Sequel: Picking Up the Pieces ›
Bringing the Devil Out of Me
Twenty Nine
"Hey there! Merry Christmas!" Sidney said, hugging me tightly.
"Merry Christmas!" I smiled, kissing him on the cheek.
"Joyeux Noel!" Marc cried, carrying the bags of gifts we had brought into the house. Sidney had wound garlands around the railings of the foyer steps, and a large wreath hung from his front door. I looked to my left and the dining room was decorated beautifully. The large dining room table was topped with a crimson table cloth, white porcelain dishes, and a large cream colored pillar candle with a small wreath around the bottom of it.
"Merci beaucoup mon petit chou chou!" Sidney cried, flinging his arms around Marc and kissing both his cheeks.
Once everyone arrived and settled down, Sidney had us all sit in the dining room.
"I'll help you in the kitchen," I said, walking towards the kitchen, but Sidney ushered me back to my seat.
"Geno's helping me. Just relax and talk to everyone," he said before disappearing into the kitchen.
"So that's where Geno went, huh?" Max chuckled.
"You know those two and their cooking!" Kris said.
My jaw dropped when Sidney and Evgeni brought in the food. Every dish looked and smelled perfect. The turkey was just gold enough, the potatoes were fluffy and white, and everything else just made my mouth water.
"Holy crap guys, you can cook!" I laughed.
"I'm full of surprises," Sidney smirked.
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"So you're staying here tonight, huh?" Annabeth asked as she scrubbed a dish.
"Yeah. What, did Sid tell you?" I asked, drying the dishes she piled next to the sink.
"No, but he told Max. Apparently he's got a surprise or two for you," she smiled.
"Are you and Max getting along well?" I asked, placing the dry dishes in the cabinet.
"He's great...absolutely great. I mean, we always got along well, even before all of this happened, but now he treats me like a goddess. He puts his all into making our relationship work, and I do the same. I've never been happier," she smiled. She was such a lighthearted young woman, mature for her age...I was only 5 years older than her, but in some ways I felt that she was the older one.
"That's great! Sidney said you're doing really well in school too, so you must feel great," I smiled.
"Yeah, I do feel great. I haven't gotten any of the normal pregnant problems either, so I'm on top of the world," she gushed. I glanced at her stomach, which was just starting to show a bump.
"They get along really well," Max smiled, leaning against the wall. We couldn't hear much other than the clatter of dishes and the occasional twinkle of laughter, but the smiles on Alice and Annabeth's faces conveyed enough. The others were sitting in the living room talking, laughing, and just having a good time. Marc was stoking the fire. This is a picture perfect Christmas. I turned to Max again, who was now staring at Annabeth. There was such a look of love on his face that I had to do a double take.
"We sure as hell did all of this backwards Sid," Max muttered.
"What do you mean?" I asked him, raising my eyebrows.
"Well...we got pregnant, and then realized that we loved each other. Why do you think I fought so hard the day you found out? I'd honestly kill anyone who tried to separate us..." Max said. I smiled and put my hand on his shoulder.
"Just treat her right...I forgive you for what happened before, but if you hurt her now...well things will happen," I said.
"I definitely will...so what about Alice? I mean, you say you love her...but do you mean it?" He asked. I felt some color creep into my cheeks as I nodded.
"More than anything...I'm going to marry her if she'll have me. I mean, not now, but someday," I said.
"Good. You two are so good for each other. I'd stretch and say perfect, but no couple is perfect. She definitely has made you more relaxed, especially in public," Max said before sneaking off into the kitchen. He wrapped his arms around Annabeth, who was just starting to show, and kissed her on the cheek. They're perfect...aren't they?
"Merry Christmas!" I smiled, kissing him on the cheek.
"Joyeux Noel!" Marc cried, carrying the bags of gifts we had brought into the house. Sidney had wound garlands around the railings of the foyer steps, and a large wreath hung from his front door. I looked to my left and the dining room was decorated beautifully. The large dining room table was topped with a crimson table cloth, white porcelain dishes, and a large cream colored pillar candle with a small wreath around the bottom of it.
"Merci beaucoup mon petit chou chou!" Sidney cried, flinging his arms around Marc and kissing both his cheeks.
Once everyone arrived and settled down, Sidney had us all sit in the dining room.
"I'll help you in the kitchen," I said, walking towards the kitchen, but Sidney ushered me back to my seat.
"Geno's helping me. Just relax and talk to everyone," he said before disappearing into the kitchen.
"So that's where Geno went, huh?" Max chuckled.
"You know those two and their cooking!" Kris said.
My jaw dropped when Sidney and Evgeni brought in the food. Every dish looked and smelled perfect. The turkey was just gold enough, the potatoes were fluffy and white, and everything else just made my mouth water.
"Holy crap guys, you can cook!" I laughed.
"I'm full of surprises," Sidney smirked.
___________________________________________________________________________________
"So you're staying here tonight, huh?" Annabeth asked as she scrubbed a dish.
"Yeah. What, did Sid tell you?" I asked, drying the dishes she piled next to the sink.
"No, but he told Max. Apparently he's got a surprise or two for you," she smiled.
"Are you and Max getting along well?" I asked, placing the dry dishes in the cabinet.
"He's great...absolutely great. I mean, we always got along well, even before all of this happened, but now he treats me like a goddess. He puts his all into making our relationship work, and I do the same. I've never been happier," she smiled. She was such a lighthearted young woman, mature for her age...I was only 5 years older than her, but in some ways I felt that she was the older one.
"That's great! Sidney said you're doing really well in school too, so you must feel great," I smiled.
"Yeah, I do feel great. I haven't gotten any of the normal pregnant problems either, so I'm on top of the world," she gushed. I glanced at her stomach, which was just starting to show a bump.
"They get along really well," Max smiled, leaning against the wall. We couldn't hear much other than the clatter of dishes and the occasional twinkle of laughter, but the smiles on Alice and Annabeth's faces conveyed enough. The others were sitting in the living room talking, laughing, and just having a good time. Marc was stoking the fire. This is a picture perfect Christmas. I turned to Max again, who was now staring at Annabeth. There was such a look of love on his face that I had to do a double take.
"We sure as hell did all of this backwards Sid," Max muttered.
"What do you mean?" I asked him, raising my eyebrows.
"Well...we got pregnant, and then realized that we loved each other. Why do you think I fought so hard the day you found out? I'd honestly kill anyone who tried to separate us..." Max said. I smiled and put my hand on his shoulder.
"Just treat her right...I forgive you for what happened before, but if you hurt her now...well things will happen," I said.
"I definitely will...so what about Alice? I mean, you say you love her...but do you mean it?" He asked. I felt some color creep into my cheeks as I nodded.
"More than anything...I'm going to marry her if she'll have me. I mean, not now, but someday," I said.
"Good. You two are so good for each other. I'd stretch and say perfect, but no couple is perfect. She definitely has made you more relaxed, especially in public," Max said before sneaking off into the kitchen. He wrapped his arms around Annabeth, who was just starting to show, and kissed her on the cheek. They're perfect...aren't they?