Here comes santa claus!

[callmeemily]

The holiday this year is so incredibly different than the last.

Last year? Raleigh was holed up in the boarding house, no one in 300 miles but her shitty boss knew her name, and she was so poor that she was eating rice, beans, and leftovers from the Seaside bakery.

This year, everything's changed. Orchard House is chugging along astoundingly well; Raleigh puts in long hours, but it's paying off. She's been able to hire somebody else to work the register, she's getting custom orders - the whole thing. She has friends. Honest to god friends, and she's got enough money that she's actually got presents for people. For a lot of people - it's a mix of cookies and things, but there's a little something for everybody piled on the table in the back corner, and one mass-text later she's humming through the bakery, music playing from the speakers, warm cider in a carafe, and everything's warm and cozy.

She looks at it, at this business that she's made with the help of this whole town, and she can't help but smile. Tonight? Spending tonight with friends and found-family? That's what this whole thing's about.

Gathering post! Raleigh will tag everyone who tags in, but feel free to tag one another, too. :) It's up to you if they have gotten a text, or just heard the music and seen the crowd. Everyone'll get something!

Comments

[remotecontrol]

It doesn't take long for Charlotte to spot Spencer — he stands out, if not in height then certainly in fashion choice. When she does, she breathes a sigh of relief. She was beginning to worry that she would have to play the awkward wallflower. Not that she has any qualms about walking up to a stranger and introducing herself. It just seems more dramatic if her only option is to wilt away in some quiet corner.

She interrupts conversation after conversation, squeezing past and in between random people until she finally finds herself standing next to her brother-in-law. "I can't believe you're wearing that in public," she says in lieu of greeting.

[doublethepain]

Spencer grimaces, though there's the hint of a smile playing at his lips, and he glances down at his sweater with a heavy sigh. "Your brother thought it was a good idea," he says dryly, shaking his head before tucking a loose strand of hair behind his ear and looking back at Charlotte. "Honestly, I don't know why I ever agreed to marry a man so dedicated to ruining me."

Granted, Joel's very handsome. Very kind and thoughtful and smart, very funny and sweet and supportive, very loving and-- Spencer breaks into a grin then, crossing his arms over his chest in an effort to cover up the tree knit into his sweater with a sheepish laugh. "All right, I can think of few reasons why. I didn't know you were coming, or I'd have brought your gift. My brother and I, we'd always exchange one present on Christmas Eve, and I know I'm not-- Well, anyway, you'll be at the house tomorrow morning, though, won't you?"

It's going to be his first Christmas with Joel, with the family he's found since losing his own, and he can't deny that he's excited to spend the morning in a little whirlwind of hustle and bustle with his husband, the girls, and the pets--though he's also very much looking forward to the quiet that he hopes will come afterward, when he and Joel can just be alone in each other's company for a bit.

"I promised Joel and Raleigh that I'd stay away from the kitchen, which is very good news for all of us."

[remotecontrol]

"I know it's hard to tell with him, he's always Mr. Stoic, but he was probably being sarcastic." Honestly, Charlotte can't claim to know what was going on in Joel's mind when he suggested that monstrosity, but she has to believe that he wasn't being completely serious.

"I'll be there," she confirms with a nod. She's looking forward to it; she'll never admit it, but moving to Siren Cove has, at times, been tough. Not as tough as it could have been without Joel not around, granted. But as much as she was dying to get away, she still misses her parents home sometimes. Adjusting to a new life is a mixed bag, not all good and not all bad. Being surrounded by family, both old and new, has helped. And she knows that the people in her life now are going to make this Christmas one to remember. "And I'm glad to hear that," she adds. She hasn't actually tasted Spencer's cooking, but given his comment, there is probably a good reason for that. "We wouldn't want that lovely sweater to tragically catch fire in the kitchen now, would we?"

[doublethepain]

The corners of Spencer's lips twitch at that, and he ducks his head to cover his mouth before Charlotte can catch sight of his amused smile. She's right, of course, Joel wouldn't have forced the sweater on him if Spencer had truly been against wearing it; but it's not about simply doing what Joel asks, not really. "Yes, well, believe it or not, he's not always Mr. Stoic." Quite the opposite, Spencer would say, at least when they're together. He looks up at her, shrugging a shoulder. "I wore it because it makes him smile. Don't roll your eyes, by the way, just be happy for your brother that he has someone willing to go out in public like this for him."

As far as his cooking is concerned, Spencer would be much more inclined to make denials about how terrible it can be if only it wasn't so true. "Between you and me, I think the sweater might actually improve if it caught fire." He narrows his eyes. "Which isn't entirely out of the question, I did blow up a microwave in the library on the Fourth of July."