Recovery

28. Merry Christmas

Justin

""

Christmas Eve

"Daddy I wanna put the star on the tree!" Jessica ran over to me, I laughed and picked her up and headed over to the Christmas tree. We were over my moms house for Christmas Eve, it was a tradition of ours that on Christmas Eve we would open presents from everyone but the presents from our parents. So Jessica and Brooklyn and I wouldn't open any presents that we got for each other, those were for Christmas  day.  "There you go! The finishing touch." I smiled at Jessica, she smiled back at before running off to the kitchen.

"Where is she going?" I asked Brooklyn. "Pattie and Drew were making cookies, so she probably went to join her." Brooklyn said and I nodded her head. "I can't believe she's three today." I said, I hadn't been in much of my daughters life but watching her grow everyday just amazed me. "Yeah she's getting so big." Brooklyn commented, I nodded my head, it was crazy to think that just a few months ago I wasn't on board with the whole daddy daughter thing, now I can't picture my life without her.

"Thank you for standing by my side, I honestly don't know what I'd do without you. " I kissed the top of my girlfriends, I never thought that the whole men can't survive without their women was complete bullshit but then experiencing it for myself I realized it was true, without Brooklyn I'd be a complete mess. "I love you Justin, and I'd do anything for you, you don't have to keep thanking me." She said kissing me back on the lips. "Now come on, let's enjoy today, it's your first Christmas and birthday with Jessica." Brooklyn said with a smile, she was more excited than I was.

"Cookies are done everyone!" I turned my head as I watched my mom placed the tray of cookies on the coffee table. "alright, next is a little family tradition of ours, we are split up in to four groups, and the thing is to make the best ginger bread house within the time given, scooter and yael and jagger will be the judges." My mom said, I smiled because this was something we did every year for Christmas before we all got sent out to Atlanta, before it was just Jazzy, Jaxon, and I against each other.

It's crazy to think that was 13 years ago we would do that as siblings, now im doing it with my own family, crazy how time flies. "Everyone take your station that has you and your partner(s) names." Yael informed us, I guided Brooklyn and Jessica over to the little table where we our names were set up. "On your marks, get set, go!" As soon as those words left my uncles mouth everyone in the room started to get to work. "Alright, Jessica you hand the ingredients to daddy, daddy puts them in and I stir, we're gonna win this."

"Someone's determined." I smirked as I watched Brooklyn focus. "I have to be or else I won't win." Yeah we're very competitive around here if you didn't notice. "The only competition you have is my mom's team, let's face it, Jazzy and Daniel can't cook, and Jaxon and Bridget will burn down the kitchen." I said seriously, much love to my family, but we couldn't make anything, except for my mom, we all would burn the house down. "You're right, but I still want to have the best quality." Brooklyn said, I just shook my head, she was determined and that was that.

"I think we're gonna have the best one." I said to Jessica as she and Brooklyn finished putting our gingerbread house in the oven. "Me too, grandmas is good but I think ours is wayyyy prettier." Jessica said and I laughed and nodded my head. "Thank you Brooke, I'm gonna go see Auntie jazzy and uncle Jaxon's, it's probably not as good." Jessica said making both Brooklyn and I laugh, boy she was something else. "Go ahead, I'll call you back when it's done so we can frost it together." Brooklyn said to her she nodded her head before running off.

"You've been so good to her, thank you for helping me." I said, I looked up and saw we were under a mistletoe, yeah my mom planted those all around the house, she loved mistletoes. "You know what that means." I said with a smirk, Brooklyn laughed. "I think that means I have to give you a kiss." She said looking up at the mistletoe, I smile and nodded my head. "That's exactly what it means." I said awaiting for my kiss, I took them very serious. "Merry Christmas Eve." She said before planting a kiss on my lips.