Unpredictable • cth

10

El-
"Merry Christmas ya filthy animal!"

Laughter filled the air.

It had been almost two weeks since Ryder basically said he loved me. Which in retrospect was weird because we had just started hanging out more than twice a month a couple weeks ago.

Yes he used to say it to me before, freshman year. But that was before everything happened.

"Earth to Ella?" I could hear Aunt Sierra concerned voice.

"Huh?"

"God I thought I lost you for a second there."

She's the only one who knows about my panic attacks, which is probably what she thought I was having right now since mine usually start with me zoning out or starting at a random object.

"I'm good Aunt S."

She gave me her ''motherly look of concern.'

"I swear I am!" I whispered yelled.

"Let's watch the movie then lovely." She wrapped her arms around me as my attention diverted back to the screen.

We always spend Christmas Eve at Uncle Lukes. Every single year since we were all 2.

Not 1.

Solely because everyone wanted to have their children's first Christmas' away from their band mates.

Ridiculous but it was a family event on our first Christmas, not that we remember. But they do. Especially Aunt KayKay who was still in the hospital with Caleb.

He was born two days before Christmas but had loads of complications, so they spent Christmas in the hospital.

Now we do celebrate his birthday on the 23rd, but we don't give him gifts until Christmas Day.
It was a big thing Uncle Ash made up that Santa brought him Christmas and birthday presents at once.

That tradition still holds today.

"Your doing it again.." Ryder's voice now trickled into my ear.

I turned to look at him. He hadn't seen nor spoken to me since the day he told me he loved me.

"What?" I may or may not have snapped back at him.

"Your zoning out."

"No I'm just really into the movie."

I had somehow ended up seated in between Ryder and Aunt S this year. We never sit with our family but normally I sit with Uncle Ash or Mia.
Yet Aunt S insisted I sat with her this year.

"Sure Hood whatever you say." His smile was evident in his voice, as he directed his attention back to the TV.

He was such a mammas boy, which could never be a problem. So Aunt S probably knew everything. Thus why I am now sitting in between the man who loves me and his mother.

"And that wraps this years movie !" Uncle Mikey yelled as he turned the TV off.

"Now, how did everyone like it?" His face was gleaming. "Ella?"

"It was great !" My enthusiasm was there, thank god.
"Yay! Now Mia?"

He was making this a big deal because this is the first year we didn't watch the grinch like we always do.

"Great Dad!" Her enthusiasm matched mine.

"Ya know what time it is kiddos." My dad yelled
"Let's do this!"

We didn't do all the gifts tonight. We just do the gifts each kid got each kid, if that makes sense. Then we come back in the morning and do all the parents and kid gifts.