Camila walks around the living room, gathering wrapping paper from the ground as Sofia and Aaliyah sit on the carpet with mounds of toys around them.
“ Did you like your presents?” She asks.
“ Yes!” The two girls say in unison.
Camila laughs and gathers the rest of the wrapping paper, throwing it into a trash bag before heading outside. She’s walking to the curb when Shawn walks out of his house and runs to where she is.
“ Let me get that, babe.” Shawn says, taking the bag out of her hands and carrying it to the curb. He walks back and wraps his arms around her, nuzzling his face on her neck. “ Merry Christmas.”
“ Merry Christmas, baby.” Camila whispers back with a smile.
It’s their second Christmas together and the first without her mother around. She had passed away in September of that year, almost a year to the day they first moved to Michigan. It was really hard at first because all the memories and recollections she had of her mother were painful for her to think about. But after a while all those memories stopped hurting so much and became positive. All she could remember now about her mother were the wonderful things about her life. Having Shawn by her side made it all bearable. After his graduation, Shawn had applied to get his master’s in education, so he didn’t take the job he had been offered after all. Instead, he lived off of student loans for another semester until Camila graduated.
Shawn takes her hand and they walk back inside her house, still not believing the amount of toys in her living room.
“ I’ll be back. Last load.” Shawn says as he takes the rest of Aaliyah’s presents and walks out the front door. That’s his third trip across the street, transferring all of Aaliyah’s new toys to their house.
“ Sof, these can’t all be yours.” Camila says, looking around the living room. “ You two need to gather them up and take them to the spare room. I need to vacuum.”
Camila quickly cleans up the living room after the girls go to Sofia’s room and a few minutes later Shawn walks in with two gifts in hand.
“ How did we forget those?” Camila asks, already walking to the hallway to call the girls.
“ These are for you and Sofia.” Shawn says, making Camila sit down on the couch. The two girls walk back into the room and Sofia sits next to her older sister.
“ Shawn, you didn’t have to do this.” Camila says. “ You already got me Taylor Swift tickets.”
“ These are not from me.” He says, handing her the two gifts before placing a kiss on her forehead.
She watches as he takes Aaliyah’s hand and the two of them walk out of the house, leaving her and Sofia alone. Camila hands her little sister the one with her name and they both rip the wrapping papers, pulling two envelopes out of it. She sees her name written down in her mother’s handwriting and her hands get weak as she opens the envelope. She wipes away her tears as she unfolds her letter.
To my babies,
Merry Christmas. I'm sorry if these letters have caught you both by surprise. There is just so much more I have to say. I know you thought I was done giving advice, but I couldn't leave without reiterating a few things in writing. You may not relate to these things now, but someday you will. I wasn't able to be around forever, but I hope that my words can be.
-Don't stop making basagna. Basagna is good. Wait until a day when there is no bad news, and bake a damn basagna.
-Find a balance between head and heart. Hopefully you've found that Camila, and you can help Sofia sort it out when she gets to that point.
-Push your boundaries, that's what they're there for.
-Don't take life too seriously. Punch it in the face when it needs a good hit. Laugh at it.
-And Laugh a lot. Never go a day without laughing at least once.
-Never judge others. You both know good and well how unexpected events can change who a person is. Always keep that in mind. You never know what someone else is experiencing within their own life.
-Question everything. Your love, your religion, your passions. If you don't have questions, you'll never find answers.
-Be accepting. Of everything. People's differences, their similarities, their choices, their personalities. Sometimes it takes a variety to make a good collection. The same goes for people.
-Choose your battles, but don't choose very many.
-Keep an open mind; it's the only way new things can get in.
-And last but not least, not the tiniest bit least. Never regret.
Thank you both for giving me the best years of my life. Especially the last one.
Love,
Mom
THE END
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A/N: Thank you so much for all the love on this story, even though it took them forever to be together lol 🤭🥰
No, there won't be a sequel. Sorry 😬
Also, please check out my other story "Lost Stars" that I'm writing with Pewfictions if you haven't already! 💕