2012

CHRISTMAS LIGHTS AND GINGERBREAD CANDLES. That is how the Schumacher household could be seen, and all of this had been thanks to the eldest, Julie Schumacher, the one that is most in love with the Christmas Holiday.

Julie had helped set everything on the living room and kitchen with Christmas decorations since the start of November, she had hid the Christmas presents from her daughter since October and Julie had already planned the different food menus she wanted to make. And no one inside the Schumacher residence was going to tell her to stop or ask her to start the decorations a little bit later into the month, they weren't going to shut down the beautiful joy she was sharing everywhere.

"Where are they? They should be here with the Christmas tree already." Julie paced from one side of the room to another, her eyes kept on checking the living room window.

"Oh honey, they have to be careful with the tree, it's icy cold tonight, your father needs to drive slowly, we don't want an accident to happen," her mother spoke up. "beside, before they went to pick up the tree, Michael mentioned he was going to bring Sebastian to the dinner."

"Why? I thought Christopher was the only one to join us for dinner." Julie stopped pacing around and turned to questioned her mother, the appearance of her boyfriend had been accepted years back, and the dinner had been planned for the Schumachers and Christopher, not an extra mouth.

"Sweetheart, he's good friends with your dad and he's kind of like his apprentice during races, so Sebastian was invited, be nice, okay?" Julie let out a soft huff, she didn't like Sebastian, he had been the teenager who kept on playing pranks on her whenever she was joining her dad during race weekends, or the guy who shamelessly kept on flirting with her, even though she had stated in many ways and in different occasions that she wasn't interested in a playboy.

"Fine, but if he ruins Christmas, he isn't invited anymore, and if he is, then I won't be coming here." Julie said and returned to pace the room.

"Mommy, cookies." The two year old Lilianne ran over to her mother, her wide eyes and bright smile made the blonde's heart warm, Julie picked up the child and tickled her stomach.

"Let's go get the cookies for your papa and nana." Julie placed her daughter down and watched the little one rush towards the kitchen. "Be careful Lilianne." The house suddenly was echoed with giggles and Christmas songs from the women inside the home, it took about another hour or so for the Schumacher's to arrive with their extra invited.

"Honey we are home." Michael shouted out as he opened the entrance door, chuckling at his words. Greeted by his wife, youngest daughter and granddaughter. "It smells amazing in here."

Julie rushed out the kitchen and greeted her father and young sibling, her smile only grew wider at the sight of her boyfriend Christopher, wrapping her arms around his neck to kiss him passionately.

"Oi you two, get a room someplace else." The familiar German accent made the blonde roll her eyes and pull away from her partner. "I need your man and father to get the tree off the car, where do you want the monstrosity of pine?"

"Hey it's not a monstrosity, it's a tree." Julie stated annoyed already by his wittiness.

"Oh babe, he's just joking, it's huge that's all, I don't even know if it will fit in here." Christopher scratched the back of his head sighed. "I don't understand why you choose the craziest pine trees but okay." Without any other words Christopher followed behind Sebastian and Michael.

"Oh I can't believe it, we have the tree already." Julie clasped the door handle and closed her eyes, she turned her heel when she heard her child scream with joy from the bedroom upstairs. "Oh no, the Christmas gifts." Julie said to herself, she had taken them out from hiding and settle them in bed to organize. Silly, silly mistake. "Let those boxes alone Lily, come down." She rushed up the stairs, all she could hear was her daughter ripping open the perfectly wrapped gifts, Julie knew she had to make a good excuse just in case her daughter asked something about it.

"Oh sweetie, it's not Christmas yet to open them."

"Mine, mine, mine." That's all little Lily could say, she giggled and grabbed on another Christmas present. "Mommy, mine."

"Yes sweetie, but why don't you wait until we eat so your nana and papa can see you open your gifts. Come on down please." She begged her daughter a few times, the child only answered with denial and grabbing the already open boxes and toys.

The toddler kept on denying the suggestions from her mother and what turned into giggled became a crying banter, the frustration started on the older woman, her hands meeting her face a few times as she tried her best to calm herself down.

"Come on Lilianne, you'll play with everything but come down stairs with me." Julie didn't want to just grab her child and get her down herself, she knew that if she did, the crying would turn into screams and hits and Julie wasn't a woman to resource to a slap or a hit on her daughter, she didn't want to create violence on her child. "If you come downstairs I'll give you cookies before dinner, please just–"

A loud exploding sound interrupted the mother and daughter, a firework had gone off, it was too early for this, then huge screams of put it off followed along, Julie rushed to the closest window in her room, a bright orange light greeted her.

"Oh no, no no." Grabbing her kid Julie rushed down the stairs, her mother met her at the entrance. "What happened? What's burning?"

"Oh sweetie it was an accident." Her mother said and stood in front of her moving to each side as Julie tried to walk past her.

"What's burning mom?" She asked again and this time she handed her daughter to her mother's arms pushing the older woman gently out of her way, her blue eyes noticing the burning imagery, she could feel her heart sink to her stomach, there was too much shock hitting her quickly.

The beautiful three feet tall pine tree was burning down, the strong scent hitting her nostrils, she could hear her family members screaming to get her out of here, or asking for more water to stop the fire to continue spreading. What followed along was just as terrifying, the screeching sound that came out of her mouth turned everyone into a halt and look at the woman.

Julie fell to her knees, the tears that streamed down her face, the cries and screams that echoed around them, she pushed her sibling's arms away from her, Mick was hoping to get her off the ground and inside their home, but Julie didn't want to move, her eyes couldn't understand how did happened, why did it even happen.

"Sweetheart, please stand up, you got to stand up." Christopher rushed to her side, his arms wrapped around the shoulders of his girlfriend, the woman who kept on doing her best and push him off of her. "Hey, hey, it was an accident, we will get you another one and better."

"No, no, I chose this one for us, this can't–" Julie stopped talking when the quivering voice cracked. Her eyes didn't stop the train wreck tears, it took a while until the fire department arrived but it was useless, the moment the sirens could be heard the only trace left of the tree were the ashes.

Everything rang in Julie's ears, she had seen it only happen in movies but this moment it seemed like it had occurred to her that exact thing, the muffled voices of her father and brother, Christopher consoling her, her blue eyes looked at every person around her, her eyes falling on the one person she had tried her best to ignore, his hands gripped tightly onto something, the sadness turned into anger, she recognized the item Sebastian was holding, a small orange lighter, a gift she had given his father a few Christmas' back. Julie stood up pushing Christopher to the side, her walk was confident and her strides were long, just enough to reach him quickly.

"What's that? Why are you holding the lighter?" Julie pushed Sebastian's chest to get his attention. "You made this mess didn't you?"

"Julie it was an accident, hey." Christopher called out behind her, but the blonde ignored him completely.

"Answer me, what happened?" Julie pushed him again, Sebastian's eyes stayed on her expression, his jaw clenched but it wasn't of anger, his eyes weren't mad or any negative emotion, but instead they showed sadness.

Sebastian briefly looked behind Julie, Christopher probably, then he glanced back down at Julie just for a second or two before looking away. "I didn't mean to, your father gave me the lighter for one of the fireworks, but I was just goofing around with it, I put it too close to one of them and well, it blew directly towards the tree, I didn't mean to Julie really, I" a hard slap interrupted the driver from continuing his apology.

"Julie Schumacher, what in the world." Her father spoke angrily, he walked towards the male. "You apologize this moment."

"No, he ruined my, our, Christmas tree, this is something I will never forgive you for, and I won't apologize for your stupidity Sebastian." Julie pushed him back, the tears beginning to form again behind her eyes, turning her heel and ignoring every word from her family members the blonde rushed towards the inside of her home and to her bedroom.

Her parents, daughter and even boyfriend tried their best to console the injured woman, but her heart had been broken, and the holiday she loves had been ruined. Julie hated Sebastian Vettel, he ruined her day. Who would've known that this day in this year would be the last Christmas for the Schumacher's to enjoy as a family?