When Worlds Combine - A WWC Sequel

57; Snow, Christmas, and Cocoa

*Three months later*

Violet

The way the snow fell onto the ground, decorating the leaves and petals, reminded me of icing sugar. Like the icing sugar that was sprinkled onto cookies and cakes, the sweet softness and velvety delicateness. The way the snow would just cover everything like some magnificent white blanket was beautiful to admire, like the way the stars cover the night sky or the way the clouds cover the day. Or like the last remnants of the sunset falling down beneath the hills.

I loved Christmas, I always had ever since I was a child. The time of year was something rather special, you felt a huge sense of unity with the world. No matter where you were, or how you were feeling; how alone you were, you'd see Christmas surrounding you. And that was enough to make you feel a little less lonely.

My fondest Christmas memory is one of my first ones ever, when I was younger and my family only consisted of warmth and happiness and I didn't know any better, like how the world actually worked. I was about nine, and Mum was trying so hard to make this Christmas the best so far. And she was really going all out, planning the dinner menu about three weeks ahead. She made dad go out and buy about a hundred Christmas decorations and plant them all out on the front lawn and inside everything was Christmas themed. Towels, cushions, mantel piece decor, garlands. I don't even know why this year was so important to her, but it was.

Anyway, she made dad and I swear to not do anything to ruin it, and we sure did swear. I had never seen her so invested in something before, it was quite sweet really. The amount of passion she had for it. It really made her happy. That's the kind of happiness I've never seen on her again.

So Christmas night rolled around and everything was going according to plan, and mum was up to her designer heels in stress. 'Everything has to perfect!' she'd repeat, rushing around the kitchen. And it was. But then something went wrong, because something always goes wrong. When dad went to go plug in the lights outside, the fuse blew. And so did everything else. All lights just exploded, leaving us in total darkness. Everything just stopped. The oven, the fridge, the lights, everything. It just happened, just like that. We all just stood there, and I could hear my mum hyperventilating. And then dad starts laughing, and my dad never laughs. And so I started laughing, and I'm pretty sure my mum was crying but she started laughing as well. And we all just stood there laughing in the darkness.

Christmas that year was spent playing Scrabble on the living room floor with candles lit around us, snacking on potato chips and chocolate bites. And the funny thing was, it brought us together much more than mum's planned night did. My parents were happy, and they were in love. And I was happy. We were a family, a proper family doing normal, proper things. Now my parents hate Christmas.

"Hey." I feel a hand on my shoulder and jump a little at the sudden touch. I turn and see a smiling Liam standing in a navy blue sweater, a mug in his hands. "I brought you this."

I smile and take the warm mug from his hands, wrapping my fingers around it and breathing in the smell of the hot cocoa. "Thanks," I say once I've taken a sip.

He wraps his arm around my shoulders and pulls me carefully into him. We both stay looking out the window. "Beautiful isn't it?"

"Sure is." I nod.

"I was thinking we could pop into town tomorrow," Liam speaks. "You know, do the last bits of Christmas shopping. There's a few things we still need to get. I need to get Liz something and I know you still haven't got your parents anything."

I sigh, burying myself deeper into his sweet smelling jumper. "I don't know what to get them," I whine. "They're the worst to shop for. Plus, they don't even celebrate the holiday!"