Vivienne lay in bed, wishing she could fall asleep. Below her, the seven-year-old could hear the sound of her parents fight. Though she couldn't make out the words, she could practically feel the anger and contempt pervading the entire Kensington Mansion. She was used to this- her parents had never in her memory gotten along, at least not since right after a short period of grace after baby Charlotte had been born- but she still hated it. Sometimes she wondered why her parents had gotten married, and why they were still married. They clearly didn't even like each other, let alone love each other. And wasn't that what marriage was supposed to be about? Love?

The shouting got louder, and Vivienne heard a loud bang. She flinched, hoping, praying, that Charlotte wasn't…

"Vivvie?"

…Awake.

Vivienne rolled over at the sound of the small, whimpering voice. Charlotte stood in the doorway, looking like a little scared, lost bunny in her pink and white footy pajamas with her hair in pigtails. Vivienne sat up and turned on the light, and she felt her own little heart break a tiny bit. Charlottes big, sweet brown eyes were filled with tears.

"What's a matter, Lottie?" Vivienne whispered.

"I'm lonely," Charlotte told her. "Can I sleep in here, with you?"

"Of course, Vivienne said, wiggling over to make room for her sister on the bed. Charlotte climbed into the bed and snuggled up against Vivienne. The older girl turned off the light and laid down next to her little sister. She could feel Charlotte trembling. Vivienne didn't know how it was possible, but her parents managed to get even louder. Her mother's shrieking was so shrill Vivienne was doubtful her father could even hear what she was saying. His voice was practically making the house quiver on its foundations. Charlotte started to whimper.

"Shh, shh," Vivienne soothed, rubbing her sister's back. "It's okay, Charlotte, I'm here. It's alright."

"I hate it when Mommy and Daddy fight," the almost three-year-old sniffled.

"So do I," Vivienne mumbled. Sometimes she wished she had an older sister, some one who's bed she could crawl into and be told that everything was alright even when it wasn't. There was no use going to Toby; he only got annoyed and told them to go away and grow up. Age had not mellowed their brother's somewhat abrasive attitude toward his sisters. In fact, now that he was 11, he was worse than ever.

The girls heard stomping coming up the stairs and passed the door. Charlotte shrank further into Vivienne and stifled a sob into the pillow. Vivienne wrapped her arms around Charlotte. She recognized the footsteps as her father's. Downstairs, she could hear the distant sounds of her mother crying. A few moments later, the footsteps returned, stormed down the stairs and out of the door.

Vivienne flinched as the door slammed closed. Sometimes she just wished her parents would just get divorced already; end the fights, end the heartbreak, end the unhappiness. But she knew her parents would never get a divorce, though. Her father was the CEO of a major corporation, and her family was practically the royal family of Manhasset. People like her parents didn't get divorces, no matter how miserable they were. She might not have known a lot, but she knew that. Toby had told her that the one time she had asked him why her parents were still married. Still, as the door slammed closed behind her father, a wave of panic washed over Vivienne. She didn't want to live with out her Daddy. She didn't want to have to live without her Mommy either. She didn't really want her parents to get a divorce; she just wanted them to be happy with each other.

"Vivienne?" Charlotte cried. 'Where did Daddy go?"

"I don't know," Vivienne said. "But he'll come back."

"Do you promise?"

Vivienne wanted to cry, but she knew she couldn't because Charlotte was counting on her. She pressed a kiss to the back of her little sister's head.

"Yes," she said. "Go to sleep, okay Lottie?"

"Okay," the littler girl sniffled, wiping an arm across her wet teary face. "Good night Vivvie, I love you."

"Love you too," Vivienne replied. She felt Charlotte relax in her arms, and a few minutes later her breathing became slow, deep, and even. It took Vivienne much longer to fall asleep, and when she finally did, it felt like a mere moment had passed before the housekeeper, Mrs. Greene, was waking her up. For a moment, she had forgotten what had happened the night before. She didn't remember that her father had stormed out the night before, and she expected to wake up and find him and her mother at the breakfast table being civil- perhaps even friendly, if it was a good day- towards each other, same as usual. But then she realized Charlotte was in bed with her, and after a moment of brief confusion, remembered.

Vivienne dressed quickly in her school uniform hurried downstairs. She found her mother and Toby eating breakfast. Her mother was reading a magazine, and Toby was playing with a handheld video game. It bothered Vivienne that they were acting like nothing was wrong, like the fact that her father had just left was no big deal. She stood in the doorway, waiting for someone to notice her.

"Good morning," she said after a moment.

Her mother looked over the top of her magazine and smiled. Toby grunted in reply.

"Good morning, Vivienne," Mommy said warmly. "Come, sit down and have some breakfast."

"Where's Daddy?" Vivienne asked as she climbed into her breakfast chair.

Her mother's sunny demeanor faltered, and the look in her eyes became hard. Vivienne felt a nervous flutter in her stomach.

"He was called away on business last night," she said curtly. "He left early this morning."

That was what the fight must have been about, Vivienne realized. Daddy was always being called away on business at a moment's notice, and her mother hated it.

"When is he coming back?" she pressed.

"A day or so," her mother responded coldly. "Here, Vivienne, have some pancakes."

"Wait, will he be back in time for my concert?" Vivienne asked, realizing that it was the morning of December 22, and her concert was Christmas Eve. Which reminded her: "Will he be back in time for Christmas?"

"I don't know," her mother sighed in exasperation. "I never know with your father."

Vivienne shrank back. She knew that she had made her mother angry. She ate her breakfast silently, not looking up from her plate. She was happy to go to school that morning, and get out of that house. Before she left, she went into Charlotte's room (the youngest Kensington was allowed to sleep in because she didn't have to be in preschool until nine o'clock, and had been carried back into her own room by Mrs. Greene after Vivienne had been woken up) and assured her little sister that her father would come back, and then kissed her goodbye.

Vivienne had been looking forward to school today anyway. Every year, her school put on a big Christmas concert, and one child was selected from each grade to sign a solo. Out of all of the second graders, Vivienne had been selected. All afternoon, the entire school gathered in the auditorium to rehearse. In addition to the soloists, each grade sang a song as a group, and the school band played, and then the school choir sang. After an afternoon of rehearsal, Vivienne returned home in a much better mood, especially when she discovered her grandmother was there.

"Grandma!" she said happily, dropping her bags and racing to hug her grandmother.

"Hey Gram," Toby said over his shoulder as he headed up to his room.

"Hey there, sweet pea," Grandma said as she wrapped her arms around the little girl. "How was school today?"

"It was a lot of fun," Vivienne babbled happily. "We did a buncha really easy stuff in the morning about Christmas and then all afternoon we practiced for the concert." She looked up at her grandmother with big brown eyes. "You are coming to my concert, aren't you grandma?"

"Of course!" her grandmother responded. "It's on Christmas Eve at 2:30 in the afternoon, right?"

"Uh-huh," Vivienne nodded.

Her mother, who was sitting at the breakfast bar doing some sort of paperwork, looked up and frowned.

"The concert's on Christmas Eve?" she asked. "As in, two days away.

?"

"Yes," Grandma said, her tone hardening. "You knew that, I told you to put it on your calendar when Vivvie told us about it."

"Vivienne's the star," Charlotte, who was sitting beside her mother coloring, chirped.

"Toby's hockey team is doing a service project in Newark that morning," Mrs. Kensington said. "It finishes up in the afternoon at sometime… but I don't remember when."

"Well can't you check?"

There was no doubt, even to Charlotte, that Grandma was angry at her daughter when she spoke.

"Well, I don't know, because we didn't decide," Mrs. Kensington. "We were going to set a goal for what we wanted to accomplish and not leave until we finished it."

"So it could take all day?" Vivienne said, her voice trembling.

"Well, yes…I mean, in theory it could…but it shouldn't…" her mother stammered out.

"But I have a solo!" Vivienne was almost in tears.

"I… I'll try to leave in time," Mrs. Kensington said, withering under her own mother's glare and her daughter's look of dejection.

"Vivienne," Grandma said gently to her granddaughter. "Why don't you and your sister go down to the playroom? I think Mrs. Potter made cookies."

"Yay, cookies!" Charlotte said as she hopped down and skipped over to Vivienne. The second grader took her little sister's hand and led her numbly from the kitchen. Her mommy and daddy never stopped fighting. Her daddy was never home, and he was going to miss her recital. And now it looked like mommy was going to miss her recital too… all because of stupid Toby's stupid service project.

Vivienne huffed indignantly when she thought of this. It seemed like whenever her mother had to choose between Vivienne and Toby, Toby always won.

There were indeed cookies waiting for the little girls downstairs, and while Charlotte was very happy, Vivienne did not feel one little bit better. The cookies and hot chocolate, which she usually would have devoured in a bout 20 seconds, didn't taste delicious to Vivienne. And she just did not feel like watching Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. After about 20 minutes, she realized the only thing she really wanted was to go to sleep. She headed back upstairs, to her room, but stopped outside of the kitchen when she heard her name.

"…I love Vivienne and Charlotte, just as much as I love Toby, and you know it, Mother," Vivienne heard her own mother say.

'Do you really think they know that, Elizabeth?" Grandma shot back. "When you praise everything Tobias does and always let them know how they don't measure up to their brother? When Vivienne had to stand out in the rain when after tennis when she already had a cold because he had an orthodontist appointment?"

"It was the only opening Dr. Jackson had that day," Elizabeth Kensington protested.

"He was only getting his palate expander off, it could have waited a day or two or even a week," Grandma told her.

"But he really wanted…" Vivienne's mother started.

"Exactly!" her own mother cut in. "What Toby wanted was more important than what Vivienne needed."

Elizabeth was silent. In the hall outside, Vivienne could feel her heart pounding. She remembered that day. She remembered that day back in October, standing there shivering, her nose running and her head aching. She hadn't even felt like going to tennis that day, but her mother had made her because there was no one to watch Vivienne and her mother didn't want to bring her and Charlotte to the orthodontist with her. The car door had opened and Vivienne had climbed in, glad to be warm.

"Vivienne, please remember to close the door," her mother's greeting had been.

"Sorry," Vivienne said, turning around to closing the door. When she turned back, she sneezed, causing her head to throb a little.

"Bless you," Charlotte had chirped from the back seat.

"Ugh, cover your mouth," Toby had told her disgruntledly.

Her mother had handed back a tissue and barely waited for her older daughter to be strapped into the backseat before driving off.

"Elizabeth, I'm going to warn you now," Grandma said in low voice, snapping Vivienne back to the present. "Do you want your daughter to think you love her? Do you want to be part of her world? Do not miss that concert. There are some things even a child cannot forgive, and that could very well be one of them. Do you understand me?"

"Yes mother," Mrs. Kensington said, sounding like a child who felt they were being unfairly lectured.

Vivienne continued up to her bedroom, feeling a little better. At least, if nothing else, she had her grandmother.

…

"Thank you for letting me come home with you today, Mrs. Stencer," Vivienne said politely as she climbed into her best friend Jessica Stencer's car.

"Oh no problem Vivvie," Mrs. Stencer smiled. "Are you excited about tomorrow?"

"Uh-huh," Vivienne grinned.

"Mommy, Vivienne's so good!" Jessie said. "You're not gonna believe it."

"You really think so?" Vivienne blushed.

"Uh-huh," Jessie smiled, brushing a lock of think blonde hair out of her gray eyes.

"I can't wait to come see you, Vivienne," Mrs. Stencer told her. "And tell your mother I'll record it for your father."

"Thank you Mrs. Stencer," Vivienne said, her genuine gratitude shining through like the sun.

The drive from the school to Jessie's house was much different from how Vivienne went home each day. Jessie lived on the other side of town- which Vivienne had once heard Toby disdainfully call the "poor" side. It was true her house was a lot smaller than the Kensington mansion, and that she did not have a staff, and that Jessica only got to go to St. Thomas's Academy because her father did the finances for the school, but none of this ever bothered Vivienne. She hardly even noticed it.

Inside, Mr. Stencer had milk and cookies waiting in the kitchen. The cookies weren't homemade like the ones Mrs. Potter served, but they tasted just fine. As the two girls sat themselves at the table, Mrs. Stencer walked over to her husband and kissed him. It was merely a peck on the lips, but the lovingness behind it was unmistakable.

"Hi honey," he said, "How was your day?"

"My day was good," she responded, "how about yours?"

"Not bad," He smiled. "But it just got better."

Jessie's brother Ben, who was four, pulled on his big sister's sleeve.

"Jess?" he asked. "Can I have a cookie?"

"Sure, Benny," Jessie said, and handed her brother the cookie.

Vivienne felt sad, and at first she didn't know why. But then she realized. Jessie's family didn't have as much money as hers did, but they seemed… happier. Her parents were there, and they loved each other, and everyone seemed to get along. It's what kept that little house from feeling small, it made it cozy. And because it was missing from Kensington mansion, Vivienne now knew why her house sometimes felt too big and lonely.

Her mouth feeling dry, Vivienne felt it hard to swallow the cookie she was chewing. It sounded silly, but she would trade her mansion and all of her toys for Jessica's life in a minute.

…

When Vivienne woke up the next morning, her mother and Toby were already gone. After breakfast, she started to feel kind of sick. Not actually sick, but nervous-sick. What if she messed up? What if she didn't sound good? She wandered aimlessly around the house, not sure of what to do with herself. Waiting for Mommy and Toby just added to her anxiety. They still weren't home by the time she was dressed and getting ready to leave. As she sat on the edge of her bed, in her white and gold plaid kilt, white sweater, white tights, and gold flats, her long brown hair pulled back in a headband, Charlotte skipped into the room. The little girl looked adorable. She was wearing a pale pink sweater with a beaded snowflake embroidered on the front, a silver tutu-style skirt, white tights and pink boots. Her soft golden hair was pulled into two gently curling pigtails. In one hand she clutched two pink ribbons.

"Hey Vivienne," She said. " Wow, you look real pretty!"

"Thank you," Vivienne smiled, her little sister's sweetness making her feel a teeny bit better.

"Vivvie, can you do my ribbons for me?" Charlotte asked.

"Of course I can," Vivienne said, holding out her hand. Charlotte climbed up onto the bed and sat still while her sister tied the ribbons around her pigtails.

"Thank you Vivienne!" Charlotte said, planting a kiss on her older sister's cheek.

"You're welcome Lottie," Vivienne said. "You look really cute."

"Are you excited?" Charlotte asked. "You get to sing!"

"Yeah, I guess." Vivienne sounded a little less than enthusiastic.

Charlotte's brow furrowed.

"What's wrong?" Charlotte asked. "Do you feel okay, Vivienne?"

"I'm scared," Vivienne confessed.

"Don't be scared," Charlotte said, brimming with little-girl confidence. "You're gonna do real good, I know you will!"

"I hope," Vivienne said.

For a moment, Charlotte said nothing, her little legs swung off the edge of her sisters bed.

"Vivienne," she said, "are you worried that mommy and Toby won't be back?"

It surprised Vivienne just how observant her sister was, but she nodded.

"Well don't," Charlotte said, softly. She squeezed her sister's hand, hopped off of the bed, and skipped out into the hallway.

"C'mon!" she called back. "Let's go see if there are any cookies left before we have to go!"

Vivienne followed her sister with a grin. She didn't know why, but she believed her sister.

…

"Are you ready?" Jessie whispered to Vivienne, as the stood in the wings, watching the first grade chorus number.

"I guess so," Vivienne replied nervously. She went up on her tiptoes and tried to peek into the audience where her grandma had told her they were sitting to see if her Toby and Mommy were there, but she couldn't see from where she was standing.

Jessie reached out and grabbed her friend's.

"Don't be scared," she said, sounding assuring. "You look beautiful, and you sound it too."

"Thank you," Vivienne said.

Just then, the song ended and was met by applause. Vivienne felt the butterflies in her stomach flap their wings.

"And now," Mr. Rhoda- the principal- announced. "Please welcome Vivienne Kensington, second grader, singing 'Dashing Through the Snow'."

Jessie squeezed Vivienne's hand. "Good luck," she whispered.

"Thanks," Vivienne whispered as she stepped out onto the stage.

For a moment, the light's blinded her, but when Vivienne stepped up to the microphone, she could see into the audience clearly. She could see Charlotte clapping excitedly, beaming as she looked around someone distractedly. She could see her grandma's eyes were filled with pride, but her lips were pursed. She could also see the two empty seats between them.

At age 7, Vivienne Kensington learned why it was called "heartbreak" as she felt as if a bowling ball had been slammed into her chest. Her breath caught in her throat. Her mommy was going to miss her solo. Because of Toby. She didn't want to sing; she wanted to curl up in a ball and cry.

Vivienne almost forgot to start singing, but remembered at the last minute and started on time. She had a nice voice that was pleasant to listen too, and the audience enjoyed it. They had no idea that the little girl up on stage in front of them wanted to run away. Vivienne was using all of the self-control she possessed not to cry.

Towards the end of the song, the auditorium doors opened and Mrs. Kensington walked in, followed by her son, who looked deeply disinterested. When she saw her daughter on stage, her face fell. Vivienne finished the last note of the song, her chest feeling tight. She was supposed to join the rest of her class for the chorus number, but she couldn't she ran off and hid backstage behind a set piece from some show the upper school had done that fall until the concert finished. When it finally did, Jessica came to coax her out of hiding.

"C'mon, Vivvie, you have to come out," Jessie said gently. "Know you're mad at your mom, but you can't stay here forever."

"She missed it, Jessie!" Vivienne said.

"Well, she tried to come," Jessie reminded her. "I'm sure she's real sorry, Vivienne. Please come out."

After a moment, Vivienne crawled out. Her skirt was dirty and crinkled, her hair was messy, and her face was red from crying. Jessie threw her arms around her best friend.

"You were great, if it makes you feel any better," Jessie whispered in her friend's ear. She took Vivienne's hand and led her out to where all of the parents were waiting. Vivienne smiled.

"Thanks Jess, it does a little," she replied.

The girls found the Stencer's first. Mrs. Stencer hugged her daughter's best friend.

"Vivienne, honey, you were so good!" she said. "And you looked beautiful."

"Thank you," Vivienne said. She stepped back and saw her own family waiting for her. She looked at Mrs. Stencer, who had also seen the Kensingtons. Jessie's mother had a look of pity and disappointment on her face.

"Vivienne, do you want to go say hello to your family?" She asked, sounding like she wouldn't blame Vivienne if she didn't.

"Um, yes," Vivienne decided. "Thank you again Mrs. Stencer, and thank you Jessie."

Vivienne said goodbye to her friends and moved towards her family. Charlotte broke away from the crowed and nearly plowed Vivienne over as she ran to hug her sister.

"Yay Vivvie!" she squealed. "You're the star!"

Grandma came next. She knelt down to her granddaughter's level and took the little girls hands.

"Vivienne, I want you to know that I'm so proud of you," she said. "You sang beautifully, and you looked even more beautiful. I love you, Vivienne."

"I love you too, Grandma," Vivienne said, and hugged her grandmother. She held on for a very long time, and didn't breakaway until her mother spoke.

"Vivvie," she said. Vivienne stood back and looked up at her mother, feeling anger and pain rising. She gave her mother the closest thing a to a death glare she could muster.

"Vivienne," Mrs. Kensington started again. "I didn't see much of your performance but…"

"I don't want to talk to you," Vivienne said coldly. She was trying very hard not to cry. "You missed it. You told me you wouldn't but you did!"

"Well, I was going to leave at one o'clock but the kids were so into it and they were so close to reaching their goal that I didn't want to drag Toby away just then and… oh, Vivienne, sweetheart, I'm so sorry," Mrs. Kensington said.

"Well I don't forgive you!" Vivienne shouted, turning her back on her mother. The family went silent. After a moment, Vivienne felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up to see her grandmother.

"Come on," Grandma said. "Let's go home."

The car ride back to the Kensington mansion was silent. Once Vivienne got home, she darted straight to her room, threw herself down on the bed, and sobbed. She didn't know how long she lay there crying for. It was probably several whole hours. When she had no more tears left, she also had no strength left. She rolled onto her side, curled up and a moment later was sound asleep.

Vivienne woke suddenly several hours later. She was hungry, and confused. Someone had come in, removed her shoes, and tucked her in. She sat up and looked at the clock. It was 11 o'clock at night. The glasslike silence of the house was ruffled by something downstairs. She stopped and listened. It sounded like someone was walking around downstairs, moving something heavy around with them, like a big box or…

Vivienne's eyes widened.

Santa? She thought.

Quietly as possible, she slipped of the bed and tiptoed out of her room and down the stairs. A shadow moved across the hallway. Vivienne creeped further down the stairs, and peered around the corner into the kitchen. There was a man standing there; a tall man with short, caramel brown hair who was wearing a dark suit.

"Daddy?" she said.

He turned around and smiled at her.

"Hey there, Sweet Pea," he said.

Vivienne ran to him and hugged him.

"I missed you Daddy," she told him.

"I missed you too Vivienne," he said, his arms still around her. "I'm so sorry I missed your concert, honey."

"It's okay," she told him. After a moment she continued, "Mommy missed it too."

Mr. Kensington's eyebrows rose.

"Did she now?" he said flatly.

"Yeah," Vivienne said. "She was late bringing Toby back from this thing with his hockey team."

Mr. Kensington rubbed his daughter's back and kissed her cheek.

"Honey, why are you still in your clothes?" he asked.

"Oh…um…" Vivienne didn't want to tell her daddy about how upset she was with her mother in case he got mad at his wife and they got into a fight. "I was trying to stay awake for Santa Clause, but I fell asleep."

"Well, you'd better get yourself back up to bed and go back to sleep, or he won't come," Daddy told her. He picked her up carried her up the stairs to her room. Once she had changed into her pajamas, he tucked her in and kissed her goodnight. As she was drifting off, Vivienne had almost forgotten about her mother missing the pageant.

The next morning at 6 o'clock sharp, Vivienne was awakened by Charlotte leaping and landing on top of her.

"Vivienne!" the little girl shrieked, bouncing up and down. "Vivienne, get up! Get up so we can go unwrap presents!"

Vivienne sat up quickly.

"Good morning, Lottie," she said. "Merry Christmas and happy birthday."

"Thank you," Charlotte said, and hopped off the bed. "Now let's go!"

Vivienne ran after her little sister downstairs to where her mother, father and brother were waiting to open presents.

"Good morning dear," Mrs. Kensington said, kissing her oldest daughter. "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas Mommy," Vivienne replied. The tension between mother and daughter was still evident, but, for the sake of Christmas, they tried to put it behind them.

There were huge piles of presents under the Christmas tree for all three Kensington children, but Charlotte's was twice as big as her brother's and sister's because it was her birthday. Half of her presents were wrapped in Christmas wrapping paper, and the other half were wrapped in pink paper with butterflies on it.

Vivienne sat under the tree beneath her brother and sister, all of the presents were great, but for the first time Vivienne felt kind of… empty while opening them. As wonderful as they were, they all lacked something. She looked up at her parents on the couch. Her father was giving her mother a necklace. A huge diamond, circled by small diamonds and rubies hung from the silver chain. Mrs. Kensington gave her husband a small, friendly, approving smile and the couple exchanged a quick kiss on the lips. Suddenly, Vivienne remembered watching Mrs. And Mr. Stencer kiss, and was aware of a similar kind of emptiness to the one she felt about her presents when she watched her parents.

Vivienne looked down at her gifts. She wondered if Jessie had gotten this many expensive presents. She figured probably not.

She wondered if Jessie ever felt this sort of empty feeling.

She figured probably not.

A/N: Sorry it took so long guys, I'll try to be quicker next chapter! Enjoy!