"Let me ask what everyone is anticipating first. When is the wedding?" The Reporter asked amidst the cheerful crowd gathered for the movie premiere. 

Marybelle wasn't surprised by the personal question. She was used to it in her ten years of an acting career. Tonight She waited for her Co-Star Luke to answer instead because he had been the one who encouraged their dating rumors for movie promotion in the first place.        

"You will be the first to know when the Lady of my heart says yes, " Luke spoke up, which garnered more enthusiastic cheers from the crowd as he cleverly added the movie title to his answer. 

Marybelle was relieved when the movie premiere ended on time as scheduled. Today marks the official end of her promotion campaign, and she gets her well-deserved break after the hectic last three months. 

Usually, she would take a nice long vacation abroad for privacy. This year will be different. Because she was no longer alone to travel on her whim as she got two people at home dependent on her.

Marybelle didn't grow up in an affectionate family. Her mother's career took precedence over her only daughter. Meanwhile, Her father's real family took precedence over his illegitimate daughter, the secret child of an affair. 

It wasn't like her to think about her parents often. But the past few months, they were always on her mind. Because one drunk driver was all it took for Marybelle to become the guardian for two kids and thrust into the role of a parent. She was the Half-Aunt. The kids' mother was her half-sibling, a sibling she never met in person when she was alive.

Two months ago, she got a call from her mother about her father's death along with his wife, daughter, and son-in-law. Marybelle had no idea what would have happened if she didn't attend the funeral that day. She was all set to pay her respects and leave before anyone could recognize her.

But when her five-year-old niece rushed to cling on to her calling her mommy. Her father's well-kept secret was no longer a secret. 

Her presence at the funeral and her similarity with her half-sister was enough to get the rumors to start. Even then, she was surprised when she got approached by her father's family lawyer in regards to her taking custody of the kids. 

Marybelle had expected there would be someone closer to her nieces than her. But the lawyers assured her that she was the only one close enough to be called family. After living most of her life feeling unwanted, she didn't have it in her to do the same for her nieces. 

When she stepped inside the house close to midnight, she expected her nieces to be asleep. She was looking forward to crashing onto her bed until she found Lucy in the living room crying. 

Marybelle's heart broke to see her niece in pain. When Lucy noticed her, she ran to hug her and cry harder than before. Amidst the tears, Marybelle learned the reason behind it. 

Little Lucy snuck out of her room to see her Christmas presents early. Usually, it would be under the Christmas tree and when she found it empty. She assumed Santa didn't know her address because she was living somewhere else. Hence the tears. 

After reassuring Lucy that Santa might be delayed because her new house is farther away from his house. Marybelle convinced Lucy to go back to sleep and left her comfortable bed unslept as she went out to buy those gifts. 

Marybelle might have never really gotten to celebrate Christmas before, but she realized she needed to step up for her nieces because she was the only family they got left. 

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"Wake up Sophie, it is time to open our presents." her sister's voice got Sophie awake, and for a brief moment seeing Lucy's happy smile made her excited too until the reality crashed upon her. 

Sophie had been 7 when she realized Santa was not real, as she stumbled upon her grandmother leaving behind her present under the tree when she was hiding in wait to see Santa. 

Last year Sophie got her turn to sneak in as well. It was the first time she brought presents for Christmas for her family. After finding a part-time job a few months back. She saved all of them for the presents. The look of surprise on her parent's faces at their gifts and how proudly her mother wore the scarf she got her every day made Sophie so happy. 

The realization Lucy would never get to feel that happiness stuck her hard at first. Sophie was ten years older than Lucy. She was the accidental happiness in her parents' life. They were young when Sophie was born, but it ensured she had more years with them than Lucy. 

As Lucy dragged Sophie to the living room, Sophie was trying to come up with reasons to explain the lack of presents. She was surprised to see the presents that almost covered the entire space under the tree. 

Before Sophie could stop her, Lucy was opening them up. Sophie feared those gifts were maybe not meant for them but their Aunt instead. She was worried their Aunt would be displeased to find Lucy opening them instead. 

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Marybelle woke up at the sound of laughter. She walked towards the sound and found Lucy opening her presents with wild abandon. It made her happy. But when her eldest niece looked at her with apprehension as if Marybelle would scold her sister, she realized that the eldest one was still cautious with her. 

Marybelle understood the weariness in Sophie, and it didn't help that she was so busy with the movie that she never really had a chance to reassure her nieces about their welcome in her house. 

Marybelle hired a babysitter for Lucy and Sophie. She has a housekeeper who helps with the food, cleaning, and laundry. And she got a joint account with Sophie in case of emergencies, but she never got to spend any real time with them until now. 

While Lucy was quick to accept Marybelle as family, Sophie had been distant in their few interactions. It was maybe the reason she was surprised when Sophie started the conversation. 

"Thank you for the presents," Sophie spoke up. "Aunt Mary, You were right. Santa didn't forget my new home" Lucy joined in the conversation. It must not be much, but Marybelle liked bringing that happiness to her nieces. 

"So what do you want for breakfast?. I am going to order, " Marybelle asked her nieces once they finished opening the presents. She had given break to her housekeeper for the holidays and would have sustained herself with protein shakes, but she knew that wasn't the food to give for her nieces on Christmas. 

She had expected a list of favorite foods from Lucy. Instead, the little one broke into tears. 

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Sophie held her crying sister and looked at their guardian in worry. She didn't want her aunt to think of them as troublesome, but in this case, she couldn't prevent Lucy from acting out either. 

Ever since Sophie was a little girl, cooking with her mom and grandmom during festivals was the most memorable moment of her life. When she was young, she would only do simple tasks. But when she got older, she joined in for more of the heavier tasks. 

Last year was the first time Lucy was part of it. Usually, she would be too busy with her presents that cooking never appealed to her. But last year, she joined them in mixing the batter for Pancake and insisted she would be the one to do it all.

"Next year, you can pour them on the pan, " her grandmother had promised Lucy. The mention of breakfast made her remember the promise, and the result was the outburst. 

Sophie had been dealing with those little moments on her own when Lucy remembers her parents and starts to cry. But it never happened before their guardian until now.  

As she explained the reason for her sister's tears to her aunt, she feared that she may be angry with them or maybe not understand that a five-year-old processes grief in a different way.

Sophie's fears were unfound when her aunt picked her sister up and walked to the kitchen so they can make some pancakes. 

The first batch of Pancake batter turned soggy because her aunt added twice the amount of water, the second batch of Pancake got burnt on one side. Sophie had to step in at that point because otherwise, they would have no Pancakes till lunch. 

It was a new experience for Sophie to be the one leading the cooking expedition. It was also a different experience to celebrate Christmas without her parents, while she missed them so very much. She found the day filled with new memories that made her feel like she belonged here as well. 

The continued patience of her aunt towards her sister over the day eased her fears of being a burden. The sound of laughter over the burnt pancakes made her realize it was okay to make mistakes in her new house. Until then, she didn't realize, that she had been walking on eggshells. Sophie let her guard down enough that day to see she could be herself as well. 

When Sophie helped Lucy pour the batter onto the pan, she realized that losing her family doesn't mean Lucy will miss out on everything. Because Sophie had those memories of her family to pass it down to Lucy as they grew up together. 

When they sat together to eat. Sophie felt like she could get used to it as well. And when her aunt asked what they wanted to do next, Sophie found the courage to speak up making her aunt laugh. 

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Marybelle had to carry sleeping Lucy back home. The day had exhausted the little one. She was tired too, but she never had this much fun on Christmas. It was all made possible because of her nieces.

Last Christmas Marybelle had attended her mother's lavish Christmas party and had to leave early because her mom was envious of the attention she received over her. Marybelle took the hint from her mother's comments and left early.  

This year, what she had hoped would be something to make her nieces happy resulted in her having a pleasant day. When Sophie asked to see her newly released movie, she liked sharing that part of her life with her nieces. 

Her mother said she never had time to waste on movies. Her father would have purposely avoided it so as not to offend his real family. She had never known that her sister used to watch her movies until Sophie confided in her earlier when they were at the theatre. 

"Mom thought it was a happy coincidence that you looked like her and would always watch your movie claiming she could have been an actress just like you to tease our dad and dad would say, she was much prettier in his eyes than you, and it would make her smile. 

I think if mom knew about you, she would have wanted to get to know you. While she might have resented Grandpa, I think she would have loved having a sister," Sophie spoke up giving Marybelle a glimpse of her sister that she had never known before now. 

Just 24 hours with her nieces trying to make them happy resulted in her having a pleasant day of her own. Marybelle might be 34 years old but today felt as if it was her first Christmas because she realized everything becomes more special with family.

The End

P.S: "Let me know your thoughts and Feedback. Hit the Votes if you liked it " 
J

uanita Reid