yuletide!

I am sitting in front of the Christmas tree, wearing new fleece pants, fleece-lined socks, and a fleecy RED SOX WORLD SERIES CHAMPS sweatshirt. I could not be a happier camper.

You know why else I could not be a happier camper? My lovely Yuletide gift!

At the Veracity, by anonymous
"She Keeps Me Warm" music video, Mary Lambert

Great Expectations smells like ink and fresh paper, when she carefully cracks it open and traces the first lines. “So I called myself Pip, and came to be called Pip.” The paper is a little coarse under her fingertips, just right. Naming and becoming yourself, she thinks, not bad. Carry on, mister Dickens.

When she looks up from the page, she catches the dark eyes of the barista behind the espresso machine and smiles instinctively. The words are out of focus when she looks back down, print blurred over with the impression of that dark tousled hair, the tilt of the eyebrows. May shakes herself minutely, taps her fingers on the book cover and returns to so I came to be called Pip.

I'm pretty sure I whisper-screamed "LESBIAAAAAANS" in delight for like five minutes straight when the archive opened, before then screaming "THIS IS SO GODDAMN CUTE" forever. This was exactly what I hoped for when I made this request!! The tone is so warm and sweet, I want to roll it in for days. The author does a marvelous job of capturing the frisson and excitement of a new crush and of a new relationship, I love it so much!!!

All is right and good in the world! Merry Christmas to those of you who celebrate!