In the arms of no one (Completed)

10. What the?! *Unedited*

Valen's POV
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I'm sitting in a room filled with people that I barely know at a house that I've never been to before, in a Country that is not my own and my heart is aching painfully. 

To say the traditions here are different is a vast understatement.

The sweltering summer heat at this time of year back home would have naturally had me gravitating to the pool for a morning swim first thing on Christmas morning.

Swim.

Shower.

Breakfast. Which I usually shared with the workers in the house along with their families. A tradition that Lucas started when I was eight years old because he couldn't stomach the thought of me being alone another year for the 'happy' holiday.

Gift opening for everyone, which is always a very rambunctious affair.

And finally spend the rest of the day house hopping, to personally hand deliver the gifts I had gotten for all of my friends, their families and finally my own family; not to mention the BBQ meals that I would be roped into sharing at every gift drop stop. 

Painfully bloated tummy and weight gain season alert.

It was kind of a mix between the quintessential kiwi Xmas holiday and my very own tradition, and I miss it.

The Barrett Family didn't do big family get togethers at any of the important holidays, well not with me anyway. Usually because my mum was overseas...but mostly because they never thought to ask me to join any of them.

This year though, I woke up alone. It had started snowing outside...so no morning swim. 

I ate a bowl of cereal alone whilst wondering if Lucas and everyone else was keeping to our tradition. 

I managed to get to the mall before Xmas so I could buy me a brand new phone and shop for presents for my family and Storm's friends, my newly acquired crew and Gladys.

I'm not going to lie. It's hard choosing gifts for people that I know nothing about, but I somehow managed it...maybe the Christmas fairy took pity on me and decided to send the gift purchasing muse for inspiration. Who knows? 

FYI, I'm not stupid, I know that things like Santa, Fairies, the Easter bunny, Edward Cullen or Jacob Black don't exist in real life.  If they did then the unfortunate events of my past would not have led me to where I am now, thanks to the genie lamp that I would have rubbed my whole being on. 

Aladdin can just rub up on fucking Abu...that deranged monkey would probably like that shit any way.

This morning's gift exchange with my family was interesting to say the least, but only because the gifts I exchanged with my family were so generic and it was blindingly clear that my family struggled just as much as I did. I would have laughed maniacally if it wasn't for the fact that I was front, center and participating in the almost agonizing experience. 

I am very grateful though, despite the awkward atmosphere, the fumbling words and tentative smiles, I really do appreciate them.

Turns out the stairs on the side of the four car garage that I spied the first day I arrived, lead up to a fully furnished, self contained 2 bedroom apartment...it'll take some getting used to calling it that though, because we call that kind of living space, a flat back home. 

I was given a choice of whether I wanted a room in the house or the apartment. 

I chose the apartment, I am so used to being on my own with only the workers in the house for company that it would have felt weird sharing a house with family members...that are obviously very close. I could practically see the pleased but guilty expressions on their faces and hear their collective sighs of relief, which I could totally understand; but I couldn't stop myself from thinking, "Why bring me here then?"