precious- timothée chalamet

chapter fifteen

"MERRY CHRISTMAS!" EVE EXCLAIMED once her mom opened her apartment door. The redhead's arms were ladened with gifts, and as she bounded into the familiar childhood apartment, she tried not to step on her mother's two shiba inus. Carefully, Miss Granger guided her over to the christmas tree in front of the window and helped Eve stack the gifts around it, filling the area completely.

"You've outdone yourself, honey." Her mom said, hands on her hips as she overlooked the tree. "How many gifts in that pile are for me?"

"Four," Eve said. "Then there's a few for Aunt Jane and Uncle Vince, Aunt Catherine, and then Grandma."

"So sweet of you," Her mom gave her a kiss on the cheek, then brought her daughter into the kitchen where the food was all waiting eagerly to be set on the dining table. Eve looked around with wide eyes at the spread that her mother had done by herself, enough to feed about six more mouths. She helped set the table and get all the food out, then sat down across from her mom.

It had just been the two of them since Eve was born, her father leaving about a month after her mother announced her pregnancy. She never knew her dad, and her mom always joked that thank god she would have never married him because the two were better off just Eve and her mom. Wendy Granger and Eve Granger, and she made a promise to Eve very early on it would stay that way.

Miss Granger started serving food to herself and Eve, a comfortable silence between the two as they listened to Harry Connick Jr's Christmas Album. When Eve's plate was filled to the brim, her mom cleared her throat, "Did Timothée get to Paris safely?"

"Yeah," She said, covering her mouth as she ate. "He did an overnight flight and showed up like at five a.m this morning. Told me when he's coming home his sister's coming back with him."

"Have you met her?"

Eve shook her head, "She's a few years older than me, I never got the chance to. From what I've heard of her though I know I'll love her."

Her mom nodded along, "That's good. What did you get him for christmas?"

"I got him this really cool book on European cars and a hoodie I found that was related to a rapper he loves," Eve said, sipping her champagne. "He really hasn't changed much from what he was like in high school, just a bit more mature and not as finicky, I guess."

"I'm so glad it's going well for you, hun." Her mom drank some of her wine and gesticulated with it, pointing it over the table at Eve, "Have you heard from your cousin, Stephen at all?"

"Uh, no. Why?" She asked, furrowing her eyebrows. She hadn't seen her cousin Stephen since her high school graduation, and the last time she spoke or heard anything from him was when he texted her that he was in New York City and needed to know what good clubs were around. "Did he do something stupid?"

"Oh lord, yes." Miss Granger started to shake her head even before she began the story, "Your Aunt Catherine called me yesterday to tell me he knocked up a girl from Florida and is now asking for Aunt Jane and Uncle Vince to help raise the kid."

Eve couldn't help but snort at the situation, knowing it was just like Stephen to do something like that. "Not surprising, I feel bad for the girl though."

"I'm just telling you because I'm so thankful I'm not dealing with grandkids yet," Her mom replied. "But good lord, you and Timothée would have the cutest-"

"MOM!"

***

After dinner and gifts, Eve and her mom laid on the couch and watched Hallmark christmas movies while getting wine drunk. They were about a bottle and a half in when Eve began to get phone notifications.