Forever Young

Chapter 49

We all laid piled on mattresses in the living room, staring up at the TV that had been taken from Nessie's room just for the purpose of watching Christmas movies. I hadn't ever watched The Grinch before, and stared at the screen with interest. He was supposed to be the bad guy, but I still liked him- he just liked playing tricks and wanted people to leave him alone. He wasn't so awful.

All of the children had gotten the same Christmas Eve gift- apparently it had been a tradition started by Esme, and Sam and Emily had also taken it up. The box had held a new nightgown for me, along with a little bucket for popcorn, hot cocoa mix with little marshmallows and a candy cane. Mato and Koda showed me how to stir my hot cocoa with the candy cane to make it taste like peppermint.

Three different big mattresses had been brought into the living room- I knew that the one I was on with Koda, Mato and Nessie was Carlisle's and Esme's. I didn't know which rooms the other two had come from, but Ani and Mato's brothers who were closest in age to her were settled on the mattress beside us, laughing at a funny scene in the movie.

Melina, of course, had positioned herself on the mattress furthest away from Nessie and I. She was with Luke, and Mato's youngest brothers, because apparently sitting as far away from the vampire-hybrids as possible was more important than sitting with children her own age. Not that I cared if she was bored over there- I definitely preferred her away from me, and was glad that she had turned down Esme's offer to sit beside me on the mattress.

Ani snuggled into Koda's side, and for once he didn't push her away. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, allowing her to rest her head on his lap as her eyes started to close. The events of the day mixed with the fact that it was Christmas Eve seemed to be making him gracious with her.

"This is going to be the best Christmas ever," She mumbled, just as her eyes fluttered closed.

Everyone started falling asleep soon after her- Mato's youngest brothers all seemed to fall asleep at the same time. They snuggled together on the bed, and Melina cringed away from them, seeming irritated that they were so cuddly. What else did she expect from little kids, though? If she had a problem, she was welcome to sleep on the couch.

Or the wooden floor. Or on the porch. Or on the edge of a cliff. Maybe she would roll off.

My aggressive thoughts caught me by surprise- it had been a long time since I had been so frustrated that my thoughts became mean. I ran a hand through my hair, trying to get myself under control. This all came back to Zafrina and the things she had shown me. So what if she got to explore and wander when I didn't? I was with my family, in my warm, loving home. I had a million things that Zafrina never would.

I was happy. I needed to remember that. Which was easy to do when Ani's head shifted, moving over to my own lap as she snuggled into me. Koda, too, fell asleep leaning on my shoulder. Mato was still awake when I finally gave in, laying down and closing my eyes.

"Wimp," Mato joked as he saw me falling asleep. A breathy laugh escaped my nose, but that was the only response I could manage in my sleepy state. I felt him lean over and pull a blanket over Koda, Ani and I. "Night, Sticks."

I woke up to Calian jumping on me. "Wake up" He screamed, a little too close to my ear. I instinctively flinched away from the sound. "It's Christmas!"

Almost everyone else had been woken up by the sound of the little boy's high-pitched voice. Melina's reaction was the most dramatic; she sat up quickly at the sound, almost toppling off of the mattress as she searched the room, as if expecting to be attacked.

All of the vampires were awake, of course. Siobhan, Maggie, Liam, Benjamin, and my family- they were all standing in the living room, too.

"It is, Calian," Sam chuckled, sitting up from where he had been sleeping on the couch. He opened his arms, allowing the child to pounce into his open arms.