A Secret - Choni

Fourteen

sorry for slow updates over the past few days, i've been extremely busy and didn't get time to proofread and post, i apologise❤️

Toni's POV

Christmas was fast approaching in the dark town of Riverdale, I found myself wrapped up with my all too gorgeous girlfriend on Christmas eve. Cheryl was cuddled into my side, while we watched endless amounts of Christmas films on my couch. The look on her face, however, was one of sadness.

"What's wrong Cheryl?" I turned my attention away from the film and more towards her. "It's nothing T." She forced out a fake smile to me. "It's always something, even if you think it's small then it matters to me." I comforted her.

"It's just Thistlehouse, even though my mother is gone it still reminds me of everything bad that happened. I love my Nana but I just hate it there." Her bottom lip began trembling when she finished, so I took it between my own. "So stay here as much as you like. Nana Rose has a carer, she'll be okay." I smiled back down to her. "This is your personal space T, I don't want to invade it." She averted her eyes away from me. "So it'll be OUR personal space. You're staying here whether you like it or not." I grinned down to her. She slowly nodded her head. "We need to go to Thistlehouse later though, I need to get your gifts and give Nana hers." She informed me. "We'll go now okay?" I lifted her head up and placed another kiss upon her lips.

Cheryl's POV

We arrived at Thistlehouse and I began to feel guilt surround me. I didn't want to leave my Nana on her own for Christmas, I'd be the worst grandchild ever. I was soon comforted after we walked inside though.

"Oh Cheryl dear. I just wanted to tell you that I'm going to visit your Uncle Claudius over in Greendale, I'll be leaving tonight." Thank god for that. "Okay Nana, I'm going to be staying at Toni's a little more, but I'll still come back to see you of course." I smiled to her. "That's perfectly fine Cheryl, I'd rather you be out of this house. I know it's filled with nothing but bad memories for you." God I loved my Nana.

"I want to give you your gifts before you leave Nana." I raced upstairs to collect all of the wrapped gifts that were under my bed and carried them downstairs. I chose out the ones that had my Nana's name scrawled out in my handwriting and handed them over to her.

She handed mine over to me also. "Now don't go peeking like you used to as a child Cheryl" she grinned to me. "Thank you for the gifts darling. There's also a gift for Toni with yours." I looked down to find Toni's name upon a small one that was placed at the top. "Thank you, I got you one too." Toni pulled a small box from her jacket pocket and handed it over to her. I looked in shock that they instantly had a connection that I didn't even know about.

X

We left Thistlehouse and made our way back over to my car together, placing all of the presents in the back seat. "What did you get her?" I asked, wondering when she even decided to get her a present. "Just a brooch. I noticed she had a similar collection to yours on her dresser when I put her to bed the other night." I let out a small smile at her attention to detail. "You're so cute. We need to go by Kevin's to drop his present off, and the Pembrooke to give Veronica hers. After we're going to have to go to the Coopers house so I can give my Aunt Alice, Betty, Polly and the twins their presents too." I informed her of our sudden itinerary. "Of course babe."

X

After a visit to Kevin's and Veronica's, giving them both their presents and receiving some back, we drove our way to the Cooper house. "Ah Cheryl come on in darling. Would you like some cherry pie?" My aunt Alice smiled at me. "How could I say no to that Auntie?" I smiled back to her, pulling Toni in by her hand. We sat on the couch, watching Polly and Betty play with the twins on the rug. "Here Dagwood, go to Aunt Cheryl." Polly handed the small boy over to me, I carefully held him as gently as I could, scared of hurting him. I turned to Toni who just had a look of confusion on her face. "What?" I questioned. "Polly is your cousin but her children are your niece and nephew?" She laughed. Betty and I began to laugh also. "We have a crazy family T, Polly and Betty are my third cousins, Jason and Polly were together before he died, we didn't know we were all related at that point." I attempted to explain the situation to her. "Rightttt." She dragged out, finishing with a giggle.