Reconstructing Amelia (unedited)

Chapter 88

December 21st, 2019

"And just put your fingers here, here, and here," Xander instructed, gently guiding my hand with his over the fretboard on his guitar. I hadn't asked to learn, but the opportunity had arisen and we were both glad to be spending more time together.

I placed my fingers where's he'd shown me, strumming the strings with my right hand. A soft chord echoed throughout the living room, making me smile. "I did it!" I said proudly as Xander chuckled.

"Yeah, you did. Good job,"

"It's literally the easiest of chords," Alan argued from where he was sprawled out on the couch. "It's Cmajor,"

"Oh shut up," Xander quipped at him. "You're doing fine," he promised me.

Alan just shrugged, turning back to the online game he was playing on his phone.

"Look what we got!" Javi cried excitedly as the front door opened.

I heard the shuffling of feet and the muttering of the boys as they tried to manoeuvre something inside of the house.

It was about mid-afternoon now, and Cato had taken the kids out grocery shopping, though he'd had to practically drag them.

I glanced towards Xander for any sort of hint but he only grinned at me.

"It's a surprise," he told me with a wink.

I handed him his guitar back as I rose to my feet and went to investigate. The strong scent of pine graced the air as I got closer, and I finally saw that Cato and Eli were carrying in a large pine tree while the triplets were hauling in grocery bags.

"We got a Christmas tree!" he exclaimed happily, though he stumbled over his new learned word.

I smiled softly. "Did you have fun?" Javi nodded vigorously in response, turning to watch them bring in the tree.

"Surprise!" Eli told me with a grin, letting go of the tree and standing beside me. "Do you like it?"

"I've never had a Christmas tree before," I answered, staring at it undecidedly. "It looks plain,"

Alan slung his arm around my shoulders. "That's because it's not decorated yet, silly," he teased.

I felt my cheeks blush pink. "Oh,"

"Eli, get your ass back over here and help me," Cato instructed, now on his own to stuff the tree through the door. Eli rolled his eyes but complied.

"Cato, language," I reminded him. "Javi's here,"

Cato and Eli finished putting the tree in its stand in the living room before he turned to me. "Don't scold me," he chastised jokingly. "I'm the parent here,"

"You wish," Eli added with a smirk as Cato smacked the back of his head.

"I will not hesitate to kick you out," he informed him.

My eyes widened even though everybody else seemed to be amused. "That's not funny,"

My brothers all shared a look before bursting out laughing.

Cato kissed my forehead gently. "I'd never do it to you," he promised. "But the rest of them? Definitely,"

"Rude," Xander folded his arms over his chest.

"Oh shut it, you overgrown college kid,"

"I'm not even in college!"

"Yet you live here rent-free,"