Let Them Eat Cake !

Christmas Angel!

Strolling down the main street in the freezing cold, lights twinkling overhead and brass band belting out carols, the ragtag bunch of families, Mills, Dance, Williams, Dyer and Bailey strolled along taking in all the brightly decorated window displays, twinkling lights and sparkling decorations.
Smells of the Christmas market making noses twitch and mouths water.

Mulled wine, spices, burgers and hot dogs, fresh coffee, doughnuts and more, so many amazing smells.

As Jasmine and Joe dashed on ahead the adults watched as the pair came running back each wearing a flashing Santa headdress.
Handing a spinning light toy to Sasha, Jasmine giggled, "for Harry", the girl said with a huge smile .

"Connor, Connor, come see the huuuuuge tree".

Joe jumped up and down, the bobble on his hat jiggling as he grabbed Connors hand and pulled him along, round the corner by the town hall and into the market place to see the tree.

Connor laughed as he jogged along behind the excited child, he felt so happy to be there, his first ever Christmas within this huge amazing family.

Not that he didn't love Christmas with his mum and Sam, but never in his wildest dreams did he ever imagine he would be here with his actual father Steve and his second step dad Nick, his new grandad Hugo, his Aunt Chloe, and everyone else in between.

Everyone had welcomed him, everyone included him, the children loved him, even the dogs Millie and Scamp gravitated to him when he visited, sleeping at his feet or laying over his lap on the sofa.

The shop door had been a portal into another world and Connor was so glad he'd stepped through it and into this amazing family, into the life of his father and step father, into a whole new chapter.

****

Arriving home frost bitten and tired, shoes were kicked off, coats hung up and hands rubbed together to bring the feeling back to frozen fingers.

Nick and Steve stashed their bags in the spare room as the others settled themselves in various places around the living room, packed in like sardines chattering and laughing, admiring the tree that the children had decorated.

As they returned they were pulled in as Sasha plopped a newly awake baby Harry into Nicks arms.

"Coffee and jaffa cakes anyone?", she shouted above the noise, a huge cheer going up as she laughed and made her way to the kitchen.
"Connor would you give me a hand Hun!", she smiled as he rose from his seat, "sure" he followed her.

In the quiet of the kitchen as Sasha bustled around trying to gather together enough mugs, and glasses for juice for Jazz and Joe counting in her head, Connor leaned against the worktop.

He cleared his throat, "ummm Sasha?, can I ask you something?", his face reddened, he didn't know Sasha that well but he knew how special she was to his father and Nick.

"Yeah sure, what's up?, aha, there's more in this cupboard", she reached up and bought down three mugs, counting as she went.
"What did you want to ask?", smiling his way she winked, "I don't bite you know", she chuckled.

Connor laughed, "well...... How did you and Steve and Nick become so close?", he inclined his head, genuinely interested.
"You call each other brother and sister but they told me you're not related at all, how did that come about?".

Sasha sighed as she busied herself with the drinks.

"I started work for Nick when I was 18, we just clicked, not in a romantic way, I knew he was gay, he was just so much fun to work with and he really cared, not in a boss way, but in a brother way".
"I'm an only child like you, I never knew what it was like to have a sibling to share things with so to have someone like him look after me, trust me with his shop, his lifes dream, well that was something more than special".

"I remember the day your dad, Steve I mean, walked into the shop with Chloe, they came to ask about Chloe's wedding cake and I knew, I just knew that him and Nick were perfect for each other, something happened, a link, a connection", she sighed happily, "they were meant to be".

Sasha smiled at the now quite distant memory.

"Steve treated me the same, he trusted me, they never hid anything from me, never lied, always included me".

Her face clouded slightly, "the day Steve had his bike accident I saw how scared Nick was, terrified, he'd not known Steve long but long enough, the pure fear in Nicks eyes I will never forget, my heart hurt so badly for him", rubbing her nose to ward off tears she smiled weakly.

"Accident?", Connor hadn't known about that, "what happened?".

"Car pulled out in front of Steve along the straight, he managed to throw himself from the bike before impact, he only got a busted arm, he was so lucky, it could've been so much worse", Sasha sighed.

"Lucky?, how so?", Connor was listening intently.

"Nicks little sister Katherine...... died from cancer when he was eight, she was only two, Steve told us he saw her, heard her, she told him to jump off the bike before the car had even pulled out", Sasha mused as she filled the mugs with hot water, "they say she's the reason Steve survived, she told him Nick needed him".

Connors eyebrows raised as he took in that little piece of information.

"They call her Steve's guardian angel, they both have angel wings tattooed across their shoulders in her memory", Sasha said as she stirred coffee granules into the mugs.

"Chloe and Zaks daughter is named after her too, Jasmine Katherine".

Connor sucked in a breath "WOW, I guess even spirits can see when two people are meant to be", he exhaled quietly, "Nick and Steve truly love each other don't they?!",

Sasha nodded.

Looking through the kitchen door they could both see the pair clearly, Steves head on Nicks shoulder, baby Harry wiggling, arms waving, laying in Nick's arms as they laughed at something Hugo said.

"They are, they were written in the stars those two, no one could come between them, I'm proud to be considered their family, so are Jase, and baby Harry", Sasha smiled gently as she turned back to getting the drinks ready.

"I hope one day I find a love like theirs I really do" Connor sighed.

He really was just like Steve, slightly darker featured, a little shorter, but with the same infectious smile and twinkling eyes.

"You will, you will", Sasha patted his shoulder.

Singing broke through the quiet conversation.

(To the tune of Oh Come All Ye Faithful).

"Why are we waiting, oh whyyyyyy are we waiting, why are we waiting oh why oh why?". 🎶🎶🎶

"Come on Sasha hurry up, did you go to Brazil to pick the coffee beans?, Cor the service in this café is terrible", Steve called from the living room.

Connor laughed loudly, "best get this into them", he grabbed one tray and two boxes of jaffa cakes while Sasha grabbed the other heading off back to his new, amazing, loving, quirky, but completely off their rockers, family.