His Dreamer

16

Chapter Sixteen - Family

Christmas Day.

It's officially Christmas morning and we've all finally made it downstairs. Everyone's in cosy lounge wear and themed pajamas which looks so cute. I take a seat beside Theo and peck Isaiah's cheeks as he jumps onto my lap. He's the most adorable little boy and every time I see him all I want to do is pinch his cheeks.

"Present. For you." He pulls out a large peony which I assume he's taken from the vase of flowers on the dining table.

"Aw, thank you sweetheart!" I take it with a smile and watch as he blushes adorably. "I have something for you too, I hope you like it."

I take out a chocolate bar and he gasps excitedly before hiding it from his parent's sight. "Thank you, Zoe!"

I chuckle when he says thank you a little too loudly and ends up capturing the attention of his mother anyways. She glares at me playfully and I wave her off before helping him unwrap the bar. Isaiah squeals cutely before pushing himself off my lap and to the floor. I watch Ella's eyes soften with love as she stares at her son happily enjoying the chocolate while offering Judah a bite. I'm certain he's Isaiah's favorite uncle.

We start with our Secret Santa presents and thankfully Hunter helped me with what things Noah is interested in. I watch as he unwraps it before yelling in surprise when he realizes it's an old school PlayStation with twenty classic games. He's quite the gamer apparently so I'm glad he likes his gift. He runs over to me with a flurry of thank you-s and a tight hug before rambling on about how excited he is to play it later.

Theo ended up being my Secret Santa and my eyes widen in awe at the necklace I'm given. It's made of silver with the initial of my first name. On the slanted part of the 'Z' there's a single butterfly wing with the outer curves encased with diamonds. I smile brightly at Theo before giving him a hug.

"This is so beautiful Theo, thank you!" I grin as he helps me put it on.

"I'm glad you like it." He smiles proudly before rubbing the back of his neck. "I didn't know what to get so I had some help from Hunter."

I laugh at that before reassuring him that I really love it. Next, we start opening our presents with the squeals of surprise echoing in the room. Hunter and I had bought the gifts for the family together and it's great to see that everyone liked them. There's a lively atmosphere in the room that makes me come to the startling realization over how much I have missed celebrating the holidays. Although this isn't my real family they've been so much kinder and more welcoming than my own blood has ever been.

I become a little nervous when Hunter picks up the gifts I had bought for him. Watching as he unwraps it I smile at his instant reaction. Hunter stares at the vinyl in shock before a wide grin blooms across his lips. He has an impressive collection of vinyl's at home and has been looking for this band's one for months now. Luckily, I had found it in a store after many calls and visits. His eyes meet mine and I wink before nodding to the next present. A soft chuckle escapes me when he eagerly rips off the wrapping to find a popcorn machine. When I moved in and we would have movie nights he would always say that a popcorn machine would be the best thing ever. Even though I think it's ridiculous it's worth it to see him so happy about it.

"I'm going to use this every day!" He declares as he reads the information booklet. "Thanks, Red. I love them."

Rolling my eyes, I watch as he walks over to me before bending down to peck my lips. He takes a seat beside me on the couch before handing me my present. I rip off the wrapping paper only to freeze when a picture of the most recent professional camera in the market stares back at me. My jaw drops as I hold the box up before staring at him with wide eyes.