𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐧 𝐌𝐚𝐟𝐢𝐚 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 ✍︎

48| 𝙲𝚑𝚛𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚖𝚊𝚜

To any of the readers who are still here and haven't given up on me yet.

Thank you so much. I love yall <3

It feels so weird to write a Christmas chapter in July lmao

Ayla/Dove's POV
Age: 10
Location: Ricci's Mansion, New York

Christmas arrived faster than I thought it would.

Between hiding and placing presents under the tree, eavesdropping on my parents' meetings, and reeling in my own head, Christmas arrived very fast.

I was completely thrown off guard when Dylan came barreling into my room this morning.

I was so deep in thought that I didn't hear him until he was already in my room, causing havoc and lifting me out of bed.

I've been up since four this morning, but I didn't bother to leave my bed.

It didn't occur to me that I could have woken up my brothers by jumping on them.

I should've done that.

When Dylan drops me on the couch in the living room, I see that Dante is dragging a groggy, very disheveled looking Marcus into the room.

My eldest brother is still in his pajamas and has a very bad case of bed head.

"Aren't you three a little too old to be this excited about Christmas?" Mama asks as the last of my brothers enter the living room.

"Maybe," Daniel admits with a shrug as he emerges from the kitchen. He hands Dad and Mama their mugs, likely filled with coffee.

"But it's Ayla's first Christmas with us!" Dylan finishes excitedly.

Suddenly everyone seems more awake and enthusiastic.

Dante, who's closet to the tree, starts handing out presents to everyone. It takes quite a while considering the sheer size and volume of the presents.

Once he's finished, each of us are surrounded by piles of boxes with our chosen wrapping paper.

There are nearly twenty boxes with presents for me while the others have ten or twelve.

"Should I be jealous that you have more than me?" Marcus teases.

I shrug innocently with a small grin.

The process of unwrapping gifts takes so much longer than I thought. We have to stop halfway through to get breakfast, which consists of pancakes, French Toast, and lots of Nutella.

Once all the presents are opened, Mama comes out with the stockings.

Unlike our wrapping paper, they are traditional and cute. Each one is made of flannel looking material and has our full initials on it.

After getting through every present and all the surprise gifts in the stockings, our living room is covered in colorful wrapping paper, and paper stuffing.

Everyone loves their presents from me, of course, and I love my presents from them.

When my brothers told me that they go all out for Christmas, they really meant it.

Mama and Dad got me a tablet and a computer. Both pink, obviously. Marcus got me a kindle and multiple stickers and cases I can use to decorate it.

Luca got me more physical books, and a couple box sets of certain series. Lorenzo got me a huge Lego set of the Doctor Strange sanctum, since everything Marvel has become my new obsession.