Back to December

Eleven

For the past five years, our Christmas traditions have been ever-changing. One year, we spent it at a chalet and went skiing, another we tried different traditions from around the world. It felt weird doing all the traditions that the Oliver's had been a part of without them, so we tried making our own new traditions. None of which ever stuck

    Despite the constant change of traditions, there was one my sisters and I refused to give up on, whether Wyatt was here or not. Christmas, eve, eve movie night. Every year for as long as I can remember, we'd creep down the stairs once our parents were in bed and watch Christmas movies until we fell asleep. It was the one tradition that we didn't let Wyatt take away after he left.

    "Shh," I shush Skye, holding my finger over my lip. She hasn't stopped giggling since we got done here, excited that she was finally old enough to join in. While it was Skye's first year doing movie night, it was our first without Lizzie. She and James always slept over the night of the 23rd, but with the twins and the lack of sleep that comes along with them, the two of them had to skip out for the first time ever.

    "I think we need more blankets," Harper whispers, nodding towards our set-up in the middle of the living room. We'd pulled all the couch cushions off the couches, lining them up to create a giant mattress for the three of us to lay on. Against the end of the couch, we stacked pillows from mine and Harper's room for us to lean against.

    I'd brought down a pastel purple blanket that had been sitting at the end of my bed for who knows how long, while Harper had brought down a fluffy-looking white one. It was so soft and clean I could only assume it was new. She was right, though. For whatever reason, our parents loved to keep the house cool, even in the winter. We definitely need more blankets, "can we trust you to be quiet and grab some blankets from your room?" I ask our youngest sister. Skye nods her head rapidly, pretending to zip her mouth shut. She rushes out of the room with a determined look on her face, up the stairs to grab more blankets. "I give her a few minutes before she makes a loud noise." 

    "More like a few seconds." Harper corrects me, shaking her head as she walks towards the kitchen. I assume to grab the snacks I'd bought at the store for us.

    While she does that, I plug the tree in. It was right beside the TV, the lights reflected off the screen slightly. Our first movie was already cued up, ready to go. Considering she'd most likely fall asleep first, Skye got to pick the first movie of the night. She went with a family favourite, the Grinch.

    I could hear Skye's footsteps walking down the steps a minute or so later. They were heavier than when she'd been walking up. I assume it's because she's weighing herself down with an armful of blankets. I begin walking out of the living room to help her, whispering, "How many blankets did you-"

    The heaviness of Skye's footsteps makes sense as soon as I see her. It hadn't been just Skye walking down the steps. Wyatt is standing beside her, carrying all the blankets we'd sent Skye to grab, "You forgot to grab Wyatt," She giggles, shaking her head as if I made a silly mistake, "so I woke him up."

    I hadn't forgotten to let Wyatt know about movie night. I choose not to. He'd been a part of picking out the Christmas tree, meeting Santa, and even if I didn't have a terrible time, Gingerbread houses. Was it so bad that I wanted a night with just my sisters?

    "Oh," I nod anyway, forcing a smile onto my face, "thanks, Skye."

     Skye smiles proudly, "your welcome."

     I look back over at Wyatt next. Skye said she woke him up, but he looked fresh and awake. His curls were styled, not a hair out of place, and the white t-shirt he was wearing didn't even have a crease. It looked like it'd been freshly ironed, "She can be very persistent," Wyatt informs me, chuckling, "She refused to leave my room until I came down here."