Author's Note: A very Merry Christmas to everybody!
Thursday evening
Christmas Eve
Glenview
I looked in on the kids' bedrooms and asked both Anne-Marie and Danny to join me in the study.
"Close the door, please, and sit down."
Both kids looked worried.
"You're not in trouble," I reassured them, then smirked. "For a change...!"
They did not look too convinced, but I went on anyway.
"Tell me, what do you think about Stephanie?" I asked. "Be honest, I want to know your thoughts."
"She's nice and she helps me with my homework," Danny replied. "She's kind to me and I see her like a big sister."
"Steph's a good friend and I enjoy sharing a room with her – we look after each other," Anne-Marie replied. "She can be a bit strange at times, but I'm not exactly what you would call normal, so I won't hold that against her."
That was exactly what I had hoped to hear.
"How would you like her to become your big sister?" I asked them both. "For real..."
I saw looks of surprise on the two young faces before me.
"You mean she would become a Lizewski?" Danny asked. "Like us?"
"Yes, and she would then be the big kid in the family."
They both thought about that for a minute, looked at each other for another minute and then they both nodded.
"Yeah!"
I got up from my chair.
"Mom?" Anne-Marie asked as she stood up, intercepting me.
"Yeah."
"Can I ask her... You know, if she wants to be our big sister?"
"If you want; we'll do it together, all of us."
A short time later
"Should I be worried?" Stephanie asked as she came into the living room and found all four of us sitting down on the couches, waiting for her.
"Probably," I replied, but with a reassuring smile.
"Anne-Marie has something to ask you, Steph – come and sit down," Dave said, indicating a seat on the couch beside him.
Stephanie sat down, still looking a little apprehensive. Anne-Marie too, looked apprehensive and she paused for a few seconds before diving in with a simple question.
"Steph, would you be our big sister?"
Whatever Stephanie had thought the question was going to be, she was taken aback by what was actually said. She looked over at me and then up at Dave. Her face was a wonderful mix of emotions, but mainly confusion.
"I don't understand," She finally said.
"Steph, we want you to become a Lizewski – Stephanie Lizewski, to be exact," Dave said quietly.
"You would be a big sister to these little monsters!" I cautioned.
Anne-Marie laughed and looked at Stephanie.
"You want to adopt me?" Stephanie asked, sounding astonished at the mere suggestion.
"You're not all that bad!" I commented.
I think we must have overloaded the poor girl as she began to cry. Dave hugged her as she cried and I was fairly certain that they were tears of happiness – at least I hoped so!
"Did I say something wrong?" Anne-Marie asked, looking very concerned.
I was about to say something, but instead Stephanie pulled away from Dave and spoke first.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to worry you. I just... Well, nobody has ever been so nice to me as you guys have... If you really want me..."
"Of course we want you, Steph – otherwise we would have never asked," I replied with a reassuring smile.
Stephanie began to cry again and Anne-Marie went over to hug her – she was soon joined by Danny. I looked over at Dave as he moved over letting the three kids sit together.
He smiled and nodded.
When it came time for bed that night, they were all very excited, it being Christmas Eve and all.
I turned out the lights and headed back downstairs, but then I heard feet on the landing behind me and I turned to see Stephanie running towards me. I was shocked when she grabbed me around the waist and hugged me tightly. After a minute she looked up at me, an enormous smile on her face.
"Thank you, Mindy, for the best Christmas present ever..."
"Stop it – you're gonna make me cry!" I laughed and I wasn't kidding either.
"I just wanted to say thanks," Stephanie said, releasing me and heading back to the bedroom.
"No problem! Goodnight, Stephanie."
The following morning
Friday
Christmas Day
Glenview
It was very cold outside and the rain was coming down in buckets – big buckets!
As usual, it was toasty warm inside though. I was enjoying the best of dreams – of course there was blood – who the hell did you think I was? Then I was rudely awakened...
"Merry Christmas, Mom!"
"I'm too damn tired – leave me alone!"
"Payback's a bitch, ain't it?" My husband laughed without sympathy. "Get to it, kids!"
Mindy screamed as first Danny and then Anne-Marie began to jump on the bed. Finally, she sat up, looking very tired.
"So not funny!" She growled, but she still gave each of the twins a hug and me a kiss.
"Why so tired?" Stephanie grinned with a wink. "Did Dave keep you up all night?"
Mindy's mouth just flapped like a goldfish...
"No... It's got nothing to do with you, young lady, anyway..." Mindy chuckled. "Merry Christmas, all of you!"
Then she saw the clock...
"It's not even six-thirty yet!"
"Normally, it's you waking me up!" I commented dryly.
It was going to be a very special Christmas.
We were a real family, just the five of us – oh, and Sophia too! Nobody got dressed until almost lunchtime. It was good to be able to sit in the cosy living room, a roaring fire in the fireplace and the kids ripping open their presents. We all had mugs of hot chocolate – with plenty of marshmallows!
After the floor in the living room had quite literally vanished beneath wrapping paper, cardboard and other assorted debris, I suggested that it was time to clear it all up. That suggestion did not go down well, until I hinted that there might be another present for each of them and then suddenly all of the wreckage mysteriously vanished within a few very brief minutes!
..._...
I pointed at the door to the garage.
The three of them went in very slowly and dubiously, especially Stephanie – what were they expecting, a bomb! Then there were three very loud screams and yells. I looked at Dave and smiled. He wrapped his arm around my shoulders and gave me a kiss, then we headed into the garage.
In the centre of the space where my XJR usually parked were three motorcycles. Two were identical in size and style, but with different colour schemes. The other was bigger and in yet another colour scheme.
The first two machines were Honda CRF70F trail bikes, one in blue and the other in pink. The third machine was a small-wheel Honda CRF125F in yellow. The three kids were smiling fit to burst as they jumped onto their new motorcycles. Considering Anne-Marie and Stephanie were still only wearing the over-large t-shirts that they slept in, they looked a little strange! Danny was in his Transformer pyjamas as usual.
I allowed them to start the engines, just so that they could hear them. I think we had picked the correct machines – the smiles assured us of that!
..._...
While the kids ran off to play with their presents and talk about their new motorcycles, I called Marcus to wish him, Paige and Megan a Happy Christmas. Megan was being very noisy in the background and the excited eleven-year-old took some coaxing away from her presents to say Merry Christmas.
I called Cathy and she seemed to have a very quiet house, so I asked where Josh and Chloe were.
"Upstairs!"
"Oh – I won't ask any more!"
"Tell me about it!"
..._...
We all sat down to an enormous meal that afternoon.
Sophia was included, with her own big bowl of Turkey and other trimmings. Dave did most of the cooking, with the help of Stephanie. I was ordered out of the kitchen, as usual! Dave was a remarkably good cook, for a man – and I told him so.
"Well, you are a remarkably good vigilante – for a girl!" He whispered into my ear and I felt all warm and fuzzy inside for some reason.
There were some difficult moments too.
It was the first Christmas for the twins, without their father and they had felt very sad at one stage. Dave talked to them and we made sure that we remembered their father. Stephanie, though, she did not want to talk about her family, even though Danny asked her about them. I glossed over the question and moved the conversation onto something else, sensing Stephanie's unease.
I of course missed my Daddy, as Dave did his. Nevertheless, we were determined that everybody would enjoy the special day. We had Noddy Holder blaring out around the house, along with plenty of the other songs to keep everybody happy.
By the early evening, everybody was very full and feeling tired. Sophia fell asleep in front of the fire and we all dozed off at one stage, thanks to the warmth and good food.
It was a very memorable day and our first as a real family.
No matter how much I tried to be normal, I knew that I never would be.
Hit Girl was a part of me and all the integrating into society could never change that. Being normal allowed me to experience new things. I knew that was important to Marcus, who dreamed of me being permanently normal – but he was realistic and he knew that it would never happen. Dave was happy, no matter what persona I took.
I hoped that bringing Stephanie into the family would give her a chance at a normal life. The nine-year-old was as damaged as me, so she needed the support of people who were familiar with her situation and would be able to control her. Dave and I were the only people who could do that. Unchecked, Psyche would take over Stephanie, as Hit Girl did to Mindy Macready, all those years ago when I first came to Chicago and before Dave found me.
A big part of me fought against being normal – Hit Girl hated to be normal, but another part of me craved normality and the love of another human being. If I had not taken up Dave's offer in that taxi, back when I was fifteen, where might I be now?
"You dwelling on the past, again?"
I looked up to see Dave standing beside the couch.
"Just a little..." I replied.
That night, I went up to see the girls.
"Danny – in your own room, please..."
"Night, Mom..." Danny said, giving me a hug and heading to his own room.
I sat down on the end of Anne-Marie's bed before speaking again.
"Are we in trouble?" Stephanie asked.
Why did they always think that they were in trouble?
"No, Steph... But it is about you... Nothing bad!" I replied quickly. "Stephanie, you're going to be ten soon and if you're gonna be living with us permanently, then I think you should have your own bedroom. There's an empty room just across the landing and round the corner – it has its own bathroom and everything."
I watched as both girls looked at each other, however it was Anne-Marie that spoke.
"Can we stay together for just a little longer, please?" She asked.
It was amazing how easily, and quickly, the two girls had bonded, despite there being almost two years' difference in age, not to mention that they had been brought up in very different cultures and countries.
"Okay, we'll talk about it again in the New Year."
"Thanks, Mom."
"Thanks, Mindy."
I smiled and gave each girl a hug before heading back downstairs.
"They want to stay together a little longer," I said as I entered the living room and passed Dave five bucks.
"Told you!" Dave grinned pocketing the bill.