All I Want for Christmas

December 5th

Faith's POV

"Come in, come in!" Anne exclaimed excitedly as she opened the front door for my family.

Mom, Dad, and I all had our hands full with food for brunch as well as drinks for the day. Mom leads us inside and straight to the kitchen to set down her bags.

"Just place everything on the counter and we can look at it." Anne says while shutting the door behind me.

Dad proceeds to follow mom, as I stand in the entry way taking in the sights of the all to familiar house. The house I used to spend a majority of my time in.

The walls are lined with pictures of Harry and Gemma from over the years. There are family pictures and individual ones. There are pictures of distant relatives and even some of friends. One picture that catches my eye instantly is one of Robin, Anne's late husband.

Robin was the picture perfect step father to Harry and Gemma. He was the sweetest, nicest, and funniest man I had ever known. He used to help Harry and I build blanket forts in the living room for movie night, as well as help us plant flowers in the back garden. Robin was loved by everyone he met.

Cancer is a bitch.

I remember holding Harry in my arms the night we found out Robin had passed away. I remember trying to console him as he screamed and cried, trying to wake up from the devastating nightmare. That night we both held onto each other as tight as we could. Both of us too scared to let the other one go, in fear that we would both suddenly just disappear. That night Harry had lost a father figure, friend, and loved one.

"He would be so happy to know that you finally came home to us." A soft voice snaps my attention away from the framed picture of Robin and over to the kind smile of Anne. "He always loved you, ya know?"

The sweet words of Anne brought tears to my eyes automatically. My heart aching in my chest for the sweet soul that was taken from us too soon.

"I miss him." I say softly while trying to bat the unshed tears away from my waterline.

"We all do, darling." Anne said softly while looking over at the picture. A fond smile crosses over her face before she turns back to me and claps her hands together. "Let me take these bags from you. Take your time walking round the house if you need to."

I hand over the bags and nod my head at Anne in thanks. Just like mom and dad, Anne never really knew the full reason why her son and I ended things all those years ago. And just like any motherly figure would, she knew that coming back after all these years would be hard for me.

Instead of forcing me to jump right into everything, she was allowing me a moment to myself. A moment to reminisce by myself without the feeling of prying eyes watching over me.

I walk farther into the house to see that nothing has changed much. It still looks the same as it did the last time I was here. Still smells the same too.

Being in this house again brings me a nostalgic feeling. A feeling that feels like home. A feeling that brings belonging and love. It was in the backyard where I had my first kiss in the snow. It was in this house where I realized I was in love. Specifically upstairs in the last bedroom on the left.

But it was in this driveway on this particular street when my world came crashing down around me. When everything ended.

"I'm home!" I hear the deep voice yell throughout the house eliciting the automatic cheers from the older women in the kitchen.

I follow the voices and make my way into the kitchen causing eyes to turn to me and conversation to stall.

"Hey" I say softly while folding my arms protectively across my chest at the sight of Harry. All the emotions that have flooded back into my body this morning has made me feel unsure. Unsure of myself, unsure of my feelings, and unsure of what the future holds.