Cash sat atop my folded legs on the floor, feet from where Alice and Hal sat in chairs in the living room. Betty was digging under the Christmas tree and passing things out. My life had been busy, but I hadn't needed to make a last minute rush to the mall. Through the year, every year, I grab little things I know certain people will like. I save them for birthdays or Christmas—and I buy according to what I have money for.
I have reserve presents for all of next years birthdays already as it is. All I Want For Christmas Is You by Mariah Carey was playing softly from the radio in the dining room. A CD Betty had put on when we first woke up. Cash was bouncing to it in my lap. "This one's for you, Cash," Betty smiled, stepping over to us with a medium-sized square. It was wrapped in gold paper with snowflakes swirling across it in a design.
Cash took the box, pulling it onto her lap, and I noticed the handwritten tag on the top. It was from Alice. My eyes moved from the box to Alice's face. She was smiling brightly as she watched Cash begin to tear the wrapping from the cardboard, anticipating the priceless reaction to whatever gift was inside. I hadn't expected us to spend Christmas with anyone but each other—much less get gifts from other people.
But Alice pulled me aside this morning, before Cash woke up. She told me she wanted both of us to be apart of it, apart of the event usually reserved for family only. I felt like I couldn't say no, given the circumstances, but i'd genuinely wanted to join them. It was something I didn't know I would feel until she pulled me aside. Cash finished ripping off the paper and quickly got the folds of the box open, causing a plush thing to fall out.
It wasn't until it hit the carpet that I realized what it was—a unicorn. This unicorn was like Cash's, but it was a different style from the set. A loud, elongated gasp escaped Cash as she picked up the stuffed animal. "PRINCESS PEACHES?!" she exclaimed, in utter shock. I jolted back a bit from the sudden outburst, the volume almost bringing a ring to my ear.
Betty started chuckling from where she stood by the tree. Even Hal was smiling a little, which was odd. Alice was completely lit up. "I know how much you love Butter, so I thought you might want to get her a friend," she explained the gift, smiling at Cash.
Cash shot up from my lap, bolted across the space between us—which wasn't much—and threw herself at Alice. "THANK YOU, MRS. COOPER!" she practically shouted, clinging to Alice tightly. Alice laughed, hugging Cash back. Betty took the moment of space to tip toe toward me and hold out a thinner looking, slightly rectangular present wrapped in red. I took the gift, though a bit hesitantly.
From the look of the tag, this one was also from Alice. I was completely clueless as to what it could be. Alice never let on to knowing anything I was into. Or, really, anything about me at all. But I tore the paper at the folds on the back and pulled it off the front. Slowly, my hands came to a stop as my brain caught up with my eyes. Everything in me became rigid. Inside the wrapping was a framed photograph of a brunette.
She was youthful, with chocolate hair and green eyes, and a large pregnant belly. The woman was sitting on an old, striped couch and smiling up at the camera just in front of her. The light from the window behind her cast a bit of a shadow on her face, but I knew exactly who she was. My mother. The couch she was sitting on looked like FP's. Taped to her pregnant belly was a deep purple bow, placed right on the top of the swell.
It was a Christmas photo. That much was clear from the torn wrapping paper on the couch beside her. It all had snowflakes and trees on it. I hadn't realized just how blurred my vision had become until a drop hit the glass of the photo. I pulled my eyes away enough to look up at Alice. "How did you find this? I've never seen this picture before," I said, around my teary eyes.
"Ben had it stored away in his attic. I found it in a box of things he'd given Hal to throw away, and I thought you'd want to have it," Alice answered, her voice quieted just a little.
I looked back down at the picture in my hands, removing the rest of the wrapping. Based on the date in the corner of the picture, mom was pregnant with me in this photo. I understood then what FP meant when he said I'd looked like her when she was pregnant with me. Because it was true. I looked exactly like her. My hair was slightly longer now, but virtually the same.
A warmth in my chest pushed me up off the floor, moving me quickly toward Alice. She stood to meet me as I reached her, wrapping my arms around her tightly, causing her to do the same. I still had the frame in my hand but I didn't care. "Thank you, Alice," I sniffled hard, more water droplets trickling down my cheeks as my chin rested on her shoulder.
"Your mother and I didn't always see eye to eye..." she pulled back to take my shoulders in her hands, her eyes looking into mine softly. "But I know she would be incredibly proud of the strong young woman you've become, Diana."
I nodded a little, wiping at my cheek with my sleeve and sniffling. "Wow, mom," Betty's voice caused me to glance in her direction. She, too, was wiping at her eyes to dry them. After sniffling, she went for another present and I mouthed another thank you to Alice before sitting back down with my picture frame. Cash quickly came back to sit in my lap, and I loosely moved my arms around her. She snuggled her new unicorn to her chest.
But she looked intently down at the picture I held in front of her. Cash was almost eight when our parents died. Even now she's too young to truly understand just what dying means. She and mom were close and more than likely had very fond memories. But I wondered just how much of her Cash would remember when she got a little older. Did she even remember those things right now, looking at the picture?
We had just finished breakfast when the doorbell rang. "Hm, I wonder who that might be," Alice thought aloud, before getting up from her chair. She walked around the table and through the living room to reach the door. I stood up from my chair and Betty followed suit. Betty, Cash, and I started taking the breakfast dishes to the kitchen sink. Though, my ear was tuned into whatever conversation might take place at the front door.
The door hinges creaked lightly as Alice opened the door. "Well. What do you think you're doing here?" I heard her ask, in an annoyed and defensive tone. The sound of her voice alone let on to just who it might be. But then he spoke. And my muscles locked up.
"I'm here to take my daughter home, Alice," it was FP.
"She is home."
"How dare you try to keep her from me. I can't get ahold of her for days, and then I find out it's because you're hiding her here," FP said, a bit angrily. I put whatever dishes were in my hands at the time into the sink, then stepped closer to the kitchen doorway in order to listen better. FP continued, "I need to talk to her. Is she here?"
"That's the thing, FP—I really don't think she wants to talk to you," Alice stood firm.
FP groaned, "Come on, Alice! She's my daughter."
"Yes, one you threw away like garbage. Now, if you'll excuse me, we were just finishing our breakfast."
Alice began to step back, close the door, but I came out from the kitchen into the hallway. "Hold on," I said, stopping her. She turned to look at me, an eyebrow raised questioningly. "I'll talk, for a minute." Though I could tell she didn't like it, she nodded and wandered back to the dining room.
I rested my left hand on the door, leaning into it a bit. FP's features looked more worn than usual, his overall demeanor tired. But he looked relieved upon seeing me. He exhaled, readjusting his stance to rest his hands on his hips. "Look, kid, I know I messed up. I know leaving the Serpents isn't what you wanted," he said, his voice calm. "But I'm doing everything I can to protect you—and if that means you get a little angry at me, so be it."
"I'm not angry. I'm just done. I don't understand, FP. I've been with the Serpents practically my whole life, and not once did you ever try to stop me. There were decisions that needed to be made, tough calls. I was all that was here to make those decisions and we survived just fine—because we relied on each other to make it. Now you're back and suddenly pushing each other away is the only way," I vented, trying not to let my emotions get the better of me. "It doesn't work like that, FP."
He looked down for a moment, searching for a response. "So it's not 'dad' anymore, huh?"
"You've made it very clear that it's not."
"Diana, I'm trying to do right by you. You of all people know I'm not the best father in the world—but i'm trying to be for you and Jughead. What did you want me to do? Let you to continue being a drug mule for Penny while you're four months pregnant? You're sixteen! You don't make the rules."
Swallowing hard, I responded, "I wanted you to work with me! I wanted us to handle it together. That's what families do."
"I wish it was that easy," he shook his head a little, eyes a bit saddened.
"It is that easy. You would know if you actually tried," I spat the words at him through clenched teeth, causing him to lean back on his heels in surprise. "Now, it's Christmas. And I know I didn't ask Santa for you."
Stepping back, I pushed the front door closed. Alice came to stand at the start of the dining room as I entered the living room. Her expression said she had questions, and her mouth opened, only to be interrupted by another knock at the front door. I stopped in my tracks with a sigh. Alice made a face, "Now who is it?"
I shrugged, throwing my arms up, before turning around and walking back to the front door. Once I pulled it open, my eyes settled on Veronica and Hermione Lodge. They both smiled at me, but Veronica's smile was a little brighter. "Merry Christmas, Diana!" she beamed.
"Merry Christmas," I smiled, relieved it wasn't FP again. "What brings you both by?"
Veronica glanced at her mother a second before turning back to me, all the while replying, "Well, we have a gift for you and Cash."
"From the both of us," Hermione added.
Alice stepped up on my right just then. "That's very thoughtful, Hermione," she smiled, though I could tell her skin was crawling at the sight of Veronica's mother. It was in the crinkle at the corners of her eyes, the faux brightness to her features. But the Lodges didn't suspect a thing. Alice turn to me, "Go on, I'll get Cash."
"Thanks, Alice," I nodded.
She smiled at me, placing a hand on my shoulder, and then walked deeper into the house to find my sister. I looked to Veronica and she smiled again, before taking my hand and tugging me onto the front steps with her and Hermione. She placed her hand over my eyes almost immediately. "No peeking!" she said.
I laughed, "Okay, okay—no peeking."
Veronica on one side, Hermione on the other—we made it down the steps and then down the second set of concrete stairs at the end of the walkway. They stopped me, positioning me a little, just at the bottom of the stairs. "Alright! Are you ready? Open 'em!" Veronica said, cheerily.
She removed her hand from my eyes, and the brightness from the fallen snow of the morning nearly blinded me. It took a second of blinking for my vision to refocus and adjust. But, when it did, I saw a black car parked just in front of us on the road, along the sidewalk. I knew it wasn't Hermione and Veronica's. On the side, it said it was an XTerra. That's when it hit me. I started shaking my head, taking a step back.
"No, no, no, no—this isn't mine," I looked between both Lodge women, agape.
Hermione smiled, chuckling, "I'm afraid it is, Diana."
"Do you like it?" Veronica questioned me, eagerly. "We wanted to get you something that was baby adaptable but still sleek and stylish. How'd we do?"
I was speechless. Veronica was clinging to my right arm, about to explode from excitement. It was amazing how low my expectations had been for Christmas. And just how little I'd thought of my friendships. I didn't think I meant this much to anyone, let alone Veronica. "I...I don't- I don't know what to say," I admitted, letting out an airy chuckle at my own inability to form a sentence.
"Then don't say anything! Just drive," Veronica said, holding up a set of car keys.
Veronica and I both laughed as I took the keys from her hand, and I wrapped my arms around her in a tight hug. She hugged me back briefly, before Hermione encouraged us to get going. So we broke apart and I pressed the remote unlock button on the keys, causing the car to make a hollow beeping sound twice. Veronica hurried around to the passenger side as I opened the driver's side door.
Alice came out of the house with Cash, and Cash sprinted ahead to the sidewalk. "Get in, Cash!" I told her, as she bounded for the car.
"Whose car is this?" she asked, as she climbed into the backseat.
"It's yours!" Veronica answered, settling into the passenger seat. "Well, Diana's—but it's for you, too."
Cash was practically bouncing off the walls in the backseat. At the last minute, Betty came outside to stand beside Alice. I started the car and rolled my window down, before waving her over. "Get in, loser! We're going for a joy ride," I said, aiming the words at Betty.
"COME ON, BETTY!" Cash bellow, as her window was rolling down.
Betty laughed and ran to the other side of the car, climbing into the backseat behind Veronica. "Be back before dinner, alright?" Alice said, from the sidewalk. I held up a thumb with a smile in a response, before rolling my window back up. Veronica turned on the radio and I was taken aback by the quality. The sound system in FP's truck was barely holding on, and sometimes you were lucky if you could get the thing to turn on—let alone sound good.
Every station was playing Christmas music, so she flipped through the channels until we found one Cash wouldn't let us skip. And we drove. We drove around town, checking out Christmas lights, and testing out all the features this new ride had to offer. There wasn't a radio station playing the Alvin And The Chipmunks Christmas song, which disappointed Cash. "Wait, which song is that?" Veronica asked, twisting to see the backseat.
"Is it this one?" Betty asked, before starting to sing. "Christmas, Christmas time is near. Time for toys and time for cheer-"
Shrieking, Cash joined in and sang with her, "We've been good, but we can't last. Hurry Christmas, hurry fast."
"Want a plane that loops the loop!" Veronica started singing with them, all three belting along the lyrics they could remember. Cash sang louder for her solo line, "Me, I want a HULA-HOOP!"
"We can hardly stand the wait! Please, Christmas don't be laaaate!"
The snow was still around but it was beginning to thaw. Christmas was long over. When the news of the Black Hood's reveal and death hit the papers, it seemed too good to be true. But it was. So it was time for something long overdue. I stood at the bus station before the first day back at school after Christmas break, waiting for a bus from San Junipero. It rolled in right on time, at seven thirty.
The bus pulled in and, slowly, its passengers began to offload. About halfway through the offload, I saw a familiar face, dragging another familiar face along with him. A bit of a smile-smirk came to my face as I pushed off the side of my car. I pulled a hand out of my jacket pocket to flag them down. Joaquin jutted his chin to say he saw me, and started pulling Dilton in my direction. Dilton shuffled along nervously.
Like he wasn't all too sure about being back in Riverdale. And, honestly, I couldn't blame him. Joaquin's expression was worn and completely done. He gave Dilton a shove forward as they reached my position by the road, sighing heavily. "Take him, please," he said, annoyed.
Dilton looked offended, rolling his eyes, but he didn't protest the comment other than that. "Thank you for doing this, I know it wasn't easy," I told Joaquin. "But it is good to see you again."
"It's good to see you, too, D," the corners of his mouth upturned in a smile, before his eyes moved down to my stomach. He made a brief hand gesture, his expression flattening out. He looked to be at a complete loss for words. But he commented, "Never thought I'd see this, though. I always thought you'd be one of those people that live alone and then marry for money when you're forty."
"Uh...thanks?" my face contorted in confusion, but I fought a laugh.
"How's everyone doing, anyway?" Joaquin asked.
"Toni, Fangs, Ezra, and Jesse are great. Haven't talked to Sweet Pea in a while, so...I don't know."
Joaquin looked confused, "Did things go South between you guys already?"
"I know, that's supposed to happen after we have our second child," I quipped, sarcastically. Then, inhaling, I answered truthfully, "He has different priorities and I don't need a project right now. I need stability—not someone that can't make up their mind."
"Yeah, I hear that," he nodded in understanding.
"Can we please hurry this up?" Dilton questioned, leaning toward Joaquin and I as he finally spoke since arriving.
"How about a thank you, Northie?" Joaquin narrowed his eyes, leaning toward Dilton in an intimidating posture.
Dilton shrunk back, averting his eyes. A vibration in my pocket caused me to glanced down, sending my hand into my pocket to retrieve my phone. I could hear Dilton and Joaquin arguing about something but I wasn't really paying attention to it. I pulled my phone from my pocket, only to see the screen lit up with Sweet Pea's face. My thumb instantly pressed the red button. Shaking my head, exhaling, I put my phone away.
Joaquin turned back to me, away from Dilton, with a completely unamused and done with the world expression. "If that's all you need, I'm out," he said, jutting a thumb over his shoulder. I could understand his rush to distance himself from not only Riverdale, but the people in it—namely the one he'd been forced to bunk with for the past couple weeks.
"I think that's it," I smiled a little. "Miss having you around, though."
"Miss being around—just don't think it's time yet," he replied, smiling a little as well.
Groaning, I stepped forward and wrapped my arms around his neck in a hug. He reciprocated my gesture, putting his arms around me in his own hug. Joaquin and I weren't entirely the closest of friends, but it was true that I missed having him around. I missed a lot of things from those days. The days of sitting on a bar stool by the pool tables, drinking and watch Tall Boy beat everyone out of their bread money for the week. Despite it's downs, it was probably the highest time of my life.