I dedicate this chapter to my sweet friend @simmi_10 She's always full of positivity, and that's really inspiring 💕 Besides, some time ago we talked about love and opening our hearts, and I think this chapter is about these struggles 😉 So I hope you'll like this little gift as a thank you for your friendship ❤😘 Love you
*Back to Penelope's POV*
"Penelope! You're ready?!" my mom calls me from the hallway as I smooth the red delicate fabric of my dress.
"Yeah, I'm coming!"
Here we are, Christmas Eve, this is exactly the red dress I've planned to wear, with the same bun, make-up, and accessories. Yet it isn't like I've imagined.
We're only midday, and there are still many hours before Santa's tour; so many things can still happen, and my stomach knots as I don't even dare to picture anything.
These last few days have taught me that no matter how much you plan things, you can never know, and even less control, what happens. The universe has its own twists to wreck your plans – at least, it's pretty much mangled mine. However, as I add the final touch to my outfit, the golden tiara reminds me that sometimes those twists can be a great thing.
"I'll have to leave you." I turn to my laptop screen, where my amazing two best friends are sipping their cups of coffee or chocolate because it's still early for them, yet they've made this video call to cheer me up and see my outfit. They're definitely the best.
"Go turning heads!" Kyle exclaims with a wiggle of his eyebrows above his cup of chocolate.
So far, the only head turning is mine, as it's spinning more and more with confusion.
"Have fun, but not too much! Santa is watching!" Amy adds with a wink, and their cheerful attitudes make me feel more ready than my whole shiny outfit.
"Merry Christmas, love you!" I blow them a kiss, ending the call and grabbing my purse before I make everyone late.
"Aahh!!"
I jump as soon as I step out in the hallway, the excited screams making me lift up my purse in an attack position like I've done it this morning with my teddy bear.
"You look stunning!"
"A real Christmas princess!" Emily nods at the tiara on top of my head.
"You too! You're Christmas queens!" I become as excited as I let my gaze take in my mom's navy blue dress highlighting her curves and her clear eyes, and Emily's golden suit shining as much as her smile.
"We should go because the men are waiting downstairs." My mom winks, and I start to really feel that it's Christmas with the excitement tickling my skin.
It's exactly what I've needed to be reminded of. I've been so lost in the blur of my thoughts and knots of my stomach that I've forgotten to enjoy the Christmas spirit. This day only happens once a year, and it's my favorite, so I'll savor every little moment, even if it isn't perfect, and I'm gonna start with this tradition that I love: walking down the stairs in a princess dress.
It might sound cheesy, but it's a tradition in our family. Every year before the Orphanage Christmas Eve Party, every girl in the house walks down the stairs while all the men are watching her – you know, kinda like in the movies. I've always loved this tradition.
I remember when I've been little, hiding behind the wall to peek at the look in my dad's eyes when my mom has walked down the stairs – in all those years, the sparkle lighting up in his eyes hasn't changed – then, I've followed, feeling like a princess under my dad and Jason's cheers. Now, there is Emily joining, and this year, there will be two other pairs of eyes to watch me going down the stairs. My heart jumps at this thought, yet I don't know if it's in eagerness or fear.
I don't have time to find out as I realize I'm now standing alone in the hallway. I take a deep breath and take hold of the decorated banister rail to be sure I don't stumble with my heels.
From my golden tiara entangled perfectly in my bun to my red manicured nails, and obviously to the lacy red fabric of my long-sleeved dress falling in a fluffy and light tulle until just above my knees, everything is set to make me feel like a real princess, exactly what I've dreamed of during my childhood. Yet I don't feel like one.
All my excitation vanishes, sucked in the hole inside my chest, as my gaze falls on the people waiting for me downstairs. All eyes are on me; there are the eyes of my parents shining proudly and lovingly at me, even if I don't deserve it, Jason and Emily's eyes, which hold almost the same glint with a hint of complicity, and finally, tender cinnamon eyes fixed widely on me with an awestruck expression that I've never glimpsed in them.
Yet my blue gaze doesn't stop on any of them; it's frantically searching around for a pair of sparkling jade eyes. He isn't here; that's clear, yet I'm still glancing in hope to find him in the narrow space of the entrance. The emptiness inside my chest keeps growing with each step, and before I'm even halfway through the stairs, I'm breathless with the realization that I've tried to cover in the blur of my mind: I have feelings for Theone, and clearly, not only brotherly feelings or hatred.
During the past days, he's shown me parts of him I've never seen, and parts of me I've never even imagined. I've wanted to meet his eyes and maybe even find more in those dazzling green shades.
But it's ridiculous. He'll only ever see me as his best friend's annoying and stupid sister. He isn't even here, and that's the reminder that in a few days, he'll leave, going back to travel the world, while I'll go back to San Francisco, or... New York?
The deadline is today, and I still have nothing figured out. My heart is hammering furiously in all this blur of thoughts, and I don't know if I'm ready to face all those questions.
"You're beautiful." Aden's breathless tone pulls me out of my thoughts, and I'm already downstairs, standing in front of this cinnamon gaze.
Aden, the one from whom I want love, and the reason for my plan, I need to focus on him. I can't let whatever I'm feeling for Theone ruin something that could be serious with Aden, something I've wished for so long.
"Thank you, you look handsome too," I reply, barely noticing that the moment is exactly as I've dreamed it.
This is my plan. Aden is looking handsome and as perfect as ever in his gray suit. Aden could be my future. Theone is... "Where is Theone?"
"I think he's still getting ready. Maybe you should go see him because we'll get late if he doesn't hurry." Jason offers me a scary smile, but I don't raise because my feet are already leading me there.
The door is already open when I arrive at the guestroom, and my eyes catch immediately Theone's tall figure standing in front of the full-length mirror. His back is turned to me, yet I see his reflection perfectly in the mirror, and he could easily glimpse me too if he wasn't lost in his thoughts.
He's wearing a simple black suit, yet the fabric is hugging perfectly his strong back, surely highlighting the lighter shades of his eyes like it is with his hair. His hair, it's different than usual; it looks like he's tried to tame it with some gel, but it's still messy as if he'd kept running his fingers through the curls. He looks tormented, and I find myself wanting to pierce what's going on inside his pretty head.
But I can't. I need to stop trying to get closer to him. He'll be far soon, and those feelings are just curiosity, along with the cozy Christmas spirit and my hormones tricking me. I mean, a few days ago, I've been planning his murder, and I still want to strangle him half of the time – the only difference is that the other half I wanna kiss him.
Whatever those feelings are – because I can't describe them, only feel them like his kisses: tingling me deep inside – this isn't serious; Theone isn't serious, and I know better. I have to snap out of it, and first, I need to stop drooling like a foolish teen.
"Theone." He stops in the middle of inhaling a deep breath, jumping at the sound of my quiet voice.
"Penny, you..." He doesn't finish his sentence as he turns to me, and there, I feel my chest filling up with these tingles growing stronger through the loud beats of my heart.
I find exactly what has been missing while walking down the stairs: the shine of his green eyes that look like the brightest Christmas tree in the world. "You look breath-taking," he whispers, his gaze roaming up and down my body, yet not in the way that I would usually call him a 'perv', in a way that tickles my cheek with warmth around a wide smile.
"Thank you... you too." I glance down at my fingers playing with the clasp of my golden purse, searching for something else to say. Yet I'm too afraid to say something I shouldn't.
"Personally, I think I looked better in my ugly sweater." He leans closer to whisper, and I look up to find his left dimple easing the atmosphere.
I know I should leave and avoid him because each of his smirks, each of his sparkling glances are only making me more attached when we'll part in a few days, when this is just a stupid crush of mine, but my feet stay planted in the ground, and my heart soars when he adds,
"Um, I have something to tell you..." He glances around, like searching for something around the room that I have no idea about.
"Yes?" I hold my breath.
"We gotta go if we don't want to be late! What are you doing?" My dad barges in the room just at this moment, and my heart comes back to its place, back to reality as I turn to his inquisitive gaze.
"Nothing, let's go!" Theone declares, and I'm sure this isn't what he's been about to say, yet maybe it's better if I don't find out, even if the curiosity in my stomach will twinkle all day like all the fairy lights around.
***
"I have something to tell you," my mom announces, breathless, as we leave the dancefloor, where we've just lost a game of musical chairs.
"Let me guess, it was rigged?" I smile playfully, knowing how much she hates to lose.
"No, well, I think it was, but the party is so beautiful that I'll forget it." She sits down at our now-empty table. "What I want to tell you is how proud I am of you." Her blue eyes focus on me, and I gulp as it feels like she can see through me, but clearly, she doesn't, or she wouldn't say those words. "What you've done for the party..."
She glances around, and I follow her gaze to all the fairy lights, Christmas trees, and various wooden sculptures that are forming a magical Christmas around the world. But most importantly, around the tables now full of empty dishes and unique centerpieces, near the Christmas trees of various colors, and in the center of the room where chairs are disappearing Christmas song after Christmas song, there are the people chatting, laughing, and dancing around with the kids. That's where the Christmas magic lays.
"It's amazing, and the woman you've become..." she searches for her words through her gleaming eyes. "You're beautiful inside and outside." She points to my heart, while I feel it shriveling inside.
"I'm not sure..." I mumble, avoiding her eyes where the reflection I glimpse is so far from what I've done these past days.
"I am," she assures me with that voice – you know the one with which she's made me believe in Santa. "Look at this party! Thanks to your hard work and creative mind, they've collected more money than ever, and Patricia even told me a lot of people have asked about adoptions."
I smile as it's the only thing that brings me pure joy, without any sour taste of guilt and lies or clouds of confusion. "At least, this is one thing that I've done right and well, but I haven't even done it alone."
The kids have helped and inspired me a lot, and mostly, I wouldn't have done it without Theone. He's left me no choice at first, and I don't regret it.
"Yes, and you should see it as a proof that you can do amazing things when you listen to your heart."
My heart jumps as if understanding her words more than I do, or maybe it's my mom who knows my heart more than I do. That's what it looks like from the twinkle in her clear eyes. It's like she has everything figured out, while I'm in a blur.
"It sounds easy..."
"It is if you stop listening to your little head." She now points to my head with an enigmatic smile. "Well, I should go make sure that your dad doesn't drink too much mulled wine! He needs to have his head clear to prepare his egg tarts for tonight's dinner." She nods to the buffet, and I don't even have time to turn that a faint noise makes me jump.
It isn't the sound itself of the camera snapping the pic, but the one behind it that makes all my nerves stand on edge. I've avoided being alone with him through the whole party, but now, here he is: Theone standing in front of me, and no one around us in this corner of the room – well, except for the poor pinata snowman ripped open on the floor.
I look up to find Theone squinting at his camera screen.
"You're taking pics of people now?" I can't help the smile stretching my lips, and the pride warming my chest with it.
"I'm trying..." He glances between me and the camera as if playing spot the difference between the two. "I'm trying to find out which emotions you're feeling."
"And?" I try to reach for his camera to see, yet he pulls it away.
"I don't have a clue, but I wish I could..."
"I wish too..." I mumble, feeling the same tingling deep inside my nerves through the blur of all my emotions.
"Do you want to–"
"Penelope!" A small voice makes me jump again in front of Theone's extended hand.
Lilly appears between us with her gap-toothed innocent smile smudged with chocolate that lets us know the chocolate fountain is having a lot of success.
"Can I open my gift now that Theone is here?" Her big hopeful eyes travel from me to Theone expectantly.
"Oh, yes, I think." I glance at Theone too. "I've asked her to wait for you to be there so you can take a pic when she opens her gift," I explain, pointing at his camera with a small smirk.
"Oh, sure, of course!" He nods, and Lilly is already tugging at our hands to pull us with her. She has strength and determination for her small height.
"Can we bring our new friends Charles and Hilary too?" My heart soars, and at least, there's one emotion that is clear when she swallows the 'l' of their names too: happiness for my two little angels.
When we get to the black Christmas tree, they're already all there, like a real little family. Alexis is explaining something to Charles and Hilary who are listening attentively, and their smiles are shining even more than the clear lights in the dark tree.
"Can I open it?" Lilly asks anxiously, tugging at her tutu the same way as when I've first met her.
"Yes!" we all exclaim, and the little angel catches all our attentions as she lashes out on the delicate pink wrapping paper.
"Oh?! A horse?!" Lilly stops all her movements when she glimpses the head of the rocking horse.
She becomes as delicate as an angel again, brushing with her little finger the tiara of the horse that I've painted after Theone's interruption and the slipping of my paintbrush the other night.
"I love it! Thank you, Penelope." I just have time to let out the breath I've been holding, and she jumps in my arms just as I crouch down.
I fall on my butt, giggling with her. I've been preparing anxiously everything for this moment, and the light in her eyes is the best reward.
Quickly, we're joined by Alexis, and the tickles of joy I feel from Lilly's little embrace turn into pure happiness when her sister whispers in my ear, "Thank you for helping Santa with my wish."
I have no doubt what she's talking about when Hilary joins the hug, and I know they'll form a happy and loving family together.
"I wanna try it!" Lilly pulls away from the hug, probably getting crushed under our happiness, and I discreetly pull away too as I watch Charles help her on the horse, and the whole family – I'm sure they'll be one soon – gathers around.
"Did you capture those emotions?" I ask, my voice wavering with the overflow reaching my eyes.
"What do you think?" He shows me his camera screen, and through the various slides, I can feel as much emotion as in the photo he's shown me the other night.
"It's beautiful." I glance one last time at the little family that Theone has captured perfectly with his camera. If there's only one of my plans that gotta work, I wouldn't want it to be any other one.
"It's what you did that's beautiful." He opens the door to the lobby, taking my hand, and I follow him despite my resolutions to stay away.
I just need fresh air after all those emotions.
"It's you who's beautiful," he whispers, but now that we're standing in the empty hallway, his words echo loudly, especially inside my chest.
"I didn't do much, I just helped Santa out a little, but anyone would have done the same." I choose to ignore his last words, and the effect they have on my chest.
"It is much! For me, it is, and for all those kids, it means the world." He stops walking to focus his green eyes on me. "What you've done for all these kids. You've not only granted all their requests." He nods to the now-closed door, where behind, we indeed have put together all those requests for a crazy yet unforgettable party. "You've also put light on all of them, and you've given them more chances to find a family."
I smile lightly as I really like the reflection of myself I see in his shining eyes.
"The idea to pair each kid to a table for the games and also let them bring something close to their heart, it was the best idea to let the people see how awesome they all are!" He shakes his head as if he still can't believe it. "I'm sure my parents would love this, and I gotta admit that you outperformed them with this party!" He grins, and I mirror him, as it's probably the biggest compliment he could give me.
"It's not only me, we did it together, and actually, I wouldn't have done it if you hadn't forced me. So thank you for not leaving me a choice. I've really had fun." I bite down on my playful smile, avoiding his eyes, yet still finding my way back to them like a magnet, especially when he laughs lightly.
"We're forming a great team." He flashes me his dimples, though they quickly disappear as he dives his clear gaze in mine – clear may not be the right word as his eyes take that darker serious shade, yet they keep shining, and it's like there are a billion colors in his eyes, but all green. It doesn't make sense, but like everything with him, you can only feel it.
"About this... I have something to tell you." He takes a deep breath, the same one as this morning in front of his mirror, and it catches mine. "I think we're a great team not only for the party... for everything... I really liked these past days, and..."
"Me too," I confess softly, his frown making my smile fall down before it even forms.
"Not like, I mean..." He runs his fingers through his already messed curls, while it's my turn to furrow my eyebrows.
I'm getting even more lost, and seeing him agitated is only adding to my trouble inside.
"Penny, Penelope, Penny..." He grabs my two hands to face me completely, and it's like I have no escape.
"You're scaring me." Though what is scaring me are the loud thumps of my heart threatening to break out of my ribcage at any second.
"Fuck, I'm not good at this." He lets out a frustrated sigh at the same time that he lets go of my hands to pass his fingers through his hair for the umpteenth time, and when he glances at me again, something seems to click inside his head, while mine is even more blurred. "Just wait a second." He puts his index finger up and disappears before I can even say anything, not that I would anyway.
Cliffhanger!!! Don't worry, the next chapter will be out really soon!! 😉😏 Where do you think Theone has gone? And it looked like a declaration, what do you think? Will he continue it? 🤭😍
Also, Penny realized she has feelings for him, but she still looks really confused, will she listen to her heart?
One thing is sure: one of her plans seems to have worked? What do you think of the new little family? 😊💕💕
Let me know in the comments, and vote ⭐ if you liked this chapter!
We're getting closer to the end, and I'm so excited and so overwhelmed with all the love you've shown to this story so far!! THANK YOU, MY LITTLE ELVES!!! ❤🎄🎅🏼😘