Series: Like Us Series by Krista Ritchie
Total pages in book: 241
Estimated words: 236417 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1182(@200wpm)___ 946(@250wpm)___ 788(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 236417 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1182(@200wpm)___ 946(@250wpm)___ 788(@300wpm)
Charlie checks the time on his phone. “At what point are we calling it?”
“He said he’s coming,” Beckett says. “Just give him a second.”
“It’s been fifteen minutes. Send him an email.”
“Charlie,” Jane says, pausing her stuffing repair of Mr. Lion. “We’re waiting for Ben.”
Sulli says, “No one’s stopping you from fucking leaving, Charlie.”
He wears an irritated smile. “Tell me something that’s not obvious.”
“Whatever,” Sulli mumbles, probably not wanting to engage in a long dialogue with our cousin.
“I’ve found something,” Eliot says while I’ve been making moondust angels. The impulse was too strong to ignore.
I sit up, seeing him hold an old video camera. “There’s an SD card in here.”
“Let’s play it.” I spring to my feet, already spotting a thin-screen TV. Stored away and forgotten. “There might be cables around here.”
“Should we watch whatever that is?” Xander asks. “What if it’s porn?”
Charlie arches a brow. “We know what Xander is thinking about.”
Moffy shoots him a warning look, then tells Xander, “I doubt our parents would make a porn tape, Summers.”
“Not after what happened to our parents,” Jane says in agreement. “Our mom and dad were filmed without consent, so it’s unlikely any of them would take that risk.”
“Here’s an outlet.” Eliot finds cable cords, then helps me drag out the TV where Moffy is standing. Within a few minutes, we’ve hooked the camera to the television. “Lights, cameras, action.” Eliot presses play on the video camera, and the image is projected on the screen.
It worked!
20
LUNA HALE
I rush back to my seat on the floor, and Eliot leans on the armrest of the couch. Moffy ends up standing between Charlie and Jane as we all watch the grainy picture become clearer.
Jane squints. “That looks like the Hale’s living room.”
“It is,” Moffy breathes, and my lips part in surprise.
I recognize the staircase near the foyer. Garland is curled around the banister, and as the camera pans, I see velvet red stockings lining a fireplace mantel. Snow falls outside the window, and wrapped gifts lie beneath an eight-foot tree.
It’s Christmastime at my parents’ house.
I’ve never seen this particular home video. I don’t think any of us have. Maybe it was misplaced years ago when our parents upgraded their camera to a newer model.
“That’s Mom,” I say as the video zooms in on the tree. On the cream-colored rug, my mom is festive in a gray snowflake onesie, and she has a little baby nestled between her legs, helping tear the paper off a present.
“And Dad,” Xander breathes, and we all see Dad in red-and-green flannel pajama pants. He’s sitting right beside Mom. “They’re so young.”
“He’s my age,” Moffy says in realization. “Dad. He’s twenty-five there.”
“How do you know?” Sulli asks.
“Because that’s me.” He’s the baby trying to rip the present.
My heart swells and it just about bursts when we hear the person behind the camera narrate, “Moffy descends upon the box with a strong, baby grip and a devilish twinkle in his eye.”
“That’s my mom,” Sulli says, her voice cracking with emotion.
Aunt Daisy is recording Christmas morning, and as the camera pans, Uncle Ryke comes into view. He’s sprawled on the loveseat, his pajama bottoms matching my dad’s, and his bedhead hair is thick and messy. A Santa hat lies lazily on his chest.
And Aunt Rose is on the couch in a classy black pajama set with red ornament earrings. Uncle Connor has his arm around her shoulders, and he’s the only Scrooge, dressed in gray cotton pants.
Some things never change, since I’ve never seen Uncle Connor be festive. His cardboard variant is usually decorated with more Christmas cheer.
On Aunt Rose’s lap is a wee little baby.
Jane.
“That’s you, sis,” Beckett says with a smile.
She smiles over at him, but her eyes are welling with tears. “Oui.” She brushes a finger beneath her watery eye, then says, “Mom and Dad weren’t just visiting the Hales for Christmas. This must’ve been when they all lived together in that house.”
I’ve known that my childhood home used to belong to my aunts and uncles too, and then gradually, they moved out and raised their families in houses down the street.
Seeing them together at a time where they were so young…like us, it swells a sentiment so deep inside of me. It almost hurts to breathe.
Nostalgia is a strange force, and I know it can be one of good and one of bittersweet and one of bad. I’d like to believe this moment is one of pure good.
We watch.
“Devilish?” Mom’s eyes widen. “He doesn’t look devilish.”
Dad aids baby Moffy in unwrapping his gift.
“Moffy looks adorable,” Dad confirms. “The devilish baby is sitting on the devil’s lap.”
We all laugh, especially as the camera swings to Aunt Rose’s pursed lips and fiery yellow-green eyes. Uncle Connor has a mega-watt, cocky grin.
“You do realize this is being recorded, Loren?” Aunt Rose grimaces into a smile. “So now your niece will see how much of a dick you are.”