Do You Believe in Fate? [Stopped Incomplete]

Chapter 8

Christmas Eve had been an unmitigated disaster, but the sight of Colin's face on Christmas day as he opened the gift I gave him was everything I could have hoped for. Blair was suitably excited, but he was properly spoiled by Colin, so I couldn't really expect anything else. Fortunately Colin hadn't overdone it with the spoiling, the way Lori had been known to in the early days – she was trying to compensate for the fact that I was broke and the kid had a shitty father.

I had never spent less time in my kitchen than the two weeks since Colin had arrived. But I think that he was overcompensating for my shitty family. I was a little astonished that Colin didn't put lunch on, and dragged me bodily out of the kitchen when I decided to do it. He just winked at me.

"Come and open your present." He said. I took it from him, and carefully pried it open without tearing the paper. Tears ran down my cheeks, which were lifted in a broad smile, as I looked down at my gift. A university hoody, wooly hat, and scarf.

"What did you do?" I whispered.

"I may have conspired with Lori, and between her on Skype and me we got you enrolled to finish your degree. Your course list is in the fold of the sweater. If they don't work for you, you can change them. But you deserve to have the life you dreamed of. So that's what I'm trying to give you. Please don't be mad." He begged.

I rolled my eyes.

"You and Lori aren't going to let me do anything but finish my degree, and then enter the world of the gainfully employed are you?" I asked. Colin shot me a cautious look before agreeing that I had their evil plan dead-to-rights. I sighed, and nodded.

"I guess I'm going back to uni then." I said.

We all went and got dressed up, because Colin decided that we were going out for lunch. I sent a silent apology to the staff, nobody likes working Christmas. But I was a little surprised to pull up outside the Bridges' house. Not the one that used to be next door to my parents, but the one they moved into when it became clear that Lori was only going to be home for brief visits. It was much smaller, but still comfortably spacious.

Colin straightened his tie, the one I had given him, before instructing me to stay in my seat, until he could open the door for me. I made a point of rolling my eyes at him. Blair on the other hand nearly leapt from the car, as soon as Colin shut the engine off. As Colin opened my door, I gave him 'the look'.

The front door opened before Blair even had a chance to knock.

"Nanna! Pops!" Blair bellowed, "Merry Christmas."

I vaguely heard that Mr and Mrs Bridges were greeting Blair with 'Merry Christmases' of their own.

"Everybody knew, but me, huh?" Colin said quietly next to me. I reached up and gently squeezed his arm, while turning to smile, a little sadly, up at him.

"I'm sorry, but Blair has always been my first priority. I have protected him as best I can, considering that I was legally required to force him to spend time with his father. As silly as it may sound, the less people who knew/know he exists the better." I explained.

"Oh, no, Allegra. I understand. It's just... I wish that I hadn't been surprised, that I had been prepared for Blair. I love him too, he's the best kid I could have hoped for. If anything, I'm more disappointed that I have missed out on so much of his life." Colin soothed. I wished he didn't have to sooth and comfort me so often.

"Come on, we had better get inside, otherwise Blair will start without us." Colin encouraged.

"Oh, Merry Christmas, Mallory!" Mrs Bridges said as she gathered me into her arms for a warm Christmas hug, on a warm Christmas day. I could hear Mr Bridges greeting Colin.