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bluetigerpinkbunny2022-07-22 02:48 pm
kiramaru7) wrote in bluetigerpinkbunny2022-07-22 02:48 pm
The Christmas Tree(July 21, 2022)
Title: The Christmas Tree
Fandom: Original
Characters: Bernd, Amber, Wolfgang, Greta, Maria, Minky, Didi, Fritz, Tino
Word count: 2413
Rating: PG
Prompt: Some people want to watch the tree burn, Burnt Out Bulb, Christmas Miracle, Chinese Takeout
Summary: While Bernd searches for a burnt out bulb, the Christmas tree catches fire…
Author’s Note: This fic uses all 4 prompts.
Author’s Note 2: Thanks go out to Kat for pinking this.
Author’s Note 3: This is a shared universe with Kat and Greta, Amber, Minky, and Maria belong to her. So does James, who’s mentioned.
Amber wanted to throttle him for plugging in the lights that adorned the Christmas tree, especially since he knew there was a burnt out bulb. A couple of them popped and crackled, one even shattered, sending fragments of glass everywhere. How could he thoughtlessly destroy the only place that ever felt like home to her? God, Bernd, why are you such an unthinking asshole at times…? Amber blinked away the tears that suddenly filled her eyes. She let out a breath that was part heartsick sigh, part angry huff. “IDIOT!!” A part of her knew she was being unreasonable as it was not exactly his fault, but she was so angry that she could not help it.
Bernd looked from the tree to Amber and back again. He watched in horror as the tree slowly caught fire. He shook his head, mesmerized by the flames that danced along the branches. Acrid smoke, tinged with the sweet smell of pine, assaulted his nostrils. He coughed, his attention briefly drawn to the blaring smoke alarm. He glanced back at her and winced at her death glare. “I’m sorry…” he trailed off, shrinking back from the anger that radiated off her.
“Shut up!”
“A-Amber…I… didn’t…” Bernd gestured towards the tree. “I… don’t know why…”
“SHUT. UP!”
Amber glared at the play of emotion on his face, before turning away. She focused, instead, on the flaming Christmas tree. Now what to do…? She refused to give into the panic that was threatening to overwhelm her. The last thing they needed was the house burning down. Amber took several deep breaths, trying to center herself. She had to calm down or she was going to verbally blast him into the next county.
Bernd followed her gaze. This can’t be real… The blaring smoke alarm, the flames licking the ceiling, Amber’s rage at the accident… It wasn’t my fault… How was he supposed to know that the lights that they had put around the tree for as far back as he could remember would pick that moment to malfunction thanks to a broken bulb? A bulb he was trying to find by plugging in the lights in the first place. Damn it…! I knew I should have changed that bulb last night…!
The two of them never noticed the soft footsteps receding behind them; nor did they hear the clunk of something heavy, hitting the kitchen floor; or sound of said something scraping along the floor towards them.
Maria dragged the fire extinguisher as close to the fire as she dared. She remembered the fireman that came to her nursery school telling her to stay away from the flames as she could get burned. She also recalled the fireman telling her class to call the fire department, but she forgot the phone number, besides, Mutti and Vati and Mutti Amber did not like it when she touched the phone before they did. She stood there, pointing the fire extinguisher at the tree, while wondering how Onkle Didi made it work, that time a pan caught fire. She just knew it was what she was supposed to do, Onkle Didi said so. Maria wished her brother Fritz was there, he would know how to make it work.
“Bernd?! Amber?!” Wolfgang called out from the mudroom. He set the groceries down on the bench and ran through the kitchen, towards the sound of the smoke alarm. “Bernd?!” Spotting Maria dangerously near the tree, he pulled the four year old back. “Maria, nein!!” Wolfgang grabbed the fire extinguisher from his granddaughter and aimed it at the tree. He pulled the firing ring and squeezed the handle. White foam shot out of it. “Someone call the fire department!”
Amber scooped up Maria and ran to the kitchen, while Bernd patted himself down, looking for his phone.
“Now, Bernd!” Wolfgang barked in German.
“Jawohl!” Bernd ran to the kitchen.
“I called,” Greta said as she came into the den. “I think we should all go outside.” She headed back to the kitchen. “Come.” She gently herded Amber and Maria outside. “What happened?”
Amber paused to order her thoughts. Taking a deep breath, she said, “Bernd plugged in the tree and the lights exploded and it went up in flames.”
“Thank Gott no one was hurt!” Greta hugged her daughter close.
“I know, but I… can’t…” Amber trailed off and shot her girlfriend a look.
Greta nodded. She knew Amber would explain when the time was right. “Look, liebchen, there’s the fire truck.” While the truck was heard, before it was seen, it soon came into view.
Maria squirmed in Greta’s arms in an attempt to see it. “Careful, Liebchen!” Greta said as she put her down. “Stay by Mutti!”
“Vati! Opa! The fire truck’s here!” Maria hoped they brought their spotted dog, like they did when they visited her nursery school.
“I see,” Bernd said as he came over to them. He scooped up his daughter when she pulled away from her mother and ran to him.
Wolfgang went over to the fire chief and spoke to him.
“Vati, did you see the doggy?”
“Nein, Häschen,” Bernd said. He kissed her cheek and set her down.
“Dummkopf!” Greta glared at him. “Come, Liebchen.” She took Maria by the hand and walked towards the fire truck.
“I’m sorry! I didn’t do it on purpose!!” Bernd called out after her.
“I know,” Amber said softly. “It’s just that it was stupid and scary and that’s my home, our home, that nearly burnt down.” Amber leaned into him.
Bernd wrapped his arms around her. “I know and I’m sorry I scared you.”
“You’d better tell Vati that, before he kills you.”
“He knows.”
“I know, but still.” Amber stepped back and looked him in the eye. “Think about it from Vati’s point of view, we were standing there like a bunch of…” She frowned. “And umm… apparently Maria was trying to save the day with the fire extinguisher.” She smiled proudly at the thought of her baby hero. “And anyway it’s over and hopefully, there’s not too much damage.”
“Ja…” Bernd pulled her close again.
“Next time, be more careful, okay?” She stepped back and wagged her finger at him.
“Will do, Mutti.” Bernd grinned at her, knowing she had forgiven him.
“Numbnuts…” Amber shook her head at him and Bernd found he had to agree.
Wolfgang strode over to them. “What happened?”
“I plugged in the lights so I could find that burnt out bulb and the tree-” Bernd started.
“Burst into flame,” Amber finished.
“Not exactly,” Bernd said.
“Close enough.”
“Anyway, the tree caught fire and I just kinda… froze?” Bernd rubbed the back of his neck. “It was really uh… surreal, Vati. Like it was happening, but not happening.”
“Yeah. And I was so upset, I couldn’t do anything.”
“Okay, but how did Maria know to get the fire extinguisher?” Wolfgang said.
“She takes after her mothers?” Bernd said.
Wolfgang and Amber shot him identical looks.
“School? She’s really smart,” Bernd said.
Didi passed the fire truck on the way to his father’s house. He parked his car and walked over to where his father was standing, talking to Amber and his brother Bernd. “What happened?” Didi said. “You weren’t cooking something, were you?” he said to his brother. He was surprised his brother had not burned the place down before, during any of the numerous times he had attempted to make dinner for everyone.
“No, I was looking for a dead bulb and the stupid tree caught fire.” A touch of irritation had crept into his voice as Bernd was getting tired of explaining himself.
“Oh, but why didn’t you just grab the fire extinguisher? It’s in the cabinet near the stove.”
“Apparently, Maria is the only one who knows that,” Bernd said, “besides you.”
“Oh, that’s because I made sure to tell her where it was and that she’s supposed to get an adult to use it,” Didi said. “I told the same thing to Fritz when he was that age.”
“She tried using it herself as these two decided to watch the tree burn and take the house with it,” Wolfgang chuckled.
“I believe you’d do that, Bruder, but Amber?” Didi chuckled.
Amber’s cheeks turned red. “Well, your brother’s stupidity is catchy at times,” she said as if that explained what she felt was a massive lapse in judgment.
Didi laughed. “Tell me about it!” He looked over at his brother, before focusing his attention back on his father. “So is everything okay?”
“Ja. The fire marshal said we were lucky it was just the tree that caught fire. The walls are singed and we shouldn’t use that outlet anymore. Oh, and when I have time, I need to call an electrician as he said we should think about having the house rewired. He thinks there was a short from a power surge and the broken bulbs didn’t help.”
“Good. Oh, hey, Maria, Greta,” Didi said as they approached.
“Look, Onkle! The fireman gave me some candy!” Maria held up a couple of small candy canes. “Where’s Fritzi?”
“He’s over at your Onkle James’. Onkle Tino went to go get him.”
“Will he be here soon?” Maria said.
“Ja…” Didi turned his attention back to Greta. “Candy?” he prompted.
She nodded. “They were out, throwing them at the kids like they do every year, when they got my call,” Greta said. “That’s how they got here so quickly.”
“Sounds like a real Christmas miracle.”
Amber nodded. “Yeah. What is it, Honey?”
“Mutti Amber, can I have a candy?”
“Later.” Amber smiled at her.
Maria walked over to her mother, hoping she would say “yes.”
“What did Mutti Amber say?” Greta said quietly to her daughter, who had asked if she could eat them, while the adults were talking.
“She said I can eat it later.” Maria handed them over to her mother. “Can Onkle Didi have one?”
“Ja.” Greta handed her the candy cane.
“Danke, Maria,” Didi said when she gave him the candy cane.
“I think we’d better go inside,” Wolfgang said. He herded them towards the house, while the firemen packed up and left.
Inside, everyone headed over to the den to survey the damage. The adults agreed a new tree was in order and that tomorrow, Wolfgang and his sons would go out into the woods and get one. While they were pondering what to do about dinner as no one felt like going near the stove, Minky came home.
She walked in house, Fritz and Didi’s husband Tino in tow, who she had met on the way in. “Fritz, can you put my bag downstairs?” She wrinkled her nose at the smoky smell. “It stinks in here,” she said to Tino, after Fritz had left. She could hear Fritz talking to the others in the kitchen about the fun he had had with Onkle James and Onkle Cesare.
“Yeah. Maybe Bernd was cooking,” Tino said.
“Smells like it.”
They entered the kitchen to find everyone sitting there. “I guess it’s a good thing Bernd burned dinner as I got us some takeout,” she joked. Minky frowned when no one laughed. “What happened?”
“I set the tree on fire,” Bernd began.
“When he was looking for that burned out bulb,” Amber finished.
“And for some reason Maria was trying to put it out,” Greta added. She still could not believe how calm and brave her baby had been during the whole ordeal.
“It was a short in the wiring, and we’re lucky we never burnt the house down before,” Wolfgang said. “The fire department came and the fire marshal said there was faulty wiring in the house. We need to be careful with the lights until I can call someone after Christmas.”
Tino went over to his husband and spoke quietly with him.
“Wow! And to think I had a crazy day at work. It was nothing compared to this,” Minky said.
“Vati?” Tino said.
“Ja?”
“You guys can come stay with us.”
“Yeah,” Didi said. “I know our apartment’s small, but you can have our room and the rest of us will camp out in the living room.”
“It’ll be fun!” Tino said. “Santa’ll find you there,” he added in case the kids the kids were worried about their Christmas.
“So what do you say?” Didi and Tino looked expectantly at their family.
“Can we, Opa?!” the kids chorused. They were excited about the idea of a huge sleepover as it was always fun at their uncles’ place.
“How about we eat first, before it gets cold?” Minky said as she unpacked the bag of takeout. “Bernd,” she said softly, “can you get some plates and silverware?”
“Uh, okay,” he said as he hurried to comply.
“You sure it won’t be too much trouble?” Wolfgang said.
“Yeah.”
And with that, things suddenly went back to normal. The fire and the resulting trouble were briefly forgotten as everyone loaded up their plates and carried them into the dining room. It was nice as the holiday spirit took hold of them again.
“Next year, we’re going to light my travel menorah,” Minky said to Bernd.
“Why? I love that one your grandmother gave you.”
“I know it’s smaller, but it uses birthday candles, so less of a chance of you succeeding in burning the place down,” she teased.
Bernd laughed. “But I never had a problem lighting the candles before!” He wagged his finger at her.
“I know, but I think everyone’s worried you’re starting another one of your crazy holiday traditions.” Minky chuckled at the thought of sushi menorah that had become a part their Hanukkah celebrations and she looked forward to it again next year.
Bernd frowned as he thought it over. “Oh…” His cheeks heated up as Minky shook her head at him.
Amber looked around the table in between bites. She was glad the holidays had not been ruined as she had feared. She leaned towards Bernd. “I’m really sorry, I got so mad at you before,” she said softly.
He gave her his patented lopsided grin. “I’m sorry, I upset you. I really am,” he said, giving her thigh a gentle squeeze under the table to emphasize his words. “I love you and I’d never do anything to hurt you.”
“I know.” She smiled at him.
Bernd grinned back at her. “And next year, you’re in charge of finding any broken bulbs, okay?”
“Okay.”
Fandom: Original
Characters: Bernd, Amber, Wolfgang, Greta, Maria, Minky, Didi, Fritz, Tino
Word count: 2413
Rating: PG
Prompt: Some people want to watch the tree burn, Burnt Out Bulb, Christmas Miracle, Chinese Takeout
Summary: While Bernd searches for a burnt out bulb, the Christmas tree catches fire…
Author’s Note: This fic uses all 4 prompts.
Author’s Note 2: Thanks go out to Kat for pinking this.
Author’s Note 3: This is a shared universe with Kat and Greta, Amber, Minky, and Maria belong to her. So does James, who’s mentioned.
Amber wanted to throttle him for plugging in the lights that adorned the Christmas tree, especially since he knew there was a burnt out bulb. A couple of them popped and crackled, one even shattered, sending fragments of glass everywhere. How could he thoughtlessly destroy the only place that ever felt like home to her? God, Bernd, why are you such an unthinking asshole at times…? Amber blinked away the tears that suddenly filled her eyes. She let out a breath that was part heartsick sigh, part angry huff. “IDIOT!!” A part of her knew she was being unreasonable as it was not exactly his fault, but she was so angry that she could not help it.
Bernd looked from the tree to Amber and back again. He watched in horror as the tree slowly caught fire. He shook his head, mesmerized by the flames that danced along the branches. Acrid smoke, tinged with the sweet smell of pine, assaulted his nostrils. He coughed, his attention briefly drawn to the blaring smoke alarm. He glanced back at her and winced at her death glare. “I’m sorry…” he trailed off, shrinking back from the anger that radiated off her.
“Shut up!”
“A-Amber…I… didn’t…” Bernd gestured towards the tree. “I… don’t know why…”
“SHUT. UP!”
Amber glared at the play of emotion on his face, before turning away. She focused, instead, on the flaming Christmas tree. Now what to do…? She refused to give into the panic that was threatening to overwhelm her. The last thing they needed was the house burning down. Amber took several deep breaths, trying to center herself. She had to calm down or she was going to verbally blast him into the next county.
Bernd followed her gaze. This can’t be real… The blaring smoke alarm, the flames licking the ceiling, Amber’s rage at the accident… It wasn’t my fault… How was he supposed to know that the lights that they had put around the tree for as far back as he could remember would pick that moment to malfunction thanks to a broken bulb? A bulb he was trying to find by plugging in the lights in the first place. Damn it…! I knew I should have changed that bulb last night…!
The two of them never noticed the soft footsteps receding behind them; nor did they hear the clunk of something heavy, hitting the kitchen floor; or sound of said something scraping along the floor towards them.
Maria dragged the fire extinguisher as close to the fire as she dared. She remembered the fireman that came to her nursery school telling her to stay away from the flames as she could get burned. She also recalled the fireman telling her class to call the fire department, but she forgot the phone number, besides, Mutti and Vati and Mutti Amber did not like it when she touched the phone before they did. She stood there, pointing the fire extinguisher at the tree, while wondering how Onkle Didi made it work, that time a pan caught fire. She just knew it was what she was supposed to do, Onkle Didi said so. Maria wished her brother Fritz was there, he would know how to make it work.
“Bernd?! Amber?!” Wolfgang called out from the mudroom. He set the groceries down on the bench and ran through the kitchen, towards the sound of the smoke alarm. “Bernd?!” Spotting Maria dangerously near the tree, he pulled the four year old back. “Maria, nein!!” Wolfgang grabbed the fire extinguisher from his granddaughter and aimed it at the tree. He pulled the firing ring and squeezed the handle. White foam shot out of it. “Someone call the fire department!”
Amber scooped up Maria and ran to the kitchen, while Bernd patted himself down, looking for his phone.
“Now, Bernd!” Wolfgang barked in German.
“Jawohl!” Bernd ran to the kitchen.
“I called,” Greta said as she came into the den. “I think we should all go outside.” She headed back to the kitchen. “Come.” She gently herded Amber and Maria outside. “What happened?”
Amber paused to order her thoughts. Taking a deep breath, she said, “Bernd plugged in the tree and the lights exploded and it went up in flames.”
“Thank Gott no one was hurt!” Greta hugged her daughter close.
“I know, but I… can’t…” Amber trailed off and shot her girlfriend a look.
Greta nodded. She knew Amber would explain when the time was right. “Look, liebchen, there’s the fire truck.” While the truck was heard, before it was seen, it soon came into view.
Maria squirmed in Greta’s arms in an attempt to see it. “Careful, Liebchen!” Greta said as she put her down. “Stay by Mutti!”
“Vati! Opa! The fire truck’s here!” Maria hoped they brought their spotted dog, like they did when they visited her nursery school.
“I see,” Bernd said as he came over to them. He scooped up his daughter when she pulled away from her mother and ran to him.
Wolfgang went over to the fire chief and spoke to him.
“Vati, did you see the doggy?”
“Nein, Häschen,” Bernd said. He kissed her cheek and set her down.
“Dummkopf!” Greta glared at him. “Come, Liebchen.” She took Maria by the hand and walked towards the fire truck.
“I’m sorry! I didn’t do it on purpose!!” Bernd called out after her.
“I know,” Amber said softly. “It’s just that it was stupid and scary and that’s my home, our home, that nearly burnt down.” Amber leaned into him.
Bernd wrapped his arms around her. “I know and I’m sorry I scared you.”
“You’d better tell Vati that, before he kills you.”
“He knows.”
“I know, but still.” Amber stepped back and looked him in the eye. “Think about it from Vati’s point of view, we were standing there like a bunch of…” She frowned. “And umm… apparently Maria was trying to save the day with the fire extinguisher.” She smiled proudly at the thought of her baby hero. “And anyway it’s over and hopefully, there’s not too much damage.”
“Ja…” Bernd pulled her close again.
“Next time, be more careful, okay?” She stepped back and wagged her finger at him.
“Will do, Mutti.” Bernd grinned at her, knowing she had forgiven him.
“Numbnuts…” Amber shook her head at him and Bernd found he had to agree.
Wolfgang strode over to them. “What happened?”
“I plugged in the lights so I could find that burnt out bulb and the tree-” Bernd started.
“Burst into flame,” Amber finished.
“Not exactly,” Bernd said.
“Close enough.”
“Anyway, the tree caught fire and I just kinda… froze?” Bernd rubbed the back of his neck. “It was really uh… surreal, Vati. Like it was happening, but not happening.”
“Yeah. And I was so upset, I couldn’t do anything.”
“Okay, but how did Maria know to get the fire extinguisher?” Wolfgang said.
“She takes after her mothers?” Bernd said.
Wolfgang and Amber shot him identical looks.
“School? She’s really smart,” Bernd said.
Didi passed the fire truck on the way to his father’s house. He parked his car and walked over to where his father was standing, talking to Amber and his brother Bernd. “What happened?” Didi said. “You weren’t cooking something, were you?” he said to his brother. He was surprised his brother had not burned the place down before, during any of the numerous times he had attempted to make dinner for everyone.
“No, I was looking for a dead bulb and the stupid tree caught fire.” A touch of irritation had crept into his voice as Bernd was getting tired of explaining himself.
“Oh, but why didn’t you just grab the fire extinguisher? It’s in the cabinet near the stove.”
“Apparently, Maria is the only one who knows that,” Bernd said, “besides you.”
“Oh, that’s because I made sure to tell her where it was and that she’s supposed to get an adult to use it,” Didi said. “I told the same thing to Fritz when he was that age.”
“She tried using it herself as these two decided to watch the tree burn and take the house with it,” Wolfgang chuckled.
“I believe you’d do that, Bruder, but Amber?” Didi chuckled.
Amber’s cheeks turned red. “Well, your brother’s stupidity is catchy at times,” she said as if that explained what she felt was a massive lapse in judgment.
Didi laughed. “Tell me about it!” He looked over at his brother, before focusing his attention back on his father. “So is everything okay?”
“Ja. The fire marshal said we were lucky it was just the tree that caught fire. The walls are singed and we shouldn’t use that outlet anymore. Oh, and when I have time, I need to call an electrician as he said we should think about having the house rewired. He thinks there was a short from a power surge and the broken bulbs didn’t help.”
“Good. Oh, hey, Maria, Greta,” Didi said as they approached.
“Look, Onkle! The fireman gave me some candy!” Maria held up a couple of small candy canes. “Where’s Fritzi?”
“He’s over at your Onkle James’. Onkle Tino went to go get him.”
“Will he be here soon?” Maria said.
“Ja…” Didi turned his attention back to Greta. “Candy?” he prompted.
She nodded. “They were out, throwing them at the kids like they do every year, when they got my call,” Greta said. “That’s how they got here so quickly.”
“Sounds like a real Christmas miracle.”
Amber nodded. “Yeah. What is it, Honey?”
“Mutti Amber, can I have a candy?”
“Later.” Amber smiled at her.
Maria walked over to her mother, hoping she would say “yes.”
“What did Mutti Amber say?” Greta said quietly to her daughter, who had asked if she could eat them, while the adults were talking.
“She said I can eat it later.” Maria handed them over to her mother. “Can Onkle Didi have one?”
“Ja.” Greta handed her the candy cane.
“Danke, Maria,” Didi said when she gave him the candy cane.
“I think we’d better go inside,” Wolfgang said. He herded them towards the house, while the firemen packed up and left.
Inside, everyone headed over to the den to survey the damage. The adults agreed a new tree was in order and that tomorrow, Wolfgang and his sons would go out into the woods and get one. While they were pondering what to do about dinner as no one felt like going near the stove, Minky came home.
She walked in house, Fritz and Didi’s husband Tino in tow, who she had met on the way in. “Fritz, can you put my bag downstairs?” She wrinkled her nose at the smoky smell. “It stinks in here,” she said to Tino, after Fritz had left. She could hear Fritz talking to the others in the kitchen about the fun he had had with Onkle James and Onkle Cesare.
“Yeah. Maybe Bernd was cooking,” Tino said.
“Smells like it.”
They entered the kitchen to find everyone sitting there. “I guess it’s a good thing Bernd burned dinner as I got us some takeout,” she joked. Minky frowned when no one laughed. “What happened?”
“I set the tree on fire,” Bernd began.
“When he was looking for that burned out bulb,” Amber finished.
“And for some reason Maria was trying to put it out,” Greta added. She still could not believe how calm and brave her baby had been during the whole ordeal.
“It was a short in the wiring, and we’re lucky we never burnt the house down before,” Wolfgang said. “The fire department came and the fire marshal said there was faulty wiring in the house. We need to be careful with the lights until I can call someone after Christmas.”
Tino went over to his husband and spoke quietly with him.
“Wow! And to think I had a crazy day at work. It was nothing compared to this,” Minky said.
“Vati?” Tino said.
“Ja?”
“You guys can come stay with us.”
“Yeah,” Didi said. “I know our apartment’s small, but you can have our room and the rest of us will camp out in the living room.”
“It’ll be fun!” Tino said. “Santa’ll find you there,” he added in case the kids the kids were worried about their Christmas.
“So what do you say?” Didi and Tino looked expectantly at their family.
“Can we, Opa?!” the kids chorused. They were excited about the idea of a huge sleepover as it was always fun at their uncles’ place.
“How about we eat first, before it gets cold?” Minky said as she unpacked the bag of takeout. “Bernd,” she said softly, “can you get some plates and silverware?”
“Uh, okay,” he said as he hurried to comply.
“You sure it won’t be too much trouble?” Wolfgang said.
“Yeah.”
And with that, things suddenly went back to normal. The fire and the resulting trouble were briefly forgotten as everyone loaded up their plates and carried them into the dining room. It was nice as the holiday spirit took hold of them again.
“Next year, we’re going to light my travel menorah,” Minky said to Bernd.
“Why? I love that one your grandmother gave you.”
“I know it’s smaller, but it uses birthday candles, so less of a chance of you succeeding in burning the place down,” she teased.
Bernd laughed. “But I never had a problem lighting the candles before!” He wagged his finger at her.
“I know, but I think everyone’s worried you’re starting another one of your crazy holiday traditions.” Minky chuckled at the thought of sushi menorah that had become a part their Hanukkah celebrations and she looked forward to it again next year.
Bernd frowned as he thought it over. “Oh…” His cheeks heated up as Minky shook her head at him.
Amber looked around the table in between bites. She was glad the holidays had not been ruined as she had feared. She leaned towards Bernd. “I’m really sorry, I got so mad at you before,” she said softly.
He gave her his patented lopsided grin. “I’m sorry, I upset you. I really am,” he said, giving her thigh a gentle squeeze under the table to emphasize his words. “I love you and I’d never do anything to hurt you.”
“I know.” She smiled at him.
Bernd grinned back at her. “And next year, you’re in charge of finding any broken bulbs, okay?”
“Okay.”