SILHOUETTE

Chapter 32

Christmas 2023

The Baker house was filled with Christmas music over the loudspeakers and family. Grandma Fine flew in with her new boyfriend this time. Spencer and Liv were in their matching pajamas. Liv forced all four of them to take holiday photos including separate couple photos. She also somehow managed to get her parents, brother, husband, and Simone in one photo to send out to family and friends for their annual Baker family Christmas card. She had it blown up and on display in the corner of the family room.

"Can this get any bigger?" Simone inquired admiring the photo display.

They all decided on red sweaters that day. They sat in front of a darkened red backdrop. Laura and Billy stood front and center. Olivia swatted in front of them as Spencer and Jordan barely shared the small wooden seat. She purposely leaned on them elbowing her husband in the neck.

Simone was pulled into Jordan's lap at the last minute and the photographer caught the almost kiss between the two. One photo showed the disgust on everybody's face as they did it. They had a whole photoshoot by the end of it. At the bottom, the card display read

Happy Holidays from the Bakers
Laura , Billy , Olivia , Spencer , Jordan and Simone.

Simone had decided to wear matching onesies with her man because they already had done ugly sweaters at a party thrown by JJ. Their anniversary was absolutely perfect and went without a hitch. She loved every moment of being able to play in the snow and forget about the rest of the world. Jordan had her worry about nothing because all he wanted was for them to enjoy their anniversary technology free at that unless absolutely necessary.

"Isn't it so cute and wholesome!" Olivia beamed at her hard work.

"The fact you managed to pull it off." Simone cradled her egg nog.

"It's not the only thing but you are family now so that means you are on the Christmas card!"

Truth be told, Simone's parents never did Christmas cards. They always brought a box of cards and each signed their name and that was it. The Bakers had way more traditions than they ever did. Jordan refused to have her be sad about Christmas and that meant giving her one gift to unwrap the night before. Something that felt extremely foreign.

"Babe, it's almost midnight! Time to open one gift." Jordan voiced.

Their tree went from only being decorated to having perfectly wrapped presents underneath. They had one day when they returned from their anniversary getaway to get everything together.  Simone didn't expect Jordan to be excited for Christmas. She grabbed their mr and mrs. mugs of hot chocolate and extra marshmallows for herself meeting her fiancé underneath the tree.

"So is this like a Baker tradition?"

"Yeah, Liv and I were only allowed to open one Christmas gift a piece on Christmas Eve before the clock struck twelve. You didn't have any traditions?"

"If you mean begging for a tree to decorated by all three of us then sure. It was usually just my dad - my uncle and I that were into it." She still hadn't mustered up the courage to give Amara a proper answer, at this point Simone was letting it go and that meant letting go of her past too.

"Well lucky for you, you'll get sick of our traditions in no time."

Jordan tucked a runaway braid behind her ear. He always found himself needing to touch her but happily accepted that overtime she became just as affectionate. He got so used to being with his brother in law and twin that this really was the dream he wanted.