I pulled into the driveway of my parents' house in the suburbs of Boston Massachusetts. I smiled seeing it all lit up outside with the Christmas decorations. I looked at the house next door as well and saw them getting set up and 2 people outside I was desperate to see. I got out of the car and walked across the yard, through the snow. I leaned on the tree trunk in the front yard and just watched.
"Dylan for fucks sake give me more slack on the lights!" Colin yelled down from the ladder he was on.
"I would but they are still tangled! You want to give me a fucking minute!" Dylan yelled back to Colin.
Colin Shea with his brother-in-law Dylan, Colin's sister was smart and as far away from this as possible. The Shea's had been our neighbor since I was born. Colin was 3 when I was born and hated that I was a girl because he wanted another boy to play with. He grew accustomed to having me around.
"I thought you untangled them before we started?!" Colin yelled.
"Yeah, I did then you threw them down at me and tangled them." Dylan yelled. This was going nowhere.
"You know boys Santa is watching and there is still time for you to get coal for Christmas." I said causing them both to whip their heads and look at me.
"Ivy!" Dylan yelled and dropped the lights running over me and hugged me. He spun me around in the hug. Colin rushed down the ladder and ran over hugging me and spinning me like Dylan did.
"You guys act like you haven't seen me in 10 years." I said.
"It's been 2 years Ivy! Zoom calls don't count." Colin said and I sighed.
"I know work then a guy got in the way...long story short, I got vacation time at work and the guy is long gone." I said.
"So, you are here until when?" Dylan asked.
"Week after new year." I said and they smiled.
"That's a most a month." Colin said and I nodded.
"When you don't take vacation in 2 years you tend to accumulate a lot of time." I said and they nodded.
"She is here but she loves the Shea family more since she is over there." I heard my brother Brent yell from my family's house front door. I groaned.
"You came here before going home?" Dylan asked.
"Well, I got out of my house and heard yelling, so I came over." I said. I kissed both their cheeks. "Now behave and I'll see you guys soon." I said and walked back to my house. As I was walking, I felt a snowball hit my back. I stopped walking and turned around. Dylan was pointing at Colin.
"Paybacks a bitch Colin Shea. Just wait." I said.
"I'm shaking in my boots Ivy." Colin said and winked at me. I finished walking to the front door of my parents' house and hugged my brother.
"Colin and Dylan first huh?" Brent said and I laughed.
"They were fighting about the lights, it was funny to watch." I said. I walked into the house but tossed my keys to Brent.
"Go get my bags will ya." I said and he groaned but put on his coat and shoes. I walked into the living room and was meet by mom Barb hugging me.
"Hey mom." I said and then noticed how tight she was hugging me. "Too tight." I said and she smiled, releasing me.
"Picking Colin and Dylan over us huh?" My dad Wes asked, and I smiled.
"They were fighting, it was fun to watch." I said and we hugged. I then looked and saw someone else sitting in the living room.
"Giving me a hard time and Darlene and Jasper are here!" I said talking about Colin's parents. I hugged them as well.
"Welcome back sweetie." Darlene said.
"Thank you." I said. Brent came back in with my bags followed by Colin and Dylan.
"How many doofuses does it take to bring in 2 suitcases?" I asked and they all looked at me.
"You want to take this outside Walters?!" Colin asked.
"Let's go!" I said and we went to go outside.
"Hey! Woah! No time you two. You need to cool it! We have dinner in a few hours, so everyone needs to work on getting dressed." Barb said and I groaned.
"I literally just walked in the door mom..." I said.
"And we are doing a family dinner once your sister-in-law and Melissa get here." Barb said and I groaned.
"Bags upstairs boys looks like I need to freshen up." I said and they laughed as Colin and Brent took my 2 suitcases upstairs. I followed them and went into my old childhood room.
"Thank you both." I said and they smiled and walked out. I sighed sitting in my bed.
A Walters/Shea family dinner...just like old times.
❤️💚❤️💚
That night after dinner I was just lying in there in the middle of the night not being able to sleep. I wrapped myself in a robe and headed downstairs to make some hot chocolate. Once it was done, I bundled up putting on my boots and going out on the back deck.
COLIN: Can't sleep?
IVY: Yeah. How do you know?
COLIN: Look over.
I looked next door and Colin was on his back patio but was headed across the yard to come up on my patio as I leaned on the railing.
"Shouldn't you be getting your beauty sleep?" Colin asked and I sighed.
"Oh please, I don't need it I wake up looking this good." I said doing to stupid model pose and we both gave a small laugh. We were both silent for a for a few minutes and then Colin sighed.
"So, what's the real story behind the breakup with the guy?" Colin asked.
"He proposed." I said and Colin looked down at me.
"Really?!" Colin asked and I nodded.
"Yeah. He proposed, I wasn't ready or feeling it so I turned him down." I said and Colin huffed a laugh.
"I'm sorry Ivy." Colin said and I lifted my head shaking it.
"Don't be, he wouldn't have fit in here." I said and Colin sighed.
"Have to fit in, can't have an outsider." Colin said and I laughed.
"What about you? You find anyone yet?" I asked and Colin huffed a laugh.
"Nope...living the bachelor life. I have the band, what more could I want." Colin said and I nodded.
"Don't you think it's time to settle down? Don't you want a family at some point in time?" I asked.
"Don't start with me on that, don't you want the same thing too?" Colin replied and I sighed.
"Yeah, but I'm much younger than you." I said and Colin laughed.
"Rude." Colin said and we smiled at each other. I sighed.
"What if we made of one of this stupid pacts friends make?" I asked.
"A what now?" Colin asked.
"Say neither of us aren't dating anyone or married in 5 years...we marry each other. I mean usually it's longer than 5 years, but you are getting older as am I." I said and Colin laughed.
"You're serious?" Colin asked. I just gave a smile.
"No, of course not..." I said and Colin sighed knowing I meant it.
"Ivy..." I just shook my head.
"I'm actually tired now. I'm heading to bed. Good night, Colin." I said, kissed his cheek and went to head inside.
"Ivy..." Colin said and I kept walking, went inside, locked the back door.
I went up to my room and just laid in bed as tears filled my eyes and I was internally hating myself. Why was I so stupid? Colin would never enter into that and marry me. I just made the vacation weird.
YOU ARE READING
Baby, It's Cold Outside ⭐
أدب الهواة*~COMPLETE~* Ivy Walters hasn't been home to Boston Massachusetts in over 2 years. Now coming home, she knows this will entail dealing with her neighbors and her parents best friend Darlene and Ryan Shea and her children, mostly Colin Shea and siste...
