Chapter 16

"Momma."

It was early, that much was evident, as the sound of someone calling for my attention broke through my sleepy haze. The muffled sound may have been perfectly easy to ignore however, as I heard the sound again, I knew only one person who had this much persistence and energy this early in the morning.

"Momma, wake up!"

More effort was put into forcing my eyes open than need be, my vision slipping back into focus after a near-sleepless night. I'd stayed up well past two in the morning, feeling a little too festive as I wrapped the remainder of Abbie's presents and organized the living room for when she woke up.

I just didn't anticipate it being this early.

Abbie's eyes widened as she realized I was no longer asleep, a wide smile not far behind as she began bouncing in excitement on the side of my bed. "Momma, it's Christmas," she squealed, rousing me further from sleep, "We need to go see if Santa was here!"

Christmas morning seemed to knock any tiredness lingering in children's brains gone; the excitement of jolly old Saint Nick and the promise of new toys too much for them to even think about crawling back into bed.

I laughed tiredly as she struggled to pull the covers from me in the Christmas pajamas I'd slipped her into the night. "Momma's up sweetie." Pulling myself into a sitting position, my arms came around her small body, bringing her in for a hug. "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas."

Wiggling out of my hold, she jumped out of the bed and waited, impatiently tapping her foot as I swung my legs out from underneath the covers. "Come on then," I yawned, stretching my arms above my head, "Let's go see what Santa's left you."

Abbie's Christmas joy couldn't be contained. Squealing in response before leaving the room in a rush, she headed downstairs to see what was waiting for her under the Christmas tree. Trailing behind her, I shook my head in silent laughter as my eyes caught the time.

6:02

Entering the living room, I smiled, watching Abbie crawl around the base of the Christmas tree, eyeing all the newly wrapped presents to see which ones had her name scrawled on the tag.

"Santa left me two gifts momma, and a s'ocking!" Her eyes sparkling as she turned to see the table, where a messed up plate of cookies laid. "And he ate his food!"

"It looks like he did," I grinned, walking over to clean up the small mess I'd made a few hours earlier. "I'll just put this in the kitchen," I said, picking up the plate and half empty glass of milk, "And then you can start opening your presents."

She nodded excitedly, climbing up onto the couch as I turned, heading towards the kitchen. What did surprise my though, was seeing Emily already awake, leaning against the counter as she waited for the coffee maker to finish dripping.

"Hey, did Abbie wake you up?" I winced, dropping the dirty dishes into the sink, setting a mental reminder for myself to wash them later.

Emily shook her head. "Dustin's coming to get me just after nine, so I figured we'd do Christmas early," she responded, filling up two mugs with coffee, sliding one towards me after filling it with milk and a generous helping of sugar.

I gave her a grateful smile, tilting the warm cup of liquid energy to my lips to take a sip. "Just promise me you didn't buy my daughter more stuff than I did," I commented cheekily as we made our way back to where Abbie was patiently waiting to open her gifts.

"Not a chance," she smirked, lowering her voice before she continued, "I don't fancy playing the role of Santa Claus for at least another few years."

Shaking my head, her remark went without a reply as I took a seat next to Abbie. "Did you want to open the presents in your stocking first?" I asked Abbie, who smiled widely, nodding her head as she sat down in front of it.

Wrapping paper started to decorate the floor in seconds as she began the unwrapping process. Her stocking wasn't full of much; just a bunch of cheap toys I'd picked up from the dollar store. By the time she was done there was a pile of play-doh, colouring books, and art supplies next to her empty stocking, along with a horde of chocolate.

"Can I open the big ones now?" Abbie asked, turning to me with comically wide eyes and a puppy dog pout.

She sprung up from her seat as I nodded, wrapping her arms around the present that was quite a bit bigger than her before ripping at the paper. Not able to contain her excitement as she unveiled her present, a high-pitched squeal escaped her lips. "A doll house!" She dropped to her knees again, quickly unwrapping Santa's other gift, which was, to no surprise, another doll.

Those presents seemed to exhaust all of her attention, as she sat for a good couple minutes inspecting the box of the doll house while cradling her new doll in her lap.

"Abbie," Emily said, catching my daughter's attention, "Do you want to open the rest of your gifts now?"

"There's more?"

Emily stood up from her chair. "Mhm," she replied, sorting through the gifts underneath the tree until there were two separate piles in front of her. "These," she pointed to one stack, "Are from me, and these," she gestured to the other pile, "Are from your mom."

Hyper as ever, she chose the present closest to her first, ripping off the paper as best as she could to reveal an art set I knew she'd been wanting for a while now.

When all was said and done, Abbie had done quite well for herself. While Emily had bought her a My Little Pony board game, as well as a pair of winter pajamas, I'd mostly stuck to clothes, figuring she'd need them in the new year when she started to grow again.

Discarded wrapping paper and bows were cluttered around her as I let her dip into her newly acquired chocolate supply. Freezing with half a piece of chocolate hanging out of her mouth, she stood up in a hurry, looking shocked and flustered. "Oh no, I forgot your pwesents," she said in a rush, bounding back up the stairs before either Emily or myself could say anything.

"She got us presents?" Emily asked, bewildered at the thought as I shrugged my shoulders. To my knowledge I didn't know of any presents and I had no idea what my little angel had planned.

She came bouncing down the stairs again a few seconds later, a smile now on her face as she held two pieces of paper in her hands. "I made you cards," she said, stating the obvious as she handed us each a folded piece of paper. She'd drawn the three of us together on the front of each of them, but where mine had a Christmas tree scribbled in the background, Emily's had a bunch of presents piled together.

Opening the inside, I saw that she'd tried her best to write Merry Christmas Mommy, and while she'd missed a couple of letters, the gesture still put a smile on my face. "This is really thoughtful Abbie, thank you."

Pulling her close, Emily joined in on the hug not long after, thanking her as well for her card.

A few minutes passed, and when I finished setting Abbie up at the table with a bowl of cereal and her new doll, I turned to Emily. "Do you want your presents now?"

She grinned in response. "You mean you actually got me something this year?"

It was true. We hadn't lived together last year and since she didn't come home for Christmas, I'd simply sent her a Christmas card with a gift card inside to one of her favourite restaurants. We normally didn't exchange gifts, the last time being when we lived under the same roof back home, but this year, I didn't feel right not to get her anything.

I rolled my eyes. "Of course I did."

Grabbing the gifts from underneath the tree, I passed her the first two, watching as she opened a book that she'd said she wanted to read and a set of new paints. Biting my lip as she thanked me, I passed over her final present nervously. "Now I don't know if you'll actually like it, but I saw you looking at it that day in the store, and, yeah."

Sending me a curious glance, she continued unwrapping the present until she pulled it from its box. Her eyes were wide as she looked up at me. "You went back for it?" she asked in awe, holding the short floral dress I'd bought on a whim up against her body. "Thank you," she smiled, wrapping her arms around me.

I let out the breath I'd been holding. "So you like it?"

She nodded. "I love it. I might even wear it today," she told me as she pulled two of her own presents from under the tree. "And these are for you."

I smiled gratefully, opening the larger one first, only to see a cardboard box full of assorted chocolates and sweets. "You're just trying to fatten me up, aren't you?"

Her own grin grew on her face as she shrugged innocently. "Maybe."

I laughed, pushing the box onto the coffee table before unwrapping the other present. It was significantly smaller than the box of chocolate, but as I pulled back the wrapping paper to reveal a velvet box only fit to hold jewelry, it made sense. I held my breath as I flipped the clasp open, a little bit relieved to see that there was no extravagant diamonds in the box. Instead, a small bracelet sat tucked in between the fabric, the word sister engraved on a charm that hung from one side. "Thank you," I said as I ran my hand over the charm, "It's beautiful."

"It's not much," she responded, "But I didn't want to go overboard."

"No," I shook my head, pulling her in for a hug for what felt like the fifth time that morning, "It's perfect. Thank you."

She grinned, leaning back. "Merry Christmas Zoe."

"Merry Christmas."

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"But are you sure it's not stupid?"

It was almost noon now as I held my phone between my shoulder and my cheek, leaning forward to glaze the last bit of mascara onto my lashes.

Dustin had been by hours ago, picking up Emily to take her to his family's Christmas brunch. On the way out he'd turned to where Abbie and I sat in the living room, tuning in to the television as a showing of Frosty the Snowman aired, and tossed us each a wrapped present. It wasn't much, but he'd gifted Abbie with a stuffed elephant while I received yet another box of chocolates before the two smoothly made their exit.

"Your gift for Ryan isn't stupid. I would know, I helped you pick it out," Colette replied, her voice travelling through the speaker.

I was jittery and nervous it seemed, as I tried to force a smile in front of the mirror. "But what if..."

"No what if's," she cut me off, "Ryan will love whatever present he gets just because it's from you. And if all else fails, you could always just sleep with him to make him happy."

"Colette!" I squeaked in surprise, heat flooding to my cheeks at her suggestion.

"What? It's a solid idea. Unless," she trailed, "Have you not yet?" My prolonged silence was enough of an answer for her as she let loose a low whistle. "Really?"

"No," I mumbled under my breath.

"Well I'm just saying, maybe it's something you should start thinking about," she quipped jokingly, causing a bubble of laughter to escape me. I heard someone calling Colette's name through the phone. "And that's my cue," she sighed, "I'll see you at work later in the week."

"Merry Christmas Colette," I wished, a smile on my face as she returned the sediment before hanging up.

Sliding the phone into my back pocket, I turned to face the mirror. After talking to Ryan earlier and learning that this dinner wasn't anything fancy, I'd thrown on one of my Christmas sweaters with a pair of dark jeans. Skipping into my room, Abbie made me look as though I was barely trying at all with her bright red dress, pigtails, and a festive pair of reindeer antlers. Carrying the presents she'd picked out for Rocky in her hands, she waddled towards me, looking up. "When's Ryan coming?"

"He'll be here soon sweetie," I patted her head, readjusting the antlers that were slowly slipping forward on her head as the doorbell rang. I smiled. "That'll be him, why don't you go answer the door."

Whether it was because of the extra sugar she'd consumed so far today or just because Christmas made her excited, she bounced back out of my room without so much as a nod to wish my boyfriend a Merry Christmas.

Dubbing my outfit good enough, I pulled the bag that contained wrapped presents for Ryan's family out from the back of my closet. I hadn't gone overboard, but since they'd been nice enough to invite me over, I'd gotten his parents and brother each a small gift. Double-checking that all of them were in there, I piled Ryan's presents on the top before heading downstairs.

"I didn't want Rocky to miss out on pwesents, so I got him a toy," I heard Abbie explaining to Ryan as I entered the living room, smiling as I saw her sitting on Ryan's lap. "I also got him treats so when you go home he can have them."

"I'm sure he'll love them," Ryan grinned, tickling her gently before his head swiveled around to face me. He was wearing a tight fitting wool sweater and a dark pair of jeans, and even when he wasn't all polished up, he still made my heart flip with a simple smile. "Hey, Merry Christmas."

"You too," I grinned, leaning down to peck his cheek lightly, making sure not to leave a lipstick mark as I pulled away. "Are you ready to go?"

The drive took longer than it should have, with everyone in the city out on the roads and on their way to meet their families. The three of us ended up spending almost an hour in the car, Disney tunes playing from the radio until Ryan pulled into a suburban area, just outside of the main city.

The neighbourhood was quiet and the house was modest, the roof decorated with hanging lights while store bought statues took up space on the front lawn.

"Are we here?" Abbie asked as Ryan parked his car behind his parent's.

Turning off the ignition, he smiled and nodded. "Yup," he replied, causing Abbie to squeal in excitement, "So, let's get inside."

"We're here," Ryan announced as the three of us stepped into the house, presents in hand.

His mother was the one that came rushing around the corner, an apron on her waist as she pulled her son into a hug. "Merry Christmas," she cheered, patting his sides as she pulled back, "Have you been eating properly, it's like you've lost weight."

Laughing, he leaned down, shaking his head as he kissed her cheek. "Merry Christmas mom."

"We'll just have to fatten you up with dinner, won't we?" she responded smartly, cracking a smile before she turned to me. "It's nice to see you again Zoe."

"You too Sophie," I replied, returning the hug that she stepped forward to give me.

"And I hear that this one," she nodded in her son's direction, a smirk on her face, "Finally worked up the courage to ask you to go out with him."

"Mom," Ryan groaned in embarrassment, though his smile didn't disappear as I laughed lightly.

Smiling sheepishly, I said, "Yeah."

"Well I think it's great he's finally found someone he can bring around," she said, making me smile as I saw Ryan roll his eyes beside me. She looked down at Abbie, adoration in her eyes. "Hi Abbie."

"Hi," she chirped, bouncing in her spot with a toothy grin on her face, "Merry Chris'mas."

"Merry Christmas sweetie," she laughed, nodding towards the living room. "Why don't the three of you get settled in the living room while I finish getting some of the food ready."

Ryan nodded as Abbie ran ahead, scurrying her way further into the house. "Sure mom," he said, intertwining his hand with mine as he pulled me in the direction Abbie had gone.

I smiled as I saw pictures in the hung up in the hallway of Ryan and Dean when they were younger. They were both smiling widely at the camera most of the time, except one picture near the end where they were both covered in mud. Ryan, looking as though he was going through his awkward phase, had a young Dean clinging to his leg and was looking down at him in annoyance.

Entering the living room, Sophie excused herself into the kitchen while I saw Abbie climbing up to sit beside Dean, who looked more than happy to make a little extra room between him and his dad. Like the rest of his family, Dean seemed to have taken quite a liking to my little girl, smiling down at her widely as she showed him her reindeer antlers.

"Hey son," Ryan's dad waved, noticing the two of us first, "And it's good to see you Zoe."

"So..." Dean trailed teasingly, raising an eyebrow suspiciously as his gaze flicked between his brother and I, "How's it going?"

Ryan's fingers slipped from mine as he walked over to his brother, who was still grinning, and wrapped an arm around his neck. Abbie was laughing whole-heartedly, where as I chuckled to myself, as he started to mess up his brother's hair. "Good, how about you?" Ryan asked, leaning down to plant a big kiss on Dean's cheek.

"Worse now that you're here," he threw back as Ryan let up, wiping the saliva off his cheek with a screwed up smile.

And that's when Sophie walked in, a platter of finger foods in her hands. "Now what's everybody so fussed up about?"

"Oh nothing," Ryan replied with a smirk, nodding to the empty love seat next to where I stood. I took a seat, only getting comfortable when Ryan sat down beside me. "Just saying hello."

"Sure..." his mom trailed, shaking her head in amusement. "So," she clapped, "Who's ready for presents?"

Abbie's eyes went wide. "More pwesents?"

Just as I was about to correct her, telling her that no, there weren't any more presents for her, Dean jumped in. "Yeah, just wait one second okay," he said, jumping up from his spot beside her, rushing into the next room over.

I turned to Ryan with accusing eyes. "They bought her a present?" I asked under my breath.

He smiled innocently. "It's from me too if that helps."

"Of course it is," I mumbled, biting my lip as I heard Dean's footsteps returning. When he rounded the corner however, my jaw just about unhinged and my eyes went wide.

"EEEP!" Abbie squealed in excitement, her eyes landing on her present. It was a bright purple Fisher Price car, seemingly just her size as she jumped in the driver's seat, not wanting to wait to test it.

"What?" Ryan shrugged, putting on a face of innocence as I turned to look at him. "It's just a present."

"A present that you guys really didn't need to get her."

"And you're telling me that bag of yours doesn't have at least one present for my family in it?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I mean... yeah," I stammered, before shaking my head, "But that's not the same thing. They aren't as expensive as..."

Ryan's hand was suddenly on my lips, preventing me from continuing. "It is the same thing," he claimed, "And we all pitched in, so don't worry about it."

I sighed, letting the conversation drop as I saw the grin Abbie was still sporting, listening to Dean as he showed her how to work her new toy.

The rest of the presents weren't as good as Abbie's, at least in her opinion, as the two of us sat back and let the Adam's exchange presents with one another. After they finished I'd taken the three presents I'd gotten for them out from my bag, leaving Ryan's present to sit in the bottom of the bag until we exchanged them later. I'd gotten his mom a candle and his dad a box of chocolate, while Dean unwrapped a quirky t-shirt I'd found at the mall that had the words iron man scrawled across the front, along with a cartoon of an iron.

Returning their thanks, I was a little surprised when Dean threw a bag from Victoria's Secret my way, earning a glare from his brother before the two of us realized it was simply a few body sprays and lotions.

The afternoon passed quickly, conversation lively as Sophie went back and forth between the kitchen and the living room, allowing me to help out where I could.

When dinner was served shortly after five 'o'clock, the six of us gathered around the table to eat, Abbie being the first to pop open her Christmas cracker in excitement. Once we'd followed her lead, opening our own crackers, the paper crowns sat atop our heads as we laughed, joked, and ate. It was rare that I got to spend moments like this, with my parents being so tuned out of my life the last few years, and yet, I managed to feel just as home here with Ryan's family as I ever had.

The food was delicious and by the time everybody was finished, I felt like I could've fallen into a food comma after the extra portions I'd helped myself too. It didn't look like I was alone, because as we migrated to the living room, Dean was the first to collapse on one of the couches, stretching out as he groaned in protest. His dad put a movie on, knowing that dessert was a long time off for most of us, and as we all took our seats to watch Dr. Seuss's: How The Grinch Stole Christmas, I couldn't help but feel the comfort and warmth the day had brought.

'This is how a real Christmas with your family should feel,' I thought, snuggling further into Ryan's arms.

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An hour after the movie had finished, Abbie was playing a game of go-fish with Dean on the ground while I sat back and watched, having already lost the first three games.

"Zoe honey, can you go see what's keeping Ryan?" Sophie asked from where her and her husband were relaxing on the next couch over.

Ryan had disappeared before the cards had even been brought out, and even though I'd noticed his absence, I hadn't thought to ask if something was wrong.

I nodded. "Sure," I replied, receiving a smile in reply as I headed towards the kitchen.

With no signs of him in the kitchen, I peeked around the corner, looking left and right down the halls before I caught notice of the back door, not properly shut. Making my way down the hall, I pulled my sweater down over my hands, crossing my arms as I stepped out onto the back porch.

"Hey."

Although my voice was soft, it was enough to catch Ryan's attention from his position up against the railing, his head turning over his shoulder to look at me. "Hey."

"Your mom was wondering where you got off to," I stated, nodding back to the door as I took a seat on an old wooden swing bench that was rested up against the house.

"And she sent you to come and find me?" he asked, the tips of his lips tilting upwards into a smile.

"I guess she figured you'd like it more if I was the one to come and wrangle your ass back inside."

He chuckled. "Well, she was right."

Coming to sit next to me, he pulled me into his side as I looked up at him. "So... what were you doing out here?"

"Just thinking," he replied, moving a piece of hair out of my face before elaborating. "I miss it here sometimes. When I lived here everything was just so simple. I grew up here. I wasn't some big Hollywood star that people wanted to get to know; I was just a scrawny kid that got teased because he liked drama and science and wasn't the best at sports."

"You liked science?" I asked curiously, having not known that about him.

"Yeah." He nodded. "Before I got into drama I used to be the kid that built wooden planes from those model kits and tried to do science experiments with some of my mom's fancy shampoo." I smiled at his confession. "I started to pursue acting as soon as high school was over, and went threw a lot of rejections before I booked my first role. I had one line as an extra of a movie, but I just remember being the happiest I'd ever been when I got that call. My parents were so happy for me." He shook his head, a small smile gracing his lips. "They've always been there to support me."

"And they always will be."

"Yeah," he trailed off, his gaze slipping to the vast backyard before coming back to me. "I just wish there were more days like this, you know?"

I smiled, nodding before leaning up slightly to press my lips lightly against his. "I do," I said softly, my voice just above a whisper as I pulled back.

Neither of us spoke for the next few minutes, reveling in the silence until I saw him reach his hand into his pants pocket, pulling out a small wrapped box. Holding it out to me, a nervous smile on his lips, he nodded down to it. "For you."

Biting my lip, I pulled the wrapping paper from the box, unveiling a velvet box that held two small emerald earrings. They matched perfectly with the necklace he'd bought me for my birthday. "These are beautiful," I stated with awe, running my thumb over them as they sparkled in the moonlight.

"Which is why I thought they were perfect for you."

My heart had flipped and turned many times before, but what I felt then was completely different. It was as if something had lit a fire in my stomach, the sparks igniting large enough to scorch my heart. It was an overwhelming wave of passion that I'd never experienced before, and although the feeling was foreign, it wasn't utterly unwelcome.

"I, umm, I'll be right back," I sputtered out, kissing his cheek quickly before heading back inside. It wasn't that I didn't know what to say, although that may have been a contributing factor, but now, as I gripped the earrings in my hand, I didn't know how Ryan would feel about my gift. It certainly wasn't as extravagant as emerald earrings, but hopefully, he'd at least appreciate the thought I'd put into it.

Slipping back into the living room, I tried to bypass the curious eyes of his family and Abbie as I snatched up the two boxes remaining in the bag I'd brought, being as quiet as I could. Despite my best efforts, I was certain that all eyes were on my back as I headed back out the way I'd come.

"Sorry about that," I said nervously, stepping out onto the back porch once again. Settling myself next to Ryan once again, I handed him the smaller of the two boxes first. "Here," I started, continuing to ramble nervously as he unwrapped it. "It's not much but I thought you could use a new pair, and I thought it'd be kind of a joke, with you always wearing them when we go out..."

I stopped as Ryan finished unwrapping the pair of sunglasses I'd bought him, trying to gage his reaction. "Do you like them?"

A chuckle escaped him as he pulled the glasses from their sleeve, slipping them on. "Do I look like a movie star yet?"

I let out an airy laugh as I realized he wasn't making fun of them, seemingly understanding the slight joke to the gift. "Totally," I grinned, passing him the remaining box that lay in my lap. "Now this is your main gift," I said, waiting anxiously for him to take it, "And you can tell me if you don't like them."

Ryan ripped open the wrapping paper, flipping open the flaps of the cardboard box that it covered to reveal two patterned dress shirts. I'd noticed, over the past few months that he'd been in my life, that although he dressed up quite frequently for interviews and press junkets, I'd never seen him wear more than plain, old dress shirts. I'd bought him one with small polka dots and one that was a red and navy floral print, but still, as I watched him take them out of the box, I wasn't quite sure if he'd like them.

He turned, raising an eyebrow at me. "I love them," he grinned, pulling me into a hug. Pushing any thoughts of rejection out of my mind, I broke out in a smile as I laid my head against his chest. "I'll be sure to wear one next time I have an interview."

"You really don't have to do that."

"But I want to," he counteracted swiftly, kissing the tip of my nose. "Now, why don't we get back to the living room? They're probably wondering what's taking us so long."

I nodded, waiting as Ryan packed his presents back into their boxes before intertwining my fingers with his as we headed back indoors. Entering the living room, we dropped our gifts back into the bag I'd brought before relaxing into one of the empty couches. Abbie was sitting in between Ryan's mom and dad, her eyes trained on the television as Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer played.

"Where'd Dean go?" Ryan asked, looking to his parents as he noticed his little brother's sudden absence. They simply shrugged, not replying, although the amusement that shone in their eyes as they glanced towards us was enough to put me on edge. Ryan must've caught it to, as his eyes narrowed, staring at them accusingly. "What?"

A split second passed before Dean appeared behind our couch, popping out of nowhere to surprise both his brother and I. As I jumped however, my eyes caught onto the small green plant that he held in his hand, swinging it just above Ryan's head and mine.

Mistletoe.

Ryan brought his arm out to slap his brother's chest, one of the only places reachable from his current position on the couch. "You little brat," he laughed, not seeming that bothered by his brother's antics.

Dean shrugged, a smug grin on his face. "It's tradition."

My cheeks were already ablaze with heat as Ryan's eyes met mine, and it didn't even feel like a second had passed before his lips were on mine. It a sweet and innocent kiss, our lips slotted together perfectly as one of his hands cupped my chin, the other threading around my waist to pull me impossibly close.

I was almost positive that, somewhere in the distance, one of his family members had managed to catch a photo of the two of us, and even though I should've been embarrassed, I wasn't.

I guess that's what Christmas was really about; letting all your worries go as you spend time with the ones you love, no matter how chaotic it may be. And as I pulled back, resting my head comfortably in the crook of Ryan's neck, I didn't think there was a way to make this day any better.

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I realize Christmas was over a week ago, but better later than never right! I hope you guys all enjoyed this chapter. I've also decided to take a stab at the weekly uploads again seeing as I'm starting my work term tomorrow (no school for four months baby!) and will hopefully have more free time to write. I'm aiming to upload on Sundays, so let's see if it sticks.

Please remember to vote and leave a comment below, as even though it may not seem like it, they do essentially encourage me to continue writing, especially at times when the dreaded writer's block hits. Thank you all for your continuous support xx