and we forgave

Chapter 42

NESSIE

"Your cookie looks like a yeti", Nini tells Noah, looking at the cookie in the guy's hands. There is a huge amount of white frosting on it and then two sprinkles like eyes.

"The heck it does", Noah replies. "It is supposed to be a snowman."

Nini tilts her head to the side as if to get a better look of the so-called "snowman". April follows her. "Yeah, I still can't see it", the redhead adds. "I'm with Nini on this one", April follows.

"Precious, you were supposed to be on my side", her boyfriend lets out faking being annoyed. April comes next to him and takes two blue sprinkles from the tray of many sprinkles packages Adam and I prepared for them earlier. She puts them on Noah's cookie and says: "Here, now it's better. The yeti has fangs."

Noah gives her a glare and squints his nose. She presses one finger on his nose saying "Peeps" and kisses him afterwards. We all have to chuckle.

"Caden, thank you so much for these sweaters again", Adam changes the topic, letting the two lovebirds argue whether the cookie should have more fangs on it or more frosting.

"No problem", Caden answers smiling. He is the one that provided us all with Christmas sweaters. "It was really my Mom who did it, so she is the one who should be getting the credit."

Nini comes next to him and draws something with frosting on his cookie as she says: "Caroline really wanted to give you guys sweaters. She asked Caden and I to draw some designs for you. That's why they are all personalised."

I know that Nini spent the winter holidays until now in Kansas City with Caden, visiting his parents. They are going back there after the days with us. My phone has been overloaded with photos she sent us from Kansas, of her and Caden ice skating or just pictures of stuff she found Pinterest worthy. On the private chat with me and not on the group chat, she also sent Wattpad-worthy Caden photos, of him faking lifting weights with some Christmas balls or of him wearing a very tight Christmas sweater. She also sent a video of him struggling to open a Chupa Chups wrapper on the group chat with us five. I had to laugh at that.

I am looking at our sweaters. Mine has many books on it, along with Christmas lights. Adam's has a computer saying "Oh Merry Christmas". Noah's has a huge teddy bear looking exactly like Jerry. April has some donuts on it, in green and red. Dia has some music notes. Jacob a cat with a Santa hat on singing "Fa la la". Nini has many cups of coffee and some Christmas decorations. And Caden has a Santa playing hockey.

"Thank you", I tell her, coming to give her a hug. She smiles. I also hug Caden then, who smiles too.

"I almost forgot", the redhead lets out then and rushes to her luggage. Caden worries seeing his girlfriend worried and follows her. The two meet as she comes back with a huge tote bag and she kisses him, Caden wrapping an arm around her shoulders and following her back to the cookies they were decorating earlier.

"So, we obviously have sweaters for Sophy and Alec too", she says, showing us two sweaters. Soph's is a pink one with many red kiss marks embroidered on it. Alec's is one showing the Grinch saying "I hate jolly and merry". They are so fitting that I have to chuckle at the view. Before Nini takes something else from the bag, she looks up at me and Adam and smiles. "But, Caden and I also asked Caroline to make a sweater for someone else." I look surprised at Caden, hoping he would explain more or give me any hint, yet he only looks admiring at Nini. Thank you so much.

My bestie takes out a mini sweater from the bag, the tiny version of what we are wearing. I figure out who the sweater is for from the first second I see it. It's for the baby. As she sees my surprise, Nini gets nervous. "I know the baby isn't here yet, but she or he is already part of the family so we wanted that the baby has a sweater too."
Caden hugs Nini tighter, if only to calm her down and see her relax. "The design is also amazing. Broadway and I spent some time coming up with the best motive to put on the sweater", he backs her up.

Nini comes give me the sweater and Adam comes behind me, his hand already on my waist, to see what Nini and Caden are talking about. As I take the first look at the design, I let out a laugh. Adam too. "Are you kidding me?", I let out amused.

"What is it?", Jacob asks, rushing to get a glimpse of it. Noah and April come too, Dia following them. As they see the design, they all gasp both amused and faking being annoyed.

"Someone is trying to come in the baby's graces", Jacob says chuckling.

"Says the one who played Taylor Swift music then did circles around the baby bump with a speaker", Caden counters.

Jacob comes and places an arm around Caden's shoulder. "I am not mad at you", he adds, teasing tone on. "I am glad you finally learned something." Noah and April chuckle at that, Dia, Adam and I too. Even Nini.

"I am still offended though", April adds, sinking on the couch. I know she's joking, for there is a smirk on her face. "I mean, that sweater clearly doesn't state the truth."

"Clearly", Noah backs her up.

"I am pretty sure it does", Caden corrects her.

"In your dreams", April insists.

I let my friends bicker in the background as I look at the small sweater again. The one that has: "Auntie Nini and Uncle Caden are the best" written on it. I chuckle as I read it again. Adam comes to hug me and brushes a kiss on my ear. I am pretty sure everyone saw it, but I don't care. I kiss his lips and that's when the room goes silent. I chuckle and pull him even closer.

"I think I'm seeing things, I must be low on sugar", April comments. I laugh as I wrap my hands around Adam's neck and pull him closer.

"Are you sure?", he asks me surprised, his voice low.

I nod. And reply: "Thank you for this amazing Christmas with our family."

He smiles and looks at our friends. The ones that all look wide-eyed at us. He chuckles and adds: "Anytime" before he kisses me again.

"Babe, pass me a cookie", April says to tease us. I almost say something back at her as I can see Nini walk and pass our bestie the cookie she's been working on as she came to sit next to Caden. A cookie that has Ariel painted on it. I can't help but chuckle.

This is one of the best Christmases ever.