Jack and Darren returned to the house after celebrating Jack’s little victory in therapy. Dan and Nadia were in the living room sitting on the couch and watching TV when they walked through the door.
“How was therapy?” Dan asked without taking his eyes off the TV.
“You will not believe what happened!” Jack excitedly said. “I took my first step!”
Dan swiftly turned around “You what?” he replied.
“I took my first step! In a few weeks I’ll be walking on a cane,” she answered. Dan stood up and hugged her.
“That’s wonderful!” he said. “I’m finally getting my cousin back.”
As they tightly embraced each other, Jack looked into the living room to see a huge tree that stood in the corner by the window. “Oh, my God!” she squeaked. “When did you get that?”
“While you were at therapy. It’s kinda my way of saying I’m sorry for what happened last night and for being such a dick head.”
“You and Darren are the two best apologizers I know, and not to mention bull shitters too,” Jack replied. “So, we gonna decorate it or what?”
“Of course, why do you think we waited for you?” Dan asked as he pulled four boxes out from behind the couch.
Digging through each of the boxes, Jack discovered many ornaments she still remembered from her childhood. Every single trinket she picked up brought back some memory from the past. She recalled certain events better than others, like the one Christmas when she was five and Dan was nine. They both stayed up late that night to meet Santa, but both ended up falling asleep just after midnight.
“This stuff is absolutely precious,” Jack exhaled as she held up one of the crystal stars.
“Remember Christmas lunch?” Dan asked as he passed her a pink ball.
“Yeah! My mom used to slave over the stove all morning with your mom until everything was just perfect then after lunch we would all fall asleep for hours and afterwards go out to see everyone’s Christmas lights. Oh, those were the days,” she recalled. “I miss them so much.”
“So do I,” he replied. “The family has grown so far apart since your dad died. We barely see each other anymore.”
“At least I’m spending Christmas with you this year,” Jack said as she placed an ornament on the lower part of the tree.
“Sorry to interrupt your trip down memory lane, but Dan, you’re phone’s ringing,” Darren said as he handed him the cell.
“Yeah?” Dan asked when he answered.
“Danny boy! What’s up? It’s Ben,” came the reply.
“Benny! How are you?” Dan said, walking out of the living room and into the foyer.
“I’m great. Glad you canceled the tour. I’ve been spending more time with family and friends,” Ben replied.
“That’s great.”
“The reason I called was that I wanted to invite you to the annual Christmas party. You up for it?”
“I don’t think anyone has plans, so sure.”
“Who else is coming with you?”
“Daz, my cousin Jack and her friend Nadia.”
“Wonderful! How’s Jack by the way?”
“She’s doing much better. She’s walking again.”
“And everyone else?”
“Daz is good. He and Jack hit it off nicely, a little too nicely if you catch my drift.”
“That’s not a bad thing. He needed someone new in his life anyway. What’s better than someone as close as your cousin? Besides, she’s more trustworthy that any of those other little skanks that he used to go out with. Those girls were out for their fifteen minutes of fame, and you know that. They could have ruined the band if we hadn’t kept them quiet. But, anyways, how are you?”
“Not so good, unfortunately. Things have slowly been going downhill since last week.”
“Why? What happened?”
“I’d rather tell you in person. It’s really complicated,” Dan said, changing the subject. “So, who else is invited?”
“The rest of the Savage Garden gang. You know, everyone. I even convinced Anna Maria to come,” Ben replied.
“Anna Maria?” Dan shouted as he stopped dead in his tracks. “What the fuck is wrong with you?”
“What do you mean?” Ben asked. “You guys were doing so well before Jack’s accident. I thought you were gonna get back together.”
“Never mind, this has only screwed things up more. I really have to go.”
“The party is at seven. You’d better be there.”
“Fine.” Dan hung up before either one of them could say goodbye and put the phone into his back pocket. He returned to the living room in a bad mood.
“What did Ben want?” Darren asked as he hung an ornament on one of the higher branches of the tree.
“Party at his place tomorrow night as seven. We’re all invited. And you know who he also decided to invite?” Dan replied, picking up one of the red glass balls that had fallen to the floor and rolled away from the tree. “Anna Maria.”
“Oh, shit,” Darren almost laughed.
“She your ex?” Nadia finally spoke up.
“I wouldn’t exactly put her into that category,” Dan said. “We had more of the relationship that Daz and Jack have. We weren’t exactly going out, but we did have the occasional shag.”
Jack’s jaw dropped. “What’s that supposed to mean?” she angrily retorted.
“I mean, we never really went out on a date, but we were very close,” Dan quickly justified then let out a sigh of relief. ‘Thank God I managed to avoid that fight,’ he thought to himself.
“You weaseled yourself out of that one, but one more comment and I’m gonna kick your ass,” she replied.
“What happened between you and Anna?” Darren interrupted. “The last thing I remember was that you guys were on the verge of getting back together after that huge fight and her leaving the tour.”
“Seems like everyone loves fighting among this circle of friends,” Jack observed. “What happened? Why did she leave the tour?”
“It was the breakup of the century,” Dan answered. “You could pretty much say it was the Tom and Nicole of Australia, except I found her cheating on me.”
“Did she say she was sorry?” Jack asked.
“Yeah, except I could never bring myself up to forgiving her. I really didn’t want to back then, but just before the accident, we started talking again and she kept apologizing, but then things got screwed up. You know what I’m talking,” he explained.
“And you’re just gonna ignore her because of me?” Nadia asked. Dan nodded. “Danny, we agreed that you’d be in the baby’s life, but that doesn’t mean that you should just give everything up because of it. If you really have feelings for Anna, then forgive her. I don’t want to be your burden.”
“But I wanted to see if I could patch things up with you,” Dan began.
“Look, we weren’t meant to be,” Nadia interrupted. “We’re like two power cords trying to fit into the same plug. It’ll never work. If we were meant to be, don’t you think we’d be together by now? Live your life, Dan. I’m not gonna be mad.”
“Okay,” he replied. The serious expression on his face indicated that there was still more on his mind that he didn’t want to discuss. “I’m going upstairs.”
“We’ll finish up the tree,” Jack said. Dan soon slipped out of the room.
“I’m gonna go talk to him,” Nadia replied as she left also.
“I guess that just leaves the two of us,” Darren observed as he handed Jack another ornament.
“Yeah,” she sighed. “Could you pass me another red ball?” Jack stuck out her hand and waited for him to give it to her.
Darren took his time. Instead of a regular glass ornament from the box, he pulled one out of his pocket that had a small message writing on its face and a diamond ring at the top there the hook would be. He handed the ball to Jack. As she adjusted it on the tree, she read the inscription and saw the sparkling ring on top of it.
“Will you marry me?” Jack read it aloud. She kept looking from Darren to the ball to the ring with astonishment in her eyes and surprise written all over her face. She held the ball in her hands and finally said, “I can’t accept this.” Jack gave the ball back to Darren and began to wheel herself out of the living room.
“Jack, wait!” Darren called.
“No, Darren!” she cried, making it to the staircase where she stopped and hollered, “Dan! Could you help me?”
Darren stayed in the living room pondering where he had gone wrong with the proposal.