My mother’s distant cousin lived in New York and encouraged my family to visit. They did and ended up staying. America was vastly different than Great Victoria. What was seen as a scandal and snubbed there was greedily welcomed in the U.S. They loved the seedy rumors and drama surrounding my family. My going from almost a princess to the salacious video and decline made them practically famous there. They were suddenly the toast of New York, not an embarrassment, because any publicity in America was seen as a good thing, especially if it was scandalous.
They finally seemed happy, making friends and always going off to social gatherings. Then Uncle Fredrick died, which sent Aunt Lauren into a tailspin. Now she was suddenly gallivanting off to Thailand and taking yoga classes in Nepal, turning her back on her social clique and instead going to Cambodia for Christmas with a spiritual guide.
While everyone thought she lost her mind, I was the only one who thought she might actually be trying to find herself again. The person she lost when she chose to stay with Fredrick, turning her back on her heart.
I almost made the same mistake.
Making a detour to Ebele’s pen on my way to the shower, her trunk lifted in greeting as she ran in circles, chirping excitedly at seeing me, I realized I would have lost more than my heart.
I would have lost my soul.
“This is beautiful, Ava.” I circled the main dining room, the place decorated with lights, homemade ornaments, and cut out streamers the kids in the village created themselves. The tree glistened from the corner, packages sitting underneath, waiting to be opened. But hardly anything under them was bought from a store. Homemade or done by the local women in the village, presents were special here. It was not about the pile or how many you got. It was all about the sentiment inside.
Christmas music blared from speakers, which we’d be singing throughout the night, enjoying each other’s company. This was home for everyone who worked at the animal sanctuary. We were a family. I couldn’t imagine being anywhere else than with these people I had grown to love so much over the last year. I called my parents earlier, speaking to them and Olivia, getting them to promise to come here next year.
Feeding and checking up on all our orphans and hurt animals, the day had sped by, and now I had come in to help Ava and the others set up.
Ava was like our house mom. Married to Zuri, she was the cook and was the happiest, most joyous person I had ever met. The woman was like a living Santa Claus, her aura so pure, you wanted to hug her all the time, hoping that pureness would rub off on you. Every day and every minute, she always spoke about how much she had to be grateful for. People here had so much less, and they were ten times happier and more appreciative of what they did have.
“Thank you.” She smiled, and even under her dark skin, you could see the blush of my compliment curling up into her eyes. She motioned me over. “Come. Come. Try my holiday punch.”
“Uh-oh. I heard about this stuff. Dangerous.” I took the cup from her, the smell of alcohol already burning my nose. Lennox and I didn’t get to spend the holiday here last year, meeting Arthur and Mary in Spain instead. But I had heard all about it, making me wish we had.
Tipping it back, it tasted sweet and strong, my eyes watering as I hit my chest. “Wow. That’s good,” I rasped out.
“Think you’ll need it. Calm your nerves.” Ava refilled my cup.
“Calm my nerves?” I replied, waving as Amelia, Dr. Mekena, Noah, and a group of other caregivers and guards strolled into the large open room.
Ava winked, walking away.
“Okay.” I took another sip, turning to my friends. “Mel.” I hugged Amelia, already feeling warm from the potent punch. “You have to try this.”
“Oh, god…that stuff had me dancing on top of the piano last year.” She brushed back her blonde hair, taking a full cup off the table, her sweet round face pink from being outside…or it was from the tall, strapping Australian watching her from the other side of the room? “Think I even wore my skirt on my head as I sang YMCA.”
“I bet you’ll be wearing your skirt on your head again, but for completely different reasons.” I nudged her playfully, her gaze following mine across the room. Her cheeks flushed red, her head jerking back like she had been caught red-handed. “We’re just friends. He doesn’t like me like that.”
“Don’t think he’d agree. We’ll see by tomorrow. Christmas always has a way of bringing out the truth.”
She peered at me, understanding my meaning. She knew about my history and who I was. Most here did, but no one cared, which made me love all these people so much more.
“Take it from me. Don’t push away what you want because you’re scared. It has a way of still finding a way back and blowing up in your face.”
She rubbed my arm, empathy oozing from her. “But look what you have now. And you and Lennox…we all know how amazing you two are together because we hear it at least two or more times a day.” She bumped my arm back.
A blush heated my face; still, I couldn’t let go of the odd moment with him earlier. “It took a lot of heartache and pain, but yeah, I wouldn’t give any of it up, because it brought me here. I love everything about my life now.”
“Speaking of your sexy man…” She tipped her head to the doorway, Lennox strolling through dressed in grey cargo pants and a black shirt, his hungry gaze landing on me from across the room, robbing the air from my lungs, forcing me to squeeze my legs together.
“Fuck that man makes my panties drop.” Amelia shook her head, laughing.
I handed her my drink as I made my way across the room. The moment his boots hit mine, his mouth consumed me with a rumble in his throat.
“You have someone with you, right?” I mumbled against his lips, peering over his shoulder.
“Well…”
“What do you mean? He came, right? Did he not make it?” Words tumbled out, a rush of tears choking my throat. I hadn’t seen Landen in two years. They all convinced me not to come home for Fredrick’s funeral, as Aunt Lauren decided to have his ashes sprinkled back at the Manor. She and Landen did it privately.
“Spence…”
“No. He needs to be here… What happened?”
“Silence, my kinfolk! This is tradition!” A booming voice pushed through the door, his arms open wide, his face set in an expression I knew too well. Glee jumped up my throat like an excited child, happy tears replacing the sad ones. “Dying in your beds many years from now…”
“Oh, god.” My hand went to my mouth, trying to keep in the rush of emotions coming over me as he started the famous movie quote he did every Christmas. Our tradition.
“Would you be willing to trade all the days from this day to that for one chance… Just one chance…” He held up his finger, stepping deeper into the room, the performer in him lapping up the new crowd taking him in. He was such a ham.
“To come back here and tell our enemies that they may take our lives, but they’ll never take …” He paused dramatically, the room silent, all eyes on him, waiting.
“Our freedom,” he bellowed out, tipping his head back dramatically.
Instantly the room broke into cheers and clapping as I ran to Landen, his arms wrapping around me in the best hug.