• Not actually a Christmas song, but it goes well with this chapter and it's a personal favorite, so press that play button •

"Come on, you deserve a night out," Hazel looked at her sister as she piled dishes into the dishwasher. "Doesn't she? Tell her, Jim."

"As long as you don't run away with anyone else..." Jim walked into the kitchen with a sandwich in his hand, "Then indulge your sister and let me and the kids have an evening in," He agreed. "I promise I won't teach them anymore curse words."

Giving him a deadpan glare, Camille then sighed and wiped her hands in a dish towel. "I don't know..."

"If you're about to launch into the whole 'I'm too old' spiel, I swear I will pour tequila down your throat till you forget your own age," Hazel harshly stated with a firm glare.

"I'm not, but Ashley has preschool early tomorrow, and—"

"And Jim will be happy to get her up and ready, won't he?" Hazel sent him a stare that made it clear it wasn't a suggestion.

"Of course," He prompted. "Just go out and have fun. Get dolled up and have a warm toddy somewhere. Then come back to bed with me and—"

"So it's settled!" Hazel quickly broke him off, getting up from the kitchen chair. She marched up to her sister, grabbed her arm and pulled her along. "We won't stay out late, just a couple of drinks, a few shakes on the dance floor, then home to make another baby with your husband."

"I'm still breastfeeding," She glared. "It'll be club sodas for me, thank you."

"Designated driver then, now scoot! Move your ass up into the shower, and Jim, don't you dare follow her."

He held his hands up.

Hazel then snapped her fingers, slapped her sister's ass to get her moving and escorted her out of the kitchen. She groaned, but Hazel caught the smile she was trying to suppress. She secretly knew she could use a break. "We're going to have so much fun tonight, I promise."

~~~

Hazel wasn't into the whole wild nightlife and she never would be. What she did like, however, was going out and grabbing a drink with her sister, letting a little loose and sharing some hot gossip with her best friend in the whole white world.

Growing up, they had been inseparable. Camille had gotten all the luck in love while Hazel and been more into skating rather than dating. After Camille got married, their nights out had been reduced to once a month, and after the kids came along, once every sixth month if they were lucky. She knew kids were time consuming, but she missed her sister. Tonight they were going to catch up on everything they had missed.

Their usual bar was a cozy little pub with twinkly lights, a little dance floor and Christmassy tunes once the season rolled around. Tonight they had a special two-for-one offer on the Christmas brews, so ordering two, one non-alcoholic, they sat down at the bar.

Hazel had worn her little red Christmassy dress and paired it with her long black boots to keep warm. She had talked Camille into wearing a dark-purple, knitted dress with a tight neck and long sleeves; Both dressed up, but not too fancy. Just how they liked it.

"So what's up?" Camille asked her after clinking their beers together and taking their first sips. "Something's up, I can tell. Why else did we just have to go out tonight?"

"Maybe because it's been forever?"

"Hazel."

She sighed. Camille could always see straight through her. "Alright, fine. I'm... I'm kinda having some doubts."

Her sister's face changed, just as Hazel's voice did, too. She knew what was coming. "You promised you'd try this year."

"I know, I know, but I just keep thinking what'll happen if—"

"No what ifs! I want the whole family gathered this year!" Camille told, pressing her lips tightly together. "It's Michael's first Christmas and I want his grandparents and aunt to be able to be in the same room together."

Hazel sighed. Three Christmases ago was when it happened. Hazel had walked in on her father having an affair. After the initial shock and shitload of yelling and arguing, she had told him to tell mom. When he had simply told her that wasn't going to happen, she had told him she would do it if he was too cowardice a man to do it. Mom didn't deserve that kind of back-stabbing and betrayal, so when her father had refused to confess, she had done it for him. She had sat their mom down and carefully broken the news the best she could.

But in a surprising turn of events, the justified anger she had expected didn't turn towards their father; It all landed on Hazel. Their mother got mad at her and had yelled at her, telling her to stay out of their business and mind her own.

Shocked and hurt, Hazel had left and later on found out her mother had known for quite a while. Years. She just never confronted their father. Now that the family secret was out and Hazel was the one who had popped it, every family gathering since had been awkward and uncomfortable. She could feel their stares, like she was the one who had messed up their already messed-up marriage. If they wanted that kind of marriage, they could, but holding resentment towards Hazel hardly seemed fair. She regretted ever getting involved and now had to endure every family gathering as the black sheep.

The idyllic illusion of her perfect family she once grew up with had been broken, and now all she was left with was pretense and blame for not just keeping her mouth shut; She never could.

"I'm just scared it'll be awkward or uncomfortable," She said, cupping her beer in both hands as Camille looked at her. "You know I'd love to be a part of Christmas, but I just think it'll turn out bad and end up ruining your holiday."

"Just try," Camille placed a hand on her arm. "Please? That's what Christmas is all about anyways, right? Sucking up all your problems for one night to pretend everything is perfectly fine."

Hazel groaned. That certainly wasn't the Christmas she remembered. Or was it? She didn't know anymore. Her whole childhood was a lie.

"I'll think about it." Was the best she could give.

They continued talking for hours. Hazel shared a few of her failed dates from the past couple of months while her sister complained about the trivial mom-things that bugged her everyday. Finally, once they had both vented enough, Hazel grabbed her sister's hand and dragged her to the dance floor.

"We're doing this," She told her with a grin as her sister groaned and begrudgingly let herself get pulled along. "Dance while your hips still work. Before you know it, Jim will have smashed them with all those babies he puts in there, and you'll miss the days you could just shake your ass without feeling a hairline fracture."

"You paint a picture with your words."

Despite that, Camille nevertheless gave up and started dancing as well, moving sillily on the floor with Hazel. The bar put on a good old Christmas classic, and just like when they were kids, they waltzed together on the floor. They laughed and blew off steam until the track ended and their lungs burned from all the laughing. People were staring at them, but every local knew the crazy Duane sisters; they knew once they got started, they couldn't be stopped.

"I need a breather," Camille heaved as they stumbled towards the bar, still laughing. "What are you doing to me?"

"It's called fun. Don't tell me you've already forgotten what that is after five years of marriage with Jim."

Camille shook her head, but then stopped, just as her phone rang. "Speak of the Devil."

"Devil, huh?"

"How'd you think we got two kids?" Her sister grinned while Hazel grimaced, but then answered her phone. "Hello? Hi, sweetheart. Yeah, we are. Oh? What? A rash? Where?"

Hazel watched as Camille frowned, biting her lip. She continued talking for a few minutes, but then finally sighed tiredly.

"Of course. No, it's fine. I want to—"

"What's going on?" Hazel asked.

Camille pulled the phone away from her mouth. "Michael has a rash on his stomach. Jim doesn't know what triggered it. I should go home and check on it."

"Alright." Hazel agreed. "We've partied enough anyway. It's almost..." She quickly checked her watch. "Gosh, it's one minute till midnight. We should head home."

"Are you sure? I'm really sorry, I know this was supposed to be—"

"Hey, don't be silly," Hazel smiled. "My little peanut can't be looking like a little strawberry on Christmas Eve. If he needs a salve, we can stop by the pharmacy on the way back."

Camille smiled, gratefully. "Thank you. I knew there was a reason I kept you as my sister."

Chuckling, someone suddenly moved up behind Hazel and poked her shoulder. "Excuse me?"

Hazel spun around on her feet, then dropped her mouth as her eyes pinned on two warm brown orbs. They glinted as he met hers. Santa.

"Maybe I can help," He offered, grinning slowly.

• • •

"... take your panties off."