Grouch-ish

<p><em style=color: rgba(34 34 34 1); background-color: rgba(0 0 0 0)>Let's start here</em><span style=color: rgba(34 34 34 1); background-color: rgba(0 0 0 0)>. The twelve days of Christmas are actually </span><em style=color: rgba(34 34 34 1); background-color: rgba(0 0 0 0)>after</em><span style=color: rgba(34 34 34 1); background-color: rgba(0 0 0 0)> the holiday.</span></p><p><span style=color: rgba(34 34 34 1); background-color: rgba(0 0 0 0)> </span></p><p><span style=color: rgba(34 34 34 1); background-color: rgba(0 0 0 0)>And my dad being the great guy he is and the battalion chief of the fire department signs up one of his rebellious firefighters for a retreat because of his bad behavior.</span></p><p><span style=color: rgba(34 34 34 1); background-color: rgba(0 0 0 0)> </span></p><p><span style=color: rgba(34 34 34 1); background-color: rgba(0 0 0 0)>The guy is a total grouch.</span></p><p><span style=color: rgba(34 34 34 1); background-color: rgba(0 0 0 0)> </span></p><p><span style=color: rgba(34 34 34 1); background-color: rgba(0 0 0 0)>But when he misses the bus for the adult redemption camp Dad sticks the guy with me for twelve days. </span></p><p><span style=color: rgba(34 34 34 1); background-color: rgba(0 0 0 0)> </span></p><p><em style=color: rgba(34 34 34 1); background-color: rgba(0 0 0 0)>Alone</em><span style=color: rgba(34 34 34 1); background-color: rgba(0 0 0 0)>.</span></p><p><span style=color: rgba(34 34 34 1); background-color: rgba(0 0 0 0)> </span></p><p><span style=color: rgba(34 34 34 1); background-color: rgba(0 0 0 0)>So on the dozen days some mysterious true love-which I have yet to experience-should be bringing me gifts like French hens and golden rings I'm in charge of this firebird on our pear farm. Being the city man he is he doesn't have a clue how to can fruit mend fences or milk cows.</span></p><p><span style=color: rgba(34 34 34 1); background-color: rgba(0 0 0 0)> </span></p><p><span style=color: rgba(34 34 34 1); background-color: rgba(0 0 0 0)>But he knows how to kiss . . .</span></p><p><span style=color: rgba(34 34 34 1); background-color: rgba(0 0 0 0)> </span></p><p><span style=color: rgba(34 34 34 1); background-color: rgba(0 0 0 0)>Not that we should be doing such a thing. Only his silver beard is sexy and his crooked smile kind of sweet. He has this alpha energy vibrating around his well-honed body but underneath the grumpy exterior is a man lonely for something more in his life like me.</span></p><p><span style=color: rgba(34 34 34 1); background-color: rgba(0 0 0 0)> </span></p><p><span style=color: rgba(34 34 34 1); background-color: rgba(0 0 0 0)>And instead of gifting each other random birds leaping lords and piping pipers the gift we give one another is time . . . and our bodies.</span></p><p><span style=color: rgba(34 34 34 1); background-color: rgba(0 0 0 0)> </span></p><p><span style=color: rgba(34 34 34 1); background-color: rgba(0 0 0 0)>But what about our hearts?</span></p><p><span style=color: rgba(34 34 34 1); background-color: rgba(0 0 0 0)> </span></p><p><span style=color: rgba(34 34 34 1); background-color: rgba(0 0 0 0)>Maybe true love will strike after all.</span></p><p><span style=color: rgba(34 34 34 1); background-color: rgba(0 0 0 0)> </span></p><p><span style=color: rgba(34 34 34 1); background-color: rgba(0 0 0 0)>A lot can happen in twelve days.</span></p><p></p>