All My Love

Chapter Thirteen

Elizabeth smiled as she slipped out of her bed hearing both dogs and her twin groaned in displeasure as her warmth left the bed. Still smiling she tip-toed, hopped and picked her way around and over her younger siblings sprawled out and dead asleep on their make shift bed on her floor. After she safely made it away from the landmine that was her room Elizabeth went to the closet by Tori’s room that had a lock on it. Taking the only key from her sports bra she quietly removed the stocking stuffers and gifts she had been stockpiling since Thanksgiving. Lizzie eased the door closed and quietly made her way to the living room; she stopped to survey the room. The tree was in the far corner against one of the two large windows, the couch and love seat had been shifted so that one could see both the TV and the tree from them while the coffee table remained in the same place giving the room a center. The grin on Elizabeth’s face grew as she saw that not only had her siblings already laid out the stockings for her but also they had already filled hers and propped it against a few gifts under the tree. Before setting to work playing Santa Elizabeth put the TV on low and flipped to ABC Family to start the all day Christmas Story marathon. Filling stockings and laying out the last of the gifts didn’t take her very long since Elizabeth had been doing it for years when their mom was in and out of the hospital only allowed to come home for brief periods of time. Once everything was finally in place, the gifts had been scattered under the tree, the stockings had been placed under as well and the pickle had been hidden on the tree Elizabeth made her way to the kitchen to turn on the coffee pot and start breakfast. Looking at the clock over the stove Elizabeth knew that her siblings would up soon, mainly because Jonathan and Kat were always up early on Christmas and refused to let Tori sleep in. Flitting about in a great mood Elizabeth hummed Christmas carols as she put the cinnamon rolls in the oven, put the kettle on, and poured her coffee into the waiting mug. Settling herself back on the couch Elizabeth looked around the room once more in approval before shifting her attention to Ralphie as he came down the stairs in giant bunny pajamas. He hadn’t even finished arguing with his mom when Elizabeth heard a muffled shriek coming from the bedroom meaning that Tori was awake. Elizabeth turned to see Jon and Kat skipping out her room with their arms linked singing Oh Christmas Tree while the growing puppies ran with them thinking it was a race. “Merry Christmas terrible two!” Elizabeth said with a huge smile as they skipped towards her. “Merry Christmas Bethie!” Jonathan called breaking away from Kat to wrap his oldest sister into a bear hug lifting her off the couch. Elizabeth laughed thankful that she had put her coffee on the table when she heard them coming. “Morning Lizzie!” Kat called to her as Jonathan spun Elizabeth around. “So what did you two do to Tori?” Elizabeth asked once she had been returned to the couch with her coffee in her hands. “I’ll tell you what they did,” Tori said from behind the trio as she emerged from the room braiding her unruly hair. “They ripped the covers off and put their cold hands on my face and the back of my necks whispering Merry Christmas in creepy voices,” Tori said with a pointed glare at the younger twins. “But you would’ve slept the whole morning!” Kat protested to justify her actions. “Can it four eyes,” Tori said as she walked to the kitchen to get her cup of tea. Kat stuck her tongue out and adjusted her glasses. “Liza the timer is about to go off!” Tori called from the kitchen causing Elizabeth to spring up from the couch. Ushering Tori out of the kitchen Elizabeth got out her favorite tray and set it with four Christmas plates for cinnamon rolls, two mugs for Jon and Kat’s hot chocolate and the special Christmas morning cookies she had made and hidden from the sticky fingers in the living room. “Alright here we are, find the pickle!” Elizabeth exclaimed setting the tray down on the coffee table as the three jumped up from the couch and began searching the tree for the glass pickle. “I’ve got it!” Kat yelled almost making Elizabeth drop the plates she was setting out on the coffee table. “Alright then Kat why don’t you do your stocking first then you get to open the first present,” Elizabeth said as Tori and Jonathan sat on the floor pouting a little. Kat started handing out the stockings and the present opening got rolling.