⌁ Thunder ⌁ Lana Del Rey Fanfiction

chapter sixteen: home alone

Just the day before, Lana and I had become official, but it felt like my heart was beating out of my chest. I can't shake her out of my body or run her out of my heart for anything in the world.

I laid in bed on Christmas morning in my thoughts, looking out the window in a complete trance. I'd almost forgotten it really was Christmas until my father lightly knocked on my bedroom door.

"Come in," I called out in a raspy voice that had developed through my slumber.

He instantly walked in with a cup of coffee ready for me.

"Merry Christmas, darling." He took a sip of his coffee and looked to be hiding something.

"What?" I questioned, looking at him funny.

"You're not going down to look under the tree?" He replied humorously.

"You're kidding," I replied with a smirk on my face. I felt like a child all over again. I leapt out of bed and ran my way down the stairs to the living room.

My mother never really celebrated the holidays with me. It would remind her too much of the family we once had, so she banned any type of Christmas cheer in the house, including presents. I never told my father this to not worry him.

He was the opposite. Every Christmas without fail, A package would arrive at the house. I'd receive it without my mother knowing and open it quietly in my bedroom.

It would always be something magical, whether it'd be a book I looked for but could never find, a record of our favorite artists, or in the case of my younger days, trendy, expensive American toys.

Now in present-day, he was giving me the joy I never knew I needed. A tradition that I hadn't even thought much about because I was so used to not having it, until now.

I found two presents wrapped under the tree. I was on my knees, unwrapping the first one.

The first gift was a tin box full of turrón, a candy from back home. I was already smiling out of appreciation that he had gone the extra effort for me.

The second gift was larger, wrapped tightly with twine and a red bow perfectly on center.

After unwrapping, I found myself with a large brown cardboard box out in front of me.

I turned back to my father who leaned on the wall as he peered at me. He gave a small nod for me to continue, so I did. I began to peel back the flaps of the box.

My eyes began to water as the nostalgia hit me hard. The warm scent of gardenia perfume was sent out, unlocking core memories of days long past. My mother's scent that always lingered, that I wrapped myself with when i'd snuggle in bed with both of them as a child.

It was a box full of things from my childhood when the three of us would live here in the US. Things I genuinely forgot existed, but were instantly brought back as my gaze fell upon them. Every happy moment in my life came to mind, and my eyes almost started to water. I let out a soft laugh as the knot in my throat begged to be let loose.

I picked up the first thing on top, which was a crocheted yellow giraffe that once belonged to me. "Bo," I whispered. That's what i'd called it back then.

"There was another one, wasn't there?" My father recollected. By now he had come closer, standing behind me.

I turned towards him. "That was Mo." He was right, there was also a blue giraffe. My mother had made the both of them for me herself.

I put the giraffe down and rummaged through the box some more. I found a few of my journals and drawings, but decided on looking through them another time. I found photographs of a younger me that i'd never seen before. I looked so innocent and happy.