Accidental Christmas Miracle

6.

Miracle

"Dinner's ready everyone!" Sandy called out from the kitchen, her voice easily reaching every part of the house.

If there's anything I've learned while in this house, it's that the Taylor family is louder than my own. I mean, my mom was always soft spoken but definitely used it to her advantage. She runs a big publishing company in the city with my dad now.

I went downstairs as I had gone back upstairs to unpack more and awkwardly waited to be told where to sit.

Thankfully, my awkwardness was short-lived as Sandy motioned for me to sit next Christi.

I did so and then they said grace.

After that, we were able to eat.

Good old fashioned homemade pizza was passed around. There was plain three cheese pizza and then there was pepperoni pizza.

I took a slice of both.

The smell of the pizza was amazing but somehow the taste was even better. Oh, how I've missed home cooked meals.

Meg was definitely right. Her pizza was amazing.

I didn't realize how quickly I had eaten both pieces til I looked up and noticed everyone looking at me.

"Did you actually chew those slices or just inhale them?" Dot asked me.

My face flushed a light pink.

He laughed. "I'm just teasing you." He told me.

"I don't get home cooking much." I explained. "Nope, scratch that. I don't get good home cooking much." I corrected myself. "Ramen and burnt toast counts as home cooking, right?"

They laughed and Christi shook her head. "No. I would definitely say that does not count at home cooking."

"Can you not cook for yourself?" Gabriel asked me.

I did a weird head bobble, meaning it was iffy. "It depends." I clarified for them. "I can cook and well but not a lot of things can I do that. Everything else taste terrible or is always burnt."

"Yeah, I would say that mom's cooking is pretty good then." Noel agreed with me.

"Pretty good?" I asked her. "This is the best darn pizza I've had in ages."

Sandy laughed. "You're so sweet, Miracle, but Di Angelo's pizza is much better than mine." She waved away my compliment.

Gabriel shook his head. "Nah, she's definitely lying. Although, we do have some pretty good restaurants around here in Champierce, Di Angelo's being one of them."

Christi nodded, agreeing with her younger brother.

"So," I grabbed another slice of pizza to put on my plate. "What's exactly there to do in this town?" I asked.

"Champierce specializes in Christmas. Christmas everything. It's pretty amazing."Dot said. "Not that it's not other times too." He added quickly after Sandy gave him a look.

I grinned. "Let me guess. You have a tree lighting and a winter festival of some sort?"

They all nodded at the same time.

"Yeah, we really would fit the description of a cliche story book small town at Christmas time." Christi told me. "But unlike story books, you can actually experience this one for yourself and create memories." She grinned.

I nodded. "Sounds fun."

Noel nodded. "Yeah. We also have ice skating, Christmas themed contests during festival hours, and other stuff."

Sandy piped in, "During the festival, booths are set up to help promote business and things. Most booths are from the small businesses around here but there are others that collect money that goes to the children's home in Rosterville. That's where all of the children from that town and this one go to because we can't afford one to be here."

She looked a bit sad but brightened up a bit when she looked at Noel. "Tell her what your favorite booth is, darling."

Noel grinned. "My favorite booth of the festival is the kids craft booth. There's always different activities and they're not all boring kiddie stuff." She informed me.

"That's good. I never liked it when I was forced to do an activity that was geared towards younger kids and nothing that I actually wanted to do." I agreed with her.

"My favorite booth is the one with all the ornaments." Gabriel piped in.

"Oh? Why's that?"

He nodded. "Yeah. Cause they're all so different and they're handmade!" He explained.

"Sounds unique and artsy." I glanced over at the other three members of the Taylor family. "What are your favorite booths?" I asked them

"I would have to say the ones that cook things." Sandy said.

"Definitely the cocoa booth." Dot told me.

I grinned at that and then turned my attention towards Christi. "And you?"

"My favorite booth is the one that the local bookstore runs." She answered.

"That's cause she can just stay there and dig through their pile of books to find one to read." Dot told me.

Christi's cheeks seemed to become dusted with a light pink.

"Fellow bookworm?" I asked her.

She shrugged. "I guess."

"Favorite book?"

"Don't have one."

I gaped at her. "How?"

She shrugged again. "It's hard to choose one I like more than the others when I have a bunch I really like."

I considered this. "Okay, that's fair."

I paused my conversation with Christi to give Sandy my plate when she asked for it and then turned back to the blonde.

"Favorite series?" I questioned her.

"Harry Potter." She answered almost immediately. "Also the Percy Jackson Series and the Lockwood & Co. series."

I gasped. "Same!" I paused. "Okay, least favorite death in Harry Potter, Greek godly parent and do you ship Lockwood and Lucy?" I asked her the most important questions regarding the books.

"Snape, and Hedwig. And Sirius, of course. My Greek godly parent would definitely be Athena and absolutely 100%."

"Sirius and Snape. I think Athena and I know, right?!" I grinned.

I was most definitely starting to like this family a lot and feel more at home.