My stepbrothers and I (#1) - Editing

Chapter Twenty-Three - Christmas Time

Tori's POV -

So, after our encounter with Kayla's dad, we head back to my mom's and Tony's place.

Lily is still there when we arrive and she greets us.

We hang around with her for a while and then Kayla and I head up to our room.

"So, what do you think so far?" I ask her "it's amazing right?"

"Of course... I just wasn't expecting to see my dad with someone else and mom knows about it" she says "so I have a half-sister, it's no big"

"Well, I guess things happen for a reason..."

"Yeah... I know that. I'm just surprised about it all I guess"

We talk for a while and then go to bed for some, much needed, sleep.

The next few days pass pretty quickly and I anticipate the arrival of my father, Maddie and the boys.

Christian texts me when they are getting on the plane, before they have to turn their phones off.

I wait for them and eventually they come over.

Julian pulls me into an embrace first and then Christian joins in.

"We missed you" Julian says

"I guess I missed you too..."

"It's been awful to not see you" Christian says

"Do our parents know you're here?" I ask

"Not really. We kind of snuck out of Adrian's while they all went to bed" Julian says

"Oh... I see. You know, I'm sorry for acting the way I did last week. I guess I was confused as to what was happening"

"It's okay" they both say at the same time

"Victoria honey" mom shouts me "who's that there?"

She comes into the foyer and smiles as she sees the boys.

"Oh, hello. You're Maddie's children yes?" she says

The boys nod

"And you're the boys that have my little girl all hung up?" she says

"Uh..." they say

"Don't worry, I don't have the same opinion as George does. He's a guy, he doesn't see what I do. Then again, he never did with me. But he wasn't all bad though. I knew he loved me, but he didn't really show it very much."

"Mom, do you not have somewhere to be?" I ask

"Oh, right... I guess I don't want to embarrass you. I'll leave you guys alone" then she leaves

The boys stay for a little longer and then they leave.

The next day, dad stops by.

"Mary-Anne" he says to mom as she walks into the front room where dad and I sit and talk

"George" mom says quickly.

"It's... good to see you" he says "I know the last time we saw each other wasn't the best of times"

"It's okay. I'm sorry for how I acted when I saw you... I mean, with your parents"

"That's fine" dad says "I guess they were just looking out for their granddaughter after all. She is their only one... blood related of course"

Mom comes and sits next to me on the sofa and smiles at me.

She joins us in our conversation and she speaks of the boys and me