Christmas Wishes
Carrie's POV
I woke up, sunlight streaming through the gap in the curtains hanging by the window in my bedroom. I could feel someone shaking me, trying to get me up. I knew who it was. It was my dad. Shane Collins, famous for his love of zombie-killing video games, his expert chilli-making skills and his slacker ways. But he was my dad, and I loved him. Even when he woke me up at 7:30am just to open presents. He's worse than a five-year-old, I swear.
I groaned and rolled over, burying my face in my pillow.
"Go away, dad. It's too early! Come back later!" I complained, trying to keep the grin that was starting to form across my face from my voice.
"But it's Christmas!" he whined. He even sounded like a five-year-old sometimes.
I heard footsteps and felt my head shoot up. My mom was stood in the doorway, shoulders shaking with laughter. I gave her my best sarcastic smile.
"Lighten up a bit, Carrie. It's Christmas Day!" she said, still laughing. "Eve and Michael will be here soon, and you know Eve will come and drag you out of bed by your ear if you aren't downstairs when they get here."
The way my mom said that, so matter-of-factly, made me roll my eyes.
"Do you know what time it is?" I asked, sighing and flopping back down on my bed.
"Yeah, late enough now get up," my dad was starting to shake me again. I admitted defeat and crawled out of bed as slowly as I could, just to prove my point. Once I was up and stretched, I turned around to face my still-excited dad. The look I gave him wiped the smile off his face practically immediately. He ran out of the room, screaming like a girl on the way.
"Oh yeah, you better run! You're gonna pay for waking me up so early!" I yelled after him, following through with my word and chasing after him. I found him in the corner of his and mom's room, cowering like an idiot. I started to laugh, uncontrollably and he came forward, picked me up and started to tickle me.
"No!" I screamed, through tears of laughter. "No, dad! Please stop! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" he was full-on laughing at me now.
"You want me to stop?" he said, trying not to laugh.
"Yes!" I screeched. I could barely get the words out.
"Okay, repeat after me: I, Carrie Alyssa Collins," he held back on the tickling so I could talk.
"I, Carrie Alyssa Collins," I repeated his words, still trying to get my breath back, and still laughing.
"Promise that, next Christmas," he said, hands ready to start tickling me again.
"Promise that, next Christmas," my laughs were starting to die down now, thankfully.
"I will get up before my dad so he doesn't have to waste present-opening time waking me up," he winked at me and grinned. Smug.
"I will get up before my dad so he doesn't have to waste present-opening time waking me up," I repeated his final words and sat up. I saw mom stood a few feet behind us, tears of laughter streaming down her face. I have no idea how she laughs silently for so long.
"You two are ridiculous! What am I going to do with you?" she asked, wiping at the tears on her face.
Me and my dad looked at each other and pulled out our cheekiest grins. I had my mom's smile usually, but when I grinned cheekily, I was the spitting image of my dad. He reached out and ruffled my hair, then walked over to my mom and kissed her before wiping away the tears that were still rolling down her cheeks.
"Merry Christmas, beautiful," he whispered. "I love you."
"Ew, guys, that's gross! Get a room!" I said, interrupting the moment.
"We have one, you're just in it," my mom said. I gave her my best sarcastic-shocked face and gasped.
"Mother, you are not the one to usually make the witty comments! I thought that was father's job!" I put on my best Queen-British accent and winked. Then I ran off to have a shower and get dressed before Eve and Michael arrived.