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I was quite surprised to see dad here. And I would have known if Violet had talked to him so I guess when I had talked to him just after we got here had made some sense. Well, whether I did make sense or not. Dad didn't seem to have any time for me when he nodded towards me and then looked around the living room before he stepped inside.

"Well, hello." Dad stopped in the door between the hallway and the living room with Violet sitting on his hip and nodded. "Honey… Why so slow?" Mum turned up behind him on light steps. "We're Ronie and Violet's parents. I'm Richard Lucas and this is my wife Stacey Lucas. Our daughters you've already met and honey…" He turned to mum. "Did you bring the things from the car?" Mum nodded and held up one wrapped gift and one big plastic bag stuffed with wrapped presents. "Well don't you all look at me like that. I'm not Santa Claus I can't have gift for everybody. But this…" Dad picked one up from the plastic gift. "Is for my favorite girl in the whole wide world." He reached it to Violet and kissed her cheek.

"Hello Ronie." While dad and Violet sat down mum came over to me. I stood up from the floor and gave her a quick hug. She soon let go, smiled at me. And then went to sit down with dad and Violet while I sat down on the floor next to Ryan again and reached for one of the presents he had given me while dad started with pulling up one present from the plastic bag he had. Because while I was more interested in what I was getting. I couldn't help for longing for mum and dad's attention.

"…And here's one for Violet from dad. And here's one for Violet from dad…"

"God Ryan." To get an end of only watching dad with my sister I looked around on my presents and the boy right next to me. "Four presents only from you. Where should I start?" I picked up the nearest- the smallest and carefully picked the wrapping paper off. Fighting away the feeling of jealousy by Violet getting our parents' attention and presents. "Oh…" I smiled while I took the bracelet that we had had to hang back at the store when he didn't have any money left. "…Thanks Ryan. For all of these things. You… I can ask my dad to give you your money ba…"

"Don't worry about it." Ryan interrupted before I had finished it. "These are my gifts for you."

"But I didn't have time to get something for you."

"Don't worry about that."

Then, for one second or so. We were just so close. The sounds of everybody else happily announcing what they got for Christmas and asking what somebody else thought about the ones from themselves were all around. But it sounded as if they all were on the other side of a wall. It would only take a few centimeters to just reach up and… and… and…

"And here Veronica."

And there, dad had ruined that moment.

"This present is for you from me. These two are from your mum." He handed them to me and glared to Ryan- he had for sure seen we were about to kiss. "And you, stay away. I've got to go back to Violet. It means much to her to be able to have me there when she opens her gifts from me and I… have another present for her." He grabbed his jacket from the edge of the sofa and pulled up yet another wrapped present for Violet from his pocket. "Here you go."

Violet was just about to open one of the gifts from me (the beanie and mittens) but threw it to the side, grabbed the one from dad and ripped it open. If this wasn't what I thought it was Violet wouldn't forgive dad any time this century.

"Oh thank you daddy." It was what I thought- Violet squealed and had everybody turn to look at her when she jumped up and down with a box from Apple in her hands. "Thank you, thank you, thank you. My very own iPhone" She reached up standing on the couch next to dad and hugged him tight. "I love it, I love it, I love it."

"We were actually planning to give you a phone when we came home." Dad hugged her back. "If we could see you could do well with being home alone over Christmas. And you have been through so much these last few days. And you've done so very well and been so brave. So we decided you were worth it."

"Well." I mumbled quietly to myself. "Of course she did well. She only started the freaking fire."

"What did you say Ronie?"

"Nothing. And stop calling me that."

"Open the rest of your presents now Violet." Dad's voice as usual sounded so lovingly when he talked to Violet and he lifted the present from me to her. "This one is from Ronie." I sighed and rolled my eyes- why wouldn't he just stop calling me that? "What is it?" Violet ripped the paper off. "Oh, those are nice. They're your favorite color."

"Mittens and a beanie- boring present."

I suppressed a sigh and tried not to mind about what my sister thought of her present. We needed things now when all of our things had gone up in flames- so some things would have to be boring I told myself and then reached for one of my own presents.

"For Veronica from Chloe. Oh that's nice." I looked up on the girl in the wheelchair. "You really didn't have to. Thank you."

"I didn't have time to go into town and get you any new presents for you two even though I wanted to give you something." Chloe glanced to the present she had given to me and then to Violet. "But I have found a couple of things that I have not used and wrapped them. And I know Jody did the same." Jody looked up and nodded to me.

"Don't worry about that." I leaned closer to the two girls and almost whispered so my sister wouldn't be able to hear me. "I have nothing against second hand." I ignored the fact that I had said just the other day to Ryan I would never shop at a second hand shop- I did have nothing against second hand things from my friends. "My sister I can't promise you anything though. But don't care about her."

"Ew." As on a given signal Violet started shouting again- this time about a light purple hoodie from Jody. "This is the ugliest thing I've ever seen."

"I can take it back if you don't want it." Jody said without hesitating and her voice was almost shaking and I could hear her anger behind it. "Maybe someone else would want it. Rather than you ungrateful little bra…."

"JODY." Mike shouted to interrupt Jody. "Don't… It's Christmas." He turned to Violet, who threw the purple hoodie back to Jody. "Time for forgiveness." He seemed to want to say something to Violet as well. But she was with dad so there was no point even trying to talk with her.

"Don't worry." I had just opened my own present from Jody. A T- shirt with some kind of photo- print. "This one is really nice. And…" I unwrapped a pink hoodie with text 'grlpower' from Chloe. "…This one is really nice too. Thank you guys. Totally my style, I'll be using them loads and loads."

"Oh." Thankfully Violet seemed to enjoy the present from Chloe more than the one from Jody. "Glitter gel pens. These are nice." Violet went over to the next present and ripped the paper off the glitter-backpack from me. "A purple, sparkly backpack. Everybody in school will be so jealous."

And all the time mum and dad were with her.

"And…" Violet looked around her and picked a few pieces of wrapping paper up. "…Those are all my presents. Can we leave now? I can't stand another minute on this dump."

(I hadn't opened all of my presents yet. And I had really looked forward to that evening supper Mike had told me about.)

(And well. Violet had done a lot of bad here rather than good)

"Well…" Dad announced, stood up and lifted Violet onto his hip. (She was too far gone into her new phone to even notice) I guess it's time to leave then. "Thank you for taking care of my girls Mr. Milligan. Ronie, are you coming?"

I froze where I sat just about to unwrap one more of the presents from Ryan. All around there were people chattering. And honestly the happiness in here was worth a thousand times more than seeing Violet. Who despite her phone, in about half an hour would still want more and moan about what she didn't get.

"Ronie?"

"Maybe I can stay." I tried forcing myself not to hesitate. "Just for tonight. It could be an extra of all of yours Christmas gift for me." I was almost stuttering trying to choose the right words. "And it will be my gift for you to give you some alone time only you two- and Violet." I looked from mum, to dad, to Mike. "Is there any chance I can get to do that? I've really made friends with everybody here. And I know Violet would really like to spend some time alone with you two."

She wanted everything that would make her the center of attention.

"Please?"

So. Violet is very spoiled, so spoiled she didn't mind giving the present from Jody back and let everybody know when she liked or didn't like something. Violet's and Veronica's parents were there but were mostly along with Violet. And the only thing Richard did with Veronica was to keep her and Ryan from kissing. Then, they're about to do as Violet wants and leave in the minute she's done. But Veronica wants to stay at the dumping ground rather than go with her parents and Violet.

Random fact

This is kind of a boring filler. Mostly about presents and Violet being spoiled (which you already knew anyway) but you're also seeing Violet with her and Veronica's dad and honestly I get it if Veronica is envious of him spending all his time with Violet.