Finding My Permanent Family

Chapter 53

"Don't you want things to open too? Gifts might not make Christmas, but they can make it better." Corey says and Sang shakes her head.

"This will already be the best Christmas ever. I won't have to worry about my mother ruining any presents, she won't be around Christmas Day. I can get the kids up and we can open presents and make breakfast and do all the Christmas stuff in peace. I won't have to worry about the kids running around and stepping on beer bottles my mother left out from the night before. It will be perfect." Sang sighs in content but the war in my chest grows.

The bare minimum. Sang is overjoyed with the fucking bare minimum. Has her mother destroyed presents in the years past? Sang must sense the questioning going around the room because she pauses in her work.

"One year I wasn't able to hide the presents I bought very well. We were living in a larger house at the time but I didn't have my own room. My mother ended up finding the presents and threw some of them in a fire, while completely destroying the others. I salvaged what I could but there wasn't much left. I had a few extra presents hidden so I set those out after she left. I would have gone out and tried to buy more but I couldn't leave the kids alone, all the stores were closed, and money was always tight but the holidays were worse." Sang looks slightly embarrassed at that. Like it was her fault for not being financially stable. "Anyways since we were living in a bigger house the house payment was higher. I was responsible for paying that Christmas month. Also my mom didn't pay the electric or water bills so I was responsible for those. It just wasn't possible to get more gifts. Cameron noticed. But he was so happy anyways. I never made that mistake again though."

There's so much we could say. We could tell her that what happened wasn't her fault and that kids were fine. We could tell Sang that her mother was a bitch and she should rot in hell. We could say all of that but it is time to move forward so all of us look at each other and it is decided. "Well darling, I guess that just means this will have to be the beta Christmas ever. What do you say we go shopping today and get a bunch of things to decorate, then we can all decorate the house and a tree tomorrow. Including Cameron and Lily of course." Owen makes the suggestion and I truly think Sang has changed him.

The look on Sang's face is priceless. I take a mental picture in my head and save it to memory. Her eyes are wide and her mouth drops open, then morphs into a giant smile. Her eyes are bright green and shining. Some of her innocence seeps through at the moment. It's a nice reminder that Sang is only seventeen. I think we forgot that throughout this whole experience and it is important to remember.

"Breakfast is ready!" North hollers from the kitchen and all the guys file out as I wait for Sang. She makes her way over to me and I tuck my girlfriend under my arm. My girlfriend. Damn.

We enter the kitchen and Sang tells the other guys all about what we're doing today and they listen intently. So much love for Sang floats around the room it seems like she could be suffocated by it. Instead it seems to seep into her and infect her body in a way that doesn't cause harm, only good.

After breakfast is over Gabe claims he has to get his trouble ready and practically drags Sang out of the room. After they leave I look around and everyone looks content. It's a fucking miracle.
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Gabe's POV:
Trouble drags her feet behind me as I yank her into the bathroom. Gently of course. Fuck, I'm excited. Possibly more than her.

The way he eyes lit up like we had given her the fucking world? I would love nothing more than to kill her mother for ruining Christmas in the past, but now it's gonna be flawless.

"Gabe what are we doing?" Sang laughs slightly and I sit her down on the toilet.

"First I'm fixing your hair. I was thinking braids. Show off that pretty face. What do you think?" I pull the hair back from Sang's face and she blushes but nods her head.