Home for the Holidays
Prologue
In front of an inviting, crackling fire, a young woman reclined against the arm of a sofa, absently thumbing through the day's mail as she sipped from a mug of hot chocolate, its steam curling in the air.
A feline lounged at the woman's feet, engaged in an elaborate grooming session of its long white fur.
In a distant corner, an antique clock chimed the late hour, and mere seconds later, the shrill ring of a phone pierced the quiet tranquility of the room.
Pulling one envelope bearing a familiar return address in an elegant hand from the stack of mail, the woman stood up, her bare feet making no noise as she padded across the apartment to retrieve the phone.
Behind a barrier of glass, the Parisian landscape twinkled.
The woman raised the phone to her ear expectantly, her reflection in the glass animated and happy. She laughed as she twirled the phone cord around her manicured fingers, glancing at the feline resting regally on the sofa. "Yes, Ethan. I have the tickets in my hand. Cosette says thank you, by the way."
The feline, hearing its name, gracefully leaped from the sofa, sauntering over to the woman and curling its body around her legs.
Resting the phone between her ear and shoulder, the woman stooped to pick the feline up, stroking its long white fur and eliciting a steady purr from its throat. Dragging her bottom lip between her teeth thoughtfully, the woman murmured, "I haven't made any plans yet. Father's not exactly the most welcoming man." Her reflection frowned back at her from the window, and she sighed softly. "Ethan," she scolded in the next breath, "you know I never travel under my real name. You what?" A traitorous smile tugged at the corners of her mouth with his gleefully delivered answer, and soft laughter escaped her lips as she peered into the feline's aqua eyes. "What do you think, Cosette? Do I look like a Norma Jean to you? Ethan thought you'd like to keep Marilyn for yourself."
The feline squirmed to be released, prancing back to the sofa with her nose held high in the air.
"Cosette's not very pleased with you, Ethan," the woman reported back to the voice on the other end of the line, blue eyes twinkling mirthfully. "I'm sure she'll accept your apology when you pick us up at the airport."
The feline swished her tail back and forth in seeming agreement, aqua eyes glittering in the firelight.
"Yes, that means I'm coming. Me too. We'll see you in a couple of days. Bye, Ethan," the woman reluctantly disconnected their call. Crossing the small distance to the sofa, she scooped Cosette up into her arms, scratching beneath the feline's chin as her blue eyes traveled around the room. "We have a lot of packing to do if we're going to make our flight to Harmony."
A little fic I started way back (and I do mean way back).
Posting it here in the hopes I'll find the inspiration to finish it.
Like much of my other fics. ;)
Interested in reading more?
Let me know.
The fic includes pretty much the entire cast, by the way, and a few characters of UA creation.
To be continued or not to be continued?
Your decision.