Double Take [Sequel to Bound]

30. Christmas Miracle Pt. 1

i'm so sorry i haven't updated in a month. i'm so, so busy with school shit and it's just intense because college crap just adds on to it. i had to split this chapter into 2 parts otherwise it'd be so long, so part 2 will be up as soon as i finish writing it. love you guys!

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Chapter 30—Christmas Miracle Pt. 1

Leah's POV:

Christmas time was probably the only time that Klara truly did let her inner Scrooge die.

When winter break finally came around from school, the two of us had helped our parents put up the Christmas lights all around our house. We even had gone out and bought a Christmas tree, bringing it in and setting it up in the living room before Mum brought out the old decorations. It was even more fun decorating the tree when we had glanced out the windows to see snow flurries falling from the sky, adding on to the Christmas feeling.

The holiday itself was a few days away, but I had gotten my gifts for everyone done. For Mum I had gotten this necklace she had seen in a store a while ago but never bought, the new Urban Decay makeup set for Klara, and a leather journal set for Dad since he was talking about how he was running out of journals to write in, although never had the time to go out and buy any new ones

This family had a habit of not buying themselves the things they wanted most.

But the lights were up, the tree was up, the presents were wrapped, and Christmas was underway. Although, the best part of Christmas time was the annual party that was thrown. Each year, the party was held at a different family's house between my dad's and his band mate's. Two years ago it was at Uncle Liam's, last year was at Uncle Louis', and this year it was to be at our house.

Mum was running around, trying to get the house ready for the party, although Dad had suggested that they could always hire someone to help her. But Mum was adamant on doing it by herself—like she is every year. Which is why Klara and I always step up to help her as much as we could, which we always have to do anyway because Mum was too stubborn to ask for help.

The party was always held on the twenty-third, because everyone always had plans for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day was a family day, obviously. So the days leading up to the party were filled with nothing but us helping Mum with the party. If she got too overwhelmed, then it would rain hell in our house and no one wants that because Mum can be a pretty scary woman when it comes down to it.

"So what's your gift to Mum?" I asked Dad as I watched him hang a wreath over the doorway in the living room that led into the kitchen, standing on top of a small stool.

Dad glanced down at me, a grin on his lips before he looked back up at the wreath as he finally hung it. "It's a surprise," he all but sang out, an excited tone in his voice as he stepped down from the stool.

My eyebrows shot up, an amused smile kinking on my mouth. "A surprise even from me?" I questioned my dad's secrecy. "Sounds pretty suspicious, Dad."

"Trust me, you're gonna love it," Dad grinned teasingly, nudging me with his shoulder as he added, "Not as much as your mother, though."

"Aw, now I really wanna know what it is," I pouted, eyebrows scrunching downwards as my dad did nothing but let out a snicker.

"You can wait till Christmas," Dad concluded offhandedly, settling down on the couch with a relaxed sigh as he sank into the plush piece of furniture.

I rolled my eyes at his lack of an explanation, picking up the stool to shove it back in the hallway closet that it was brought out from. Dad hiding his present from Mum even from me was highly suspicious, as well as exciting. When it came to Mum, Dad was always one to out-do himself, just so he can see her smile the way she does. It's one of the sweetest things about their relationship, honestly.