Cinderella vs. Prince Charming

Chapter 10

             “Merry Christmas monkeys.”

            “It’s Christmas, it’s Christmas,” Paige caroled, dancing around the kitchen. Beside her, Cate was grinning from ear to ear.

            Valerie laughed and continued to stir the orange juice.

“We’re almost done. Why don’t you two wait in the living room? Just don’t…” Claressa said, smiling.

“Touch the presents,” the two girls chorused before tearing off to the living room.

            “I swear Christmas is like a drug to children. A drug they have a never-ending supply of during December. At least during Halloween they crash after their sugar high,” Valerie said as she dug out the oven mitts.

            Claressa chuckled. “But we have Santa to keep them in line.”

            “Pity he’s less useful during the rest of the year.”

            “How do they look?” Claressa asked with a nod towards the croissants Valerie was pulling out of the oven.

            “Perfect. You head to the living room because I’m sure they’re already having the ‘Who got the biggest present’ argument. I’ll be along in a minute.”

            Val’s stepmother nodded and left. Humming ‘Jingle Bells’ to herself, Valerie slid the croissants off the sheet and onto the cooling rack. After dumping the sheet into the sink and running cold water over it for a few seconds, she headed to the living room.

            The walls reflecting the sunlight that was streaming in through the windows, the living room smelled strongly of pine. The smell of course came from the Christmas tree that took up one corner of the room. Decorated heavily, Paige and Cate loved making new decorations for it; the tree was now surrounded by a large pile of presents. Red, green, gold, silver, white and blue paper covered mysterious boxes that had the two little girls vibrating in their chairs.

            “Alright you three, you can take a look at your stockings now,” Claressa said, smiling as she sipped her coffee.

            Cate and Paige practically tore theirs apart, trying to pull everything out at once to look at it. Shaking her head, Val began going through hers. She got the usual socks, toothpaste, deodorant, hair elastics, candy and magazine. She also found a silver coloured matching earring and necklace set that had snowflake pendants and a rainbow USB stick. She reached in again and finally managed to wriggle out the thing that had been jammed in the end. Valerie looked down at it and then up at Claressa whose lips were twitching out of their normal smile.

            “You really are a wicked stepmother,” Val said, gesturing with the plastic tiara she’d found at the bottom of her stocking.

            “Nuh-uh,” Paige called. “Santa’s the one who fills our stockings.”

            Valerie winced. “You’re right Paige. I’m sorry Claressa.”

            “Santa must have a sense of humour,” Claressa said, voice strained from her repressing her laughter.

            “Can we open the presents now?” Cate asked.

            “Go ahead then. One at a time,” her mother replied.

            Cate and Paige all but dove into the pile of presents. They each came out with a brightly wrapped box. Val chuckled and snaked a hand out, dragging the closest one she could see with her name on it over to her. Only when they each had a present were they allowed to check the tag to see who it was from. Then the two girls went into a paper ripping frenzy.