Shopping with Callie had been exhausting but fun. I ended up with some last-minute gifts for my parents and even grabbed one for my maternal grandparents if they actually decided to show up for Christmas dinner.

That was tomorrow though. Tonight was our traditional light viewing and gift giving, both of them being something I always looked forward to.

“Are you ready to go, kiddo?” my dad called up the stairs as I finished doing my nightly stretches. Usually, I would do it right before bed, but tonight, I wanted to get them done before the light viewing. That way I could hurry home to open my gift and go to bed with Christmas jingles in my head.

“I’m coming,” I called back as I made my way out of my room and down the stairs. My dad grinned at me as I landed on the bottom step. He had a scarf wrapped around his neck and a horrendous reindeer sweater on, both too warm for the Georgia weather. “What are you wearing? Planning on some freak snowstorm?”

“You never know, this year might be the year we get that blizzard we’ve always been wanting.” Dad wrapped his arm around my shoulders and led me toward the front door.

I scoffed. “Keep wishing, dad. The day we get a blizzard will be the same day that that sweater come back into style.”

Dad dropped his arm from my shoulders and looked down at himself. “What’s wrong with this sweater?”

“Nothing honey,” My mom came around the corner from the kitchen and kissed him on the cheek. “It’s very festive.” When dad wasn’t looking she winked at me. “Ready to go?”

“Yes, let’s go.” I pumped a fist in the air. “I’m ready to drink some hot chocolate and look at some Christmas lights.”

We all trailed out of the house toward the car. Once piled in, my dad turned the radio on to the station playing Christmas music. “Jingle Bells” filled the car, and we all sang along as we drove down the street. Our first stop was to get our hot chocolate through the local Starbucks, then it was onto the richer neighborhoods that always went all out for Christmas decorations.

After we had our hot chocolates in hand, we drove around at a snail’s pace through the neighborhood. A feeling of warmth filled me that had nothing to do with the temperature of the drink in my hand and everything to do with the love I felt of being with my parents.

“Look at that one.” My mom pointed out a dancing bear made out of twinkling lights. I smiled and laughed as he hopped from one foot to the other across the owner’s lawn.

“What about that one?” I gestured to the next house where a mechanical ballerina turned on her music box the cheerful melody filled the car.

The next house had us all laughing until our sides hurt. This person had a sense of humor and no sense of decency. The Santa Claus projection on their house did a little jig and then proceeded to moon us all, his cartoon butt covering half the house’s wall.

“Well, that was fun,” my dad confirmed as we left the neighborhood and headed back home. “Did you have fun?”

I nodded and then realized he couldn’t see me. “Yeah, it was great.”

“Maybe next year you could bring your boyfriend with us?” My mom not-so-sneakily grinned at me.

“Boyfriend?” Dad glanced at me through the rearview mirror. “You found one already?”

“No,” I muttered, ducking my head as my face heated. “Well, not really.”

“Is that so? You sure looked cozy with that Broomstein boy,” my mom insisted as my face burned even more.  Damn her for prying out the details from me and damn me for giving in.

“He’s not my boyfriend,” I insisted, taking a drink of my now-cool hot chocolate. Whatever, it was still chocolate. I’d take it in any form I could get it.

“Then do you have one?” My dad quirked a brow in the mirror as he tried to keep his eyes on the road.

“Not really.” I lifted a shoulder and dropped it. “I mean, there are a few that talk to me, and I even like them but nothing official.”

“A few!” The car jerked to the side as my dad avoided hitting the curb.

“Geez, watch it, Wesley,” my mom smacked him on the arm as he straightened us out. “Don’t kill us all, and I don’t know how you are surprised. She is our daughter. It only makes sense she’d have more than a few admirers.”

Snorting, my dad pulled us into the driveway thankfully with no other potential collisions. “Of course, she would, but I didn’t expect her to like them back.”

“I’m weighing my options,” I muttered as I got out of the car. “It’s hard to choose just one.”

“Why choose at all?” My mom grinned at me in the dim beam of the garage light.

“Peggy!” my dad gasped, making us laugh.

“Oh, don’t act like you didn’t play the field before you married me, Mister Archeologist of the year.” She saddled up next to him as she batted her eyelashes as he tried to unlock the front door. “You had all kinds of college students and colleagues throwing themselves at you.”

“That is beside the point,” my dad tried to argue, walking into the living room.

“Then what is?” I asked, flopping down on the couch my amusement at an all-time high. I loved watching my dad get so flustered when he was trying to be fair but also a protective father. I didn’t have that many chances to see it so when I did it was quite a spectacle.

“She’s my daughter,” dad tried to remind us with a serious expression. “Of course, I want her to do whatever she feels is right, but I also don’t want her to be taken advantage of.”

I couldn’t help but lean forward and grin. “What if I’m the one taking advantage of them?”

My dad groaned and shook his head, kneeling by the Christmas tree. “Please don’t put images like that in my head.” He dug around for a moment and handed me a small package. “Here, I can see when I’m not going to win, so let’s change the subject. Happy Christmas Eve.”

Grinning from ear to ear, only half of my excitement was from the present the rest of it from hearing him admit defeat. It was the little things in life really that made everything worth it.

I tore open the wrapper and found a box about as big as my hand. I glanced at it briefly and then gave my parents a curious look before popping the top off. Inside, laying in a pillow of cotton material, sat a necklace. It had a silver chain and matching setting for a green and blue oval stone. The center of it sparkled in the light and had a sort of swirling glow coming from the center of the stone.

“What is this?” I lifted the stone necklace from the box and held it up to the light. As it twirled in the air, the center of it glowed even brighter. It had to be magical or at least electronically controlled.

“It’s a talisman.” My dad moved closer to me, his hand held out. I gave it to him and watched as he unhooked the clasp and stood to put it around my neck. “I found it while we were in Cairo. They’re really rare and usually very expensive, but I struck the guy a deal he couldn’t refuse.”

“I took him to a store I’d visited there before.” My mom smiled and rubbed my father’s arm. “You should have seen his face when the guy tried to sell him a still-moving chicken foot.”

I giggled at the thought and touched the stone as the metal setting pressed against my skin. “What does it do?” I didn’t question how he had gotten it, my dad was always coming home from digs with some new artifact or bauble. The fact that he had brought home something of magical origin? Now that was new.

Dad pulled a paper out of his pocket and read off of it in a salesman's voice. “All of your wildest dreams can come true with this limited edition wishing gem. Made of the tears of a fairy and forged by the fire of the Himalayan dragons. All your wishes can be yours if you act now. Limited to ten wishes per user. Must pay an additional fee to recharge. Wishes of minor origin only, it cannot create something out of nothing, and any wishes for death or other bodily harm to a person will be reported directly to the magical council. Use at your own peril.” My father snorted. “Well, they sure do take the fun right out of wishing, huh?”

My lips tugged up slightly. Ten wishes, huh? That didn’t sound so bad. Though, I wasn’t sure what minor origins meant. Maybe I could only wish for things like a good hair day? Or a chocolate milkshake? Wait, would that constitute as something out of nothing? Well, there went my dreams of being a millionaire. Restrictions or not, it may prove to be useful.

“What are you going to wish for first?” My mom leaned over my dad’s shoulder and watched me with growing interest. “Maybe for one of those boys to text you back?”

My dad did not look the least bit enthused at my mom’s suggestion. I fingered the necklace, my mind rapidly processing all the possibilities and coming up with nothing. There just didn’t seem to be anything I wanted right this very second. No magic in the world would ever replace this moment right here with my family.

“I think I’ll save it,” I finally said, making my mom frown in disappointment and my dad to sag in relief. “You never know when I might need it, especially with you-know-who coming tomorrow. Might need a quick getaway.” I grinned and winked at mom, who groaned.

“Ugh, don’t remind me.” She threw her head back in a dramatic pose before standing to her feet. “And on that note, I need to finish prepping for tomorrow.”

“Want some help?” I asked, following her toward the kitchen.

“No, I’m good. Why don’t you head to bed? You’ll need your energy tomorrow more than me. I’m already the failure child, they still think they have a chance with you.”

I wrapped my arm around her waist in a hug. “You might be a failure to them, but you are an enormous success to me.”

“Ah thanks, honey,” she hugged me back and then gave me a little shove toward the stairs. “Remember that tomorrow when they start in on you.”

I laughed and hollered goodnight to dad before heading to my room. Having already done my stretches, I went to the bathroom and got ready for bed. It was a bit earlier than my usual time, but like my mom said, I had plenty waiting for me tomorrow, and I wanted to be well rested for the battle ahead.

As I laid down on my bed, my phone buzzed. When I saw who had texted me, my lips curled up in a secret smile.

Dale: How was your day?

Me: Good. Heading to bed now.

Dale: So soon?

Me: Big day tomorrow. The grandparents are coming.

Dale: Mancaster?

Me: Unfortunately. What about you?

Dale: Jewish. No Christmas for me. My dad didn’t get drunk until after nine so already looking like a Hanukkah Miracle.

I giggled to myself. Sounds fun.

Dale: I’ll talk to you tomorrow?

Me: Definitely :) Spin a dreidel for me.

Dale: There are many things I’d do for you. Night.

Me: Night.

I set my phone down and collapsed on my bed. My cheeks ached from smiling so much. I felt like a corny school girl with a crush. Well, I guess I was a corny school girl with a crush. Dale was so sweet though grumpy at times, but he always knew what to say to make me blush and squeal, not that I’d do it in front of him. I saved those for behind closed doors.

If I didn’t calm down, I’d never get to sleep, I closed my eyes and took deep calming breaths. Gingerbread. Christmas ornaments. Dale’s lips on mine. No, no. Bad Max. Think of calming things, not arousing things. But of course, the more I tried not to think of Dale, the more I did.

Ugh. This was going to be a long night.