'Tell me your secrets and ask me your questions,Oh, let's go back to the start'

I woke up early, I always did at Christmas, this year was different though. 

Turning my head, I looked at the man who laid next to me. I didn't know how I could have gotten so lucky at the time. Charles has just entered my life by chance, I had met him at a bar on a night out and as they say, the rest is history. At least it would be if there was going to be longer than this. 

Not wanting to think about it too much, I silently slipped from my bed before wrapping my dressing gown around myself and heading through to the kitchen. I made myself a coffee as I looked out the window. It was still dark as it was early but I could see the snow had been falling again last night. 

Wrapping my hands around my mug, I walked into the living room area, sitting on the sofa where I sat on my own in the quiet and darkness of my flat. In the room was the bare minimum needed to live, along with the Christmas decorations that I had put up. 

Using the controller, I put the telly on before I sat on the floor in front of the tree. I let the light from the screen be my guide as I pulled forward a present I had brought for Charles. 

I remembered struggling to find him something, what do you buy someone who has everything? Charles was a famous Formula One driver, someone who could just buy whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted to. I finally found something, something which reminded me of our first night we spent together. 

"Hey," Charles voice was soft but it made me jump. 

Turning my head, I looked at him and gave him a smile, "Sorry. I didn't mean to wake you."

"You didn't," he said as he walked across the room to me and sit down next to me on the floor. "Why are you up so early?" He kissed me on the forehead as he looked at me with a sad smile. 

I nudged him a little as he put his arm around me, "I just, it's Chrismas, I'm just excited."

Charles watched me, as he held me close to him. "Okay then," he avoided pressing me as he smiled. "We have two hours before we need to go to your parents for the day," he reminded me as he got up and held his hands out for me to get up. 

Taking his hands, I got up with his help before I kissed his lips in a playful manner. "Do you want to open your gift now then?" I asked him as I crouched down and picked up the present I was holding before. 

He looked at the present that I offered him, "Zara, I thought we weren't doing gifts."

"I see you got me something too," I teased him as I gave him a slight smirk. 

Charles winked at me, "I couldn't just get you nothing." He took the little present from me before he smiled at me. "What is this?"

My eyes looked at the present before I looked back into his eyes, "Just open it." 

He slowly unwrapped the present, before holding the box in his hands. "Zara," he gave me a warning look before he opened the box his eyes glancing back at the contents of the box. "Zara, I can't." He tried to hand me the box back but I smiled at him and shook my head as I put my hands up defensively refusing to take the box. 

"I know I'm leaving soon," I sighed as I spoke. I didn't want to talk about the subject but I think it needed to be brought up. "I just wanted to give you something to remember me by," I chuckled as I tried to be honest with him. 

Charles closed the box before he pulled me closer to him, he leaned his forehead against mine, both of us closing our eyes as we thought about the awful truth and the looming departure. 

Our fingers linked through each others as we stood for a moment, "I could never forget you, Zara." Charles voice was a whisper. 

"I love you," I told him my voice seeming to match his. 

"I know," he laughed as we both opened our eyes and looked at each other. I laughed with him as we hugged each other tightly. "I know its all about to change," he said as he ran his fingers through my hair before he pulled back and looked into my eyes. "But, we have the Christmas period together, so let's just have a good time."

Reaching for the present I brought for him, I opened it and smiled as I looked at him. "Promise me, you'll wear these today," I said as I looked down at the cufflinks I had specially made for him. The cufflinks with the saying on it which we'd always used since falling in love, the same quote that we'd heard on the first night we spent together.

Charles nodded, "Of course I will." He looked at me, his smile was so wide. "."