like real people do./ arvin russell

0.7

i had always liked christmas time, i loved seeing people so happy and i loved the diner being lit up with christmas lights we'd had in storage for god only knows how long. harry was always the joy in our family when it came to x-mas, he always made everyone cards and he'd bake cookies and all kinds of desserts with momma every single time the holiday season came around.

i know you're probably wondering where arvin comes up in this equation, and honestly, i don't have an answer for you. the day arvin got out of jail and came back into my home, i felt like i couldn't breathe, harry was so excited to finally have arvin back and id be lying if i said i wasn't excited also, but arvin wasn't supposed to be there.

still i let him in and we sat and talked for hours about everything that we had missed all those years of us not talking, and i cried, for the first time ever i had let myself cry in front of someone who wasn't harry or my momma. and that night was the first time i saw any kind of emotion in arvin russells eyes that wasn't numb.

"sissy, lenora called, she wanted to know how we were doing christmas this year"

it was currently 7:25am, we had a week until christmas and harry was on christmas break for school so even though he was up bright and early, he had nothing better to do than to answer any phone call that came through or any knock on our door, we didn't get many visitors but during the holiday season, a lot of coal creek baked goods for any family like their own.

"tell her the russells can come over, i got a ham and a turkey and mrs. russell is the best cook in town i know, so help would be appreciated"

harry ran back to the phone and probably talked lenoras ear off before he came back to the kitchen just in time for me to finish up breakfast. i had a slight doubt in my chest about inviting the russells over, knowing that arvin would be apart of it, but i needed to just let god do what he needed to do, it was his sons birthday coming up after all.

"they said they'll come over around 8am on christmas day unless you want them to come over on christmas eve and sleepover, i told them it was up to you and you'll get back to them, i know arvins excited he told me he gots me a present!"

of course he has, harry wasn't the only kid who was an absolute joy during the christmas season, arvin russell was the happiest kid i knew around the holidays, he spent his first ever coal creek christmas with us, momma invited the russells over and we had a huge sleepover on christmas eve that led right into christmas day, we promised to make it a tradition, but then life fell apart and lenora didn't like leaving arvin alone on christmas.

"well that reminds me, i still have to go shopping for a few more presents for you and the russells since they're coming over, so how about i get lenora to watch you huh?"

i placed a small plate of eggs and bacon in front of him, due to my raise and picking up more hours at the diner, plus lenora helping out when we were going through everything with arvin, our pantry was stocked up and so was our fridge and we were back on track with a few bills we still needed to pay off. i hated the fact that my daddy never paid off his debts before he died and left it up to me, but i don't blame him, he lost momma way too soon.

"can arvin come over instead? he knows how to play with my toys better than lenora does!"

lenora was definitely no tomboy, she was a straight up girly girl, she even dressed me and harry up in a bunch of her clothes when we had to stay at the russells house when momma first got sick. she said it would help us and it really didn't, but i couldn't say no and harry was too young and sad to even understand anything.

i wanted to tell him no, because i hadn't seen arvin since i talked to him that night, i told him everything and he even opened up to me about what happened to lenora, and after i got harry to fall asleep, i cuddled up against arvin until he had to go home to start his week of house arrest, which ended yesterday, but of course, i wasn't going to say no to harry just because of my mixed feelings with arvin.

"why not, I'll call up the russells when we're done eating!"

harry nodded in excitement and ate like no tomorrow, trying to get me to hurry up as well, but i was no fast eater, so, i told him to take a shower while i finished up and called the russells and that's exactly what we did.

the shower was still running when i dialed the phone number i had completely memorized at this point, i was hoping lenora would answer or even mrs. russell and tell me that arvin was out and busy, but i didn't have that type of luck.

"russell residence, this is arvin."

he sounded tired, like he hadn't slept in a few days or even weeks, and i could tell that he was leaning on the phone by the way his voice sounded.

"hey arvin it's natalia...um, i got to finish up some christmas shopping and obviously i can't take harry and he wants you over again so i was hoping you could come over and watch him for me? just for and hour or two?"

i heard a crash and i instantly got scared by the sudden silence and a groan from arvin.

"arvin..?"

i heard him move around a bit and clear his throat before answering me with a goofy laugh.

"yeah- sorry i fell, i didn't expect you to call um- i'll be over in 5."

and with that and a quick thank you, i hung up the phone just in time for harry to get done with his shower. i helped him pick out an outfit, which was just some khakis and an old t shirt i had given him that didn't fit me anymore, he threw on his signature cowboy hat and waited in the living as i got ready to go for the day. i never dressed up in girl clothes, barley even had any, but lenora gave me some of her old clothes so that way she didn't have to throw them away, so i went against wearing my usual oil stained pants and shirt with a matching flannel and put on a light blue dress instead, i wasn't dressing up for nobody, in fact there was no reason to dress up at all, but it felt good to curl my hair and have some make up on, i looked like my momma and i loved it more than anything in the world.

arvin had showed up when i was putting on some boots lenora gave me, harry was loud as can be when he arrived so i still had time to give myself one last look in the mirror before grabbing my purse and making sure my money was all in check before walking down the hall and out to the living room where the boys were sitting and laughing at the radio.

"alright guys, I'll be gone for about an hour or two and when i get back no peeping and i mean it-"

when i looked up to meet eyes with the boys to give them a stern look, i was met by both boys staring at me in shock.

"um boys?"

harry was the first to get up, telling me how beautiful i was and how much i looked like momma, harry knew why i never dressed up and that i always hated being forced too, so seeing me be so care free with it was probably something he had looked forward too since he was old enough to say my name properly.

he sat back down next to arvin, who kept staring at me in shock, i just chuckled and walked to the kitchen to get the list of things i needed when i heard footsteps behind me.

"y-you, you look really b-beautiful natalia.."

i turned to meet arvin, he was standing there with his signature white shirt and flannel combo, his hair was all messy from his hat that he had taken off, i never knew why, but whenever arvin would try and talk to a girl, he would always take off his hat like he was in church or something.

"why thank you arvin..now harry's already had breakfast but if he gets hungry again give him something to snack on, he has lunch around 12 but i should be back by then, i got him dressed so if he wants to play outside he can, just make sure he stays away from the hose, got it?"

arvin nodded, looking like he was keeping his mouth shut to not say anything stupid, we just stood there, staring into each other's eyes, neither of us pulling away. i inched closer to him, knowing it wouldn't hurt to just kiss him and get it over with, give myself to him just like that.

i knew arvin was thinking the same thing, because his hands slowly moved to my waist to bring me closer and i could feel his breath on my lips. he smelt like vanilla and home and it was intoxicating in the most obvious ways, arvin russell was like no one else.

"wanna show me how beautiful you think i am?"

...

A/N:

okay but arvin russell is so 🥺 but also so 🥵 like wHAT-