Teachers Tapestry

Forty-seven

✽Collette's POV✽

It's finally Christmas Eve.

Christmas is my favourite holiday. The decorations, the spirit, all of it. I love watching cozy Christmas movies all the time. It's just cozy.

I've spent more of my time with Valentina, or with Kinsley. After her dance recital, which I didn't know was happening by the way, i realised I'd become a really bad sister.

I don't play with her anymore or do her makeup like I used to. I just became really shitty.

But I've been doing better. I've been either making and trying new things with Kinsley or with Valentina. Things have been working out really well.

But for the past three days, Valentina has been at her mom's house for Christmas. So I haven't gotten to see her.

I got her a present thought. I went with something simple but also something I knew she'd like, hopefully. I got her a set of pyjamas and a hoodie, since I'm always stealing hers, I'll probably steal this one too.

I also got Artemis a toy, because it doesn't hurt.

I'll probably have to give them all to her after Christmas.

"So it's Christmas Eve, that means one present from your stocking each." Colton says while both Kinsley and I sit in the lounge and watch Barbie and the 12 dancing princesses.

"Can I have two?" Kinsley asked full of excitement.

"Just one, Kinny. You'll have all of them tomorrow. And you'll have the ones Santa brings." He said.

On some level, I felt extremely bad for Colton. He had given up spending Christmas with his family to stay here with us.

It's really the times like these when I tend to hate my father. He made someone else put their life on hold because he couldn't get his shit together on his own.

I'm glad he's gone to get help but it feels unfair for Colton to be here all the time, especially during the holidays when he should be with his family.

Kinsley reached for the biggest present she had in her stocking.

It's a Barbie doll. She squealed as she tossed the wrapping paper everywhere.

"Thank you Colton!" She gave Colton a big hug before she ran down the hall to her play room.

"You don't have to be here during the holidays you know. You should be with your family."
I said softly, disturbing the moment of silence we had around us.

"What do you mean? You two are my family." He smiled at me sincerely.

Everything in me wanted to cry. Somehow his tenderness reminded me of my mom. Christmas was always amazing. She'd spend hours cooking while I played with my cousins. And once everyone left, we'd sit down and eat the rest of the Christmas custard.

Colton's tenderness was still something so strange to me. I was used to a detached father who cared more about drinking than me.

Of course he cared for Kinsley more than he ever could for me but he was so detached when it was just us. We never had a full conversation after my mom passed.