Finally Home

52. Samantha

The sun was up when I opened my eyes. It was ten in the morning, which was late for me at the best of times!  I checked my blood sugar and saw I was going low.

I grabbed my glucose tabs and ate four of them while lying in bed.  Low blood sugar can make me shaky and I didn't want to get up if I was feeling shaky.

There was an urgent knock at the door and it swung open. Uncle B was standing in the doorway in sweatpants and a t-shirt, wearing glasses and his hair still a mess from sleeping.

"Your blood sugar is low. Are you okay?"

I was still chewing on the glucose tabs so I held up the tube to show him I'd treated it, while swallowing the dry, pressed sugar.   He came over and sat on the bed beside me.

"I got it," I said. "All good."

"What is that?" He asked, taking the tube from me."

"They're glucose tablets. Basically pressed and flavoured sugar. They're pretty yummy. I like the tropical and grape ones."

"I was getting worried. You slept in so late! And then I checked the app and your levels were dropping."

"Thanks," I said. "For checking in. I'm good. Just gonna wait for my levels to go back to normal, then I'll get up and come downstairs."

"Good!  Because it's Christmas!!  And we've been waiting for you!"

Uncle B is like a child at Christmas. Well, maybe more so than he normally is.

He left me be so I could change, and when I saw my levels going up, I got up, got dressed, toileted and everything, pulled out the gifts we'd gotten for Uncle B and Aunt Sarah, and went downstairs.

"Presents first or breakfast first?" Aunt Sarah asked, coming over and giving me a hug. "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas," I said, returning her hug.

"Presents first!" Uncle B said, picking me up and twirling me around.

"Maybe we should have breakfast first," Aunt Sarah said. "Sam's blood sugar was low."

Uncle B pretended to sulk. I shrugged.

"Whatever you guys want," I said.

"I'm pulling rank, and we're having breakfast first," Aunt Sarah said.

She'd made eggs and bacon, waffles and pancakes.  There were fresh strawberries, and yogourt, granola, coffee or hot chocolate if I wanted. And she'd baked a gingerbread cake.

"Wow!" I said.

"I wasn't sure what you'd like and I wanted you to have options. Zack and Kala are coming over so all this food isn't as much as it seems.

Just then the doorbell rang and then opened. Zack called out 'Merry Christmas!'.

"Why does he ring the bell if he's just going to come in anyway?" I asked laughing.

Kala came running in and grabbed me in a hug.

"Look at you!  You look great! How are you feeling? How's your leg?"

It's really hard not to get caught up in Kala's energy.

"I'm good," I said. "The leg is getting better."

"She walks a lot without her crutch. But she's a smart kid and brings it with. So she'll have it tomorrow at Disney," Uncle B said.

"Maybe we should get her a wheelchair?" Zack suggested. "That way she can rest and we can still get around."

"Not a bad idea," Uncle B said. "Sam, would you be okay with that?"

I shrugged and nodded.

"I guess."

We sat down to breakfast and I made sure to carefully bolus for everything I planned to eat. Aunt Sarah had gotten sugar free syrup so I didn't have to worry too much for pancakes and waffles.

We talked and laughed, planned our Disney trip, caught up on everyone's daily lives. Since we'd last seen each other. It was great. I don't think I could have had a better Christmas, except maybe at home with Rosie.

After breakfast, which I insisted in helping clean up from, we sat down for presents.

Aunt Sarah had gotten Uncle B some nice things, some cologne he liked, a really expensive whiskey, and some clothes.

He got her some clothes, a subscription to a wine club, and a couple of bottles of wine, and her favourite perfume. It was so cute.

They handed me a present and I was stunned. I don't know why I didn't expect a Christmas present from them, but I guess I figured the trip was gift enough.

"You didn't have to get me anything. You gave me a trip out here!"

"That was for your gotcha day," Uncle B said. "This is Christmas."

I rolled my eyes, smiled and thanked them. I opened the gift. It was a Fall Out Boy tour bomber jacket.

"I thought you could wear that Friday to the concert," Uncle B said.

"It's awesome!" I said, hugging him and thanking him. I hugged Aunt Sarah, too.

"Hey, we got you something, too," Zack said, handing me an envelope. I raised my eyebrow at him. I hadn't been expecting a gift from them either.

It was a really generous Barnes and Noble gift card. I thanked them both and gave them both hugs.

I gave Uncle Brendon and Aunt Sarah their gifts, which Mom and Dad had bought and wrapped so I didn't know what they were, either.

They liked the gifts and thanked me.

"You should probably call home and wish your parents a merry Christmas," Uncle B said, handing me the phone. I dialled home.

"Merry Christmas, Dad!" I said as he answered the phone.

"Merry Christmas to you, too, my sweet girl! How has it been?"

"Great!" I said and told him what gifts I'd received. I said that they thanked Mom and Dad for the gifts they sent. Mom and Rosie were on speaker and Dad asked if we could video chat, so we did.

"Hi Rosie!" I said, smiling at my baby sister.

"Sammy, you come home." Rosie said.

"I'll be home on Sunday," I said.

"No. You home now!" Rosie frowned.

"She's been asking for you to come home pretty much since you left," Mom said.

"Aww. Do you miss me, RosieRo?" I asked.

"Yeah. I want Sammy."

"Five more sleeps, okay?"

"Why?" She asked.

"Because I'm with Uncle B and Aunt Sarah on holiday," I said.

Rosie frowned.

"Five," she said. "Then Sammy come home."

"You bet, bug!" I said.

Uncle B and Aunt Sarah said hello to Mom and Dad, thanked them again for their gifts and wished them a Merry Christmas.

Afterwards, Uncle B asked me to join him on a Christmas live before we had Christmas dinner.

Zack and Kala were joining us, and they said they had another surprise at dinner.