Giselle's Christmas present

Since Lillian had already spilled about including Giselle and Lia on her Christmas shopping list, Giselle readied herself with anticipation.

Lillian swallowed the last bite of the chocolate hastily to bend over inside the car's backseat, searching through the bags to fish out a box wrapped in a red-colored glittering wrapper. She handed it to Giselle without hesitation.

"It's- a little heavy!" Giselle groaned.

"What is it?" she asked, holding on to the box dearly.

"See for yourself! As I said, it's your Christmas gift," Lillian replied, refusing to give away the silly surprise.

"Then, can I open it right now?" Giselle asked with eager eyes.

"Of course not!"

Lillian's objection disappointed Giselle as she hissed from not being able to open her Christmas present right away like Lillian. Instead, she began to play with the box, examining it to feel, smell, and even tried to shake it. Alarmed by her harsh actions, Lillian's heart received a shock. She called out on Giselle to be more gentle with the present.

Giselle obeyed to stop playing with her Christmas present and began to handle it with care.

Nonetheless, no matter what she tried, she couldn't guess what's in it.

"Can I at least open it tonight, or should I wait till Christmas morning?" she appealed.

"Of course! You can open it as soon as you get home!"

Lillian's permission relieved her as she looked at the gift with an endless interest, considering all possibilities of what could be inside. While her thoughts ran free, Lillian began to get nervous.

Giselle's ignorance outweighed her anxious state.

"Actually-"

"I have- another gift for you, Giselle," she hesitantly revealed.

"Another gift?" Giselle asked.

Lillian nodded.

The furrowing brows exposed the rise in her tension.

"But- one is already enough-" Giselle muttered in awe.

"Ah- well, this one is sort of- like a ritual, and I can't help but to buy it," Lillian admits.

'Ritual!' 'Can't help!' Giselle thought.

"My initial gift for you is something else-"

As Lillian continued with her stammered confession, Giselle listened attentively. The contagious anxiety of Lillian's slowly infected Giselle as well. She could hear Lillian's voice clearly, yet the sound of her growing pulse echoed louder to match the voice.

"And-" she waited.

Lillian left her sentence hanging to return, going through her gift bags finally finding Giselle's initial Christmas present still undisturbed.

Without doing any damage to the item, Lillian picks up the gift with attention. Holding it while half of her body was still inside the car, she took deep breaths as if she is about to face a life-changing moment.

'Why scared now, Lillian?' she whispered to herself.

'Come on, do it! Loud and clear!'

Bracing herself with a little custom, Lillian left the car. Her back still facing Giselle.

As she turned around, her hands casually hid the present she held with grace.

Giselle knew that Lillian's hands held her Christmas gift. She wondered what it could be.

Judging from Lillian's expression and the way she protected the present, it could be something valuable or important.

Giselle had no clue or a pre-formed image in her mind, and the anticipation is killing her for every passing second.

"What is it, Lillian?" she asked out in desperation.

Lillian's whole body flinched from her excitement.

"Ahem- uh-"

Removing the hands from behind gently, Lillian revealed the item she held with regard.

Giselle's eyes followed to find out.

A pitch-black rose in a single stem with a pair of dark green leaves supporting it.

Giselle's eyes widen in surprise.

She looked at Lillian, whose face had gone pale from the execution. Her cheeks, burning with a cute rosy flush of pink across her face. Giselle wondered if it was due to the cold winds or the fact that she gave her a rose.

Giselle's eyes return to the flower.

Her intense gaze kept growing as Lillian's nervousness faded eventually to gain new strength.

"Black roses don't exist in reality!" she spoke with a flat tone.

"But- It does in the fiction world!"

"I saw this painted black rose in one of the shops. I couldn't help but to think of gifting them to you," Lillian revealed.

When choosing to find a perfect gift for Giselle, Lillian had a variety of choices laid out to her vision. Fancy accessories to branded clothes, diamonds, and pearls to custom-made requests, yet Lillian's mind dwelled with Ethan's words. She can't help but keep hearing it inside her head like an endless warning.

Considering his attitude and his careful words, Lillian began to think sensibly. She doesn't want to give Giselle a simple Christmas present but include her feelings in it.

Lillian took careful attention to her bond with Giselle and wondered what she expects for both of them for their future. Thus, her main gift ended up being one of those that speaks her heart and her hopes.

"It's- not- real- black- rose, then?" Giselle asked while stammering weakly.

Lillian shook her head to confirm.

"I- thought it was real for a moment!" she sighed.

"It's intention is real!" Lillian countered quickly.

Giselle looked at her again in awe.

Taking a step closer towards Giselle, Lillian explained. Her voice, now gone soft, slow, making sure every word she utters from now on, makes its impression loud and clear.

"Though there are several meanings attached to it, even in the fictional world!"

"Black Rose implies a new hope, a new beginning."

"Giselle!" Lillian called her name so sudden that the sole listener couldn't help but yelp wordlessly.

"Let's leave the past to where it belongs."

"I want us to move forward," she declared.

Giselle's face became still, trapped in those words, in those unexpected acknowledgments. She grew numb to react, remaining idle as she listened attentively.

"No longer do I want to regret what happened."

"I want to start fresh with you- I don't care how long it will take, but from now onwards, I don't wish to be apart from you."

Lillian paused to catch her running breath. Returning to her composure, she continued to express herself.

"I have already told you about my feelings! You must know them by now,"

"I do understand that you had a reason when you left. I am not going to ask you anymore unless you volunteer to reveal it yourself."

Giselle's face began to lose its color at the mention of her sad departure from several years ago. Lillian noticed to restrain herself. No matter what, she should control her feelings for now and can't have them explode right away. She doesn't want Giselle to feel uncomfortable.

She doesn't have the strength to witness another departure like that. Taking a step back to her old spot, Lillian gave some space for Giselle to breathe.

"So-"

"What I'm trying to say is..."

"Merry Christmas Wishes, Giselle!"

"I know it's early, but since you will be celebrating this year with your parents-"

Now that her whole monologue ended, Lillian returned to stammer as she can't help but hide her shyness by fumbling her words. Her flushed face kept burning hot against the cold breeze.

She tried various distractions to calm herself down first. Staying outdoor gave her the freedom to experiment.

Lillian's eyes wandered around the street, scanning through the houses and balconies while nimbly taking a glimpse at Giselle's side.

'I- fucking- did- it- somehow-'

'Oh- dear- lord-'

Lillian's heart rate might be crossing miles now that she came to consciousness.