❝our eyes met,
and our souls caught on fire.❞
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Carla Marshall was a storm that could not be contained, her thunder rumbling and her lightning flashing, but her beauty could only be seen when the rain began to...
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CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO— "christmas eve"
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HOME WAS THRUMMING WITH ENERGY. The smell of pine needles permeated the house, mingling with the warm scent of cinnamon and nutmeg from the pot of hot apple cider on the stove. Mom was humming along to the Bing Crosby record as she hung the stockings with care, her soft voice blending with the gentle rustle of the tree branches as Uncle wound the garland around them. Allison and I were elbow-deep in cookie dough, our fingers sticky with sugar and flour as we pressed out the cookie shapes.
It was Christmas Eve and the air was filled with the scents of Christmas, a heady blend of pine and cinnamon, spiced with just a hint of sugar. It was the scent of childhood, of cozy nights by the fireplace, of stories of reindeer and elves, of stockings stuffed with treats. It was the scent of happiness, of peace and joy. The smell of Christmas, intoxicating and sweet.
When we were done making cookies, we began making gingerbread houses, one of our favourite parts of Christmas. Allison arranged the colorful candy canes, gumdrops, and green icing on the gingerbread house, her face scrunched up in concentration. "Do you remember the first time we made gingerbread houses together?" she asked. "We made such a mess!"
I nodded, laughing as I placed a bright red gumdrop on the roof of my house.
"Remember how our houses kept falling apart because we used too much icing?" Allison asked, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "And then we made a game of it, trying to see who could build the tallest house before it collapsed."
I laughed, remembering that silly game we used to play. "And then Mom got mad at us for making such a mess."
Allison's smile was like the sun, warm and golden, as she elbowed me playfully. "All those messy houses, all the scolding from Mom - it was worth it for the fun we had."
A laugh bubbled up from deep within me, as if I could feel my heart filling with joy. All the memories of our childhood came rushing back, filling me with a sense of pure happiness. It had taken three years for us to bond like this.
It took three years for us to bond like this. All the while mom and I stayed with dad, we didn't get to hang out with Uncle and Allison. He kept us so isolated, never allowing us to have friends over or visit our relatives. It wasn't until we finally ran away from home to live with them, terrified of the monster that lurked in the shadows of our lives, that we finally found the space to connect. We fled to another town, and then finally another state, before we felt safe enough to breathe again.
