Behind The Church

LVI

Audrey

"Auntie Audrey!" I hear two little voices scream as their little feet pat through my house. The door flings open and my nieces climb onto the bed, crawling over mine and Khrystyna's legs. I hear them giggling as they reach our shoulders and it makes me smile a little.

"What?"

"It's Christmas!" Ruth shouts at me.

"Is it?" I joke.

"Yeah!" Ruth huffs, "How could you not know that?"

"I think you're lying to me." I narrow my eyes at the miniature-Christina.

"I'm not lying! Check your phone!" Ruth whines.

I lean over to the nightstand and check my phone. I see messages from numerous people, two missed calls from Esther and that the time is eight-oh-three. Then I check the date, and it is indeed, the twenty-fifth of December.

"Wow, I guess you're right. It is Christmas."

"Told you! Auntie Esther and a bunch of other people are downstairs. We're waiting for your lazy butt to get out of bed!" Ruth sasses, "So, come on!"

She launches off of the bed and runs back downstairs, leaving Zoey laying on Khrystyna. They're both cuddled into each other and my girlfriend rubs my nieces back. It's really cute. So of course, I get a picture. They both look so content in each other's embrace. I think in another life, they were best friends.

"We better go before she comes back up." Zoey advises.

"We should, huh?" Khrystyna replies.

"She's so annoying." Zoey quietly scoffs.

"That's what sisters are for, though." I shrug, getting out of bed and heading to the bathroom. I do my business and wash my hands. When I go out, Khrystyna immediately pushes me back in and kisses me.

"Mm, merry Christmas." she hums I to my lips.

"Back at ya." I pull away, wink and leave her in the bathroom, dumbfounded and flustered.

I head downstairs, hearing the laughter and talking of the whole clan. When I reach the living room I see, Esther and Marley, Adrianna, Eden and Sarah, Quinn, Connie and their children, CJ, Aniya and Cora, Joseph and his girlfriend Dorothy, Elijah and his girlfriend also named Eden, Malachi and his boyfriend Kevin, Psalm and his girlfriend Kayla, Luke, Olivia and christ...

"What the actual-" I start.

"Surprise!" they both say.

"What are you doing here? How-"

"I really missed you guys. I had to come see you." Hunter says with a smile. It had been years since I'd seen Hunter, let alone see her smile.

"And I thought I'd been away long enough." Eleanor nodded.

"It really is Christmas." I mumbled as I head to the kitchen to make coffee for Khrystyna and I.

"I've already made you coffee, lazy butt." Esther called.

"And for Khrystyna?"

"I thought you said Christina wasn't here." Malachi shot at Esther.

"No, my girlfriend Khrystyna." I correct.

"Yeah, me." she says as she comes down the stairs with Zoey in her arms.

"Yes, there's coffee for both of you." Esther says.

"You're the bestest little sister ever." I grin as I sit down next to Joseph.

"Hey!" Olivia whined.