𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐑𝐄 𝐊𝐈𝐃𝐒, 𝐭.𝐬𝐢𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐬

13. deal

˗ˏˋ ♡ ˎˊ˗

WARNINGS: none :).

˗ˏˋ ♡ ˎˊ˗

though christmas had always been my favourite holiday, this year was nowhere near as exciting as every other year. traditions felt wrong, everything just seemed to feel wrong. my dad not being there took an obvious toll on both my mother and i's feelings in what was supposed to be 'the best time of the year.'

trying to keep our energies up, my mum and i stuck to our yearly christmas eve routine, opening matching pyjamas and eating pancakes at the table with strawberries and bananas. it didn't quite feel right, but we weren't going to change it, he wouldn't want us to.

like every other year, my aunties and uncles were coming over for the night prior and night of christmas eve. they still lived in nottingham, so staying the night made more sense rather than them travelling to travel back all in the same day, but would still make it home in time to be with the other family members they spent christmas with.

there wasn't too many of them staying, simply my uncle tom, auntie jess and their two kids, tilly and archie. the two were twins, only five. they didn't quite understand that my dad wasn't here, so it was certainly a shock once they realised.

"val, val!" tilly squealed, running into the living room and sitting besides me. "it's christmas tomorrow!"

"i know! are you excited?" i smiled at the tiny girl, her brunette curls resting on her shoulders while her face was plastered in freckles.

"i'm so super very excited!" she exclaimed, dragging the 'o' out. "what did you ask santa for? i've asked for a new princess bed."

"oo, if you've been good i'm sure you'll get it. i asked for shoes."

"that's so boring." she attempted to roll her eyes. "my mum said i've been really good, so i think i will get it. but archie hasn't been good, so he's gonna get nothing."

snickering, i watched as in perfect timing, archie made his way into the room. his jaw dropped at his words, his face turned to a frown.

"i have been very good, actually. MUM," he started to shout, startling tilly. "mum!"

shaking her head, jessica walked into the room. "what's up, arch?"

"tilly said i'm getting nothing for christmas." he whined.

she sighed at their bickering, giving them each a scolding before joining me in the living room. "are you alright, val? how've you been?"

"i've been good, i suppose." i answered, tilly leaving to play with her brother. "it's been hard, with y'know my dad and stuff, though."

"i get it," she smiled. "if you ever need a break or anything, i know nottingham is far but my house is always open to you. and tommy, how is tommy? you two together yet?"

"oh, god, jess. no we aren't together." i cringed, her still being obsessed with the idea of us getting together after years. "and i'll come stay for a few days after the new year."

"that'll be lovely, and c'mon now! you were each other's first kiss and everything!"

"we were five." i scoffed jokingly, shaking my head. "i promise you, it's not happening."

"okay, i bet you twenty pounds that by your birthday you and tommy will be together." she held her hand out, and without hesitation, i locked mine with hers, shaking it.

"deal."

once the evening came, we ordered chinese food and put the kids in bed after feeding them. we looked back on old videos from christmas time, the four of us with my dad from me being just a baby up until i was seventeen, the last christmas i'd ever spent with him. if i knew it was the last, i would have cherished it so much more.

wiping the tears from my face, i got up and went to get the food from the front door like my mum had asked me too. taking it into the front room, we plated it all out and put on a christmas classic movie, digging in to our food.

"what time are you lot leaving?" my mum questioned, piling the now empty plates up.

"we'll leave soon, don't worry, i know you want us out." my uncle, tommy, spoke with fake offence.

"shut up, thomas, you know i didn't mean it like that." my mum scoffed, "but no, you can stay as long as you want. i'd wait another like half-hour or so, so you know the kids are properly asleep and you're not going to wake them up."

"she did mean it like that," i joked. "get out my house, weirdos."

truthfully, i didn't want them to leave. it felt better with them being here, less lonely in a way. i knew they had to go home, but in the small time they spent here, i found myself more happy. despite my mum being home, just the two of us made it awfully lonely. she was trying her best for me, and doing an amazing job, but it still hurt being one-less of us at our favourite time of year.