Never Safe ✔︎

Chapter Twenty-One

"Thank you for getting her for me."

"Of course, Laura," I answer with a smile. While the other three start the dough, I just lean against the counter in the corner. Trying not to get into the way. Normally, I would be sitting on the counter, but I don't want to do that in front of Laura. Laura has to take out all of the supper food she was keeping warm in the oven to put in the cookies. Once the dough is in the oven, Cali decides she wants to show us her Christmas toys out of the packaging. I follow her into the living room and sit on a couch while she goes into detail explaining each toy. The cookies are done before Cali is even finished with the toys. We all make our way back into the kitchen and pull the warm cookies from the oven. Instantly, the kitchen is filled with the smell of fresh cookies and my stomach threatens to growl. Laura has Cali tell the boys the cookies are ready, while the cookies cool down. Seconds later, the boys all come down the stairs grabbing cookies and joining me at the table. A plate of cookies is set in front of me and I look up to see Cade sitting down next to me. I thank him, knowing I couldn't have gotten a plate on my own. I look over at Cade and see him on his phone again. I get people have to work, but on Christmas. That's just crazy. Everyone's joking around while eating cookies as they discuss going caroling.

"Every year on Christmas, we go to the same neighborhood and carol," Laura informs me. "Although this year it might not work out with you being injured."

There's no way I'm going to be the reason they break a family tradition. "My ankles fine, we should still go," I tell her. Honestly, my ankle was feeling better after Cade gave me pain medicine this morning.

"Hun, we walk over a mile in total between all the houses."

Still, I'm not stopping them from going. "I'll be fine here by myself," I tell Laura.

"You are not going to spend Christmas by yourself!" Laura responds, as if I suggested the most ridiculous thing. "I guess Cade will stay with you, he's not one to go caroling. He used to love it when he was younger, he would dress in these- "

"Mom, I'll stay. She can't be left alone anyway," Cade butts in, stopping Laura from finishing her statement.

"That's wonderful! If we leave in the next 15 minutes, we should make it back just in time for supper!"

Everyone finishes the cookies and leaves the table to get shoes and coats on. Normally I'd be worried about Ari, being uncomfortable. But I have a sneaking suspicion that she'll be just fine with Laura and Ryder. They exit the house and soon it's just me and Cade yet again. I don't want to jinx it, but I feel like Cade is slowly warming up to me.

"Let's go to the living room," Cade suggests as he throws my now empty plate into the trash. We walk into the living room and sit on one of the couches. "We've got four hours to do whatever before supper."

"Hmm, lets watch a Christmas movie," I suggest.

"Another Christmas movie? We already watched so many last night."

"Oh please, on Christmas Day you can't complain about watching a Christmas movie."

Cade mumbles a 'whatever' as he gets up and opens a cabinet full of movies.

"What movie do you want to watch?" Cade asks me.

"Hmm." I think for a minute. "Do you have 'A Wonderful Life'?"

"Yes," Cade says as he pulls out the dvd and turns the movie on. This has always been one of my favorite Christmas movies growing up. Cade sits back down next to me as the movie plays. The whole movie, Cade is on his phone. I don't really care though, because it's his loss, not watching the movie.