Around 8am... Matt awoke Christmas morning with Angela snuggled in his arms. The fire still burned big and bright in the fireplace and had helped keep them warm all night. Matt awoke to the sound of yelling and laughing from upstairs. He sighed as he looked down next to him to see Angela still sound asleep snuggled tight and close in his arms next him. Matt smiled as he touched her cheek gently.
She was so beautiful and sweet, her skin was soft and surprisingly warm for a change. Her long dark hair lay nestled underneath her and Matt watched the way her nightgown moved as she breathed. He sighed hugging her gently as he closed his eye’s and tried to fall back to sleep.
It was peaceful and quiet around them and Matt didn’t want the others to come down and awake the beautiful angel asleep in his arms. Matt closed his eye’s and let his mind wander as he felt Angela move against him. He opened his eye’s to watch her own eye’s flutter open and he heard her sigh as she turned a little and for a moment seemed shocked to find Matt’s eye’s staring back at her. The gleam of shock in her eye’s seemed to instantly melt away as she smiled at Matt and reached up and touched his cheek softly.
"Good morning my Matt." Angela whispered leaning close to kiss Matt’s lips. Matt felt great immediately, it was as if just the simple touch of Angela’s lips could calm and revive him, and make him feel like the most lucky man in the world!
Matt wrapped his arms around her as tight as he could afraid she might suddenly get up and leave him or vanish into thin air, and then he kissed her back delicately.
***
They weren’t left alone long.... about 10 minutes later Trish appeared in the doorway wearing a long green silk robe. "Good Morning!" Trish said giggling as she smiled at them and rushed through the room toward the kitchen to begin cooking Christmas breakfast.
Angela pulled away from Matt’s lips and called after her, "Trish you call me if you need any help!"
Matt chuckled as Angela looked back at him as Trish yelled from the kitchen, "Angela I don’t need any help, you just concentrate on Matt Hardy you got it!?" Trish yelled appearing in the doorway. Angela glanced at her over her shoulder and laughed.
"Hey I agree with her!" Matt said smiling at Trish then at Angela who giggled elbowing him.
Trish disappeared back to kitchen just as Jay and Chris appeared from the stairs and came into the room. Chris fell into an armchair and Jay came an fell onto the blanket and Angela an Matt laughed watching him groan.
"Morning Chris," Matt said glancing at him as Chris smiled back at him, "Jay." Matt said laughing as he looked down at Jay to be greeted by another groan.
"You stay up late?" Matt asked as Angela snuggled against him pulling the blanket around her nightgown listening to Matt intently awaiting Jay’s reply.
Jay sat up and pulled his hair up into a ponytail sighing shaking his head. "I made Trish very happy last night apparently asking her to marry me, so she kept me up very very late last night... well this morning rather, you know what I mean...." Jay said pausing as Angela, Matt, and even Chris laughed. "I don’t think I got a wink of sleep, and now I’m completely exhausted." Jay said groaning as they all laughed.
"What’s going on, what’s so funny?" Shane asked as he came into the room followed by Molly, Ruby, and Adam and Torrie.
Shane came and climbed onto the couch behind Matt and Angela. Ruby went and cuddled with Chris and Adam sat on the side of the blankets with Torrie, while Molly climbed up to sit with Shane. Everyone focused there attention on Matt as he spoke, "Jay was just telling on about how tired he is thanks to Trish, she kept him up all night so to speak." Matt said as everyone began laughing again.
Jay sat up and looked around rubbing his head. "Matt you just wait until you propose to someone!" Then Jay started to pretend coughing and mumbled Angela’s name making everyone laugh again, causing Matt and Angela both to blush. "Then you’ll understand how exhausting it is to have them keep you up all night!" Jay said as Matt tossed a pillow at him.
"Ohh shut up Jay!" Matt said laughing as he hugged Angela gently. Angela giggled kissing his cheek. Matt smiled as he noticed Jeff and Lita walking into the room.
"Merry Christmas!" Matt said as everyone turned to notice them.
"Hey morning." Jeff said softly smiling at everyone.
Angela looked up and smiled. Lita immediately noticed Angela’s necklace and the happy smile across her face and giggled as she left Jeff’s side and came over and sat down next to Angela.
"Well? How’d it go... your necklace looks sooo beautiful!!!?" Lita asked looking from Angela to Matt.
"Ohh I hear an announcement coming on!" Jay mumbled now laying across the end of the blanket, his head resting on an extra pillow as he stared at Matt & Angela & Lita. Everyone then looked towards them.
Matt shrugged, "Well I guess you all should know.... I asked Angela to go out with me officially last night...." Matt said softly as he looked around at everyone anxious to hear him continue.
"So its finally official?" Jeff asked looking across the room to Matt and smiling.
"Angela please explain to me why you would wanna date this big slacker?" Chris said jokingly as Matt tossed a pillow at him an everyone laughed. Angela giggled staring at Matt.
"What did you say?" Torrie asked smiling at them.
Angela sighed, "I said yes... He’s my big slacker now ." Angela said softly as Matt took her hand an held it gently. Angela finally tore her eye’s away from Matt and looked around at everyone.
All of a sudden a happy laughter filled the room and all the guys rushed over to congratulate Matt and the girls swarmed around Angela wanting to hear every detail, and to admire her gorgeous necklace. So the next several minutes were spent mulling over the subject, Matt was talking to the guys, and Angela was gossiping with the ladies.
Matt was busy laughing with the guys when he finally noticed that Angela was being lead away into the kitchen. Matt stared at her for a moment completely ignoring the guys who were still talking all at once.
Angela glanced over her shoulder to meet his eyes. Her smile seeming as disappointed as his was that they were being separated. Matt would have liked nothing more then for her to just continue sitting next to him wrapped in the blankets talking with everyone all morning.
He sighed as he focused his attention back on the guys and the conversation at hand.
Almost an hour later... Trish appeared in the doorway, "Breakfast is ready, I want everyone to wash there hands and then go into the dinning room, the ladies and I will be serving you in 5 minutes whether your ready or not! Then after we’ll open the presents." Trish said giggling as she ducked out the way of a pillow Jay threw at her. Matt laughed as he got to his feet and stretched.
"Should we change for breakfast... is there a dress code required?" Jay asked smiling sarcastically at Trish.
"Only for you Jay..." Trish said smirking sweetly at him. Jay rolled his eye’s as he got to his feet and dashed across the room as Trish turned laughing and ran down the hallway towards the kitchen with Jay not far behind.
"Man are they going to have screwed up kids!" Jeff mumbled as all the guys laughed and started into the kitchen.
Matt sighed as he stretched some more and looked up to see Jeff leaning in the doorway, "You okay?" Jeff asked smiling at him.
Matt grinned shaking his head, "I’m fine, I had a great night... I’m just disappointed to see it end...." Matt said softly.
"So everything went well then?" Jeff asked as Matt shook his head.
"It couldn’t have been more perfect," Matt sighed as he sat down on the arm of the couch, "God Jeff I never knew I could love someone so much." Matt admitted out loud at last.
Jeff grinned as he came and sat down next to Matt. "Its a great, thrilling, exciting feeling isn’t it?!" Jeff said patting Matt’s arm.
Matt grinned shaking his head, "You too?" Matt asked smiling at his closest friend.
Jeff shrugged, "Yeah I told Lita last night... its an awesome feeling." Jeff said sighing as he smiled at Matt.
Matt grinned, "Yeah its is.... Aww Jeff I’m happy for you." Matt said softly smiling at him as he pulled his hair into a ponytail and got to his feet and followed Jeff into the kitchen to wash up for Christmas breakfast.
***
Matt got into the kitchen and saw the girls running all around back and forth, and the guys in line to wash there hands at the sink. Matt caught sight of Angela. She had her back to him at the counter and was cutting up apples into small slices. She was laughing at Molly who was getting powdered sugar all over herself.
Matt went to the sink when it was his turn and washed his hands and then grabbed the dishtowel from Jeff and wiped his hands. Molly left the kitchen followed by Trish who carried a big serving plate full of pancakes, French toast and waffles. Then the guys followed. Torrie and Lita followed behind with dishes full of eggs, bacon, and sausage.
Matt stood back watching Angela laughing at something Ruby was saying. Then Ruby went to the island counter to get a plate noticing him, she was about to say something when Matt held his finger to his lips to silence her. Ruby smiled shaking her head realizing that Matt wanted to sneak up on Angela or wanted a moment alone with her. Ruby tossed her long light curly brown hair over her shoulder and picked up a tray of assorted syrups and smiled leaving for the dinning room.
Matt looked towards Angela who sighed as she continued slicing apples. She looked cute, she was wearing an apron around her waist and her hair was pulled into the high ponytail.
She looked just like a little house wife. ** It seemed to fit her perfectly, Matt could just imagine her standing over a hot stove to prepare dinner, while 2 young children ran around the room screaming and yelling and laughing. He pictured himself standing in the kitchen doorway of there huge house and walking over coming up behind her, wrapping his arms around her startling her momentarily. He pictured her smile happy that he was home from being on the rode, she would turn towards him, her smile making him glad to be back home, then he would kiss her deeply. ** Everything seemed so perfect that Matt hoped one day his fantasy would come true....
Matt sighed softly as he watched Angela rub her forehead, setting down the knife and wiping her hands on a dish towel next to her. Then she sighed, looking up to the window in front of her, Matt watched her as she stared out into the snow and smiled. Matt knew from her smile that she was happy.
Matt silently made his way across the room and slipped his arms around her. Angela jumped slightly but then grinned, relaxing in his arms as she turned her head to the side knowing it was Matt’s arms around her.
"Hey." Matt whispered kissing her cheek softly.
Angela sighed, "Hi. I thought you were already in the dinning room." Angela said softly.
Matt shook his head, "No I didn’t get there yet." Matt said softly. Matt glanced down to the apple slices and grinned, "So you helped cook after all huh? You got your way, you kept complaining to Trish how you wanted to help, and you got to." Matt said as Angela giggled. She shook her head looking back out into the snow.
"You call your aunt yet?" Matt asked softly as Angela touched her hands to Matt’s around her waist.
"No, its to early, I will probably before dinner." Angela said softly snuggling against Matt.
"You know I was watching you, you look very cute in this apron you. You should really wear it more often." Matt said softly as Angela giggled.
"Sure right... maybe I’ll have to wear it then if you like it so much!" Angela said laughing as she reached down and took an apple slice biting into half and then turning around in Matt’s arms. Matt smiled at her as she touched the apple slice to Matt’s lips, he sighed as he opened his mouth and ate it.
"Any good?" Angela asked as Matt shook his head. Angela laughed as they both heard Trish yell for them from the dinning room. Matt groaned leaning over and kissing Angela’s cheek.
"Come on, let’s go, before Trish literally has a cow." Matt said sighing as Angela laughed turning around and untying her apron tossing it on the counter and grabbing the bowl full of apple slices and taking Matt’s hand with her free one.
***
A few minutes later.... Everyone was settled at the dinning room table enjoying there holiday breakfast together, having casual conversation.
Ruby who had decided that everyone was going to play 20 questions made her way around the table asking stupid questions and making everyone laugh at the comments and enjoying the company.
Finally it was Angela’s turn.
"Okay Angela first question... what’s your middle name?" Ruby asked as Angela took a breath and stared around the table at everyone.
Matt was sitting next to Angela who was snuggled against him, smiled at her and slipped his arm around her curious himself.
Angela sighed, "It’s to embarrassing, no I plead the fifth I won’t answer!" Angela said as everyone started yelling about how she had to tell them.
"Come on Angie...." Matt said elbowing her smiling as Angela grinned.
"It’s to embarrassing, I don’t want anyone to know it." Angela said looking around the table as everyone urged her to tell them.
"Angela we all know each others and Jeff’s is the worst!" Lita said laughing as Jeff tried to protest and Lita shoved a slice of bacon in his mouth to shut him up making everyone laugh.
"I’m sure mines the worst....." Angela started as Lita burst out throwing her arms up laughing, "No it can’t be worse then Nero! Jeffery Nero Hardy...! Nothing could be worse then that!" Lita said laughing as Jeff started choking on the bacon, and Lita turned to help him laughing. Angela shrugged giggling.
A moment later when Jeff had recovered he stared at Lita then he glanced around to the guys, "She says that now... but wait till 1, 2 in the morning, then she says something different.... ohh Nero, Nero come cuddle with me... come kiss me... come hold me.. ohh Nero, Nero! Yeah its different then huh Lita!?" Jeff asked as Lita stared at him laughing. Then everyone was laughing.
"She calls you Nero in the middle of the night huh?!" Adam asked as everyone laughed more. Jeff shook his head as Lita looked mordified.
Matt chuckled elbowing Angela, "Come on tell us, I wanna know..." Matt said softly winking at her making Angela blush, then she giggled pushing her bangs away from her eye’s and sighing.
"Fine I’ll tell you..." Angela said groaning as everyone turned there attention back to her. "It’s Serella...." Angela said staring around at the table, everyone looked like they were expecting to hear something like Milldred or Gurtrude or something, which made Angela feel a bit better but the looks everyone were giving her weren’t much better.
"Serella?" Shane asked watching Angela rub her forehead.
"Angela Serella Tarantino...." Jeff said repeating it several times and watching Angela.
"Serella, I love it Angela it so classy, it suits you well." Molly said smiling at her.
Angela shook her head, "See why I didn’t want to say...." Angela said sighing. "Go ahead and laugh." Angela said looking around at everyone whose expressions were surprisingly opposite, farthest from laughter more like surprise.
"It’s beautiful." Matt said softly staring at her as she met his eye’s.
Angela sighed smiling at him. "Thanks." Angela said as Matt slid his other hand into hers.
"Serella, I love it Angela it so classy, it suits you well." Molly said smiling at her.
"Angela what’s the reason for Serella, it’s a beautiful name I mean, its just that I’ve never heard it?" Ruby asked looking at Angela.
Now Angela blushed even more, "Thanks...." Angela said softly. "Well umm okay, see my mother she loved to read like folk tales and stuff like that and she was a big fairy tale lover, and she always said that she’d name her daughter if she had one Cinderella... but when she had me she thought I’d never hear the end of it. So she named me Angela because when you drop the ‘a’ its angel and she said I was her angel...." Angela said softly closing her eye’s briefly and then smiling around at everyone who were all eating and listening intently.
Angela glanced at Matt who continued to stare at her. "Anyways so my mother decided that my middle name would be Cinderella then...." Angela said giggling, "but then she realized that when people asked what my middle name was... kind of like now," Angela said as everyone giggled, "that it might be more embarrassing to tell them its Cinderella, so she changed the spelling, leaving out some letters and ended up with Serella. She was great...." Angela said softly realizing how she was making her mother sound, she knew Matt knew nothing of her parents and now she was making them sound gone even when they were when she still didn’t want to him everything... yet. Angela bit her bottom lip as everyone stared at her. Angela sighed shrugging as she reached for her glass of juice and took a few sips. "That’s where my middle name came from...." Angela said softly as everyone seemed to be deep in thought.
After a moment Torrie spoke, "That’s cool though. I like it, its a pretty name." Torrie said softly as the girls all shook there heads.
"Thanks." Angela said softly.
Ruby sighed, noticing Angela’s obvious want not to dwell on whatever topic had made her turn so quiet, "Okay second question... any one got a question for Angela?" Ruby asked looking around the table.
Angela relaxed relieved that no one wanted to know anything further about her mother, and the fact that she had sort of left the subject abandoned.
"I do actually." Chris said looking up from his dish full of waffles. Angela glanced at him bracing herself for a difficult question that would just make her have to either lie or dredge up the horrible memories of her past.
Angela took a breath as Chris swallowed and stretched a little and spoke, "What’s the story behind the tattoo?" Chris asked smiling at her.
Angela felt a pain of guilt and hurt & sadness rip through her heart. Why did they want to know about things hard for her to talk about, to bring back the agony of the past?!
Matt watched his girlfriend as it seemed like she flinched at that question. Matt felt a sudden worry of her.
Angela took a breath and licked her lips gently rubbing her forehead. "Ah um well its a long story...." Angela started softly as Lita interrupted her, "I have a question.... what is it exactly that you see it Matt over here?" Lita asked motioning across the table toward Matt, as everyone laughed. Matt chuckled as he looked from Lita back to Angela.
Thanks God for Lita! Angela sighed thankful that everyone seemed not no harp on Chris’s tattoo question, and were all curious to know the answer to Lita’s question.
Angela smiled looking up to Matt whose sparkling eye’s and sweet smile greeted her. Angela’s heart raced as she thought of all the reason’s why she was so crazy about him, many of which she knew Lita was aware of, but Lita had saved her! There were so many reasons though that Angela couldn’t say, because Matt just couldn’t know them...yet. She certainly couldn’t just admit out loud that she was madly in love with Matt... for now that was seceret between her and her heart & soul. One reason was because her and Matt had just started going out less then 12 hours ago, and for another because she just simply couldn’t.
Angela shrugged smiling, "I see a lot in him." Angela said softly staring at Matt. His curious, thrilled and intense smile stared back at her. Angela took a breath as she watched Matt’s eye’s glimmer as she stared deep into his dark eye’s. Finally Angela allowed herself to tare her eye’s away from Matt and she looked over towards Lita. "He’s sweet and caring, and very handsome, and well....you should know anyways. I’m sure I see many of the things in him that you once saw....more I’m sure." Angela said coyly trying to move the 20 questions thing away from her and to someone else, Lita presently being her target even when she had saved her from potentially a lot of sadness, tears, lies and much drama.
Lita laughed as she felt everyone’s eye’s shift to her. "I..... lets not go there." Lita said giggling as Matt let go of Angela’s hand and drank his juice smiling over at Lita.
"I’m honestly kinda curious to know." Matt said staring at Lita.
Boy had Lita stuck her foot in her mouth this time! Angela couldn’t help but be a little happy that the center of conversation and attention was no longer focused on her.
Lita looked really forsaken, as if she didn’t quite know what to say. "What does it matter?" Lita asked looking around the table as everyone giggled seeing how apprehensive Lita was at not wanting to say what she had once saw in Matt.
"Ohh come on Lita tell us!" Torrie whined, as Lita groaned running her fingers through her long red hair.
Matt smiled, "Just for conversation and pure curiosity sake that’s all." Matt said softly, leaning back in his chair as Angela took his hand, and rested her head against Matt’s shoulder.
Lita sighed, "Well I mean that was so long ago...I just feel funny dredging it back up." Lita said pausing as she sipped her coffee. "I guess Angela’s right, I mean Matt your sweet and we all know your caring, and yes in a way your handsome, more so then you used to be...." Lita giggled as everyone began to laugh. "You helped me a lot and you taught me so much, we were such good friends, and back then we were attracted to each other so it was different then it is now.... now I don’t think of you as anything more then one of my closest, and best friends." Lita said softly. "I’m sure Angela sees much more in you then I ever had, she’s got a lot to like." Lita said softly smiling from Matt to Angela.
Matt grinned at Lita, "Thanks." Matt said pausing, "Jeff’s got a good lady now." Matt said smiling from Lita to Jeff, "We all do... I know I do." Matt said softly glancing down to Angela who met his eye’s with a warm smile.
After a few more minutes of conversation, Trish rose to her feet coming down to the other end of the table where Jay was pouring syrup over a new dish full of waffles. She picked up his dish as Jay stared at her shocked.
"Hey hey!" Jay yelled as Trish made her way around the table collecting some other dishes and heading towards the kitchen.
"I’m going to start the dishes..." Trish called glancing over her shoulder towards Jay.
"Trish I wasn’t done eating!" Jay said standing.
"You’ve had more then enough Jay." Trish said smiling as she tossed her hair over her shoulder and left for the kitchen.
Angela sat up and leaned over and kissed Matt’s cheek. "I’m gonna go help. I’ll see you in a few minutes Matt." Angela whispered smiling at him as Matt grinned and sipped his juice. Angela leaned over and grabbed another plate and left for the kitchen.
"I’ll go help too." Lita said taking a dish and following Angela to the kitchen. Matt sighed smiling at Jay who looked a bit disgusted that Trish had taken his dish when he wasn’t finished.
Matt watched as all the girls took some plates and left to help too. Matt and the guys were talking about skiing when the girls came back in for the rest of the dishes and Molly started to wash the table.
"You ladies want any help?" Jay asked looking up at Trish as she was pouring a glass of wine at the bar behind Jay.
"No thanks that’s okay we can handle it." Trish said coming next to him and kissing his cheek and handing him the glass of wine. "Drink that Jay...it’ll relax you, you seem on edge this morning." Trish said smiling as she started for the kitchen, Jay stared at her smiling sarcastically back as he gulped down the entire glass at once.
"Better?" Jay asked as Trish laughed.
"Ohh yes much! After we finish the dishes and clean up the kitchen I’m going to start cooking for lunch, and then we can all go and open our presents and then head out to the slopes to go skiing okay?" Trish called disappearing from sight and not wanting for Jay to answer.
"Sounds good to me." Chris said stretching as he looked around at the guys. Matt shrugged and Jay just shook his head, rolling his eye’s. The guys sat silently for a few minutes until Jeff finally spoke.
"I think Trish should really take a break, all she’s been doing is cooking and cleaning, and now all the girls are too! Some vacation." Jeff said sighing.
Jay sighed standing "Maybe we should just barge in and help if they like it or not. Come on guys." Jay said as he motioned for the guys to get up.
Matt stood and smiled, "Good idea." Matt said taking his glass and following the guys into the kitchen to help the girls with the dishes.
chapter 66
chapter 64