A/N: Well it took almost two years longer than planned. *looks around sheepishly* But this short little story is finally completed. I must say it feels bittersweet to be writing a fic originally written for a Twitter fic exchange when I'm no longer part of stan Twitter. To my friends in the HOA fandom, especially the Sibuna's Clowns groupchat, I'm so glad I got to know all of you and miss interacting there, but I will continue to be a reader and a writer. Twitter was just becoming really unhealthy for me so I had to take a step back. If you're reading this fic and we used to chat on there, thank you for your friendship. I hope we can continue to stay in touch through fanfic. I don't currently have any new ideas for this fandom, but I'm still writing Father of Mine. Hope everyone is staying healthy!

Thank you Christine for the quick skim/beta.

A few days later, after a FaceTime call from Eddie's mother, they were on a flight to California. While it wasn't the romantic vacation they'd hoped for, at least his mother lived close to a beach so they could get a hotel and spend a few days relaxing in the sand together. That was something they both desperately needed after the disastrous dinners they'd had with Patricia's family.

Eddie didn't have a sibling the family viewed as a prodigy, so while they may still encounter drama at least it wouldn't be like what they'd experienced earlier in the week.

The warmth of the sun and the palm trees lining the San Diego streets as they rode in the taxi were a welcome contrast to the bitter, depressing cold that had settled on England.

"Ok, so what weird American food am I gonna have to eat?" Patricia teased and Eddie feigned offense.

"Weird? Yacker, the food is the best part of Christmas. The food and the eggnog."

"What the heck is eggnog?"

Eddie gasped. "It's the best! Cream, milk, sugar, eggs-"

"Pass."

"Oh come on, you have to try it at least once. For me?" he pouted and she sighed.

"Fine."

"Yes!" he pumped his fist in the air. "It'll be better than Mrs. Andrews's Christmas pudding," he fake gagged.

"Oh that I can believe. Your stepmother needs to take cooking classes."

"Hey, she's not my stepmother yet. Can we not call her that and pretend it's not happening?"

"But it will happen, Edison, and it will be so wonderful." She imitated Mrs. Andrews's voice and Eddie groaned.

"I'm gonna change my name and move to Egypt. It's basically my calling, right? As the Osirian?"

"Well I'm not moving there-"

"So I guess that means I'm stuck in the UK watching my father and French teacher snog."

Patricia snorted. "Don't you mean your father and new mommy?"

"Gross."

"At least they're old, so you probably won't have a new little brother or sister."

"I do not need that image in my mind," he shuddered as he pulled into a driveway. "Ok, we're here. Ready to try some real food?"

"I'll be the judge of that."

He rolled his eyes and stepped out of the car.

X

By the end of the meal, there were a few things Patricia had to admit. Eggnog wasn't the worst drink in the world; she actually really liked it, but Eddie didn't need to know that. American food wasn't terrible, but she still insisted British food was better. The Millers were really nice and welcoming, and she couldn't help but smile at Eddie's embarrassment when his mother and grandmother showed her pictures of him as a kid.

"Aww you were so cute."

Eddie groaned, hiding his head in his hands. "Please make it stop."

"Oh!" his mother Diane suddenly clapped her hands. "We should show Patricia the video of you in the third grade Christmas pageant!"

"No! No we should not!" Eddie protested.

"Yes! Yes we should!" Patricia teased. "Please?"

"Do you hate me?"

"Oh stop that, Eddie," his aunt Janet chimed in. "Patricia loves you, and she deserves to see you dressed as a christmas tree."

Patricia raised an eyebrow. "A Christmas tree?"

"Yes dear, it was adorable. He stood up on that stage and sang 'oh christmas tree, oh christmas tree, how lovely are my branches?'"

"Are you done? I will run away." Eddie started to leave the room, but Patricia grabbed his hand.

"No one is running anywhere! Sit down Eddie. I found several home movies, and we are gonna watch them all!" Diane rushed back into the living room carrying a box.

Eddie and Patricia sat on the loveseat together while they watched, and Patricia snuggled into him unable to keep the smile off her face. For all she may tease him, she loved this man and seeing him as a young, carefree child made her heart burst. She kissed his flushed cheek, and noticed that after some grumbling, he had failed to keep a smile off his face too.

"I think you looked the cutest the year you were Rudolph," Patricia whispered to him, not wanting to embarrass him more by speaking out loud in front of his family.

"Shhh," he cut her off with a kiss which she returned. They both seemed to forget they weren't the only ones in the room until they heard a camera click.

"Oh, I'm sorry," his grandmother said when they broke apart. "You two just looked so sweet together like that."

Eddie tightened his arms around Patricia. "Thanks grandma."

"Oh you're welcome honey. I'll send this to you so you can have a copy for your wedding someday."

The teens nearly choked on air.

"Oh I know you're still young, but someday. I'm old, I know a once in a lifetime love when I see one, and you two have something special," she kissed Eddie on the top of his head. "Besides, I would like some great-grandbabies before I die."

"Jesus mother! Don't scare the poor kids," Diane chastised. She took the last DVD out of the DVD player and turned to her family, announcing that it was time for presents next.

X

Even though neither of them were really religious, Patricia and Eddie joined his mother's family for the Christmas day church service the next morning. It was by far the best of the other three Christmas family gatherings they'd participated in, and Patricia told him that it was nice to see a loving, non-dramatic family since hers was the opposite, so she wanted them to spend as much time with his mother's family as they could. He was just thankful the girl he loved was finally happy and having a good time.

They spent the next few days of their break on the beach, and even drove up the coast in their rental car, enjoying a relaxing week in each other's company. They laid together on a beach towel, watching the sun begin to set over the ocean as the waves crashed at their feet. Peaceful wasn't a word anyone in Sibuna would use to describe their lives this past year, but at this moment it fit perfectly.

"Eddie?"

"Yeah, yacker?"

"Do you think you could use your Osirian powers to make tonight last forever?"

He kissed her head. "I wish, but what I know I can do is try to give us more of these."

"I'm gonna hold you to that."

While they'd had a better experience with his mom's family, the best part of Christmas break was this: just the two of them alone together. Maybe one day they'd bring their own family here for Christmas: their kids, their housemates at Anubis, and anyone else who wanted to come. No one could know what the future would bring, but the one thing he knew for sure was that as long as they were together their future Christmas would be better than the ones they'd had separately.

Because the truth was that you could choose your family, and sometimes water is thicker than blood.

A/N: Done! Thanks for reading, and I apologize again for the wait! The depression has been bad the past couple of years and I rarely felt inspired to write something lighthearted, but things seem to be looking up so I had to try, and thankfully the muse worked! ?

Will hopefully be able to get some Father of Mine chapters written this year too, not done with this show yet. I can't believe it's been 12 years since it first aired!