Doing it For the Kids

Doing it for the Kids - Chapter 11

The anger was still fresh as Christmas approached. Aunt Gertie fell and broke her hip the day before Christmas Eve, she lived two hours away, so there was no chance that they could all go and visit her until after Christmas.

"Are you still coming?" Violet begged Matt on the phone Christmas Eve. Suddenly from a house full, her guests were diminishing, and she had visions of the three of them spending the day alone.

"Of course we are, and we can't wait! Do you need a hand later? Or are you all wrapped and ready to go?"

She huffed, "I can't believe how much my mother did.....it's SUCH hard work. But I do think that I'm going to be ok!"

"If not call me, ok?"

She laughed, "I will. So it's all set. Any time around midday?"

"Can't wait!"

The next morning the twins awoke at ridiculous o'clock, rushing in to Violet's bedroom with filled stockings, gushing with excitement. The gifts emerged in a flurry of ripped paper, all to be crooned over, before the next one emerged. The fact that there was nothing for Violet under the tree or in the stockings their mother had embroidered with each of their names, really didn't matter, the joy on Emma and Ethan's faces was really all the gift she wanted, and she knew that was an honest thought.

Within two hours, the house had been transformed into a virtual toy shop, bags of used wrapping paper were scattered around the house, and the smell of cooking turkey filled the air. Ethan was buried in a pile of Ben 10 figures; Emma in a Barbie Princess castle....Violet was trying to cook some breakfast when the door bell rang.

The three of them all rushed to answer it, it was too early for Matt, and as the door swung open, the twins smiled, and Violet could only stare. Stood on the doorstep, with a backpack, suntan and a frivolous smile, was John. He'd changed from the last time she'd seen him, on a beach in New Zealand, he was slimmer, blonder.

"Happy Christmas!" he announced smiling again.

"Hi John, to what do we owe this pleasure?"

He was still grinning, "I got a flight home earlier than planned, I thought I'd surprise you!"

"Ok!" she had no idea how to react, she'd spent six months hating him, and the last few months not even thinking about him. Now here he was. "I suppose you'd better come in!"

She opened the door and gestured into the hallway.

"Kids, this is my friend John, John, this is Ethan, and Emma."

He nodded at both the children who headed back to play with their toys, then dropped his large bag on the floor and slid out of his coat.

"So how are you?" he asked as he rested a hand on her shoulder.

Shrugging she looked up at him, "I'm fine, I've dealt with a lot, it's been a difficult year...."

"I've missed you!" he cut her off, smiling down at her. Shaking her head, she moved out of his grasp.

"I'm in the middle of breakfast...."

"Great! I'm starving!"

And so she found herself serving up breakfast including him as well.

Matt was both surprised by and suspicious of John's actions, but he was an old friend, so he hugged him, uttered small talk, then turned to Violet and the kids, watching Jo hand them their huge gifts.

Emma loved her Disney Princess dress up, Ethan had a scalextric, that he instantly dragged out of the packaging. Matt squatted to help him put it together, as Violet opened her gift, her first gift.