Free Clouds In My Coffee by Andrea Smith

the local radio stations that plays the top forty countdown songs of the week. He knows I enjoy those tunes, unlike him who is totally about hard rock only.
    I glance over at him and smile.
    “Yeah, I figure I can earn some points by letting you listen to your bubblegum shit.”
    “Hey, they play rock songs too,” I argue, “As long as they hit the charts.”
    “Yeah, but no B-side singles,” he laments, “Some of those are better tunes, you know?”
    The station is doing call-in dedications for Christmas Eve. I remember doing those the first year Erik and I had started going steady.
    “Yes, I would like to dedicate Precious and Few by Climax to my boyfriend, Erik from Cece.”
    It had been a rush hearing my voice come on over the radio dedicating that song to him and knowing that he didn’t even listen to the damn station. I chuckle.
    “What’s so funny?”
    “Just thinking back to when I used to call in and dedicate those bubblegum songs to you,” I reply, hanging some silver icicles on the tree branches.
    “Yeah, like last week?” he teases, grabbing a beer from his fridge.
    “No,” I reply sounding offended. “Keep it up and I will though.”
    He uncapped his beer, taking a swig. “When do you want to open our presents?” he asks, quirking an eyebrow.
    “Not until tomorrow. I’m a stickler for tradition.”
    “Bummer.”
    Just then a dedication comes on the radio. I stop what I’m doing recognizing the voice.
    His voice.
    Hearing it gives me chills. The creepy kind of chills, not the good kind.
    “Uh...yeah, I’d like to dedicate ‘Don’t Say You Don’t Remember’ by Beverly Bremers to my special girl. I’m so sad she’s...gone.”
    I freeze where I’m standing, listening as the first chords of this bubble-rock song from a year or two before start playing.
    “What’s wrong?” Erik asks.
    “That’s him. That’s Marshall .”
    “Where?” he asks looking around, clueless.
    “On the radio just now,” I explain. “He’s the one that just called in that dedication. That was his voice, I’m sure of it.”
    “Ahh,” he says, shaking his head. “So, are you his... special girl ?” he teases.
    “It’s not funny, Erik. It’s creepy .”
    “Hey, you ought to feel sorry the dude doesn’t have anything better to do on Christmas Eve than this,” he replies, coming back over to help me finish up. “Look, don’t worry about it, Cece. He’s not done anything lately, right?”
    I nod.
    “You’re right. Maybe he wasn’t even dedicating it to me,” I reply, looking up at Erik. “I mean, come on, that song is pretty heavy about love. We were never close to that.”
    “Yeah, he’s probably moved on to another chick or else he’s just an idiot that can’t let go. You know, he used to bug Angie with this shit too.”
    “Really? Why didn’t you tell me?”
    “Oh, please. Let’s not go there, okay? He’s out of our lives and she’s out of our lives, so let’s just focus on us. ”
    “Okay,” I relinquish. “You’re right.”
    Finally, the tree is finished. We both stand back to admire it. I help Erik put all of the empty ornament boxes back into the big cardboard box to store away until they’re ready to take it down.
    I glance at my watch. Mom should be rolling in anytime now.
    “Hey, I’m going to run home and bring my presents for you back over to put under your tree. I mean, it’s got nothing under there.”
    “It will,” he replies. “I just need to wrap them,” he says with a sheepish grin.
    “Get to it,” I order, kissing him on the nose. “Be right back.”
    Just as I’m heading back out the door carrying a stack of wrapped gifts to take back over to Erik’s, Mom pulls up. She barely has time to shut the car off before she’s out of it, hollering for me.
    “Oh my God, Cece! I just heard the most horrible news,” she wails, clearly out of sorts.
    “What? What is it?” I ask, feeling alarm setting in and bracing myself for it.
    “That