“I think we can do better than that,” Tina laughed, wrapping her left arm around Bette’s waist and they began walking towards the mansion. Bette casually placed her arm on Tina’s shoulders and once in a while she would stop and pull Tina closer, showering her with tender kisses.

“I can’t wait to get home actually and unwrap my present,” Bette remembered after one of their impromptu stops.

“What present?” Tina asked innocently.

“The one you promised me this morning.”

“Oh, that present…” Tina laughed, “I can’t wait for you to unwrap it either. Actually, the present is so great that I want you to rip off the wrapping paper and devour what’s inside.”

“Mmm, I hope you got my favorite desert, Tee,” Bette licked her lips and rubbed her stomach with exaggerating gestures.

“You’ll find out soon enough, baby.”

When they got closer, Bette saw that the house was surrounded by a bright glow that was accentuated by Christmas lights hanging from the roof.

“Wow, this is so beautiful,” Bette exclaimed, “What’s the occasion?”

“It’s almost Christmas, honey. We always decorate our homes for Christmas.”

“Well, this is really beautiful and festive. We used to put a huge Christmas tree in the library. My favorite part was to wake up early in the morning and smell freshly baked bread and ginger. We would get together around the tree and open presents. Hannah, our cook, would serve us sweet buns and hot peppermint tea and we all would talk for hours. This was the only day that my father…Melvin…would never miss. Do people still put up Christmas trees and presents under it in this century?”

“Of course…and Christmas is my favorite holiday,” Tina said, smiling at Bette and giving her a kiss. Bette’s face lightened up with a big smile and she enveloped Tina in her arms.

“It’s my favorite holiday too, Tee.”

They stood close together for a moment and finally Tina said, “Let’s go inside, baby. I have a surprise for your birthday.”

“Really?” Bette smiled again. “You’re so good to me. I love you so much.”

“I love you too, Bette. Later for sure you get to unwrap your present but let’s celebrate first,” Tina replied, taking her hand and opening the heavy front door. They were met by an eerie silence of the spacious dark hall.