Living Not Dreaming [Suite Life on Deck]

30 - Christmas

Jack woke up on Christmas morning. He had a dream-filled sleep. He dreamt that his parents were actually in New York to spend the holidays, that they were happy together.

When he woke up, for a moment, he was happy, he was excited, but reality hit him. His parents were not in New York. They haven't been in New York in a week in a half. They left New York before he got back to New York. They won't be back in New York until after New Year.

Jack can barely remember the last time his parents spent Christmas in New York. He can barely remember the last Christmas he spent with them. Christmas with his parents almost feels like a foreign concept to Jack. It's like something 

Jack sighed, disappointedly. 

He felt stupid. He felt stupid for thinking that for once, he could spend Christmas with his parents. 

"Stupid dream," he mumbled to himself.

He groaned and sat up on his bed.

He picked up his phone and checked it.

He had received several texts from his friends and some extended family. They all texted him the same thing. They were all wishing him a Merry Christmas. 

Matt texted him, inviting him to come over for Christmas.

A smile appeared on his face.

At least he had Matt and his family to spend Christmas with. They were his family. They were the family he never had, the family he wished he had but didn't.

He got out of bed and changed. He brushed his teeth and brushed his teeth.

Jack went down to the kitchen with a gift in hand.

"Merry Christmas, William," Jack greeted William, the family butler, in the kitchen.

"Merry Christmas, Jack," William said.

"This is for you," Jack said.

William looked stunned. 

He was always stunned when Jack got him something for Christmas or his birthday. No matter how many times Jack did this, William was always surprised.

"Oh, Jack -" William said. 

"William, it's fine," Jack assured him. "You always do stuff for me. You took care of me growing up."

William smiled.

"Oh!" Jack remembered.

He quickly left the kitchen and went back to his bedroom and grabbed a couple of gifts before going back downstairs to the kitchen.

"This is for your family," Jack said.

Once again, William was stunned.

William was married with kids. He knew that William was married with three kids, a set of fraternal twin boys, and a daughter. 

Jack's parents let William's family live in the house but Jack rarely ever saw them. They were in a different part of the house where Jack rarely ever came across them. There was that and they had their own lives and William's wife had work. 

They lived in a different part of the house where if and when Jack threw parties, the noise wouldn't disturb his family or anything. 

"Oh, you didn't have to, Jack," William said.

"It's fine," Jack smiled. 

"Thank you, Jack," William said.

"Anytime," Jack said.

"Are you hungry? Do you want to eat first or open your gifts?"

"Oh, um, I think I'll eat first," Jack said. "I'm going to Matt's place. I guess I'll open my gifts there."

William nodded.

"Hey, if your wife and kids want to eat breakfast here..." Jack began.

Jack didn't want to eat breakfast on Christmas morning alone. He didn't mind William's family eating breakfast here. He wouldn't mind if he had any meal with them in general.

"Oh, no -" William began.

"William, it's fine," Jack assured him. "It's fine, I swear."

William hesitated.

He nodded and left the kitchen. He came back five minutes later with his family.

Jack was happy that even if he couldn't spend Christmas with his parents, William could spend Christmas with his kids. His kids would remember their Christmases growing up with fondness rather than with sadness.

After breakfast and wishing William and his family a Merry Christmas, he went over to the Taylor family house. He brought all the gifts he got with him.

He knew that Harrison was gonna have him open his gifts with them rather than home alone with no one.

"Hey," Jack said, a big smile appearing on his face when Matt, his best friend, opened the door. "Merry Christmas, buddy."

Jack opened his arms for a hug.

"Merry Christmas," Matt said, hugging Jack.

"Merry Christmas, guys," Jack said.

"Let me help you with the gifts," Matt said, taking a couple from him.

"Thanks."

"Merry Christmas, Jack," Harrison and Rose said.

They set Jack's Christmas gifts under the Christmas tree so the four of them could open their gifts together.

Jack knew this is what Christmas was supposed to look like. Sure, Matt and Rose's mother left, but Jack knew that either way, Christmas was supposed to be happy and filled with laughter, not loneliness and hurt.

Matt's family is the closest thing Jack had to a family. Harrison treated Jack as if he was his son, not his son's best friend.

"Alright," Harrison said, "now that Jack is here, let's open the gifts."

They sat around the Christmas tree and each one of them took turns opening gifts that they got each other and friends got each other.

Matt rubbed his arm.

There were a couple of scars on Matt's arm. It looked like it was healing.

Matt noticed Jack staring.

"Sorry," Jack said, quickly. "I'm just not -"

"It's okay," Matt assured Jack. 

"Does it get annoying?" Jack asked. "People staring at you for your scars?"

"In the beginning," Matt said, "but I'm getting used to it," he shrugged.

"Oh," Jack said.

"Jack, it's your turn," Rose said.

"Oh," Jack said, he and Matt turning their attenion to the gifts.

The opening of gifts went on until they opened everything.

They cleaned up everything and Jack put all of his gifts by the door.

The four of them spent the entire day in the house, rather than outside. It was too cold and Matt had just had a werewolf transformation earlier in the week. He is still recovering from the transformation. 

They spent the entire day, watching Chrismtas movies. Rose began making brownies, which Jack and Matt helped with as the movies played and Harrison made phone calls. 

Even though Jack didn't get to spend his Christmas with his own parents, at least he got to spend it with his best friend and his family. They might as well be his family. Harrison acted more like a dad to him than his own father.

Jack has always had conflicting feelings with his parents. They were never present in his life, but they're still his parents. They never cared what he wanted or what was best for him, but they're still his parents. 

It left him in a position where he has no idea what to do. He has no idea whether or not he should just cut them out of his life once he moves out or not. 

All these feelings were conflicting, but he knew that whatever happens, he has Matt and his family.