Page 68 of Full Court Crush
“Merry Christmas, sweetheart.” He engulfed her in a hug.
They took their drinks and some toast into the living room. Their old Christmas tree stood proudly in the corner, despite its missing branches, adorned with all the ornaments and other decorations they’d collected over the years, including the clumsy handmade ones she had created as a child. A handful of presents were under the tree, including one Keira suspected was a new pair of basketball trainers. Yes, she needed them, but she had been unable to justify buying for herself. Her dad had nonchalantly asked what make she preferred a few weeks earlier. A small box sat next to that, wrapped just as carefully as the present for her father; her present to Amelia. Her chest ached with sadness. What was she going to do with it? Should she post it? Give it to her at training and run away? Give it to someone else? Donate it?
The last item under the tree was a small cardboard box filled with stocking fillers for Keira’s younger cousins when they visited her uncle and aunt's later.
“What time are we heading to Uncle Frank and Auntie Carol’s?” she asked, putting her plate and drink down on the coffee table, then kneeling by the Christmas tree to retrieve their presents to each other.
“I think we should leave around eleven,” her father said, as he took the present she handed him. She sat down with her shoebox-sized present next to him.
“Do you remember all those years where we’d sack off making a Christmas dinner, and just go to the chippy?” he asked, resting his hands on top of his present and smoothing the paper.
“I remember telling my friends at school they were doing Christmas wrong. I was convinced that fish and chipswasa Christmas dinner.”
“Sorry about that.” Her father chuckled, then he opened his present. It didn’t take him long to carefully remove the tape and slide the box out of the wrapping. His jaw dropped open as he ran his fingers over the chess set, taking in every unique detail and tool mark.
“Keira, I—” he started, but his words got lost somewhere as he teared up. She put aside her half-opened present and moved closer to him, pulling him in for a hug.
“Thank you,” he whispered.
“You’re welcome.”
She picked her present back up, ripped the paper off, and did indeed find new basketball shoes inside. The white and blue matched the Blizzard’s colours, and Keira couldn’t wait to try them out. Her father gently examined the individual chess pieces from his new chess set.
She read the Christmas card she’d found underneath the shoes. “To Keira, no present could ever convey how much I love you and appreciate everything you’ve done. I hope these help you follow your dreams. Love, Dad”
She was glad her dad was so immersed in his present; it gave her a minute to compose herself.
The pair were halfway through a game of chess with the new set when a knock sounded at the door. She looked confused at her dad, who shrugged his shoulders, then she got up to answer it.
“Happy Christmas!” Uncle Frank almost yelled as she opened the door.
“Uncle Frank, what’re you doing here?”
“Picking you two up, of course. I wasn’t sure how your car would handle any ice, so…” He shrugged.
She raised an eyebrow at him. It was a mild day for December. There probably wasn’t any ice.
“Plus,” he added, “I had an errand to run, so I thought I’d grab you while I was out.” He squeezed past Keira and into the hallway. Neither Keira nor her dad moved, both unsure about the sudden change of plans.
“C’mon, get dressed, get your coats! The whole family’s waiting.”
A swath of Christmas lights adorned the outside of Uncle Frank and Auntie Carol’s house, making it look more like Santa’s grotto than a suburban residence. Even the tree in the middle of the front lawn had lights wrapped around it. Keira felt like she might be a small elf under a giant Christmas tree.
Keira and her dad followed Uncle Frank into his house and were immediately met by a tapestry of warmth, bright colours, and joyful noise. Uncle Frank and his wife had four children, all of whom had also had children, meaning the house was jam-packed with family. It contrasted sharply with how Keira had grown up as an only child. The noise was borderline too much, but at the same time, she basked in it. A house filled with so much happiness and love could not be taken for granted.
The living room had Christmas decorations strung on every available surface. Paper chains stuck to the wall and criss-crossed the room like streamers, and a large Christmas tree, topped by an angel, scraped the ceiling. A large fire was crackling, a fire guard in front to protect the littlest hands from getting hurt. Under the tree was a mountain of brightly wrapped presents, and delicious smells already emanated from the kitchen. Keira’s dad walked into the living room, and everyone greeted him with joy. Uncle Jeff was always known to carry sweets in his pockets to sneak the younger children when their parents weren’t looking.
Keira held back at the doorway, a sob caught in her throat. She would never have managed something like this. She could have never pulled off such a rich and festive celebration. She thought back to the quiet, chilly living room they’d left behind, and then looked at the way her dad’s face lit up as some eager young cousin dragged him to a soft chair, pride of place in the centre of all the hubbub. The various adults in attendance greeted him in between corralling their children, and her dad’s grin stretched from ear to ear.
“Merry Christmas, Keira,” Auntie Carol said as she embraced her in a hug. “Come in, come in.” She waved Keira in front of her. Uncle Frank strode over with two bottles of sherry clutched in his hand.
“Sweet or dry?” he asked and held out a small glass for her to take.
“Err, sweet, please.” She guessed — she knew nothing about sherry.
“So, how is your basketball team doing? Your father sends us all the links to the livestreams, so we can watch it on the telly,” Auntie Carol asked as Uncle Frank poured her drink.
“I…didn’t know he knew how to do that.” She laughed. “It’s going well, thank you. We got our first win of the season just before the break, which is a big deal considering we’re new to the league.”