Sadie (18+)

Chapter 1

"Now that is one attractive family," I declared giddily, the click of Gina's camera following. I zoomed in for a better shot, crouching. "You better use some of these for your Christmas cards next year."

Gina's warm laughter filled the room, and I took another shot with her mouth open, all red lips and white teeth. She was a beautiful woman, with flawless, youthful skin, and thick, curly eyelashes that reached the brow.

I paused for a second, taking in the Alessi family as though it were the first time. The parents were second-generation Italians, and they looked the part: olive skin, dark hair and eyes. Tony, the son, was a younger version of his father, with a similarly mild Roman nose. Julia looked like her mother, petite and shapely, but the main difference was the scattering of freckles that peppered her small nose.

I had become so comfortable around the family that I often forgot how attractive they were. The one that shocked me the most, however, was Vincent, husband and father.

I shifted my view to him, raking my eyes over the dark suit which hugged his arms, creasing the fabric. The suit complimented his skin tone exceptionally well; I couldn't recall the last time I'd seen him in one. He cleaned up nicely, almost too nicely—it was startling to see him look so handsome.

I discreetly zoomed in with the camera, peeking through the lens at the man's complexion. I realized upon closer inspection that his eyes were not actually dark like his wife and children, but a bright hazel with flecks of gold.

This sudden attraction was confusing. I put the camera down, my heart pattering rapidly as I attempted to swallow down this strange realization, that the man I had known since I was a prepubescent girl, was suddenly pleasing to look at.

I pressed a hand to my flushed cheek, wondering if the wine was to blame. I zoomed back out and snapped one more shot, the flash blinding.

"All done," I said, Tony's smile falling as though doing so had been a strenuous activity. He despised pictures, but more so standing around. The siblings were alike in that sense, both filled with incredible energy. At least Tony had an outlet, that being football. Julia, on the other hand, often came off as a toddler who had eaten too much sugar.

I handed the camera back to Gina, who wrapped me in a hug. Her thick, dark hair was against my face, the sweet smell of hairspray wafting around us.

"How about we replace Tony with you?" she asked, touching my cheek, which earned an eye roll from the grumpy college boy. And then she excused herself, summoned by a group of relatives.

Gina was the type of host that made sure everybody was happy, even if it meant running around like a nut for the evening. She liked it, though—there was something about a full house that swelled her heart.

Christmas was not to be taken lightly in the Alessi family. I had been flattered when Julia asked me to join her tonight, and I much preferred the lively, festive surroundings over my quiet home, empty except for my mother.

Glittery gold and white lights adorned the railings and fireplace in their spacious, contemporary house. Their hefty Christmas tree in the foyer twinkled brightly amongst the homemade and vintage ornaments, a sight that filled my heart with an inescapable tenderness.

I liked to sometimes pretend this house was mine, that I had grown up within these comforting walls, that Julia was my sister and Gina my mother.

I received a glimpse of myself in the large, round mirror in the foyer, the blue-eyed, brown haired girl staring back resembling not a single person in this house. I possessed a pasty skin tone, which looked rather blinding in comparison to Julia or any of her relatives. That observation alone had yanked me out of my fantasy which yearned for a sense of belonging.