Ivy
Last Christmas was Ivy's best Christmas.
The bitter dust from her last holiday season in Australia had settled, just as she had settled into LA too. She spent Christmas with Scooter and a handful of their other friends. She'd helped Scooter bake Christmas cookies (side note: Scooter preferred to bake while wearing nothing but an apron) and picked and decorated the tree (correction: Scooter gave the decorating orders, and Ivy followed them. Didn't anyone teach you how to properly style a tree? Scooter had gasped when she tried to put the tinsel on before the lights).
This Christmas?
Well, it was Ivy's idea of Holiday Hell. Christmas was big in the Everett household, there was no doubt about that. Early on the morning of Christmas Eve, Ivy could hear her mum coordinating the decorations and ordering around the caterers. Christmas Eve would consist of a huge dinner with one hundred close friends (those were her mother's words, Ivy barely knew anyone on the guest list).
Ivy was only up early because someone had to hold Charlotte's hair back as she vomited into the toilet. She hadn't planned on getting pregnant anytime soon, but watching her sister suffer daily morning sickness was enough to make Ivy swear off having kids. Ever.
"You have to tell Mum and Dad," Ivy whispered, twirling her sister's honey blonde hair between her fingers to distract herself from how gross the stench was.
Charlotte looked up at Ivy; her face all clammy and pale. "I know," she nodded, before directing her head back into the toilet bowl and proceeding to throw up again.
Their father was at the office as he had been all week in the lead up to Christmas Eve. Before Scooter left, he'd been particularly interested in the details of the takeover and Mr Everett had been more than happy to oblige him with all of the details. It was more interest than he could ever hope Rosie, Ivy or Charlotte to show in the family business.
I bet Scooter's Christmas Eve morning is going a hell of a lot better than mine, Ivy thought as Charlotte washed her hands and face. His brief visit had been too short for Ivy's liking, but she couldn't be selfish and ask him to stay for Christmas.
Besides, she would never impel anyone else to this Holiday Hell, and she was kind of happy to get a break from Scooter insisting she call Luke. "He's hot, your hot, why not?"
"Because he's so young," Ivy explained. "And it's creepy when you do those rhyming pep talks."
"Don't be coy, you need a toy boy," Scooter had laughed, purposely trying to stir her up.
"Girls, where have you been?" Mrs Everett frowned when Ivy and Charlotte walked into the kitchen. "I need help with the table arrangements," she pointed to an assortment of vases on the kitchen counter. "Charlotte, what time is Ryan coming?"
"I think he said six," Charlotte said quietly, still looking a little pale. Of course their mother didn't notice; she had an event to plan.
"Wonderful. Rosie will be here at six too. All the other guests are arriving at six-thirty."
"Rosie's coming?"
"Yes, Ivy, your sister is coming. It's Christmas. It's important for our family to be together," her mum's lips pursed together in the way she did when she was stressed or annoyed. Ivy guessed she was currently both.
"Our family and one hundred other snobby guests," Ivy smiled sarcastically, and Charlotte actually snorted a laugh.
"Besides, it would be nice of you two to clear the air before the wedding," Her mum started arranging peonies into the vases, ignoring Ivy's remark. "And please don't be sarcastic when the guests are here."
