What Could Have Been

'Tis The Damn Season

Happy Sunday! Hope u guys had a good week. This is a long one so be prepared.

Also, Stacey's address is 515 Lake Washington Avenue. You might want to look it up before reading to understand what I mean.

Anyways that's it. Enjoy :)
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She had always been a little envious of her mom and her Uncle Archer's relationship. The way that even though her uncle could be one of the biggest asses but he would do anything and everything to protect her mom. Even her dad's relationship with his sisters, though may not be the best, made her feel a little more alone than she would like. They fought and they argued all the time but when it came down to it, they always had each other's backs.

She had felt a little out of place by the fact that though she did come from a big family, she also didn't. She latched onto Jasmine as a sister but even she had a brother. She and Aki bonded over the shared fact that they were both sibling-less and maybe, in some way, it was a factor that fueled their attraction towards each other. Finding comfort in being alone together pushed them closer to each other.

That's why she was so thankful for the solace she found in Alex. He is an ass. No question there. But there is a vulnerability and a protectiveness that he possesses that not everyone has the privilege to see, and she feels so honored that she gets to be one of the very few that get to see that side of him.

She found the comfort that she had been looking for for so long in him and she was so grateful for it. He gave her comfort and she let him be the brother that he couldn't be to his siblings. It was a give and take situation and she couldn't be more grateful.

Christmas was just around the corner and she couldn't help the twinge of emptiness she felt at being so far away from home. The snow that would pile up on the stoop, the warmth that flowed through their home from the fireplace, and the whole place decorated to the nines, courtesy of her mother of course. Christmas had always been so special for them. It was their season, but staring at the new city behind the frosty glass of the car window as they drove home to their new house, she couldn't help but feel like maybe that was another thing she had to leave behind.

They pulled into the garage and Stacey made sure her coat was wrapped tight around her before she got out of the car. They trudged up the stone steps to the front door. Living in front of a lake at high altitude was definitely not as fun in the winter. She faltered a bit when a gust of cold air blew into her coat and sent a shiver through her body. She stabilized herself because she knew that if she fell down she'd take her mother, who was gripping the railing really hard to not slip off the steps in her heels, down with her.

Her dad unlocked the door and she rushed inside eager to get out of the cold. She shrugged off her coat, and removed her gloves to rub her hands together.

She blew into her hands to warm them up as she turned towards the living room and was stopped in her tracks.

There in the far corner of the living room was a tree glowing with Christmas lights and fully decorated with a star on top. Her dad was standing beside it with a wide grin on his face as he looked at her.

"Merry Christmas princess." he said proudly with his arms open wide.

Her hands dropped from her mouth as she took tentative steps down to where he was.

"You did this?" her voice was small when she asked, still awed in disbelief.

"Well..."

"It was my idea," her mom wrapped an arm around her and smiled. "But I let him help a little." her mom shot her dad a look which he returned playfully.