Not So Normal

Chapter 25

   It's almost 11:30pm on Christmas Eve. I left for Salt Lake City and Niall left for Ireland just two days ago. This holiday season has been a little somber without Ella. We still hung her stocking, though we won't be filling it and there won't be any presents for her. I bought her present a couple months before she died, and I didn't want to keep it, so I gave it to her two best friends' moms to give to them. It's Selena Gomez concert tickets.

   I'm sitting on the couch in the light of the Christmas tree, thinking about Ella. She loved Christmas so much. She was always the first one up in the morning, and she would pound on everyone else's doors until they got up. I got annoyed by it once I got into my teenage years, but I'll miss it this year.

   I think about all the other people out there that are celebrating Christmas without loved ones this year. I think of Niall. It's Christmas already in Ireland, so Niall's probably awake, but I feel bad calling at like eight in the morning. But I want to talk to him.

   "Hey Ni," I say when he answers his phone.

   "Hey princess!" he says happily.

   "How's Christmas so far? Did you find my present?" I can't help but smile. Niall didn't want me to get him anything for Christmas, but I snuck a present into his suitcase. It was an envelope with two gift cards in it. One was for his favorite store to get hats at, and the other is for the Ireland Nike store. They're worth a couple thousand dollars each, so I didn't want to send it in the mail.

   "Yeah. I still think you shouldn't have gotten me anything," he says shyly. How cute!

   "Well once I saw all the boxes and stuff you sent me, I was glad I got you something. I would have felt horrible if I hadn't," I say. I have four huge boxes from Niall and a couple envelopes. I cannot wait to open them tomorrow.

   "Well I'm glad you don't feel bad. I hope you like everything. I have one request, though. FaceTime me when you open the little box inside one of the boxes. You'll know which box I'm talking about. Anyways, we're about to open presents, so call me in the morning okay? I love you!"

   "I love you too, Ni," I say, hanging up. I let out a sigh and pull my knees up to my chin. I hope that in exactly a year, I'll be asleep in Niall's arms, patiently sleeping before we open presents together.

   I'm woken up in the morning by my youngest brother, who's 9. I'm still on the couch, so I must have fallen asleep before I could go to bed last night. But that's understandable. I haven't slept too great the last couple days.

   Once my brother wakes everyone up we start opening presents. It's always been tradition that we take turns opening out presents, going youngest to oldest, so Riley, the youngest, starts. His first present is a fancy Lego set he's been asking for forever. Then Parker goes. He gets an even fancier Lego set. Then it's my turn.

   "Open the biggest one first!" Riley says excitedly. I think everyone else is just as excited for me to open these as I am. I grab the biggest box and open it. There are five boxes inside of it, and an envelope on top of the boxes. I open the envelope and read the card from Niall. I didn't know what to get you, so I just looked on your Pinterest. I hope you like everything! 

   "Open something!" Riley exclaims. I shoot him a glare and grab the first box. I open it, and I'm delighted when I find that it's a dress that I pinned on Pinterest literally like a week and a half ago. It's a sort of coral color with a turquoise belt.

   We keep taking turns opening presents until everyone has opened everything, except the little box Niall said to FaceTime him for. All the other stuff Niall got me was clothes and shoes and a couple other things on my Pinterest that I've always really wanted. He's seriously a genius for thinking of looking at my Pinterest.