The Bright Colours of Misery [COMPLETED]

𝙲𝙷𝙰𝙿𝚃𝙴𝚁 𝚃𝚆𝙴𝙽𝚃𝚈 𝚂𝙸𝚇 -a sight for sore eyes-

Christmas eve 1936, all of the Seide family without a single exception were gathered around their fireplace, and for once, the children had presents waiting for them. Normally, other children in Germany would have gotten their presents on the sixth, thanks to St. Nicolas, but their parents had never enforced the myth of a nice bearded man giving presents to their children, since it felt like a direct insult to how much it meant for them to be able to give their children gifts. So, they would always do it like this instead.

The Seide siblings sat on the cold floor eagerly, waiting for their parents to come out of the kitchen.

Gisela had never got a christmas present before, she was practically trembling. It felt so unreal.

Frieda and Heidi sat on opposite sides of the room but they were both eyeing their present closely, wrapped in old newspaper.

Heidi wondered if she could have painted on them earlier, maybe it would have been more fun to open a colourful present, but then she remembered the slight leaking problem that came with watercolour and thin paper so she was happy she had not done anything.

"Mama!" Gisela called impatiently. She was so eager to rip her package open.

"Ja, Ja," Trudy answered with a chuckle and an eyeroll. "I'm coming!"

"Now aren't you all impatient little children?" Alfred asked with a warm smile as he went into the living room.

All the said little children smiled, it was nice to see Alfred like this, he rarely was his jovial self nowadays.

My favourite red haired and freckled little family was finally all gathered around the fire. Their eyes reflecting it and glowing red just as Heidi's had a few days ago.

The adults all squeezed into their beat up sofa, Walter was practically sitting over Wilma and she pushed him off angrily. He fell onto the floor pretty slowly, grunting in annoyance.

"Hey, calm down!" he exclaimed, Wilma only huffed.

"You're suffocating me Walter." She sighed. They both rolled their eyes away from each other and crossed their arms.

Gisela and Frieda laughed at them together.

"Okay, none of that right now, ja?" Trudy warned them all, her gaze meeting every single one of them, especially the two eldest.

Everyone nodded.

"Can we open the presents now?" Frieda asked politely.

Trudy looked up at her husband and he nodded, smiling like a child.

"You can." She told everyone, and in a heartbeat they were all attacking their present.

Heidi couldn't bring herself to open hers. She was nervous, and she didn't want this strange thrill to end.

Gisela squealed happily once she'd pulled out a little soft and round bunny plushie. Wilma smiled at her. Frieda asked her what she would name it. She said Lulu. Heidi giggled slightly at the name, and Walter turned red, having to turn around so Gisela's feelings wouldn't get  hurt. Wilma nudged his shoulder.

"Stop laughing walter!" She whisper-shouted at him.

"I'm trying!" He whispered back before managing to pull himself together again.

Wilma let out an annoyed sigh, and Heidi could have sworn she heard her mutter einzeller under her breath. He was a bit of one sometimes, she had to agree with that.

Gisela looked at everyone with shining eyes, Trudy pulled her into a tight embrace and Alfred joined gently.

"Thank you," the little girl whispered. Her mother only hugged her tighter.