Iwannahamberger2: hahaha seriously? I love that name!
Jessica-loves-Katie: Aww yay! I love when people are in love with Alex and Casey!
Kaslyna: So this means more love? :D
dove in love: (kisses and hugs) I can't wait to write about that redheaded terror.
Serena's POV
"Sweet Jesus, darlin'. You look like you just came back from the dead," Mrs. Carmichael says to me once I get to the kitchen.
"I feel like I just came back from the dead," I tell her. "I didn't exactly sleep much last night."
It takes me awhile to adjust to my surroundings. It's Christmas morning and I've woken up to a typical Carmichael family Christmas instead of a typical Southerlyn family Christmas. At my house, we are required to wake up at 6 am to get ready for breakfast and then we can open presents. All of the gifts are neatly arranged under a perfectly color coordinated Christmas tree and when it comes to gifts there is no such thing as sentimental value. My parents always try to buy my love by getting me the most expensive things on my list. For once, I'd like something from them that actually requires them to know me. I'm 21 years old and I feel like I'm getting a little too old to be making Christmas lists. It would be nice if they could just go online, pick out a Kappa hoodie in my favorite colors, say "Serena would love this," and that would be that. I would rather them surprise me with something small instead of spending a few grand on things I already know I'm going to get. Or, maybe that's asking for too much. Maybe not everybody can be as creative with their gift-giving as Abbie is. Speaking of Abbie…
"Mrs. Carmichael, there's something Abbie and I have to tell you."
"What is it?" she asks, smiling at me. "If it's about you two being a couple, Abbie already filled me in. Her father and I are so happy for the two of you."
I'm about to confess what Abbie and I did on Christmas Eve until Abbie walks into the kitchen in her flannel PJs with a stuffed rabbit in her arms. What the…?
"Morning, mommy," Abbie says and then gives her mom a hug before sitting down at the kitchen table. "Merry Christmas."
"Merry Christmas to you, too, sweetie," Mrs. Carmichael replies. "Did you and Babbit sleep okay?" she asks as she points to Abbie's stuffed rabbit.
"We sure did," Abbie replies with a huge smile on her face. "What's for breakfast?"
"Your favorite," Mrs. Carmichael says to Abbie. "Chocolate chip pancakes shaped like the Dallas Cowboys star."
Wow. Just wow. She really does get spoiled here, but it's nice seeing Abbie get spoiled instead of verbally abused like she does at Melanie's house or ignored like she does at her grandma's house. Plus, she looks adorable holding that stuffed rabbit.
"What's with the rabbit?" I ask.
"I bought it for Abbie when she came to stay with us for the first time when she was three years old. She said she didn't know if it was a bunny or a rabbit, so she decided to name him Babbit," Mrs. Carmichael tells me. "According to three-year-old Abbie, bunnies and rabbits were two very different animals."
"That's so cute," I say as I place my hand on top of Abbie's. Three-year-old Abbie must have been adorable. This girl just keeps getting more and more beautiful as the years go by and she is mine, officially. I can't wait to spend the—
"Mommy, Serena and I have something important to tell you," Abbie says, interrupting my thought process.
"Yes?"
"Serena and I didn't go to a concert in Dallas last night," she says nervously. "We went to Dallas, but we went to the airport, so we could fly back to California."
"Why would you want to fly to California for the day?" Mrs. Carmichael asks. I notice that she's not really shocked. With Abbie for a daughter and Clayton for a son, she must be used to the outrageous things they've done.
"Mom…Serena and I…we…" she pauses for what seems like an eternity. "Serena and I got married yesterday."
"You what?" Abbie's mom asks us. I can't tell if she's surprised or angry or maybe both.
"We really love each other and we couldn't wait another day," Abbie tells her mom.
"I thought you were against marriage," Mrs. Carmichael says to the two of us.
"We were until we fell in love with each other," Abbie confesses. "I know I'm only 22, but I'm old enough to know that I love Serena and I want to spend the rest of my life with her."
Mrs. Carmichael turns to me. Uh oh, it's time for the interrogation. "Do you love my little girl?" she asks.
"With all my heart," I reply. "I've loved her since we were freshmen."
I can see her start to cry. "I love my sons very much," she tells me. "But Abbie is my little girl, my pride and joy. I know I'm her mother and this may be biased but I think Abbie is the smartest, prettiest, and sweetest girl on God's green earth and I'm not going to let her be with just anybody."
"I understand," I tell her. "And I think of her the same way."
"Do you promise to be good to her?" she asks.
"She's always been good to me," Abbie tells her mom.
"I promise, Mrs. Carmichael," I respond.
"You've always been like a daughter to me, Serena," Abbie's mom tells me. "Now you officially are."
"You're okay with us being married?" Abbie asks.
"Of course I am," she says and then gives me a hug. "Welcome to the family, sweetheart."
After breakfast, Abbie's family (and my family now) open presents. Abbie and Clayton's gifts to each other crack me up. They both got each other different seasons of Squidbillies so they could have the whole collection. Mr. and Mrs. Carmichael got me a Kappa hoodie in my favorite colors with my name embroidered on the sleeve and "Harper's Lil Sis" and "Cassidy's Big Sis" embroidered on the back. They actually remembered my lineage and my favorite colors. My parents probably remember neither of those facts.
We told Mr. Carmichael about us and he was ecstatic. The two of them are already asking when we're going to give them grandchildren. Abbie and I assured her parents that we are years away from that.
It's Christmas morning and I'm officially Abbie's wife. Before we head on over to Abbie's aunt and uncle's house, we manage to squeeze in time for a little celebration of our own and she gives me a gift that only Abbie and Abbie alone can give me.