Finding Zoey,the Elemental Series

Chapter 19

December 25,2015. Christmas day. The day Chase will be visiting.

"Zoey, Zoey get up! Santa came! He came!" Lydia said by jumping up and down on my bed.

"I know, have you been good this year?" I said pestering her.

"Of course, I have." she said now siting in my bed.

"Well then, wait are we waiting for." I said.

I got up from my bed and we went to the living room. Well, I walked Lydia ran. Soon our Nanna and Papaw came in. Lydia wanted to start ripping her presents open but I told her to wait for them. Papaw started a fire in the fire place and Nanna made us hot chocolate. When they came to sit down we were about to open presents but then a knock came at our door. I went to go open it thinking it was Chase but it was our dad. He looked like he cleaned himself up and he wasn't drunk. He was sober for five years. Lydia walked beside me and asked who it was. Poor thing she doesn't remember. We left there when she was two. I couldn't find any words to say but luckily Papaw came to save us.

"What brought you here Dakota?" he said.

"Came to see the girls." Dakota said.

"Well, you have seen them now you can leave." Papaw said.

"I see why they are mad at me but I have been clean for five years." Dakota said.

"Zoey at eight had to take care if herself and Lydia who was one while you went off and got drunk." Papaw yelled at his face.

You go Papaw.

"I have made mistakes and losing those girls was the biggest one." he said.

"Fine. You can come in but if you do anything to hurt them in anyway. I will be sure that this is the last time you will ever get to see them." Papaw said sternly.

He walked in very timidly and sat down on the couch. He had to presents in his hand. One for me and Lydia. He might could but Lydia's affection but he was going to have to work from mine. Another knock came at the door and this time it was Chase. He gave me a hug and walked in. Once he saw Dakota he looked at me with shock.

Dakota stood up because he recognized Chase and said,"Chase it's nice to see you again."

Chase doesn't get nervous but he did this time,"You to Mr.Moore."

They shook hands and Chase sat with me on the floor. He was holding a present probably for Lydia. Lydia decided that the mystery of what she got needed to be fixed. She opened her presents which included: Barbies, a Build A Bear gift card, the American Girl doll that I got her, the sets that went along with the doll, and a necklace that was from Dakota. Chase handed her his present and told her to be careful with it. She took off the lid very timidly and inside was a kitten. She screamed and gave Chase a hug. I wonder what her favorite present was?

"Chase." I said.

"Hey, she loves animals so I got her one." he said.

Lydia took the kitten out and it was white as snow. She named it Snowflake. It was also a girl. It was time for me to open my presents. My presents were shirts, jeans, a new phone, and a bracelet from Dakota. He told me that it was one of my moms which is now important to me. Lydia grabbed my hand and I grabbed Chase's hand. Then we went outside. We did everything that Chase said we would except for matching pajamas. He said he would do it though. We stayed outside for about three hours then we got super cold so we headed back inside. Nanna had the Christmas food prepared already. Good because I was starving. We all sat together like a big family. Chase and Lydia sat beside me. We had ham, mashed potatoes, green beans, rolls, candied yams, macaroni, chocolate pie, apple pie, and a casserole. The food was fantastic and now I was stuffed. I helped Nanna clean up while Lydia went to play with her toys and the guys went to watch t.v. When we finished I went back to the living room and sat with Chase.

He looked over and said,"Timothy is having a New Years party. Wanna go?"

"I have Lydia, Nanna, and Papaw." I said.

He crossed his arms and said,"He knows who they are and it's a family thing anyways. Everybody will be there including their families."

"Okay,"I said.

He stayed there until it was nine. Then he said he had to go home. I walked him to his bike and he kissed me goodbye. When I turned around to go back inside Dakota was standing on the porch.

He smiled at me and said,"I always knew that you two would get together."

"How would you know that?" I said.

He straightened his stance and said,"When you guys were little you would always get into trouble and you guys never wanted to leave each others side."

"That's one thing you got right," I said.

He sighed and said,"I know that it's going to be hard to fix things between us but..."

Before he could finish I said,"Dakota, you screwed everything up when you left us. I think you need to leave."

He grabbed his coat and said,"I understand, Zo."

He walked passed me and went into his car. I stood there for awhile but then I was freezing so I went inside. I walked back inside to where I found Lydia playing with Snowflake. It was almost ten so I told her to go to bed. We released Thumper and he scurried off into the woods. She went to bed with Snowflake curled up right next to her. I went to bed to bed myself. Tomorrow might actually be a normal day. I hope so.