Every year Grandpa answers the question, "Why did you and grandma get married on Christmas Day?" This year, gramps gives the true answer
Almost all erotic content in this short story is implied, not explicit. It is very mild, but somewhat romantic and filled with Christmas magic. If this is the first of my stories you have read, be aware before you look at others that most of my stories are much more explicit.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
WARNING! All of my writing is intended for adults over the age of 18 ONLY. Stories may contain strong or even extreme sexual content. All people and events depicted are fictional and any resemblance to persons living or dead is purely coincidental. Actions, situations, and responses are fictional ONLY and should not be attempted in real life.
If you are under the age or 18 or do not understand the difference between fantasy and reality or if you reside in any state, province, nation, or tribal territory that prohibits the reading of acts depicted in these stories, please stop reading immediately and move to somewhere that exists in the twenty-first century.
Archiving and reposting of this story is permitted, but only if acknowledgment of copyright and statement of limitation of use is included with the article. This story is copyright (c) 2014 by The Technician.
Individual readers may archive and/or print single copies of this story for personal, non-commercial use. Production of multiple copies of this story on paper, disk, or other fixed format is expressly forbidden.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
* * * * * * * * * * * *
It was Christmas Eve and all the family was gathered at my house. Molly and I always celebrated Christmas on Christmas Eve. When we were first married, it was so we could reserve the 25th to celebrate our wedding anniversary. We continued that tradition even after David and Susan came along.
While they were growing up, Santa always brought the gifts while we were at church on Christmas Eve and we opened presents after we got back. Somehow David and Susan never figured out that Molly always remembered something just as we got into the car and I had to go back into the house to get it. For some reason, I always had a hard time finding it and was delayed several minutes before coming back to the car carrying her purse or whatever. By the time we returned from church, the presents were always under the tree.
When they got older, they liked our Christmas Eve tradition because it allowed them to have their current love interest and later their spouse celebrate with us on Christmas Eve and then with their family on Christmas Day.
As grandchildren came and grew up, it got more and more difficult for everyone to be here for Christmas Eve. But this year, now that all of the grandchildren except little Molly were out of college and married-- no great-grandkids yet-- it was again possible to get together. At least, that's what they tell me. I know the primary reason that everyone is here this year is that they think this might be the last year it will be possible.
Molly has been gone now for almost five years. I'm not getting any younger, and time marches on-- or at my age, gallops on. I've already told them that I'm putting the house on the market in the Spring and moving into a small apartment. If I'm still around next year and we get together, it won't be here, and it won't be the same. So, one way or another, this is our last family Christmas at home.
The meal was delicious, even though I didn't help prepare any of it this year. After eating, we all went to church together-- I think that is probably the only time during the year most of the grandchildren ever go. After church, we gathered around the tree to open gifts.
Every family develops certain traditions without ever realizing that they do so. One of the Christmas Eve traditions for us was that one of the grandchildren would always ask, "Gramps, why did you and Grandma get married on Christmas Day?" This year was no exception and David's oldest, Ken, asked the question after all the gifts were open and we were sitting around drinking eggnog.
"It was because of a mistake at the post office," I would always begin. "On Christmas Eve day, the postman left a package for me in my mailbox. At the apartment house, the package went in a big box below the mailboxes, and what the postman actually left in my mailbox was the key to that box. When you opened the big mailbox, you could get your package. But the package wasn't addressed to me. It was addressed to your grandmother."
I would always wait for someone to ask, "What did you do?" before continuing with my story.
"I took the package up to her apartment and knocked on the door. She invited me in while she opened it, and as they say, 'The rest is history.' We got married a year later. None of the local pastors were willing to marry us on Christmas Day, so we went to Las Vegas. You can get married there any time of the day, any day of the year. We eloped and told people and family about it later."
That short story would be the signal to go back to the table and have some pie for dessert, but this year, little Molly, the youngest grandchild, asked another question. "Little" Molly was 19 and had brought her latest boyfriend, Brian, with her for the evening. Sometimes you can just tell that two people were meant for each other. That is the way it was with Molly and Brian. She had known him for about a year, and, in my mind, they were definitely meant for each other.
After I finished my story, Molly looked at me very seriously and said, "Why do you always smile like that every time you finish that story?"
I looked at her quizzically, and she continued, "That is the same kind of smile you would give us when you were telling one of your big fibs when we were little kids."
"No, it isn't," I replied somewhat defensively.
"Yes, it is," answered almost everyone in unison.
I sat there quietly for a moment or so debating what to say. "Well," I began, "Mark Twain said that only dead men can tell the truth. Molly's gone. I'm close enough. So, I guess I can risk telling you the truth. I have to warn you, though, it might change some of your memories of Molly and me."
"I want to know the truth, Grandpa," Molly said as she looked me in the eye.
"OK," I answered. "For you, little Molly, I will tell the whole truth."
I took a deep breath and began. "It wasn't the postman who delivered the package to me on Christmas Eve, it was Santa."
There were a few giggles, but Molly cut them off with, "Shhhh. I think he's serious. Let him continue."
I got up and took my Molly's picture down from the mantel above the fireplace. I slid the frame open and took an old piece of paper out of the back of the frame. "He brought me a wrapped package and
this
letter."
I sat back down before continuing. "He said to me, 'I have a gift that I can't deliver to a girl who has written faithfully to me every year of her life.' He then read the letter to me out loud."