On the first day of Christmas, Zara Fischer's 'true love' gave to her... a breakup.
The day before seventeen-year-old Zara takes off for the Christmas holidays to the other side of the world--cold, dreary London--her boyfriend of two months dumps he...
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Friday: December 31st, 2015
Dad was only a little bit grumpy at me when I arrived at the cafe for our family breakfast, wearing the same clothes I had left in yesterday. It was hard to tell if he was mad at me for the fact I did stay at Jasper's last night, or if it was because I was slightly late this morning. I would have been on time if Jasper hadn't offered to join me for a shower this morning... But how could I say no when it was something he hadn't done before? I would take every new and first experience of his I could get.
Before taking my empty seat between my father and Amelia, I went over to my grandparents to give them each a hug and listen to their nagging of my hair colour and nose ring. Then I shook hands with Clare's parents.
"This is my newest daughter who I've told you about: Zara," Clare said, introducing me to them. I couldn't stop the smile that spread across my face to hear the label Clare had given me outside of the four walls of home.
"So, Zara, we hear you've had a very adventurous Christmas," Clare's mum started.
"Indeed! Apparently you met a boy and won some money, on top of getting a new family?" my grandfather chipped in.
"Yeah, something like that," I mumbled, looking over the menu.
"Tell us about it, dear," grandma said. And so I told them about the past thirty-one days (leaving out the details they most certainly did not need to hear).
∘◦ ❈ ◦∘
"Is Jasper coming this afternoon?" dad asked, slipping his arm around my shoulders as we walked home after breakfast.
"Yeah. He's with his mum this morning, but he said he'd pop around after... is that okay?" I hesitantly glanced at him.
But dad smiled back warmly and nodded. "Of course. So long as we get to spend time with you this evening."
"Yeah, of course."
"Though Jasper is welcome to stay for dinner and a movie, so long as he's happy to hang out with us."
"Really?" I exclaimed, and dad nodded. "I'll ask him when he arrives."
We continued to walk in silence for a while, Hunter asleep in the pram and Amelia gripping onto Clare's hand, jumping in the light dusting of snow that had covered the grounds overnight, still clinging to the footpaths and sparse areas of grass.
"Is Jasper coming to the airport tomorrow?" Clare then asked me.
"Oh... no, I don't think so," I replied, biting my lip. Surely not with his mum in the hospital...
