The Harper Generations

A generation Christmas

Valentino

Christmas vacation from school finally arrived. It was about damn time. Everyone was getting restless at school. Can you blame us?

Hell, the teachers didn't even bother since none of us were paying attention in class the day before break. Once the clock hit the mark, we got the hell out of dodge.

Now came the fun part—doing all things Christmas with my family. The first order of business was mantling the Christmas tree and decorating. Ma and Dad opted for an artificial tree with prehung lights and fiber optics. Dad said it was better than Ma losing her shit with the lights like their first Christmas after they got married. Ma blamed her mood swings on me. I didn't care. At least I didn't have to mess with the little bastards.

Dad and I got the tree up before we helped Ma decorate it and the house. Ma hung our stockings over the fireplace while Dad and I hung everything else with Ma's guidance. The woman was adamant about where everything goes.

"When are you giving Misty her gift?" Dad asked.

"On Christmas, after she gets home from visiting Alana's family," I said.

"Misty is going to love her gift," Ma said.

My lips twitch slightly into a smile. "I can't wait to give it to her. It's been a long time coming."

My folks nodded in agreement.

******
Misty

Unlike my procrastinating boyfriend and his family, Dad put up the tree once December hit. Alana and I decorated the tree and the house. We had a tradition in our family with Christmas. December 1 hits, and the house turns into Santa's workshop.

I also baked Tino a cupcake and gave it to him on December 15. Even though his birthday is February 14, I still gave him one on December 15. Dad used to question it when I would want cupcakes at the store until I started baking. He doesn't question it anymore. You need to soothe the savage beast so he doesn't blow up your house.

I was baking cookies while my dad and Alana were at work. The front door opened and closed, signaling Tino was here. He and his parents are the only ones who walk in without knocking since my dad and Val have a weird bromance.

Tino spotted the table full of cookies and the piping bags of different colored frosting. "Are the cookies ready?"

"Most are. I still need to whip up the other batches."

"What do you need me to do?"

"Can you start mixing the ingredients for the other cookies?"

Tino nodded and got to work while I put a baking sheet full of cookies into the oven. Once he finished one batch of cookie dough, he set aside the bowl and moved to the next one.

"Do you remember when I would leave early for the bakery?" Tino asked me.

"Yes. I would wake up and find your side cold. But it only happened around Christmas and Valentine's Day."

"I wanted everything stocked before we opened the bakery."

"That's what set the bakery apart from others. Once you found your direction, you became unstoppable."

"I had a family to support." Tino shrugged.

My lips curled slightly as I dropped cookies on the baking seat. "They were happy."

Tino glanced at me as I glimpsed at him.

"All the kids found their forever. You worried about them, but you didn't need to. I got to love more kids after you left."