Free Christmas Surprises by Jenn Faulk

over with her exuberant embrace.
     
    From Taylor to Micah, a tie covered in giant sets of teeth.  "Because you're a dentist," Taylor clarified.  From the twins to Taylor, a T shirt covered in smiley faces, "Because you're the smiliest guy we know, Uncle Taylor."
     
    On and on they went as the kids continued playing until there were just a few more left to give, one of which Rachel put into Maddie's lap with a smile.
     
    "For you and Grant," she said.  "From Micah and me."
     
    They were always so thoughtful.  Maddie figured it would be something for the baby or something for the house they hoped to have soon.  So, with Grant by her side watching, she smiled as she began to unwrap the package, opening the box and picking up the papers inside.
     
    It didn't make sense at first as she read a few words then glanced up at Rachel, at Micah, too, as they smiled.
     
    An itinerary.  A list of attractions.  A map.
     
    Oh.  Oh, wow.
     
    "Grant," she said, "they're tickets for a cruise. They've given us a vacation."
     
    It was too generous.  Maddie knew this.  But she was still thankful as she looked up to see Rachel watching her hopefully, understanding in her eyes.
     
    She understood Grant.  She understood what was happening with them.  In part, at least.
     
    "You can't..."  She shook her head.  "You can't give someone a vacation for a gift... can you?"
     
    "Micah tried to do the same for me once," Rachel said.  "But we had to postpone it indefinitely, since the girls were born a week before we were set to arrive in Rio.  You won't have that problem, though.  You can take the cruise in January.  Or February.  Whenever you decide.  But long before the baby comes.  A babymoon, Maddie."
     
    Before Maddie could murmur her thanks, her heart hopeful at the thought of getting away with Grant on this vacation...
     
    Well, Grant shook his head, took the information out of her hand, and put it back in the box.
     
    "We can't take this, guys," he said.
     
    "Why not?," Rachel asked. 
     
    "Because," he said, his eyes not meeting anyone's, "this is too much.  We appreciate it, but we can't take it."
     
    "Grant," Rachel began, "do you remember when you paid off my house, back when I was single, and refused to let me give you your money back when I found out what --"
     
    "Paying back the money you put into the restaurant," he interrupted his sister.  "Totally different."
     
    "I didn't put that much into the restaurant!," she said.  "You paid me back with interest, and you told me you wanted to do it.  And I want to do this!"
     
    "Yeah," Micah said.  "And if it makes you feel better, you paid for the cruise yourself when you came in and had me do that root canal for you.  Actually, Grant, you paid for about ten cruises with that root canal.  It was bad."
     
    But Grant ignored the joke.  "Even still, though," he muttered. "We don't have time to take a cruise.  I can't get away from the restaurant that long."
     
    And there it was.  The reason behind everything Grant did these days.
     
    The restaurant.
     
    She remembered another Christmas, back before they were married, back when she was only trusting him for one day at a time, not yet for a lifetime of days.
     
    He'd taken off for the evening.  He did that back then.  What was even more wonderful, though, was that he'd taken off a Saturday night, which meant that with the restaurant closed on Sunday, he had all the time in the world for her, for their first Christmas celebration together.
     
    There had been dinner, of course, cooked together in the apartment she was living in, enjoyed sitting on the couch in the living room close together, as they'd talked about the best Christmases of their lives.
     
    He'd told her about the Christmas when he'd been eight and Rachel had been five.  She'd asked for an Easy Bake Oven, but their parents -- well, mainly his mother -- had gotten her a doctor's kit instead.
     
    "And Rachel," he'd told Maddie as