Because of Haven Beach

23 | paroxysm

paroxysm (n.)

a sudden outburst of emotion

* * *

THE next few days of winter break passed quickly. Aliyah and I spent the first full day in Boston and went to a Celtics game. I wasn't a basketball fan, but I ended up having a really good time anyway. On Christmas Eve, Delaney and Aubrey dragged me with them to the mall to do last-minute Christmas shopping. It was a complete zoo, and I was miserable. There was a reason why I did all of my Christmas shopping on Black Friday.

The next day, on Christmas morning, we were woken up at seven a.m. by Ella. She connected her phone to the Amazon Alexa and blasted Mariah Carey's All I Want For Christmas Is You before running into all of our rooms. It was so over-the-top and ridiculous, but I didn't expect anything less from her.

Much to Ella's dismay, we didn't start opening presents until eight o'clock; the adults wanted to eat breakfast and drink their coffee first.

"Can I go first?" Ella half asked, half whined, already dragging her pile of presents to her chair. On Christmas Eve, she stayed up until midnight to organize all of the presents into six piles. She claimed that sorting the presents would make the process of opening them smoother, but I thought it was just an excuse for her to snoop.

"Stockings first, Ella. We do this every year," Aunt Kelli reminded her. She unhooked the stockings from the mantle and passed them around.

I sorted through mine and found three packs of custom-ordered M&Ms. They were all green, which was undoubtedly the best-tasting color. I also got some basic hygiene products like a toothbrush, deodorant, floss, and shampoo.

After everyone went through their stockings, Ella was finally allowed to tear into her presents. We all watched as she opened packages filled with clothing, makeup, and room decor.

The rest of us wanted patiently until she was done to exchange our presents.

This Christmas was surely my favorite Christmas yet. I was so used to getting showered with luxurious gifts by my father, that Christmas was starting to lose its meaning. This year, spending the holiday with family helped bring all of the magic back.

Just thinking about the computers, phones, and jewelry he used to give us to make up for his absence disgusted me. I would gladly take the thoughtful and homemade gifts from friends and family any day over his pathetic excuses of gifts. The books, clothes, and record player my mom bought me were more than enough.

* * *

Around noon, we started preparing for our grandparents' arrival. I hadn't met them yet and was extremely nervous about it, despite Uncle Ricky's assurances. Ethan, however, merely wished me luck before retreating into his room with a scowl.

In the past two months, I had pestered my mom about my mysterious grandparents multiple times. I wanted to know why they didn't speak anymore, what caused her to be cut off, and so much more. Each time I brought it up, I was shot down and told that she didn't have the energy to delve into it.

All she told me Christmas morning was that they were the most terrible people to ever walk the Earth and I should prepare for the worst—whatever that meant.

I figured out what she meant as soon as they walked in the door.

"Richard, Kelli, we are here!" A shrill, feminine voice called out. "Why did you not come to welcome us at the door? We are guests in your... shac- home."