Julia's POV
I stood by the front door, waiting for my dad's arrival, the chilly winter winds nipping at my nose.
I felt the vibrations of my phone in my long, super soft cardigan.
I pulled it out and saw that dad was calling.
I answered, "Where are you?"
"Wow, not even a friendly and loving hello for your dear old dad?" He replied.
"Charlie will be here soon! And it's gonna be hella embarrassing telling Laura that you're late!" I sighed.
Laura was Scott's ex-wife. They divorced when I was young. They would always yell at each other, so now, if anyone yells, I would be on the verge of tears.
"Sorry, Honey! I ran real late! You wouldn't believe the traffic out here!" His voice went high-pitched.
Then, I heard the sound of a car horn down the phone.
"Yeah, same to you," my dad yelled. "And that's not very lady-like!" He added.
I rolled my eyes in annoyance.
"Look, I will try to get home as soon as I can! Bye, honey! Stay warm! It's christmas!" My dad cheerfully said.
"Bah humbug!" I replied flatly, hanging up afterwards.
I puffed air into my cheeks as an annoyed feeling in the pit of my stomach made its way up to my head.
I then thought I saw something.
A boy.
Standing on the pavement.
He seemed.... Different.
He had long, black, curly hair, a very whimsical and ugly sweater on, a green, velvet beret, a dark brown straight jacket over the top and dark brown eyes.
A car horn sounded, and he looked to where the car came from.
I noticed he had strange ears. They were pointy.
No... It can't be!
Ah! Probably just some stupid boy who loves Christmas with all his heart that went full on idiot!
Then, a car pulled onto the pavement outside my house.
Laura waved at me through the window.
I waved back and smiled.
I looked back to where the boy was standing.
He was gone.
The sound of Charlie jumping out of the car and ran up the driveway distracted me.
"Hey, bud!" I smiled, pulling him into a hug.
He didn't answer. He just looked up at me and curved his lips slightly into a small smile.
Laura started to walk up the driveway.
"Aw, Julia! Merry Christmas, sweetie!" She pulled me into a hug.
"Good to see you, Laura!" I pulled away.
"Your dad's late again?" She asked. I had the feeling she already knew the answer, she just wanted to make sure her predictions were correct.
I nodded in response. She sighed. Charlie bowed his head.
Just then, my dad's car pulled up behind Laura's car.
He hastily got out and ran up the driveway.
He pulled Charlie into his side for a hug.
"Oh sorry, I'm late! Hi." He greeted Laura.
"Hi." She replied.
"Do you wanna come in for a minute?" Dad asked.
"Niel's waiting in the car, so.." she gestured to her new husband, in the car.
"Why doesn't he come in?" Dad asked.
"Cause dad, he says you'll just end up saying something snotty!" Charlie spoke up.
"Not necessarily," my dad paused. "Could be rude or sarcastic. Whatever it takes." He plastered a smile to his face and waved at Niel, who waved back.
"See, I gotta go!" Laura sighed.
"Come on, come on. Christmas Eve. Just a minute!" Dad pleaded.
Laura threw her hands up into the air, telling Niel Dad wants her to come inside for a minute non-verbally, only for Niel's jaw to hang agape in annoyance.
"Watch those steps. They're real slippery." I gestured to the steps that Laura was about to step up.
"Oh!" Laura gasped as she slipped.
"Told ya!" Dad called back.
As we led into the house, Laura shutting the door behind us, Charlie sauntered into the living room area.
I stayed back.
"So," my dad began. "You going to your mom's for dinner?" He asked Laura.
"Actually, we're gonna be with Niel's family!" She answered.
"Ah! Christmas at the pound!" My dad retaliated, making animal noises as he ventured into the kitchen.
I snickered lightly. My dad didn't really like Niel. And, if I'm honest, neither did I!
"There aren't that many presents over there!" Charlie spoke, wandering up to dad.
"Well, that's because Santa isn't here yet!" My dad said as if it were obvious, me joining him at his side.
"Niel doesn't believe in Santa!" Charlie looked up at dad.
What? I mean, I don't like Christmas, but I always kept it going for Charlie. He's only young!
"Well, Niel's head comes to a point!" Dad rolled his eyes.
"He's smart. He's a doctor!" Charlie stated confidently.
"He's not a doctor, he's a psychiatrist!" My dad snapped lightly.
"Take your coat off. You're sticking around, aren't ya?" I asked jokingly. I didn't even get a smirk from Charlie. He sadly took his coat off and put it in the cupboard.
I threw my hands up in annoyance as I heard Niel honking the car horn from outside. "Give it a rest." I muttered.
"I'll be right there! Just a sec!" Laura called out the door.
As Laura came inside, my dad closed the door angrily, "Did that jerk tell Charlie there's no Santa Clause?" He asked.
I listened in behind a door.
Laura started at my dad in disbelief, "What? No. Oh, Charlie came home from school the other day in tears because some big kid told him there was no such thing as Santa! And you know Niel, he sat him down, and-!"
"Told him that there was a Santa Clause!" My dad interrupted.
"Well, all he said was that Santa was more like a feeling. You know, more like a state of mind than a person!" She explained.
"Kind of like Niel!" Dad pulled a disgusted face at Laura.
I tried to stop this to advance, but I think... I made it worse, "Mom, who gave you permission to tell Charlie there was no Santa Clause?"
"Julia's right! I think if we're going to destroy our sons illusions, I at least wanna be part of it!" My dad said.
"Yeah, well, you're never around are you, Scott?" Laura started yelling a bit.
"Oh, please." I muttered.
"Listen, all we're trying to do is give Charlie a firm grasp on reality!" Laura explained.
"That's a good idea!" My dad said sarcastically.
"Yeah, you don't want kids running around using their imaginations!" I copied my dad's sarcasm.
"Oh, yeah! Julia, that's from your dad! Aka. The one responsible for the 'Do-it-all-for-you-dolly'! Don't burp me! Don't change me! I'm the dolly!" Laura imitated the doll.
"Leave her out of this!" My dad pointed a finger.
"Why do you guys always have to fight?" Charlie's voice came.
"Oh, buddy, they're not fighting!" I said through gritted teeth.
"It's your mom's singing. Sounds a lot like fighting, doesn't it? Cats even!" My dad said, making cat sounds afterwards.
"The trouble is, Niel and your mom, they don't believe in Santa because they were really naughty!" Dad had a fake disappointed look on his face.
"Which is why they'll probably get lumps of coal in their stockings!" I stated, crossing my arms and scrunching up my nose cheekily.
"I don't know! It seems kinda babyish to believe in that kind of stuff!" Charlie walked up to us, hands in his jean pockets.
"What are you talking about? Me and your sister believe in Santa clause. We're not babies!" Dad said.
"Well..." Laura shrugged.
"Maybe it's time you left!" Dad turned to Laura.
"Yeah, we don't wanna keep Dr. Pinhead waiting!" I rolled my eyes.
My dad then ventured into the kitchen and grabbed the cook book for a Christmas dinner.
Charlie came up to Laura and she knelt down so she was eye level with him.
She pulled him into a hug.
"Do I gotta stay?" Charlie asked.
"Listen, you, your sister, and your daddy are going to have a great Christmas, okay?" She replied.
"Will you pick me up tomorrow?" Charlie asked.
"Of course." She replied.
"Early?" He asked.
"Yes." She replied.
"We're talkin' sun-up, you're here?" He asked.
"You'll be fine. Merry Christmas, Charlie. I love you." Laura chuckled, pulling Charlie into another hug.
"I love you, too, mom." Charlie's sad voice made me feel sad as well.
Charlie blew his mom a kiss.
"You be a good boy, okay?" She called, opening the front door.
"Bye, mom!" He called.
"Bye!" I called.
The door shut.
"Four hours?" My dad asked in disbelief.
I looked into the kitchen and saw the instructions in the cook book. I sighed.
-time skip-
Four hours later...
Charlie and I sat at the dining table in silence, bowls of burnt food scattered across the table. Dad was using the fire extinguisher on the turkey because it was on fire. He stopped after a while, grabbed a tea towel and wafted the smoke away.
He came into the doorway, stared at us, and chuckled lightly.
"That is exactly why you want a high-quality fire extinguisher right in the kitchen!" He smiled.
"Those flames were really big dad." Charlie sighed.
"Well, turkey's funny that way!" Dad shrugged.
Just then, the turkey caught fire again!
"Dad!" Charlie and I yelled in unison, pointing at the oven.
He turned around to see the flames engulfing the turkey yet again.
He immediately grabbed the extinguisher and put out the flames.
The turkey was charcoal black, and definitely NOT edible.
".... It's done!" My dad smiled at us.
What a long Christmas this will be!