees," Eli called after her.
"That’s what I said." She waved without turning around.
A second later, Meryl poked her head out the front door. "You two planning on standing out there all evening?"
"We thought we'd go for a drive," Eli said.
"Take your time," she replied. "Your dad's already claimed the recliner for the night."
"I heard that," Rick called from somewhere inside the house.
Eli laughed and held up a set of keys. "C'mon."
A few minutes later, we were cruising through the neighborhood with Christmas music playing softly through the speakers.
I couldn't stop looking at the scenery. White lights wrapped around palm trees, garlands draped across wooden fences. Inflatable snowmen stood on manicured, snow-free lawns.
"This street was always my favorite," Eli said as we turned the corner. "Dad used to drive Cheyenne and me through here every Christmas Eve, and we’d vote on which house we wanted to live in."
"Which one usually won?"
"The one with the biggest display."
I smiled. "Of course."
"I had excellent taste."
"You were a kid."
"I stand by my decision."
I laughed, watching another house come into view. A wooden sleigh sat beneath a massive palm tree, surrounded by glowing reindeer.
"It still holds up," Eli said.
"I'll give eight-year-old you this one."
"Told you."
We drove for another hour, taking side streets whenever we spotted more lights twinkling in the distance. Everything felt so new to me.
Eventually, Eli turned toward the coast. "I want to show you one more thing."
A few minutes later, he parked on a cliff overlooking the Pacific. We climbed out and walked to the railing. Moonlight shimmered across the water. The waves rolled steadily toward shore. I'd never spent Christmas anywhere but Michigan. Never imagined Christmas could look like this.
"What do you think?" Eli asked.
I rested my forearms on the railing. "I think Michigan has some serious competition."
He smiled. "I was hoping you'd say that."
I reached for his hand. "So this was part of your Christmas too?"
"Sometimes." Eli gazed over the water. "Dad always said Christmas didn't have to look the same every year. It just had to be spent with the people you loved."
I looked at him. "Smart man."
"The smartest."
We stayed a few minutes longer before returning to Eli’s childhood home.
The Christmas Tree illuminated the front window as Eli unlocked the door.
Voices drifted from the kitchen. Rick and Meryl bickered about something, their conversation punctuated by an easy laugh.
I stepped inside, shrugging off my jacket.
My eyes wandered across the living room—the tree, the pile of presents at the base of it, the garland draped across the mantel with the five stockings.
That made me do a double take. Five. There was one for each of the four Fosters, and one with my name stitched across the cuff.
I didn't realize I'd stopped walking until Eli's hand settled lightly against my back. "You okay?"
I swallowed. "They made me a stocking."
His eyes followed mine. A small smile tugged at his mouth. "Yeah, they did."
I looked at him. "I wasn't expecting that."
"They weren't about to leave you out."
Before I could answer, Meryl appeared in the doorway. "There you are," she said. "Hot chocolate's ready if you boys want some."
I looked back at the mantel one more time, then followed Eli into the kitchen.