Crossing Hearts- A Maidstone Love Story

Chapter 19

The morning sun barely peeked over the horizon when the twins, Jasper and Casper, were already wide awake. The realisation that it was their last day in Wales hit them, and they decided to make the most of it. As usual, the twins opted for chaos as the way to kick-start the day.

"Ready to wake everyone up, Cas?" Jasper grinned mischievously as he plugged in the speakers.

"Absolutely. Let's give them a wake-up call they won't forget," Casper replied, matching his brother's enthusiasm.

With a nod, Jasper scrolled through his playlist, landing on one of their favourite upbeat songs. The twins exchanged a conspiratorial glance before blasting the music at full volume. The sound echoed through the entire house, shaking the walls and undoubtedly shaking everyone out of their sleep.

The first to emerge from their room were their parents, Matthew and Kirsty, who appeared at the top of the stairs, half-asleep and disoriented. "Jasper! Casper!" Matthew called out, though he couldn't help but chuckle.

The music didn't stop, and one by one, the rest of the household stumbled downstairs. The Russo family looked particularly bewildered—this was not how they usually started their mornings.

Gio rubbed his eyes, glaring at the twins as he descended the stairs. "What the hell, guys? Couldn't you just wake up like normal people?"

Alessia was laughing softly as she followed behind her brother. "I should've known this was your idea, Jasper," she said, her voice still groggy.

The twins, now in the kitchen, were acting as if they had nothing to do with the chaos. They busied themselves at the stove, flipping pancakes and setting the table.

"Good morning!" Casper greeted innocently, as though he hadn't just woken the entire house with blaring music.

Jasper flashed a grin at his parents. "Hope everyone slept well! Pancakes will be ready in a minute."

Kirsty shook her head, a smile tugging at her lips despite the rude awakening. "You boys and your antics," she muttered, though it was clear she wasn't truly angry. "At least you're making breakfast."

Mario and Carol Russo exchanged amused glances as they took seats at the table. "Do they always wake everyone up like this?" Mario asked.

Matthew nodded. "More often than not. It's their way of making sure no one misses breakfast," he said, grabbing a mug of coffee.

Once everyone had gathered in the kitchen, the twins began serving pancakes, still acting as if they were blameless. The mood was light, and soon the house was filled with the sound of laughter and the smell of warm syrup.

After everyone had eaten their fill, Casper leaned back in his chair, patting his stomach. "Alright, now that we're all awake and well-fed, it's time for the main event."

Jasper shot a mischievous look at Alessia. "Hope you're ready for some entertainment."

Alessia raised an eyebrow. "What do you have planned?"

"Karaoke, of course," Jasper said with a grin. "It's a Christmas tradition for us."

The Russo family looked intrigued, though they had no idea what was about to happen.

Matthew set up the karaoke machine in the living room, and the twins quickly took charge. Casper grabbed the mic first, bouncing on the balls of his feet with excitement.

"Alright, here we go!" he announced as the opening notes of "All I Want for Christmas Is You" started playing.

The moment Casper started singing, it became apparent that his enthusiasm far outstripped his talent. His voice was off-key, warbling painfully through the high notes. Alessia winced, trying to hold back her laughter, while Gio openly cringed.