Ephemeral

Betwixt Life and Death Part 1

It was a cold winter day out – it had reached the low twenties.

I sat alongside my father on the couch, a piping hot glass of coffee was inside of the mug that I was holding in my hands – it didn't often get cold in central Florida area, but in winter it usually got down to colder temperatures.

I didn't want to go outside once this winter break-!

Isabella excitedly went underneath the Christmas tree to pull each one of us a present. She was dressed in her pink and blue checkered pajamas. She was wearing a tank top and short set, and her blonde hair was on the top of her head, messy from the night's sleep.

I had my legs to the side as I settled my arms on the arm rest of the couch. My medium length brown hair was in a low pony tail that was resting down the small of my back, it was wavy and unbrushed. I was wearing a comfortable black t-shirt with red and black striped pajama pants.

Father was dressed in a red shirt with green pants. It was festive, but that was nothing new since he usually got pretty excited about the holidays – around Halloween time, he would dress in an orange and black suit with bats on them when he headed into the office. Bella and I would beg him to leave his scarecrow-ish themed hat at home before he headed out – we didn't want to risk the second hand embarrassment of being associated with him.

Luckily, he didn't force us to wear matching family pajamas this year.

It was terrible when he forced us to pose together to send to his brothers and sisters in the guise of a holiday Christmas card. It was also sent out in an email newsletter telling the local community to have a 'Happy Holidays'...

Bella and I couldn't stop the ridicule at school for weeks after that incident...

He chuckled as Isabella handed him a golden gift box wrapped with a green, silky bow.

"Okay, Bella," he spoke.

She had been giving everyone presents with their names on them and hadn't let anyone else have a turn, even though this was only the second round. Not that I minded much – I was comfortable and warm at my spot on the couch.

"Why don't you sit down for the next round?"

Isabella grinned at his suggestion.

"That's okay, I'm happy doing it!" She placed her hands on her waist, and I let out a small exhale while smiling. I brought the mug up to my lips and took a drink of the hot, piping liquid. It was that 'just right' temperature where it didn't burn my tongue and ruin the rest of my day. "Oh, we forgot the headbands!"

She quickly ran to the other room.

"Bella-!" I whined out, and then rolled my eyes when she was out of sight.

Some things never changed – this one being the God-awful Christmas themed headbands that Isabella picked up from the discount store five years ago. They had miscellaneous stains on them ever since the Christmas three years ago and I wanted to creep into the storage box where they kept to throw them out without her knowing.

"I hope I'm Santa this year," father nervously commented, sipping his own mug of hot coffee.

He eyed me out of the corner of his eyes teasingly and I frowned playfully. He placed his coffee cup to rest on one of his legs. He gave me a half shrug while he smirked, entertaining his own idea as he looked off to the side – gloating.

"Well..." He stated pompously, "I'm always Santa."

I picked up one the decorative Christmas pillows that we had laid about the couch. "Dad!" I yelled and he chuckled under his breath and I clenched onto the small pillow in my hands. "Isabella could be Santa this year. You never know, she could change it up!" I tossed it at him in good fun.