These Broken Roads

Chapter 16: Christmas

~Natalie~

"Merry Christmas!" I said, waking Nate up.

He groaned and flipped over, covering his head with his pillow. I got on the bed and bounced up and down.

"Come on, sleepy head." I said, trying to pull the pillow off his head.

"I don't want to celebrate." He mumbled into the mattress.

I sat back on my heels. "Don't make me get Haley. She's already downstairs stalking the presents. She wanted to wake you up, but I thought she would be too excited."

Nate peered at me. "And you're not?"

I giggled and kissed his head. "Not as bad as her. Now let's go. I want to see Haley open her gifts."

I got off the bed and headed over to the door. "Ten minutes, Nate or I'm sending Haley up."

I was trying so hard not to hover over him, because I knew that wouldn't help his situation, but I was also very careful not to leave Nate alone for long periods of time. It still made me nervous when I wasn't near him.

Once I was downstairs I already saw Haley kneeling in front of our little tree. She was inspecting the small pile of gifts already.

"What do you think you're doing Little One?" I asked her, tickling her sides and making her giggle.

"Can I open now?" She asked, her blue eyes glittered with excitement.

"Once Nate comes down we can." I said moving to the kitchen where I got started making some hot chocolate.

Haley followed and sat at the kitchen table. She swung her legs back and forth.

"Natalie?" I looked at her. "Will Nate have to go to the hospital again?"

"That really scared you, didn't it?" I asked, pouring the powder into the mugs. "I hope not. He's getting better, and the doctors gave him some special medicine to make him feel better so he won't have to go back."

Haley smiled and tilted her head back and forth. "I'm happy he's okay."

"Me too, Little One." I said softly, sticking the mugs in the microwave and starting it.

"Is E and Quinn coming?" Haley asked excitedly.

I nodded and looked over at Haley, before turning back to the microwave. "Yep they're coming over in a little bit. Are you excited?"

Haley nodded eagerly as the microwave beeped saying it was done. I pulled the mugs out and set them on the counter and splashed some milk into each mug. Haley hopped off her chair and walked over to the counter, waiting for me to hand her a mug.

"Careful." I said, handing her a mug. "Make sure to use both hands."

She took it with both her hands and grinned. She took a sip and her grin only widened.

"Good?"

She nodded and took another sip. I grabbed Nate's mug and we both headed out to the den to see Nate coming down the stairs. Haley put her mug down on the coffee table before running over to Nate and hugging him.

"Yey, we can open presents." She squealed, running over to the tree.

Nate sat next to me and I handed him the mug. He smiled at me, still not fully there, and then turned his attention back to Haley who was looking through the gifts. She made a pile off to the left and one to the right.

Once she was done she grabbed the three gifts from her left and carried them over to me. Then she took the two from the right and gave it to Nate. I looked at the tags. Two of them were from Nate and one was labeled from Haley.