Under the Mistletoe (7 page)

           
“Plus,” I continued. “It could have been anybody. Nate saw me leave
there this morning. Maybe he's just screwing with you.”

           
“No, Steph,” he said. “I'm certain. I'd bet my life on it.”

           
“I'm sorry--”

           
“Did you say Bridget was with him earlier?”

           
“Yeah.”

           
“Don't let her go back there, okay? There's something really weird
about that kid, Steph. Keep your eyes peeled... I don't trust
him.”

           
Funny... neither does Nate.

           
...
so why do I
?

Chapter Seven

Saturday December 24

           
Alexander Rivera made his triumphant return to the classroom the
Monday after Calvin and I lugged the large Christmas tree into his
house.

           
Mr. Rivera's attitude and demeanor had changed tremendously. It was
a much needed shift once he started smiling, laughing, teasing, and
joking with the class again. The sadness still lingered in his
eyes, but no one expected him to make a full recovery. Much to the
satisfaction of his students, the snapping, detention slips, and
office referrals declined to an all-time low. Nate, of course,
continued testing the water.

           
Calvin says he's seeing a side of his brother he's never seen
around the holidays. And I'm glad. Adriana thinks I have something
to do with it... I credit the Christmas spirit. Either way, the
Alexander Rivera that I grew to know and...appreciate.... was
slowly returning.

           
“Happy Birthday, Steph!” Calvin busted into my room with a spread
breakfast foods. “Steph,
you're supposed to be in bed
.”

           
“Sorry,” I jumped from the window seat and threw myself under the
covers. “Sock it to me!” He placed the tray in front of me with a
card and small wrapped box. “I feel so special! No one has ever
done something like this...”

           
“Eat up,” he winked and headed for the door.

           
“Wait.... Cal, where's my mom?”

           
“She's still in bed,” he bit his lip, much like his brother.
“Sorry... she wasn't really up to celebrating. It's hard for her
being-”

           
“A 33-year old woman with an adult daughter,” I said, unsurprised.
Confirmed: Caroline
did
get every ounce of selfishness
available in our bloodline. “Thanks, Cal.”

           
He came back, wrapped his arm around me, and pressed a quick kiss
to the side of my head. “I'll let you eat. When you're done there's
another present downstairs.”

           
Before tearing into the mountain of pancakes, eggs, sausage, bacon,
and orange juice Calvin prepared, I lifted the gift from the corner
of the tray. I quickly unwrapped the paper and stared in awe.
Did Calvin buy me jewelry
? I lifted the lid of the small box
to find a gorgeous, silver bracelet. After wiping away a few
appreciative tears, I pulled it out and snapped the clasp around my
wrist.

           
I opened the card to a note:
Steph, whether through blood or
through marriage, you'll always be family. Happy Birthday. Love,
Cal

           
I didn't bother eating. I jumped out of bed and ran downstairs to
find Calvin in the dining room reading the newspaper. He lowered
the news as I stepped in and smiled.

           
“Hey,” he said, eying my arm. “Do you like--”

           
“
Love
,” I corrected him. “You have no idea how much this
means--”

           
“I know how important family is to you, Steph. I know your mom is a
little unpredictable and I
never
want you to think, no
matter what happens between Caroline and I, that you're not part of
my family.”

           
“Is something going on? Are you guys-”

           
“Everything is fine,” he promised. “But like I said, it's
Caroline
. Even
she
never knows what the next day
might bring.”

           
I nodded, happy that Calvin knew the risk he was taking with our
family. He must really love his fiance...to hold on to her, knowing
she could change her mind at any given moment.

           
“Did you see that it's engraved?”

           
“The bracelet?”

           
He nodded. “On the inside.”

           
I slid it off my wrist and looked inside.

A RIVERA AT HEART

           
“I'm honored to be part of your family, Cal,” I wiped a tear.
“Thank you.”

           
“Well,” he smirked. “I figured one way or another you'll end up a
Rivera anyway, so the engraving seemed fitting.”

           
“Well,
you're
taken,” I smiled. “So, I'm guessing you know
of another Rivera that might be...gee, I don't know... perfect in
every way?”

           
He let out a laugh suitable for Santa Clause. “You Ghijk women have
impeccable taste in men.”

           
“Hear, hear!” I said, happily while taking a moment to look around
the room. “Not that this isn't enough, but you mentioned there's
another present?”

           
“Oh, yes! Gran sent something over for you.” I followed him into
the living room where he plucked a long, purple box off the couch
and passed it to me. “She gave me strict orders to give this to you
before tonight.” I started to open it. “Wait, this first.”

           
He handed me a large, manila envelope. I reached inside and pulled
out a stock sheet of paper; fully illustrated with a one-of-a-kind,
hand drawn dress design by Adriana Holbrook. “Oh my God...”

           
“Now the box,” Cal urged.

           
I tore through the wrapping paper and lifted the lid. I was
suddenly fighting to stop a stream of tears. “
She did this for
me
?”

           
An exact, physical replica of the hand drawn design was folded
neatly inside; a forest green cocktail dress, complete with a red
waist belt and color complimenting sequins.

           
I, Abcdef Ghijk, owned my very own, irreplaceable, priceless piece
of artwork by the most incredible fashion designer to ever walk the
planet.

           
“I guess you like it?”

           
“Understatement of the century, Cal.”

           
I pulled the dress from the box and held it to my body.

           
“But the gift comes with one condition,” he continued.

           
“Anything!”

           
“You have to wear it tonight,” he said. “Gran and Pops are in town
for the weekend. They're staying with Alex and they've decided to
have a last minute Christmas party. Nothing too big, just
family.”

           
“And I'm invited?”

           
“Steph...
you're
family.”

Saturday December 24 5:30PM

           
“
Where are you
?”
I yelled, throwing pillows and blankets as I searched
frantically.

           
“Baby,” mom came into the room. “We're already running late.
Whatever you're looking for can wait until tomorrow.”

           
“No, it can't,” I snapped. I tore through my book bag one last
time, looking in every nook and cranny until there was nowhere left
to look. “This can't be happening...”

           
“What's going on?” Calvin stepped beside mom.

           
“Baby lost something,” she threw her hands in the air. “What in
God's name are you looking for and why can't it wait until after
the party?”

           
“Forget it,” I said. “It's gone.”

           
I crossed my arms and pouted the whole way to the car. Childish,
yes. But I couldn't believe the one thing I wanted to give Alex
tonight had disappeared into thin air.

           
“Look at you,” Adriana said as we walked through Alex's front door
ten minutes later. “That dress is marvelous, sweetheart. Where in
the world did you ever find such a thing?”

           
“Thank you,” I said, sincerely. “I can't even begin to tell you how
much this means to me.”

           
“Only the best
for
the best,” she winked.

           
“Oh,” I shook my head. “I kept meaning to thank you for the
Thanksgiving basket you sent over last month. Every time I thought
to mention it you were nowhere around.”

           
She wrinkled her forehead. “
Basket
?”

           
“The meal...”

           
She continued to stare at me, puzzled. “I'm sorry, honey,” she
said. “I didn't send anything on Thanksgiving. I was in New York
for the holiday.”

           
“Oh,” I said, feeling like a complete idiot for embarrassing myself
in front of the only woman I'd ever idolized. “I guess I'm just a
little mixed up.”

           
“No problem,” she smiled, looking at the plate in my hands. “
You
brought cookies
!”

           
“Yup,” I smirked. “Completely, 100% homemade... by Calvin.”

           
“You can take those to the table,” Adriana grinned, giving me a
gentle tap on the butt.

           
Gorgeous. Witty. Spunk. Class. Sass. Adriana Holbrook was a
God-given angel. No wonder her grandchildren turned out the way
they did.

           
I moved past the decorated tree and into the kitchen where I found
Alex standing over a tray of freshly baked gingerbread men.

           
“Do all the Rivera boys know how to make their way around a
kitchen?”

           
He turned and smiled, unable to hide his wide-eyes as he stared at
me from across the room.

           
“Wow, Steph...”

           
“You like it?” I twirled in a circle. “It's a genuine
Holbrook.”

           
“You're...it's...the dress...” He shook his head and bit his lower
lip. “Beautiful.”

           
I blushed as I freed my hands from the cookie plate. “What sparked
the sudden interest for a Christmas party, Mr. Grinch?”

           
“I figured I ought to get some use out of all these
decorations.”

           
“I like the way you think-”

           
“Plus,” he added. “I put out one decoration of my own this year
that I'm pretty anxious to show off.”

           
“You did?” I looked around, praying to see mistletoe. “Where?”

           
“You'll find it-”

           
“I will?”

           
“Soon enough.”

           
I shrugged. “I'll take your word for it. In the meantime, anything
I can-”

           
“Steph, come in here, I have someone I'd like you to meet,” Calvin
called from the living room.

           
“I guess I'm going now,” I turned out of the kitchen.

           
“Steph,” Calvin said. “This is our grandfather, Emilio Rivera.” He
turned to the tall, graying Hispanic man and patted him on the
back. “Pops, this beautiful gal is Caroline's daughter,
Abcdef.”

           
“Well that's a name if I've ever heard one,” he said, skipping a
handshake and embracing me in a large, incredibly comfortable bear
hug.

           
“Wow,” I said, with genuine honesty. “Gotta love those Rivera
hugs!”

           
“That's what we do best” Emilio said, pulling his wife closer.
“Adriana, does this young lady remind you of anyone?”

           
The couple smiled at me, in agreement about something ... but I had
no idea what.

           
“Um...
who
, if you don't mind my asking?”

           
“Mia,” they said in unison.

           
“Wow,” Calvin stepped back. “I never really... wow, she does,
you're right.”

           
“Your mother?” I asked Cal.

           
“There's definitely a resemblance.”

           
I closed my eyes, trying to ignore that three people had just
confirmed that I bear a striking resemblance to the mother of the
man I …
something
.

           
Without another word, the couples walked away chatting, making
themselves comfortable in front of the roaring fire.

           
“Happy birthday, by the way,” I heard a heart-melting voice whisper
in my ear. I turned to stand face to face... practically nose to
nose with the sexiest high school teacher I'd ever seen. “Can I
steal you away for a second? I have something for you.”

           
I nodded, running my hands over my now goosebump covered arms. I
checked to see if anyone in the group had noticed our closeness,
but the happily coupled foursome was caught in merriment of
laughter.

           
Back in the kitchen, Alex walked to the counter and plucked a small
box from a basket. As he extended his arm to hand me the gift, the
door swung open.

           
“
Blake
!” Alex looked past me and rushed to his brother.
“Merry Christmas!”

           
The man's eyes widened in response to Alex's gesture. “Hey, man,”
he pat him on the back. “Yeah, you too.”

           
“Steph, this my younger brother Blake,” he said. “Blake, this is
Steph.”

           
“Caroline's daughter?” I watched him run his eyes down my body.
From my feet to my legs and all the way up my torso until he
finally met my gaze. “
Nice
to meet you.”

           
“You too,” I said, slightly offended.

           
“I heard you're celebrating a birthday?”

           
“The big 1-8.”

           
“Happy Birthday to
me
,” he said, rubbing his hands together
as if he were going in for the kill.

           
“Knock it off.” Alex slugged him in the arm.

           
“I'm going to go... mingle with the family,” I said, hating to
leave Alex behind but praying to get away from his incredibly
creepy brother.