Page 196 of Scars Like Wings

Cody cursed, losing another round. We all laughed, and I felt some of the tension ease as I began to relax. I wanted to be in this moment, here with the cousins like this forever. The strange feeling lingered, an itch at the back of my mind that I tried to ignore, but I was determined to enjoy my time with Quinn and her family. So, this was perfect.

It had to be.

The front door slammed so loudly that it shook the walls of the basement, followed by a flurry of footsteps and animated conversations that made it so we couldn’t hear the music from the games.

Natassa rolled her eyes, pouring another glass of sangria. It had to be her fourth one, but that was the last number I remembered for all of us and that was ages ago. “Looks like the Trinity has arrived.”

“Took them long enough!” Cody slurred, trying to stand and almost stumbling back onto the floor. “Fuck, Natty-Light, what did we put in that sangria?”

“Enough alcohol to deal with our mother, obviously,” Nat answered.

All eight of us made our way to the main floor. It had drastically changed since we had been up here a mere few hours before. Now, the house appeared like the latter part of aHoardersepisode when they are cleaning the worst of the collection away. Strewn everywhere were plastic bins with their lids askew and cardboard boxes ripped open. All of them had their contents spilling out. Garland, lights, tinsel, blankets, and so much more were laid out all over. It was Christmas in progress.

“Byrdie, Mama’s sugar-angel-pie, welcome home!”

I turned just in time before Quinn’s mom took me up in a tight embrace. When she pulled back, I was able to take in her festive green wrap dress and hair in a long braid down one side of her face. She was stunning as ever, her eyes sparkling with so much love, my breath caught in my throat. Gods, I loved seeing this woman. It felt like she was sent to me directly by my mom.

“This isn’t necessarily home, Mama. It’s a vacation house,” Quinn corrected.

“Well, home is where my babies are, so it’s home to me!” Mama kissed my cheek.

“Oh my goodness, Adrienne! You are smothering the poor girl before I have even gotten to say hello!” A gentle, soft laugh sounded from behind Quinn’s mama. There stood another woman, slightly shorter than Mama, with long dirty blond hair dutch braided in the back with flyaways framing her face. She had a more demure, quiet disposition to her, but her smile was incredibly warm like a hot cup of tea. “My name is Tess. It’s lovely to finally meet you, Byrd!”

She pulled me into a quick but cozy hug. “Quinn talks about you all the time. It’s nice to put a beautiful face to the name.”

I smiled, grateful for her kindness and sweet nature. “It’s great to meet you, too.”

“Ah, yes. The famous Byrd.” Another woman scrolled past Tess and Mama. She wore all black from her shirt to her socks, a standout in the sea of colorful, festive outfits. Her hair was platinum blonde in a harsh ponytail to match the sharp look in her blue eyes. I recognized that look and eye color. She had to be Carol-Kay or CK, as Quinn called her. A smirk played on her lips as she looked me up and down with an appraising gaze. “Hope you’re ready for arealfamily Christmas. We don’t do shit halfway around here.”

“Aunt CK, be nice,” Quinn said, a slight edge appearing in her smile.

“I’m just saying. No room for amateurs—Ah! My babies!” CK cried out when she caught sight of her four children. She pushed past me to shower them with hugs and kisses.

“Don’t take it personally, love,” Mama whispered, placing a hand reassuringly on my shoulder. “She’s prickly like that to everyone.”

I forced a smile and nodded. Quinn placed an arm around me, pulling me close. Just when I was starting to feel unsettled, Quinn’s touch grounded me. I smiled up at her.

“Well, now that everyone is here, we can kick things off with decorating! We have so many hands this year, so this should take no time at all!” Mama declared, heading for a box with various items wrapped in tissue paper.

“Wait, we’re starting without Dad?” Quinn asked, confusion in her furrowed brows.

“Oh, he’ll be late.” Mama waved the question off like it was an annoying fly. But the frustration was clear in her voice and on her face. “You know how he gets when he’s on a job. But we aren’t going to wait up! We are going to enjoy ourselves because it’s Christmas, and that’s what family does. Now, you all knowwhat to do, so let’s get the girls up to speed, okay? Quinn-Quinn, go get the box of plates and placements down. You know I can never reach it, and it’s too heavy. Cody, get some music going! It had better be festive, none of that emo nonsense you played last year. It’s the season of joy, not Seasonal Depression Hour.”

Yep, I loved this family.

The next few hours were a whirlwind. Mama’s energy was infectious as we all worked to unpack and decorate the mansion inside and out. The scent of pine and cinnamon grew fresher and stronger as we unboxed and hung ornaments, garland, and string lights around the entire main floor. Mama directed the chaos with practiced ease, her laughter ringing throughout the cabin and lightening the mood whenever it threatened to turn awkward. CK’s jokes were often cutting, but Tess’s gentle humor balanced everyone out, ensuring everyone was included. Inside, the cabin transformed into a festive wonderland straight from a ChristmasHallmarkmovie.

Tess began passing me crystal figurines depicting Santa, Mrs. Claus, and all the reindeer pulling a sleigh packed with presents. She unwrapped each one delicately before handing it to me to put on the mantle near the stockings.

“Be careful now, these are family heirlooms.” Her gentle guidance eased my nerves, and it made me beam.

On the other hand, CK was in charge of hanging the outdoor lights along with her triplet boys. Her commentary when she came inside to get another box of lights, while harsh, managed to make everyone laugh every time. When she picked up a particularly tangled mess of wires, she shook her head. “If these lights don’t work, it ain’t my fault. Who the hell even packed these last year?”

“I do believe it was you. I think you did it while saying, ‘who gives a damn about wrapping lights?” Nat quoted.

While they started bickering, Quinn found me setting up the Christmas pillows and blankets. She kissed my cheek and whispered in my ear for me to hear over the arguments and Kelly Clarkson’s “Run, Run, Rudolph” playing in the background. “You’re doing so fucking great, sweetness.”

“Thank you so much. This is so much fun!”

---