A/N: There is a lot of confusion surrounding this chapter so I just want to clarify that this is a dream. Kendra's father, unfortunately, is dead and Kendra is dreaming of Christmas (because it was Christmas when I wrote this). I hope that clears up the confusion. Okay, I know I'll shut up now so you can read!
I wake up the next morning to the smell of breakfast. I open my eyes and the first thing I look towards is my window. It's snowing, actually snowing. Feeling excited I get out of my bed slip on my fuzzy socks and throw on one of Keon's large sweatshirts. I go to the window and watch as snow falls from the sky. The roads, houses, poles, everything is decorated in sheets of fluffy white.
I turn back to my bed and begin rubbing Jade harshly, "Wake up, it's Christmas!" I shout and Jade begins groaning and moaning. Jade slept over last night and is spending christmas with us because her parents are out of town. Of course they feel terrible about it but sometimes things just fall like that.
"Christmas can start in another hour" She mumbles while rolling back over to sleep. Huffing I sit back on my heels. I don't know why know one is as happy about christmas time but me. It's my favorite holiday. Shaking her one more time to get she finally does. I give her some fuzzy socks and we sneak into David's room to steal a sweatshirt.
The boy's sweatshirts are naturally more cozier than ours, apparently people don't think girls like to be cozy as well. We head downstairs and we see ma and my auntie Ava cooking in the kitchen. Hmm, food.
"Merry Christmas yall" I greet them and when my auntie Ava turns around her face brightens.
"Is that my beautiful niece, come here" She cries while opening her arms to me. I embrace her and she looks at me, "My goodness you look stunning, bet you have all the boys chasing after you" She says and I laugh.
"You have no idea" Jade chimes in and I laugh while hitting her in the back of her leg with my foot. She makes that pain sound as Auntie Ava turns her attention to her. "And Ms. Jade with the gorgeous skin looking as beautiful as ever" She praises and Jade flips her hair.
"Well you know I try" She boasts and I roll my eyes.
Ma calls over my auntie and tells her that she better get back to cooking or the fried chicken is gonna burn. Auntie Ava sucks her teeth, "I ain't never burned no chicken, not even with the Crisco's" She states proudly while returning to the stove.
"I love fried chicken for breakfast" Jade says while looking at the food lovingly. I laugh, don't we all. Jade and I go to the living room where we see Keon, David and Rowan struggle to decorate the tree, oh God.
"David just pass me the candy canes and stop eating them!" Keon demands and I laugh as David takes the candy cane out of his mouth and hands it too him. Keon grunts is disgust and throws it back at him, "Another one stupid!"
Rowan holds up the extension cord filled with plugs and he looks lost, "I don't think we're going to be able to light this tree yall"
David hands him a clean one and Keon sticks them on the branches. Jade and I offer to help and David immediately agrees. "I'll go help ma in the kitchen" He offers and we all shout no!
"Don't move!" Keon shouts while giving him the finger.
"Stay right there" Jade continues and Rowan agree.
"Don't you dare!"
David folds his arms hurt, "What? I can cook" He argues and I step to him.
He actually can't, "I'm sorry David but you know we could really use your talents in here rather than in the kitchen" I suggest while handing him some lights.
"Do your due dilligence and stay away from the food" I continue and with an attitude he snatches the lights from me. Heading into the kitchen I help ma and auntie cook while the rest of them finish decorating the tree.
"Ma can I turn on the tunes?" Jade yells from the living room and ma yells that she knows where the speakers are. Jade plugs in her phone and all of a sudden my second husband starts singing.
Jade and I start singing along with Chris Brown as he sings This Christmas and I hear the boys groaning, "Why every christmas we gotta here him put on something else?" Keon complains and we sing for him to shut up.
After a little concert we finish cooking and decorating the tree. We put the food out and get ready to eat. Ma reaches for our hands and we all place our hands in each other's. Ma blesses the food and when she finally says amen we start cheering. Thank God grandma not here or we'll be having church before we eat.
"Pass the food I'm starved" Keon demands and ma laughs. I grab some fried chicken and waffles along with some assorted fruits and home fries. I fill my plate to the top, 'bout to eat good this morning. I dig in and as we eat we tell stories and laugh a lot.
"Remember when Keon bust his face in the hallway and we didn't have any tissues so we had to stick a tampon up his nose to catch the blood" Jade brings up and everyone bursts out laughing. Well except for Keon.
He stares at Jade angrily but then he smiles, "Remember when we caught you picking your nose and eating it, I think we still have the tape" He claps back and Jade's jaw drops.
"I was young!" She protests and David laughs.
"Sis you were twelve, way past the age of digging for gold" He adds and everyone turns their laughs towards Jade. She sucks her teeth and tells us to laugh it up. "Be warned Lyon I have plenty of videos of you I just have to find them" She threatens and I snicker.
"Try up your nose"
Jade pushes me so hard I almost fall off the chair as everyone laughs even harder at her, "I hate you so much!" She cries while folding her arms and after that good laugh we move to the living room to open up our gifts. I hand ma mines first since I am the favorite.
I got her tickets to her favorite musical while everyone else got her jewelry and stuff. David and Keon got a bunch of sports stuff and some new Jordans. I gave Jade her gift which was a new IPad since I was technically guilty for breaking her last one.
Aunt Ava got various cookbooks from her favorite grocery store and I got mostly clothes, money and jewelry. After gifts I head to my room to put my stuff away. When I step inside a frozen breeze hits me but I don't remember opening the window. I go to close it and when I turn around there is a strange man sitting on my bed.
"Uh hello?" I call yet he doesn't answer.
"Who are you?" I question cautiously and slowly the man gets up.
Backing up a little I demand that he turns around. When he does familiar eyes set on me and I feel my heart drop. No, this can't be.
A lump forms in my throat and my breathing becomes irregular. Tears brim my eyes, "Daddy" I say.
^.^.^
He smiles at me, "Hey baby" He says in that deep voice of his. A smile break out on my face and I run to him throwing myself into his arms.
I cry into his jacket and I thank God that he's here. He's here for Christmas. I try to catch my breath as I pull back and begin babbling a million different questions.
How is he here?
Is he okay?
How'd he get here?
He grabs me and hugs me telling me to calm down but I really can't. I can't believe my dad is standing in my room right now. I have to be dreaming. Am I?
"Is this a dream are you really here?" I tear and he nods his head.
"Yeah, I am here" He assures and I feel a good cry coming on.
"I've missed you so much" I say while giving him another hug. Just being in his arms after so long and it feeling like he's never gone is what makes this so special. I can't believe this right now.
"I couldn't miss Christmas" He says and I wipe a tear from my eyes. Christmas is my dad's favorite holiday. I pull back and he places both hands on my face wiping away my tears, "I've missed you guys so much" He says and I tell him that we have too.
"How are you here?" I question and he chuckles revealing both dimples that I wish I'd inherited.
"Let's just say I've got it good with the good Lord" He answers and although I have no idea what that means I don't even care I'm just glad he's here.
We take a seat on my bed and I crisscross my legs, "You know why I'm here? I've been watching you and I can see how you're struggling with my death" He asks and I look down at my fingers.
"Can we not talk about that?" I ask softly and he tells me that we have to.
"Why?"
"Because I don't want you to miss out on something great because you're angry, you can't shut people out baby" He advises and I bite my lip. I'd thought he'd at least understand why I feel this way.
"Don't you understand why I can't trust them? They're all the same" I argue and he shakes his head. "They're not all the same, just because one is a bad apple-"
"He's not a bad apple that's child's play, he's a murderer and he murdered you" I say my eyes blurring with even more tears. He brings his hand up and wipes the tears away.
"I know and it's not fair to you but what you're doing isn't fair even" He responds and I guess to some extend he's right. "Two wrongs doesn't make it right and it won't bring me back" He continues.
He's right and deep down I know he is but I just can't. I sniffle, "Can we just watch a movie or something, like old times?" I ask and he sighs but then smiles.
"Only if you promise to try baby" He says but I don't say anything. I know how sacred making promises are to him. I nod my head, "I promise I'll try"
He kisses the top of my head, "Then of course we can"
I turn on my TV and play How The Grinch Stole Christmas, our favorite holiday movie. I lay next to him and for the first time in a long time that whole in my heart is gone or at least numb for now. "I'm glad you're home for Christmas" I say and he kisses the top of my head again.
"I'm glad to be home too"
A/N: MERRY CHRIMA YA'LL! I wasn't going to write a christmas update but then I thought about it and why not? It's the holidays after all and what's better than to give back what the good Lord has given to me, which is my writing by the way. I hope everyone is having a wonderful today!
~ebreezy_