SINFUL INNOCENCE

Chapter 16

“I miss my childhood...
The hardest decision was choosing 
Which game to play” 

Gabriel’s POV 

I couldn’t fall asleep after Adrian and Xavier left. It was pitch black in the room, except for the Christmas tree shaped green light in the hallway. This room must have belonged to Adrian. His family and I would have wonderful Christmas celebrations.  

“Mommy, Daddy look at the gingerbread me and Gaby made.”, smiled a half-toothed 11-year-old Adrian. He had bright brown eyes and blondish brown hair. 

“Wow, that is a wonderful. Let me eat that one.”, said Adrian’s father.  

I would often stay at Adrian and Bella’s place. You could say we are childhood friends. My own family never had time for me. My parents were always away on business trips and rarely made it home. Just that night, I got a text from my parents saying, ‘Hi sweetie, I know we are late, and we are very sorry that we won’t be able to make it home for Christmas. But hey, I talked with Adrian’s and Isabella’s parents, you could spend this Christmas with them. We’ll make it next Christmas. We promise. Love you.’ But their next Christmas never came. So, I spent all my days at their place. Their family became my family.  

Uncle ran away with the gingerbread. He was a very youthful looking man. Me and Adrian chased after him to get our gingerbread man back.  

“Daddy, can I have a look?”, asked a very young 7-year-old Isabella. I was 8 years old back then. Me and Isabella were very close. She would follow me and Adrian around all day long.  

“Sure, sunshine. Come here!”, said Uncle and picked young Bella up. She had brownish blonde hair with greenish blue eyes. She yawned and as soon as her hands touched the gingerbread, it went straight in her mouth. 

“Yummy, I want more Gaby, Adri”. She couldn’t pronounce Adrian’s name. 
We all laughed.  

This is what it felt like to have a family. It was an amazing day.  

We all three went up to his room which had two beds. We joined them together and Isabella wanted to sleep in between her two brothers, so she whined, until we finally let her sleep in between us. We told each other ghost stories that night and laughed while making Bella scared.

Finally, when she would sleep, we would talk more about other things like girls and boys or just life in general.  

These were the sweetest childhood moments we shared with each other. 
That night was wonderful. I will never forget that night.  

On Christmas morning, we were awoken by a screaming and jumping Bella. Upon waking she kissed our cheeks and tried muttering a “Happy Christmas”. We both laughed as she couldn’t pronounce Christmas at that time.  

She dragged us downstairs and gave us our gifts.  

I opened mine to see it was empty. I looked sadly at Bella. But she jumped into my arms and hugged me tightly. Her tiny arms could barely hug me.  

“You have me and Adrian as your family. I asked mommy and daddy and they said you can stay at our place anytime and you are my brother from now onwards. We are your family from now onwards. I louve you” 

“Thank you so much Bella”.  

I couldn’t even think straight. I started crying. I looked around and saw everyone tearing up. Everyone came in for a group hug around me and Bella. From then onwards, me and Bella became best friends and I swore to protect her always. I now had a sister and an elder brother.  
Adrian opened his to see a Christmas shaped night light.