Two Against Two

Chapter 25

Christmas Day, 8:39 A.M. (Six minutes prior to Kate arriving.)

(Kevin's PoV:)

My eyes slowly open, and I quickly notice it's morning. Christine's lying on her side, still asleep and snoring. The scary events from last night must have worn her out. I climb out of bed, as to not wake my sister, and tiptoe over to the window.

I pull apart the drapes and mutter, "Holy cow…" I see the whole neighborhood blanketed in snow, making it a white Christmas.

I quietly tiptoe out of the room and down the stairs, straight to the living room, to see if Santa granted my wish about the family being home for Christmas. I'm disappointed, when I discover Santa didn't answer my wish about the family being home, as I enter the living room, to find it empty.

I do notice a pile of presents under the tree, but what's the point of opening them, if your family isn't home to open them with you? I go back upstairs to my parents' room and crawl back into bed, silently crying…

(Christine's PoV:)

I'm greeted with a small headache, when my eyes open. The little light peeking through the window means it's daytime. "I wonder what time it is?" I ask myself, as I look over to check the clock on the nightstand.

"Twenty to nine," I yawn, as I check on Kevin. The little guy's face is buried in the pillow, with the blanket over his head. "He must still be asleep," I muse.

I'm unaware Kevin is actually awake, silently crying, and that the blanket is muffling out the sounds I'm making. I decide not to bother him, before I climb out of bed, put on my slippers, leave the room, and go down the back stairs into the kitchen to make some Christmas breakfast.

"I think blueberry pancakes, scrambled eggs, bacon, and sausage is in order for this special breakfast." I say to myself, as I collect the ingredients from the fridge and pantry. I put on my Walkman and loudly listen to some Christmas music, while I start cooking away…

Christmas Day, 8:45 A.M.

(Kate's POV)

I'm greeted with a wonderful aroma of what smells like sausage cooking, as I enter the house, shutting the door behind me and setting down my suitcase on the floor. "Kevin doesn't know how to cook. Maybe he microwaved some frozen sausage, which explains the aroma," I tell Fred, as I unhook his leash and let him go free. I see Fred quickly bolt for the kitchen.

"Must be homesick for his doggy dish," I muse. "Kevin! I'm home!" I yell, as I'm soon caught off-guard by how beautiful the living room is decorated. "How sweet. Kevin even put presents under the tree," I cry, feeling joyful. I wonder where Kevin is.

I just hope he's not ignoring me, because he's mad at me for leaving him all alone. "Kevin?! Where are you?!" I yell again, louder, fearing the worst has happened. I head for the dining room…

(Kevin's PoV:)

"Why didn't Santa keep his promise about bringing Mom and Dad home for Christmas?" I cry into the pillow.

"Kevin?! Where are you?!"

"Uh… Why is Christine yelling? Wait a minute… That doesn't sound like Christine… It sounds like Mom!" My heart jumps in excitement, as I quickly jump out of bed and run downstairs, hoping this isn't a trick. I soon arrive in the foyer, yelling, "Mom! Is that you?! Mom!" I look in the living room, only to find it empty again. "My mind must be playing tricks on me…" I sulk my way back upstairs.

"Kevin?" I quickly freeze on the stairwell, upon hearing the voice. I close my eyes and slowly turn around, hoping this isn't another trick. I open my eyes, and standing at the bottom of the stairwell, is my Mother in the flesh. She looks worn out, disheveled, and like she's been crying.

"Kevin… Merry Christmas, sweetheart. I'm so sorry about leaving you behind, and for quickly punishing you, without hearing your side of story. Can you forgive me?" she cries, with a hint of pleading.

I notice tears are running down her cheeks. I quickly run downstairs and hug her. "Oh, Kevin, I missed you so much," she cries, sounding happy. She kisses me on the cheek after she kneels down and hugs me.

"Merry Christmas, Mom. I'm so sorry about the mean things I said to you. I'm also sorry about being a pain in the butt. I'm just glad you're home, because I missed you so much," I sob into her chest, my heart fluttering and happy that Mom is home.

"I forgive you, Kevin. I'm just happy you're safe and sound, and nothing happened to you, while I was gone," she sobs, while I hope she never finds out about what those burglars did to Christine and I.

Speaking of Christine, I wonder where she is, because her wish about reuniting with Mom and Dad—well, Mom, at least—is about to come true. Where are Dad and my siblings?

"Uh, Mom… Where's the rest of the family?"

"Oh, sweetheart… They couldn't make it, but I did manage to bring home someone, and they're eager to see you," she tells me, smiling.

"Who?" I ask, curiously. Mom and I head for the living room, and we make ourselves comfortable on the couch…

(Christine's PoV:)

I'm having a ball, cooking eggs, bacon, pancakes, and sausage, while listening to Jingle Bell Rock on my Walkman. I hope Kevin likes this special breakfast I'm making him. I'm in the middle of flipping the pancakes, when I feel something wet press against my leg. My body stiffens in fear, and my heart rate increases, as thoughts about last night flash through my mind.

I look down and see a large black and white dog, with black eyes, sniffing my leg. I withhold a scream, while my body just shudders. I wonder how this strange dog got inside the house, and how I'm going to get myself out of this mess. I could scream for Kevin, but the dog might attack me, if I do that.

I could run away, but again, the dog might chase me and attack me. Trying to reason with the dog may sound silly, but it might be the safest option to take.

I look down and begin to speak to the strange dog, "Hi, big fella. You're such a cute dog, you know. Just don't hurt me please. I'll give you a piece of this sausage, if you promise not to bite me," I tell the dog, as my body trembles in fear of being bitten.

The way the dog is staring at me, is giving me the impression he understands every word I'm saying, and that I must be crazy. I feed the dog a piece of sausage, which he quickly gulps. That's when I notice the dog is wearing tags.

Maybe these tags can tell me who the owner is, so I can get the poor dog back home. "Hey, fella. Can I look at your tags to see who you belong to, so I can get you home to your owners? I'm sure they miss you and are most-likely searching for you,"

The dog, again, stares at me, like I'm insane. I slowly kneel down to read the tags on the collar. "Please don't bite me, fella." I plead, while I look at the tags, still scared.

NAME: FRED MCCALLISTER

ADDRESS: 671 LINCOLN BLVD., WINNETKA, IL.

CONTACT NUMBER IF LOST: 312-5xx-3xxx

My mind goes numb after reading the tags. "This is Fred, the family dog my brother told me about. If you're here, that means… Oh my god… Mom and Dad are back home!" I start sobbing. "I'm scared, and not sure what to do. I want to see Mom and Dad, but I'm afraid they're going to reject me. Just finish fixing breakfast first, and then worry about facing Mom," I tell myself, trying to keep from shaking.

"Fred, please do me a favor and don't alert my parents that I'm here please? I want it to be a surprise, okay? I'm Christine, by the way, the oldest child of Peter and Kate. You wouldn't know me, since I ran away from home, before you came to live here," I tell Fred, feeling stupid I'm talking to the dog, like it's a human.

The dog gives the impression it understands what I said and holds out its paw. "You want me to shake your paw?" I ask Fred, feeling creeped out about how human the dog acts. Fred jerks his head, as if nodding.

I oblige and shake his paw. "Nice to meet you, Fred. I'm looking forward to getting to know you," I tell him, while feeling like an idiot. "Well, Fred, I have to finish cooking breakfast. I'm sure Kevin will be thrilled to see you."

I notice Fred's ears perk up at the mention of Kevin, and he quickly runs out of the kitchen, but not before giving me a quick lick on the leg. "Gross…" I mumble, as I go back to cooking, and try to build the courage to face Mom and Dad…

(Kevin's PoV:)

"You'll soon see, Kevin," Mom tells me, smiling.

She holds me tight, brushing her hand through my hair, before making a whistling sound. I soon hear a galloping noise coming from the kitchen, and Fred bolts into the living room, leaping onto me.

"Freddie!" I happily squeal, as he licks my face, while I give him a big hug. "I missed you, Fred!" I tell him, as he continues to lick me.

"Kevin," Mom starts, getting my attention. "I'm going upstairs to unpack. Once I finish, I'll cook you a simple Christmas breakfast, okay?" I nod. "Oh, I've been meaning to ask you: Did you cook sausage earlier, before I came home? I smelled the odor, when I came through the front door." she asks me, while I rub Fred's head. He's now lying on my lap.

"I did microwave some earlier, because I know I'm not allowed to use the stove, and I was hungry," I lie, knowing if I told the truth, it would make Mom suspicious and spoil the surprise about Christine being home.

"I just wanted to make sure," Mom smiles, as she leaves the room. I hear her climb the stairs.

"Fred, Mom is going to ask more questions, when she comes back downstairs, once she sees the messy state of her and Dad's bed. I'd better head to the kitchen and warn Christine that Mom's home. Fred, you stay here and give a warning by barking loudly, when Mom comes back downstairs," I hop off the couch and run for the kitchen. Fred remains on the couch, but not before giving me a lick on the hand, understanding the command I just gave him…

(Christine's PoV:)

I finish placing the last of the pancakes on the plate, when I see Kevin rush into the kitchen. "Merry Christmas, Kevin!" I smile.

"Merry Christmas, Christine!" Kevin smiles back, as he hugs me from behind and looks hungrily at the food I made. "There's something I need to tell you, and it's important,"

"What is it, Kevin?" I ask, as I begin carrying the plates of food over to the kitchen table and cover them up to keep them warm.

"Well, I just wanted to warn you Mom's home,"

"I know," I reply, simply, to Kevin's shock. I'm hiding the emotions I'm feeling, at the moment.

"How did you find out?"

"Encountering Fred for the first time tipped me off,"

"So, you met Fred, already?" Kevin asks, still in shock.

"I have," I nod. "He's a cutie and very smart." I smile, as I take a couple of plates and glasses from the cabinet to set the table.

"So, Christine," Kevin starts. "Do you have a plan about how you're going to meet Mom?"

"I do," I nod and whisper the plan into Kevin's ear. I soon hear Fred barking loudly, and I see Kevin quickly straighten up. "What's Fred barking about?"

"He's barking, because Mom's back downstairs. I told him to bark as a warning, when Mom comes back downstairs. So, are you ready?" Kevin asks. I nod, as a knot forms in my stomach.

"This is the moment you've been waiting for, Christine," I tell myself.

"Well, I'm going to keep Mom distracted, while you get prepared, okay? Just give the signal, when you're ready," Kevin tells me, before he leaves the kitchen. I go over the plan in my head, about meeting Mom and Dad…

(Kate's PoV:)

After unpacking, making Peter and I's bed, and freshening up myself a bit, I make my way back downstairs. I'm just so happy that I'm back home with Kevin, and that nothing happened to him, while I was gone. It's also a big relief to know that what I dreaded about Kevin being mad at me, didn't come to pass. I make my way to the living room to where Fred is barking.

"Quiet, Fred, and off the couch," I command, pointing for him to go over to his spot in the living room. Fred quickly obeys and goes over to lie in front of the fireplace, watching everything that's going on. Kevin soon enters the living room. "Hi, sweetheart."

"Hi, Mom," Kevin smiles. "I guess you discovered the bed unmade, when you went to your room to unpack." Kevin says, looking down.

"I did, but it's okay, sweetheart. I'm not mad," I smile. "You must've found Dad and I's bed to be safe and warm, when you were alone, didn't you?" I ask, as I pull him into a hug, letting him know it's okay.

"I have an idea. You can tell me about what you did during the time I was gone after I make you some breakfast, okay?" I tell him, smiling, as I get up and head toward the foyer. I pass the stairs and make a left towards the kitchen.

That's when my eyes lay upon a young redheaded woman, standing at the end of the foyer, next to the kitchen. I'm unsure as to who it is at first, especially since it's so unexpected. The girl remains standing, looking at me, and that's when the name escapes my mouth, "Christine?"

My heart is beating faster, and I begin to tremble at the sight of my oldest daughter. After all these years, my baby girl is home, and I just don't know how to feel. I'm feeling a mixture of shock, disbelief, and joy, all in a bundle.

"Mom?" Now, I know for sure it's her.

"Christine? Oh my god. Christine…" That's when my oldest runs to me, and is in my arms, in an instant. The feeling that overtakes me is more than I ever thought it would. "Oh my god… After all these years, why now?" I start to cry, as I cling harder to my baby girl. "I've missed you so much..." I speak, through cries.

"I'm sorry I caused you and Dad so much pain. I'm sorry for worrying you and Dad all these years. I'm sorry about everything. I've missed you so much,".

"It's all right. You're here now," I cling to her, fearing I'm going to lose her again. This moment seems to last forever, and I certainly don't mind…

END