Tattoos Together | An Original

37

Reese

We have a running tradition in my family where all of my cousins get together for a sleepover in my grandparents' basement during the week of Christmas. It's never on Christmas Eve, since each of our families always have their own plans and people are busy prepping for the actual Christmas Day, but this has always been something fun for us to do every year, and has helped to keep our bonds close. Now that most of us are adults, it's rare that we all end up in the same place at the same time, so I love this tradition.

Tenley took the liberty to buy everyone matching pajamas, and she even found matching ones for the twins, which I love. Being their Aunt is one of my favorite roles I've ever gotten the honor of having, and I might be a little biased when I say that Charlie and Jackson are the cutest little kids on Earth.

Since Maeve and Landon got in a bad argument the other night, he's not coming to the cousins' sleepover. I don't mind at all, because family gatherings tend to be more fun without him anyway. I hate to say it, but I have a feeling that Maeve is better off without him. I know she really loves him, but sometimes love isn't enough to fix problems that are one-sided. Landon isn't the best at communicating his feelings in a respectful way, and Maeve deserves so much better than that. I wish she could see how much damage he really is doing to their relationship. I hope she realizes she's worthy of much better treatment.

That's why I don't mind that he isn't here.

Dominic told me earlier that this get-together is something he's been extra excited about since he learned about it. I love how much he loves my family. It's so important to me, so seeing him interact with my loved ones is one of my favorite things in the world. I love seeing how he gets along with my siblings like they're his too, and how brotherly he is with Milo, Maeve and Maren as well.

We're currently all sitting on the basement floor, the fireplace burning and the television playing classic Christmas movies. Everyone brought some kind of appetizer, dessert, or snack, and we even got homemade peppermint hot chocolate. Someone even made candy-cane themed chocolate covered popcorn. This might be the best cousins' sleepover we've ever had.

Maybe I'm biased since I finally have a significant other to bring to these family functions.

"Maeve, Landon couldn't come?" Taytum asks. I'm shocked Maeve didn't tell her what happened.

"He's not feeling well, so he decided to sit this one out," Maeve says.

"Well, at least we all know how much he loves Dolan traditions, right?" Josh says. He has a distaste for Landon as much as I do, which is why I'm happy when Maeve finds his comment hilarious to the point where she's laughing so hard that tears are coming out of her eyes.

"He does," Maeve says. "It's one of his downfalls. I love him, but he needs to not take things so seriously when we're doing family stuff. I mean, he's always trying to leave early. Next time I'll probably just tell him to go home without me, because I'm so sick of not being able to spend time with everyone."

"You're hanging with us tonight, Maevers. That's what matters," Tenley says.

"I'll drink to that," Taytum says, getting up from her seat on the floor. "Anyone want a spiked hot chocolate?"

Andrew and Josh both get up to join the spiked hot chocolate party, and Maeve decides she wants one as well. Dominic and I decide to split one, so he gets up to go make one with the rest of them. While they're all crowded around the kitchenette across the basement, I lean over to Milo.

"Wish Sabrina was here?" I ask.

"Yes, and no."

"Why?" I ask.