It was eleven o'clock in the morning, early winter, yet it was freezing. The snow was building up outside. You could actually see the air coming out of your mouth when you breathe out.
Cosima is at her flat, she is on Skype with her girlfriend.
"I'm going to sleep now ma chérie. Merry Christmas. Take care. I love you." Delphine mutters.
"I love you too, babe. Byeeee." Cosima says merrily as she ends the call on Skype.
Delphine is in Frankfurt and Cosima is in New York. And they won't be celebrating Christmas together.
"Now lets wrap up the gifts." She says as she looks at the mountain of packages stacking up by her coffee table.
She pulls out one of her computer desk drawers and retrieves the wrapping paper, scissors, ribbons and tape. She started sorting out all the packages and that's when she saw the necklace that she was supposed to give Delphine for Christmas, if only she were here.
She started wrapping the gifts one by one. The first ones she wrapped were all the presents for the kids. Kira, Oscar and Gemma. When she was done she proceeded with the gifts she had gotten for her sisters. And for her only brother and sister-brother.
When she was done it was already 2 PM. That's when she realized that she hasn't taken a bath yet. After a long comforting warm bath she goes to her closet and picks out the clothes that she'll be wearing for the Christmas party that Alison will be hosting at her house later that night.
At 6:00 pm On a Lonely Night blared through her room.
On a lonely night, you will see
you're everything to me (you got everything)
On a lonely night, oh the truth
Is every night is lonely without you
every night is lonely without you here.
Her phone rang and she answered the call without looking at the caller ID.
"Yeah, I'm coming, I'm just choosing wh-"
"Cos, can you drive by the store and buy red wine?" Sarah interrupted.
"Oh, sure."
"Thanks!"
Red wine for Sarah? Really? She thought.
Finally, she chose the maroon dress and a scarf to match with it. On her way out she put on her red french coat. The one that she wore on her first "jogging" with Delphine.
Then, she drove to the nearest store to buy the wine. When she got out of her car, she was met by the a cold breeze. She shivered and sprinted to the entrance door longing to be in a warmer place other than the parking lot.
She went straight to the wine aisle and got two bottles of Cavernet Sauvignon and then went to the cashier to pay.
When she was at the cash register she saw a blonde woman standing where she came from looking at the wine section. Although she thought that it was Delphine because the resemblance was uncanny she did not approach the woman like people do in the movies, where you poke the other person and when they turn around and face you it's not who you were expecting, making your heart sink.
Instead, she walked out of the shop, got on her car and left. She headed for Alison's house.
Once there, she was warmly greeted by Kira who clinged to her legs with a tight hug.
"Auntie Cosima!" Kira says as Cosima lifts her up and carries her.
"Hello chicken." Cosima greeted back the kid.
"Oi Cos." Felix interrupted the reunion of the two and went to them.
"Yeah?"
"Merry Christmas." He says as he hugs Cosima forgetting that Kira was there.
"Auntie Cosimaaaaa!" Kira yelled as she is squished by the two of them.
"Okay, monkey. Why don't you get auntie Cosima's jacket and put it on the chair?" Felix says as he disentangles his body from Cosima
"Okay." Kira says and does what she is told to do.
"Is everybody here?" Alison asks as she goes into the living room.
Not everybody. Cosima thought.
"Yeah." Felix replied.
"What are we waiting for? Let's start the party!" Sarah says as she cranks up the volume on the stereo which is currently playing rock music.
•••
After all the dancing, the chatting and the games Helena declares, "I am hungry".
"You're always hungry, meathead." Sarah replies with a chuckle.
"Okay. Let's go to the dining room now. Kids, wash your hands first." Alison commanded.
"You'll always be the mother of clone club." Beth says to Alison, as she gives Alison a quick kiss on the lips.
"Elizabeth Marie Childs!" Alison screamed as she chased Beth who ran to the dining room.
Cosima watches as the scene unfolds.
If only Delphine was here. She thought to herself.
"Hey, dreads." Tony said as he slightly bumped the woman by the hips.
"Hey." Cosima says as she fakes a smile.
"Missing someone, eh?" Tony teases.
Cosima chuckles.
"Y'know, its not the end of the world. You can always be with her. Cheer up."
"Thank you, Tony." She says as a tear escaped her eye.
Tony rubbed off the tear with his thumb and pulled the woman into a hug.
"Shh. It's alright."
"Oi, having a gay party without me?" Felix interrupted.
They broke off the hug and Cosima wiped her face and gave Felix a light chuckle.
"Someone's getting jealous here, eh?" Tony says to Cosima.
"Not with her." Felix says as he kisses Tony on the lips.
"C'mon Fe. There are kids in here." Sarah exclaims as she covers Kira's eyes.
"Oi, I'm not gonna apologize for my feelings." Felix replies as he removes his lips from his boyfriend/foster sister's sister brother.
Cosima laughed and went to the dining room to find Helena waiting at the table.
"Hey." Cosima greeted her as she sits on the chair opposite to the blonde.
"Hey." Helena responds without looking up to see Cosima.
"Why don't you start eating?"
"We aren't complete yet."
"I'll call everybody and we'll start eating okay?" The tattooed girl said as she stood.
"No. What I meant was your girlfriend isn't here yet." Helena voiced out, stopping Cosima in her tracks. "Isn't she coming?"
"I'm afraid not." Cosima replied as she started walking again.
"Guys, someone's eager to eat here!" She shouted as everyone stopped what they were doing and went in into the dining room.
None of them realized how hungry they were until they started eating. While some of them were devouring their food others resumed their previous conversations without even giving a glance at the food on their plates. However Helena and Cosima both stayed quiet for different reasons. Helena is enjoying the food as usual while Cosima is tossing her food around on her plate thinking of Delphine.
"Stop the drama, Niehaus." Beth said breaking Cosima out of her reverie.
"Oh." Cosima chuckles.
"Next Christmas, we'll deliver her to you. Yeah?" Sarah promised.
Cosima just smiled.
Felix excused himself as he received a call. And right after him Tony excused himself to go to the restroom. Cosima laughed in her mind because she knows what that means. They are going somewhere around the house to make out.
"Time to open the gifts!" Alison called aloud.
"Just- give me a sec. I'm just going to get the gifts from my car." Cosima declares.
"Let me help you." Sarah offers.
They went outside of the garage where Cosima's car is parked. She opened the door and got the gifts and the bottles of wine from the back seat. That is when they heard something inside the garage, Felix's moans. No, more like shouts without anger plus the sound of forcing something.
"What the hell." Cosima chuckles as she moves to open the garage.
"No, Cos!" Sarah yelled, alarmed. "Just- just leave them there. Let them be. Privacy, yeah?"
"Yeah, sure."
They went inside and distributed the gifts to each and everyone inside the room. Cosima however didn't receive anyhting. No one seems to notice and she lets it pass. The kids ran off with their new toys to the basement to play.
Felix and Tony are certainly enjoying themselves there, huh. Cosima thought.
•••
When Felix and Tony come back inside they are carrying bottles of beer and a large gift box. And by large I mean an ENORMOUS box that Sarah, Alison and Helena could totally fit in.
"No beers, I'm driving." Cosima declares.
"C'mon Niehaus. It's Christmas and you could totally stay here for the night." Beth reasons out. "Right babe?" She says as she steals a kiss from Alison.
"Oh, sure." Alison said, her cheeks turning a shade of crimson.
"If you insist." Cosima said with a wink.
"No backing out Niehaus." Beth said with a stern voice. "Or you'll pay."
"Okay, Detective Childs." Cosima teases, earning a laugh from the group.
"But first, you might wanna open our gift for you." Sarah says when the laughter died down.
"Our?" Cosima questioned.
"Yes. Your Christmas wish was kinda expensive, seestra." Helena blurts out.
The woman in dreads chuckled as she made her way to the LARGE box. The group was waiting for Cosima to finish opening the box when she noticed a few holes on the side of the box.
"Really, guys?" She says as she points out the holes.
"They have a purpose, dreads." Tony said and winked.
"O-kay." The brunette woman said as she examined the box with more interest.
"Will you just please open the box for everyone's happiness?" says an impatient Beth.
Cosima nodded as she tore off the remaining gift wrapper. When she opened the box, she couldn't see what was inside because of the box's height. But she stood up and that's when she saw her.
She saw round hazel eyes. Blonde curls. Dimples on each cheek. A little mole by her lower lip.
It was her. It was her's! Cosima thought.
"I'm home." Delphine said, her eyes filled with tears.
•~•
A/N
Hello! I'm writing this for a long time and thanks to my beta reader, Denise. Who had been patient in editing my story. I don't know if I'll make a second and last chapter for this fic. Let me know in the reviews! Favorites are much appreciated.
Have a Merry "COPHINE" Christmas!