Fragile | ✓

0.9 | Paybacks Well Deserved

09 | Paybacks Well Deserved

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→ "You're beautiful just the way you are" - Alessia Cara

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"SANTA CAME!" I squeal at the top of my lungs, my voice echoing across the empty living room.

It was Christmas morning and the Christmas decorations that we had put up just the week before gave the room a cheerful light, even through the dark skies visible out the curtained window at six in the morning. Our tiny christmas tree stood in all its glory with white blinking lights, matching the ones hung on our porch, twirling itself around each layer of the pine tree. One stocking with the initial J was hung right above our recently lit fireplace and a yellow star stood proud on top of the tree, bright enough to light the entire room. 

I was delighted to see that Santa had eaten the milk and cookies we had left for him but a bit upset that my Santa catching camera ran out of charge in the middle of the night. But the two presents wrapped in Christmas designed paper on top of the soft red mat was enough to make any of my disappointment disappear.

Daddy walked down the stairs holding the railing for support and rubbed his eyes before letting out a yawn. "What's going on here, little one?"

I ran up to daddy and pulled on his hand, trying to make him walk faster than a snail. "What's the rush?"

"It's presents, daddy," I say in an exasperated voice, my eyebrows pulled up not understanding how daddy could be so unexcited about presents.

Daddy chuckled in reply, before bending down and lifting me up. I giggled, trying to struggle out of his grip as he engulfed me into a bear hug and held me by the arms, spinning me around in circles. I put my hands out at my sides, pretending I could really fly. When daddy finally let me go, I ran over to the presents and grabbed the one wrapped in green paper. Daddy let out another chuckle and out of my corner vision, I saw him grab out his phone to videotape. 

"Ten years from now, let's see how much you'll enjoy this."

My chubby little fingers grabbed at the tape, pulling it off before ripping open the packing paper, not paying even the slightest attention to daddy's words. After all, it was going to be a huge eternity before ten years passed, right?

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"Aiden, please don't tell me you actually were stupid enough to put the icecream in the microwave?" Eli asks onto the phone, exasperated, his fingers clutching the steering wheel. I tap my fingers against the windowsill, a small smile grazing my lips as I listen to the- no, my- brothers bicker over the phone. The hospital we were driving to to visit a therapist for my first session was about an hour away from the mansion.

"It was an accident!" a voice whined through the car speakers. Eli exhaled loudly in response, his eyes focused on the road but not before a quick eye roll. He shifted the steering wheel at a 90 degree angle, turning onto a suburban street.

"Did you ruin the entire tub of ice cream?" Eli questioned. I rolled my eyes at the direction of his 'deep' concern.

"No and I didn't ruin the ice cream!"