Rea's POV
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"Merry Christmas!" Liam cheers as me, Reina, Luca, and Ryan sit around a table. The rest of the family went off to their places, well my parents are in Paris, we are here.
"Merry Christmas!" We smiled back as Liam took us all to the tree, we have been staying here for the past week, it's the Christmas Holidays, and we wanted a place to stay. After everything, Liam was our go-to person, plus he would need some people to have around at Christmas.
It's been a year and a half since we last saw Lydia, I haven't moved on, she's still on my mind every single day, and every single day I miss her. But I know she's happy, I know she's smiling down on us, and as long as she is happy I am too.
"Rea, these are for you." Liam smiles with his Santa hat on his head, we are all wearing one as he just wants us to be in the Christmas Spirit. I say it has worked perfectly.
Liam also dressed us up in matching Christmas jumpers, just to add to the spirit. We are all wearing a red Christmas jumper with a reindeer and snowflakes on them. I have to say, they are very comfortable.
The man passes me a few presents that are wrapped up in snowflakes, red and green, Christmas trees, and just different types of wrapping paper. But each one was tied together with a white bow.
"Thank you." I smile back but pause for a moment, "Could I open mine last?"
"Of course." He gave Ryan his presents who wasted no second to opening them up. Ryan hasn't changed, well he shows sympathy for me every now and then, glares at whoever talks bad about Lydia, and always comes to me when I'm crying in my room. I haven't seen him cry once over her, I swear he loved her at one point.
My brother eagerly unwrapped his presents, he got from Liam, a few jumpers, a watch, and some new games for his console. From my parents, he got a gaming console, a new phone, and some things for his room. I would say he is grateful for them.
Next up was Luca. Liam gave the boy his gifts, all the family members gave Liam each kid's gifts so we could open them all together. That is why we have quite a lot of presents each.
The boy then read each card first, and he received a few notes of cash which caused a smile to rise on his face. Once he went through the cards, he moved on to the presents.
Luca received from Liam, a few pairs of clothes, some cologne, vinyl records of his favourite bands and a record player which was originally Liam's. He always wanted one I heard. From his parents, he got more vinyl records, some money, a new car, and some clothes.
Liam then gave Reina her gifts, now he doesn't know the girl very well as she has just come home once again but he knows enough to get her plenty of gifts to make the girl smile.
"Thank you!" She laughs before she even opens anything, I notice how what she said made Liam smile, it reminded him of Lydia. Gosh, she would be loving this right now.
Reina opened up her cards that held some notes of money and even a few candy canes. She read each one carefully before putting them beside her and thanking whoever was in the room who gave her a card. The girl then moved on to the presents.
She received some jewellery, makeup, CDs, and books from Liam, all of the things she asked for that he had known of. With each gift she held a bright smile on her face, her smile would bring happiness to us all, and this is why she is my favourite cousin.
"Thank you, Liam." She put his gifts by the cards and he just nods his head as she continued with the rest of the presents.
From her parents, she got even more books, some clothes, shoes, and room decorations. And as expected, she was smiling with each gift. Once the girl had finished opening them all, she put the wrapping paper away and stacked up her presents beside her. Why is she so organised?
Next up was my go as I assume Liam wants the kids to open things first, I respect his decision, of course, we all do. He gives me a small smile as I start to open my cards like the rest of us did. Well, Luca and Reina.
I got money and candy canes just like Reina, there were cards from Luca, Ryan, Reina, Liam, my parents and others in the family. Each one had their own thing inside.
"Thank you." I smile as I put the cards to the side and start with the presents.
I first open up one with grey snowflakes on, a white background and a white bow. I opened it up and there was a set of books inside, they were on my book list. The next present was filled with clothes, and the one after that had a few paintings inside.
After, I moved on to the gifts from my parents which were music, money, clothes, and jewellery. I don't know how they afforded all of this for everyone when I say they got us money, I mean around £800. That's £3,200 in total for the children.
I had one present left, I open it up and see a card slipped in the side, when I read the handwriting on the envelope. something inside of me broke but fluttered.
Rea
"What's got you smiling?" Ryan asks and I roll my eyes and sit back on the sofa as I open up the envelope and read.
Dear Rea,
Merry Christmas! It's Christmas, the best time of the year, I got you something you will love! I love you so much, Rea.
Yours Sincerely,
Lyds
I was told she got me a present for the next five years for my birthday and Christmas, that is indeed commitment.
After a few minutes of reading the card over and over again, I place it in a different pile from the rest and take a sharp breath. I then open up the box to be met with a grey hoodie.
Her hoodie.
My fingers brush over the fabric and I lift it from the box and smell it. It smells like her. I don't know how the scent stayed but it stayed, and the tears filled my eyes as I held onto the hoodie tightly.
"Oh my," Luca whispers and my fingers tighten around the hoodie. After a few moments, I put it down and see there's something else in the box.
It was just a piece of paper but she had spent her time writing it.
Extra letter just for you? So special. I write this when you are sleeping beside me, god you are stunning, the most beautiful person on earth. My heart is beating out of my chest right now, but I am writing this for you.
I'd like to say you are my world, the one person I'd spend forever with if it existed, I believe we will, and I know we will. You're my world, Rea, you have my heart and I never want it back, you can keep it for the rest of forever.
I plan to put this in one of your gifts that I already have planned, so when you read this, it could be years from now, this Christmas, next Christmas, or five Christmas' away.
It's Christmas, Merry Christmas my love. I hope I am sitting beside you as you read this, I would love to see your smile or your blushing. I do hope I am there with you though, but if I'm not, it must be one important reason I'm not there. I hope you enjoy whichever gift you received, I won't list any as it would contain spoilers for next year.
I love you, I love you for the rest of forever and more.
I finish the letter in tears, it's Christmas and I am crying. It is one important reason you aren't here Lyds, one important reason I couldn't save you from.
Reina hugged me, Liam hugged me, Luca hugged me, and Ryan hugged me. Liam looked at me and his heart broke, he knew what was inside in the present, he knew the pain.
The things I would do to have her back here again.
It took a while to calm down because everyone ended up crying due to grief, it's crazy what losing a loved one does to us all. I miss the loudness, I miss Lydia.
Liam opened his presents, he got a watch, clothes, a new car and some things for work. Card-wise, he got more money, some random things that link to Christmas in there and he looked happy.
Cleaning up was a nightmare, well we had a black bag for the wrapping paper which we emptied into the bin, we took all the presents upstairs but I stayed down here. I stay and look at the pile of presents under the tree.
"You can do them this year." Liam smiles and I look at him and he has nothing but pain in his eyes, "Please, Rea."
"Of course." I respond and take a bag to put the presents in, I also take the extra Christmas jumper and the hat, adding them inside too, "I'll be back by dinner."
"Stay safe." He gives me his best smile which he tried his best for. I couldn't help but smile back.
He's trying, he's trying so hard.
~~~
I carry the bag along the stone-covered path, a layer of snow coated the grass and trees, there's a cold breeze that blows around me, the sound of snow beneath my feet, and then there's the warmth of my coat and scarf.
Soon enough, I arrive, I lay down a blanket and take a seat. Running my fingers through my hair, I set the hat and the jumper across the stone.
"You're like us now." I smile and there's a gush of coldness and a robin lands on the stone and I look at it, it chirps and I smile, "Is that you?"
It chirps again a few seconds later.
"Thank you," I whisper as I take out the first present and slide it to her. The robin then flies onto the gift which made my heart heal, "I miss you, Lyds, more than you would ever know."
I take out another present, letting the robin fly back to the stone as I move the previous present to the side and slowly start stacking them around the stone.
"I think I'm starting to heal, you've been gone for a while and it hurts terribly but I'm healing. You would be glad about that." I smile as I reach back in the bag whilst more wind blows and the robin moves from one side to the stone, to the other, "Pick one, chirp once for the left, silent for the right."
The robin chirped and I hum and take the present from my left hand, then place it down. I have a gut feeling she's here with the robin, there's no way a bird can do all of that just like this.
"Your dad is brave, he's getting there but it's a struggle with you gone. He will come to visit you later on today, but we are all matching and I'm sure you would love to spend this Christmas with us." I speak as I go through more presents until I reach the last one in the bag.
"Last one, Lyds. Thank you for the gift. I loved it." I smile and look over my shoulder at a woman who's walking up the path.
"Merry Christmas." She smiles once she saw me looking at her. She walks up the path and towards a stone a row in front of Lydia.
"Merry Christmas," I answer with the same smile before going back to Lydia, the robin stayed, now on the pile of presents.
I take out the old flowers and add in fresh ones, her favourites of course. I then brush some snow off her stone and take in a deep breath.
"Give me a sign it will be okay, please Lydia." I whisper and the robin chirped and the wind blew once more, "I love you."
It chirps once more.
~~~
"You have to wear the crown!" Reina gasps as she speaks to Luca who is refusing to wear a paper crown that he got from the Christmas cracker, "Don't be a Grinch!"
"My bad, my bad." He laughs, holding his hands up in defence then quickly puts the hat onto his head, "Happy now?"
My cousin grinned and took a bite of her honey-roasted carrots. We have Christmas Dinner set out in front of us, all made from us all as we decided to all work on Christmas this year.
I think it's gone well, the food has gone well, the gift opening has gone well, and the visit to Lydia has gone well. It's been a successful Christmas.
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I'd like to thank all the readers on this book, I mainly wrote this chapter due to me feeling emotional and wanting to write something sad. It is December, and Christmas is coming up so why not do a Christmasy chapter with a section of sadness?
I hope you enjoyed reading this book, plus this extra bonus chapter it's been amazing to write. I've really missed Rea and Lydia. But unfortunately, this is now the official end.
Thank you for everything, please tell me your thoughts on this book, I'd love to know.
I love you all.