It was Christmas Eve and Lizzie Childers saw the outlining of a figure across the street. She could barely make out the figure since there was so much snow falling from the sky. The figure was coming toward her house and she quickly averted her attention to something else.

David Gordon, also known as Gordo, looked at the beautiful figure smiling with her two children and the man that he grew to envy over the years. The children's names were Abby and Michael and they both were brought up well. The children were both twins, one was a girl and the other a boy. Gordo would of liked the husband of Lizzie, he had the charm, the looks, everything that Gordo didn't have, but the fact that he was Lizzie's husband made his heart yelp in pain.

Then for one second, Lizzie stared in Gordo's eyes and he searched for an expression of excitement on her face, but didn't see any. The only reason there was no excitement on her face was because she did not know whom the strange figure was. Gordo longed and longed for Lizzie, but she was already taken, because not even he could tell Lizzie his deepest darkest feelings for her. He had tried and tried to tell Lizzie his feelings, but since he couldn't, someone else did it and since then Lizzie had shared a new last name.

Gordo stopped gazing at Lizzie and decided to join Lizzie's family and his best friend to enjoy their Christmas Eve dinner. He walked up the Childers' step and rang the doorbell. The sound echoed through the house and Miranda came running up to answer it.

" Merry Christmas," yelled Miranda as she embraced Gordo into a hug.

" Hey Miranda, Merry Christmas to you to," replied Gordo.

Lizzie was standing in the background where her children were. She smiled her amazing smile that Gordo had known for so long. Then it was Lizzie's turn to hug Gordo and she embraced Gordo into her arms and for awhile it seemed like Gordo could not let her go.

While Miranda was watching them, she remembered the day that Gordo had told Miranda that he loved Lizzie. Miranda had tried and tried to get them together, but it had never worked, because Lizzie loved another man. It was obvious that Gordo loved Lizzie, even Carl, Lizzie's husband, knew that Gordo took an interest to Lizzie, but Lizzie was the only one who didn't know that Gordo liked her in that way.

After the hug, Gordo hugged Lizzie's children, because the children always thought of Gordo has a fatherly figure. They were actually the godchildren of Gordo. Gordo made a great godfather because he never forgot their birthday or anything like that.

Miranda and Lizzie went into the kitchen to set out the table with assortments of foods while Gordo and Carl started some small talk. They both went into the living room with Carl smoking a pipe and Gordo drinking a beer that Miranda had offered Gordo.

Carl started the conversation first by asking, " So Gordo, have you been seeing anybody lately, like dating?"

"No."

"What happened to Janice, the girl you were going out with a year ago? Why didn't that relationship didn't work?"

"It just didn't work out because I liked somebody else and it just didn't work out?"

"Who did you like?"

Gordo had gone far enough because he knew that Carl knew that Gordo liked Lizzie, a lot. He didn't want to completely give it away and have Gordo banned from the house. There probably might never be a chance to tell Lizzie about how Gordo felt about her.

"Just a girl I met from college a long time ago," explained Gordo.

"Oh," said Carl with a look of disappointment on his face, as if expecting him to say Lizzie.

While Carl and Gordo were talking about how the stock market was going, since Carl was a stockbroker, Lizzie and Miranda were whispering in the kitchen so no one could hear them.

"Lizzie," whispered Miranda.

"What?" replied Lizzie.

"You have seemed very quiet these past few months. I mean you barely talk, eat, or do anything like you used to do. And whenever I ask you to come with me to do some shopping you go, " Oh I can't or I have to pick up the kids from school" or something like that. Why is this?"

" Miranda…"

"Tell me Lizzie, I am your best friend, you can tell me anything."

"Gosh you sound like you were when you were 13. You always used to say those kinds of things when we were little."

"Lizzie, I am serious, please tell me what is going on. I am really worried about you."

Lizzie choked back tears and said, "It's Carl. I mean he is never home and whenever he is home he forces me not see or talk to guys, especially Gordo. But I convinced him that we were just best friends. I can't even talk to the guys that mean the most to me like Gordo and I just don't know what to do."

Miranda turned her head away to hide the expression on her face from what Lizzie said. Miranda could never tell her that Gordo loved her or that would affect the relationship with Lizzie and Carl. If only Gordo told Lizzie that he loved her things would work out and Lizzie would have the perfect life.

"Lizzie I am so sorry, I mean I really don't know what it is like to have a husband because I have never been married, but all I can tell you is trust your inner self. Maybe you should talk about it with him."

"I have but he just tells me that it isn't true. I really don't want to get a divorce because I do like him and he is my husband. And also think about the kids and how they would deal with that. All I just want to do is just get through Christmas and I will deal with my problems later."

Miranda hugged her best friend and she knew that Lizzie was holding something back that she wasn't telling her. Even though Lizzie was her best friend, the only person who would help her would be Gordo. Gordo was always the one to solve her problems and vice versa.

RING RING.

Lizzie picked up the phone and said in the speaker, "Hello."

"Hey Lizzie, how is my baby doing?" asked Lizzie's mother.

"Hey Mom! Merry Christmas. The children say hi to and I wish you were up here in Colorado but I completely understand about Dad's bunion surgery. Is he doing okay?" questioned Lizzie.

Miranda laughed at the fact of Mr. McGuire having bunion surgery.

"Oh yes, he is doing fine, but all I wanted to do was wish you a Merry Christmas and same to Gordo and Miranda."

"What about Carl?"

"Yes and him too."

See Ms. McGuire was always very supportive of Lizzie but she didn't like the fact that Lizzie married such an obnoxious, self-centered man. She would have been glad for Lizzie to marry Gordo, but Ms. McGuire didn't say a peep about what she thought.

"Oh sorry, and Carl too, I forgot about him," Ms. McGuire said.

"Can you put Dad on the phone please?" asked Lizzie.

"He is asleep right now, but as soon as he awakes I'll let him call you, but let me speak to my two favorite grandchildren," she instructed.

Lizzie handed the phone to the two excited children and said to both of them to hurry and finish talking to their grandmother and hurry and get ready for dinner.

"Carl and Gordo if you could please come to the dinner table because dinner is ready," yelled Lizzie from the kitchen.

Everybody gathered around the table and picked their seats. Gordo was anxious to sit next to Lizzie, but he knew that she would rather sit by her husband. But to Gordo's surprise, Lizzie chose a seat next to him and Abby. Even Carl was surprised, but Miranda wasn't since she knew Lizzie's secret.

After the wondrous dinner that Lizzie and Miranda had prepared they both gathered around the fire for presents. The presents were under the shining Christmas tree with colorful wrapping and big bows. Most of them were from Miranda and Gordo to the children since the children didn't get their presents until the next day, but one of the presents was for Lizzie. Gordo had spent a great time thinking of what to get Lizzie and he decided to get her a diamond heart that said on the back Love, Gordo. He wrote a note on the present saying for her to open it later when she was alone since her husband might have Gordo banned from the house.

"Present Time, Present TIME," yelled the children's shrieks as they hurried into the family room to open up their presents.

Lizzie sat next to her children on one couch as the other three sat on the other couch. One at a time, the children opened each of their presents with glee.

"What do you say?" asked Lizzie as she carefully reminded the children to always say thank you when somebody gave you a gift.

"Thank you," Abby and Michael said in unison as they bounced around the room.

Abby and Michael both gave Gordo and Miranda a kiss on the cheek for their many gifts that they gave them. Then they bounded of into the other room to call Grandma McGuire and Grandpa McGuire to thank them for the beautiful gifts that they received.

"Now it's time to open our gifts," said Carl as he carefully brought the presents over to Lizzie, Miranda, and Gordo.

"Now honey, you know that I will give your gifts to you tomorrow night and vice versa, but let Miranda and Gordo give us our gifts to us," explained Carl.

Both Miranda and Gordo wanted to yell out that he didn't deserve to get presents, but they didn't and they did give him nice gifts, just not as nice as Lizzie's gifts.

"Here you go Lizzie; this is for you," Miranda said as she handed Lizzie her gift.

Lizzie smiled and graciously accepted the gift and opened it up. There it was, the beautiful dress that Lizzie had always wanted, but her husband wouldn't give it to her because it was too much. Miranda could see the expression on Carl's face as Lizzie opened the gift up.

"Oh my goodness, thank you so much Miranda. It is the dress that I always wanted," Lizzie said as she glared at Carl.

Lizzie and Miranda exchanged a hug and now it was Gordo's turn to give Lizzie her two presents one for opening later. Gordo gave Lizzie the brightly wrapped gifts and to her amazement she peeked at the card and put it off to the side and said, "I want to open that one later." Clearly, she got the message from Gordo.

As Lizzie opened the other gift that Gordo gave her she started to laugh.

"Oh Gordo, you got me the picture of when I was singing on stage in Rome. I remember how brave I was that day. I wish I still carried on that braveness so that I could use it on what I am going through, you know with the kids and everything," explained Lizzie.

No, that wasn't what Lizzie meant, she meant about what she was going with Carl and how Lizzie started to feel about Gordo. It wasn't a strong feeling, but she just always felt more comfortable with Gordo than her own husband. She did feel guilt, but the other times, he should too of what he did to her.

"Thank you very much Gordo," Lizzie said.

But Lizzie didn't do any kind of gesture to convince Gordo to give her a hug, even though he didn't need to be convinced. She just started to stare at the picture and thought of that night and on the rooftop about when she and Gordo shared that kiss. It was awkward, but it was wonderful nonetheless. She didn't feel that warmness in her heart when she kissed her husband, but how could she know she only kissed Gordo once besides the many times on the cheek. She wish that she did something about that kiss and she thought that they would be a couple after, but it was their mistake that they didn't do anything about that moment. All they did was to pretend to forget about it, even though that moment would forever become apart of them.

Lizzie snapped back to reality and offered Gordo a hug, but this time she felt something different. She felt her heart melt and from then on she knew that it wouldn't be the same.

After her friends left, she quietly crept upstairs to open the gift that Gordo gave to her. She was so curious about the gift that she left the kitchen with her husband who wasn't too happy about it. She opened the door and crept inside her bed to open the gift. As she opened the wrapping she could see Tiffany & Co. written across the blue box. Her fingertips lightly touched the velvet case. The case was soft and she couldn't wait anymore and she opened the box and there it was the most beautiful necklace she had ever seen. It was the greatest gift that somebody had ever given her, it was definitely more expensive than anything her husband had ever given her besides her wedding ring.

She got the message that he liked her, but why on earth would he tell her now, when she was married? Why now? Even though it was wrong, she would have rather been with Gordo, but it was the truth and she couldn't hide from it.

"Gordo, why do you tell me now? I love you Gordo," she said. And with these words she cried softly in her pillow because she had betrayed her husband and she knew that Gordo and her could never share another kiss again like they did on the rooftop.