Spanglish | editing

Chapter Thirty

This is it guys.
•••

"FELIZ NAVIDAD!" Adeline screams, launching herself onto my back. I grunt and shove my face back into my pillow, still tired. Despite the mass amount of holiday cheer that's pouring out of my sister, the teenager inside of me is screaming "it's too damn early!"

"Please wake up, Nida! Santa came! Santa got us gifts! Lots more than last year!" Addy begs, a lot softer than her grand entrance that caused my back to suffer. However, I get up. From the tone of her voice, this Christmas really is something to be excited about. We never have been able to get many gifts, as we weren't financially able to. Adeline normally gets 3-4 toys and John getting a new soccer ball and maybe cleats. I've opted out of gifts so that my siblings could enjoy their Christmas. My mom has always tried to argue with me on it, but I always said that I'm too old for gifts. In all honesty, I would love a gift. Who wouldn't? But I gave up Christmas presents the same time I gave up the rest of my childhood.

After peeling myself from my bed, I follow a running Adeline into the newly decorated living room, only to be met with a sight that takes my breath away. When she said that there were a lot more gifts than last year, she really wasn't kidding. Underneath the tree, there are colorful boxes surrounding the tree, to the point where they don't fit. I stand there in shock, a hand covering my mouth, trying to take in everything. John is sitting on the edge of the couch, same wide eyes and shocked expression that I'm sporting. His eyes lock with mine, swimming with emotion.

"¿Ves esto? (Do you see this?)" He breathes out, as if he needs conformation that he's not the only one who is witnessing this. I nod, still just as struck. My feet move towards the couch and I sit next to my brother. My eyes are trained on the large amount of colorful boxes that sit under the tree.

"Where did-?" I stammer out.

"I don't know." John responds.

"How did we-?"

"I don't know."

"When did-?"

"Nida, I dont know."

I return to being quiet, shaking my head in disbelief. The most gifts we have ever had under the tree at one time was eight. Now, there has to be more than 20.

Where did this come from?

As I'm sitting deep in wonder, the shock wearing off, I hear a loud gasp. My mom is standing in the hallway, a hand on her chest and wide eyes. Okay, so it wasn't my mom who got us all of this.

"Mama! Can we open gifts? Can we?" Addy jumps up from the ground and runs over to Mama, throwing her arms around her waist. Mom pats her head and mutters a "Si." without taking her eyes off of the mass amount of presents. Adeline squeals and runs back to the tree, before ripping open the first gift she sees with her name on it.

Mama finds her way next to me and slides her hand on top of mine.

"Where did this come from, Mom?" I ask, looking at her with anticipation. She shakes her head and looks at me as well.

"I bought maybe 10 of those gifts." She answers, causing my eyebrows to pull together.

"Then where did the others come from?" I mutter. Mama smiles and laughs a little.