𝐰𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐥

gingerbread man

River ended up leaving 20 minutes after to go back home. I was worried about what would happen when he got back, but he kept reassuring me by saying he'd call if anything was wrong.

I couldn't wrap my mind around the fact that his biological mother was here. It was the first time we actually had a full conversation on his family and adoption process.

I can't imagine what his moms were thinking. It took them forever to even legally adopt him in the first place because they were a part of the LGBTQ+ community. Not to mention the problems they faced with the system because they couldn't legally marry at first. It was all just so complex and surprising.

I was sitting at the kitchen table when I was interrupted by my dad.

"I know that face, what's wrong?"
"It's about River."
He sat down across from me, "What happened?"

I told him mainly the legal stuff, my dad worked in Child Protective Services so I knew he would understand.

"Well River is almost 18, so she can't take him. He has the choice in this situation, if he doesn't want to see her he doesn't have to. If she refuses to go away legal actions can be taken."

"I didn't even think of that."
"I figured. But he'll be okay, his parents will always be his parents regardless of what happens."

Crazy how a few words could change my whole mindset on the situation.

"Well if that's it, we're having family game night so let's go."

I got up following my dad into the living room. My mom along with Romeo were on the floor with boxes of board games on the table and a dry erase board set up on an easel for charades.

"Lia, I hope you're ready to go bankrupt. We're playing Monopoly," Romeo said with a smile.

Here we go again.

***

The next morning I woke up to Romeo sitting on my stomach. I swear he still acts how he did when he was a kid, waking me up in order to wake our parents up so that we could open gifts.

You'd think with time and age he'd change, but here we are.

"Lia! Wake up it's Christmas," he yelled.
"Romeo you're 14 there is no reason you should be acting like this."
"It's only around my family so it's cool," he shrugged while getting up and grabbing my arms.

I reluctantly obeyed, getting up and trudging behind him to our parents room. They were sound asleep and I wished I was too.

"MOM! DAD! IT'S CHRISTMAS!" Romeo yelled at the top of his lungs.

My parents got up without hesitation, they already knew what would come if they didn't.

Following Romeo downstairs, we walked into the living room where the tree was set up. It was decorated nicely, with presents wrapped around at the bottom.

My dad went into the kitchen to make hot cocoa and play music as we usually did every year while my mom started recording. Romeo was the first to grab a present with his name as I followed.

The first one for me was an old camera, one I had saw my grandmother holding in an old picture a couple of months ago. Inside the box with the camera were a bunch of pictures printed from the camera. They all had dates on them, all taken in the 1960s.

I smiled to myself at the pictures, my grandmother looked so young and happy.

"Wait. It's a...a- what is this? TICKETS TO SEE THUGGER?"