The Shadow of Me

Chapter 21

Alan was helping me with Christmas dinner, since everyone was congregating here later in the day. All of Death Punch, Of Mice & Men, Pierce The Veil, and so many others.

And he kept nagging me about staying off my feet.

"Holly, you need to stay off your feet, let me do the cooking," Alan said as he pulled the ham out of the oven.

"Alan, I am fine," I told him, laughing as I finished the mashed potatoes. "As long as I take it easy, I am fine. Since you're done, and all I have to do is put the pies in the oven and finish a a few of the desserts, put the presents under the tree. Alright?"

"Alright," he said, giving in.

He pressed a kiss to my cheek before he headed to the spare bedroom, returning with an armful of presents. I think he had to make three or four trips to get them all. And I'm pretty sure the room would be piled high with presents when everyone got here.

I don't think receiving is Christmas. It's giving.

Just as he finished putting the presents under the tree, Jeremy, Ivan, Alexis, Chris, Laura, Jason, Callie, Zoltan, and Zsazsa walked in. All of them with armfuls of stuff to put under the tree.

I got a hugs from every one of them. Of Mice & Men should be arriving soon, I hope. As well as Pierce the Veil. We were doing this the day before Christmas Eve so we could all have time together as one big, fucked up family so they could have Christmas eve day with their own families. And I actually would get to meet Alan's parents that day too.

"Are you having an amazing day so far, Holls?" Zsazsa asked me as she pulled away from me. 

I nodded, "Yes, I am," I told her with a smile. "Oh, could you do me a quick favor?"

"What is it?" She asked me, raising an eyebrow. 

"Well, I need to finish the desserts and my fiancé is determined that I'm not to do it myself," I told her and she laughed, agreeing to it. 

She grabbed her brother by his jersey and dragged him into the kitchen with her. Me waddling behind them. I had the feeling that we would be meeting little Laura or little Alan Jr soon. A gut feeling if you will.

"What do you need us to do?" Zoltan asked with a smile as his sister picked up a bowl of unmixed fluff. I had just put the ingredients in the bowl when they arrived.

"Just mix the orange fluff, the pistachio fluff, keep an eye on the pies in the oven, and make sure Jeremy stays out of the ham before dinner," I told him. "And I need Ivan to give my fiancé a hand with frying the turkey."

"Ivan!" Zsazsa shouted as she mixed the orange fluff while her brother worked on mixing the pistachio fluff.

"Yeah, Holls?" the vocalist asked as he poked his head in the kitchen.

"Give my fiancé a hand with the damn turkey," I told him. "And, I know you, so, can Alexis, Chris, and Laura bring in what you all brought?"

"No problem," he told me, laughing. "I'll have them being all of it in. And I'll help your fiancé. And that still doesn't seem right to say. I can't picture you about to fit married."

I laughed as Zsazsa, Zoltan, and I got to work.

******

After everyone was done eating, we were all sitting around the floor, Jeremy and Austin passing the presents to everyone. Like was tradition in our family.

This was the best Christmas I had ever had. And I'm sure it's gonna be the same for the rest of my Christmases.