~A CHRISTMAS TO REMEMBER~

~Christmas is a time when you get homesick - even when you're home~

- Carol Nelson

Songs - • Santa tell me by Ariana Grande.
• All I want for Christmas is you by Mariah Carey

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Aubrey groggily opened his eyes to find Sophie bouncing on his bed, her face lit up with a huge grin. "It's Christmas!" she yelled, her voice echoing through the room.

Aubrey couldn't help but laugh at Sophie's infectious energy. He sat up in bed, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "Merry Christmas, Soph," he said, pulling her into a hug.

As they hugged, Aubrey's mom, Emily, poked her head into the room. "Merry Christmas, babies!" she exclaimed, her voice warm and cheerful. "I've got a special Christmas breakfast waiting for you downstairs."

Sophie squealed with excitement, pulling Aubrey out of bed. "Let's go, let's go!" she exclaimed, dragging him towards the door.

"Woah girl," Aubrey pulled her back and her face hit his chest. "Are you always this excited for Christmas?" he chuckled, caressing her cheeks.

Sophie's face was still pressed against Aubrey's chest, but she managed to nod enthusiastically, her voice muffled. "Y-yes! I loooove Christmas! It's my favorite holiday, and it's close to my birthday! My birthday is on the 31st." She pulled back, her eyes sparkling with excitement, and Aubrey couldn't help but laugh at her cuteness.

"Really? I can tell why you love Christmas this much," he teased, smiling down at her. "You're like a little kid on Christmas morning." Sophie playfully rolled her eyes, but her grin never wavered.

"Someone's got to bring some excitement around here," she said, poking Aubrey's chest. "You're always so cool, calm and collected. I'm just trying to balance you out, baby." Aubrey chuckled, shaking his head.

"I think you're doing a little more than just balancing me out, Soph," he said, placing his hands around her waist.  "You're turning my whole world upside down." Sophie's face softened, and she reached up to brush a strand of dread out of Aubrey's face.

"That's the best part," she whispered, her voice filled with emotion. Aubrey's heart skipped a beat as he looked into her eyes, feeling his love for her swell up in his chest.

He leaned closer to kiss her, but then. . .

"Will y'all get down here!" . . .Emily yelled from the dining room. "The food is getting cold."

Aubrey and Sophie burst out laughing, the romantic moment shattered by Emily's loud and boisterous voice. Aubrey shook his head, grinning at Sophie.

"I guess we'll have to pick up where we left off later," he whispered, winking at her.

Downstairs, Emily had set up a festive Christmas spread, complete with pancakes, waffles, eggs, and bacon. The table was decorated with red and green tablecloths, and a small Christmas tree sat in the corner of the room, its lights twinkling.

"I hope you're both hungry, because I've made all your favorite dishes!" Emily beamed.

"Woah, momma," Aubrey forgot his mouth open in astonishment. "You really went all out."

"Tell me about it," Sophie added, squealing with excitement, before abandoning Aubrey and sitting on the dining next to Emily.

"Momma, you must've been cookin' all night!" he exclaimed, his deep voice filled with laughter.

Emily beamed with pride, her bright smile lighting up the room. "You know I had to bring the heat for my baby's Christmas breakfast!" she said, winking at Aubrey.

Sophie, meanwhile, was already digging in, her eyes closed in rapture as she savored the flavors. "Mmmmm, Mrs Wellington, this pancake is everything!" she exclaimed, her voice muffled by a mouthful of food.

Aubrey chuckled, shaking his head as he pulled out a seat from under the table. "Sophie, you're gonna make yourself sick eatin' all that food," he teased, grinning at her.

Sophie opened one eye, looking up at Aubrey as he sat down next to her.  "Someone's gotta make sure your momma's cookin' doesn't go to waste," she said, winking at Emily.

Emily laughed, playfully rolling her eyes. "Oh, Lord have mercy, these two are somethin' else," she exclaimed, chuckling.

As they continued to eat and joke around, the atmosphere in the room grew more and more lively, filled with laughter and warmth. It was clear that this was going to be a Christmas to remember.

Emily handed Aubrey and Sophie each a small gift. "I got you guys a little something," she said, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

Aubrey and Sophie exchanged a look, then ripped off the wrapping paper to reveal matching Christmas-themed socks. They burst out laughing, holding up their feet to admire their new socks.

"Geez, thanks ma," Aubrey said sacarstically.

"You're almost welcome," Emily said, waving her hand as she stuffed her face with more food.

After breakfast, Emily suggested they open their main gifts. Aubrey and Sophie exchanged a look, then ripped off the wrapping paper to reveal a brand-new jersey for Aubrey, and a beautiful silver necklace for Sophie.

"Omg, this is so beautiful," Sophie said softly, trying on her necklace.

"Ma, you sure you're the one here?" Aubrey teased, staring at his jersey.

Emily playfully slapped his arm with a chuckle. "I'm still your momma, and I know what you like."

"Thanks Ma." He leaned in for a hug.

As Aubrey hugged Emily, Sophie joined in, wrapping her arms around both of them. The three of them stood there for a moment, holding each other tightly.

"I'm so grateful for you both," Emily said, her voice filled with emotion. "This has been the best Christmas morning ever."

Aubrey and Sophie pulled back, smiling at Emily. "We're grateful for you too, Ma," Aubrey said, his voice sincere.

Sophie nodded in agreement. "Thank you Mrs Wellington, for accepting me into your home."

Emily's face lit up with a warm smile.  "Aww, don't mention dear," she said, reaching out to hold Sophie's hands. "I already consider you family, I love you."

Tears gathered Sophie's eyes as she started to remember her own mother.
She looked down, trying to compose herself, but the memories came flooding back.

"Hey, sweetie, what's wrong?" Emily asked, her voice soft with concern.

Sophie took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. "It's just...my mom," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "She used to do the same thing, hold my hands and tell me how much she loved me."

Aubrey's eyes narrowed, his expression sympathetic. "Soph, I'm so sorry," he said, putting a comforting arm around her shoulders.

Sophie smiled weakly, trying to reassure him. "It's okay, it's just...it's been a while since I've felt like I had a mom figure in my life," she explained.

Emily's expression softened, her eyes filled with compassion. "Oh, sweetie, I'm so sorry you've had to go through that," she said, pulling Sophie into a warm hug.

As they hugged, Sophie began to open up about her past. "My mom passed away when I was 12, after my father ended up in prison," she said, her voice muffled against Emily's shoulder. "It was just me and my brother after that, but he...he wasn't really around much. He was always working, trying to provide for us. He got into an accident and didn't survive. My dad also died in prison for a crime he didn't commit."

"Shit!" Aubrey exclaimed.

"Shit, indeed," Sophie said in a cracked voice. "I felt so alone."

Aubrey's arm tightened around Sophie's shoulders, holding her close. Emily held her at arm's length, looking into her eyes.

"You're not alone now, Sophie," Emily said, her voice firm. "You've got us, and we're not going anywhere."

Sophie nodded and a tear fell out of her eyes. "Thank you."

"C'mon, Soph. Quit crying like that, you know how much it hurts me to see you crying," Aubrey said, wiping away her tears.

"Now, who's ready for some Christmas cookies and hot chocolate?"

Aubrey and Sophie exchanged a look, then grinned at Emily. "We are!" they chimed in unison, laughing.

As they spent the morning playing games and admiring their new gifts, Emily slipped into the kitchen to start preparing Christmas dinner. The delicious smells of roasting turkey and baking cookies wafted through the house, making everyone's stomach growl with anticipation.

As they sat down to eat, Emily raised her glass in a toast. "To my favorite people in the world," she said, her eyes shining with love. "Merry Christmas, everyone!"

Aubrey and Sophie clinked their glasses against Emily's, grinning at each other. This was shaping up to be the best Christmas ever.

"Ma," Aubrey called Emily.

Emily sipped her drink. "Hm?"

"I don't think I ever told you that Sophie's the girl I disrespected at the casino months ago."

She spat out the content she sipped earlier. Her eyes widened in shock as she stared at Aubrey, her mouth agape. "Aubrey Wellington, what in the world...?!" she exclaimed, her voice trailing off.

Sophie burst out laughing, nearly choking on her drink.

Aubrey grinned mischievously, clearly enjoying the shock value of his revelation. "Hey, I figured it was time you knew the whole story, Ma," he said, shrugging nonchalantly.

Emily's face turned bright red as she set her glass down, her eyes blazing with amusement. "I guess we all can agree, that I'm the reason y'all are together now. I forced you to apologize to her."

"Seriously, Ma? You're gonna take credit for that?"

"Uh-huh."

Sophie chuckled, holding up her hands in mock defense. "I was just an innocent waitress...who happened to slap him in the face." Emily and Sophie burst into laughter, mocking Aubrey.

Aubrey laughed, rubbing his jaw in mock pain. "Yeah, that was a nice welcome, Soph," he teased.

"I thank you," Sophie fanned herself.

Emily shook her head, still chuckling. "Aubrey's really changed. I'm surprised his clothes are folded neatly."

Sophie burst out laughing, nearly snorting her drink out of her nose. "Oh, Ma'am, you have no idea!" she exclaimed, wiping tears from her eyes. "I've had to put in so much effort. "

Aubrey playfully rolled his eyes, grinning at Sophie. "Hey, my closet ain't that bad!" he protested, laughing.

Emily chuckled, shaking her head. "I'm just glad to see Aubrey's found someone who can appreciate him for who he is, messy closet and all," she said, smiling warmly at Sophie.

Sophie's face softened, and she reached out to squeeze Emily's hand. "I love him just the way he is, messy closet and all," she said, smiling up at Aubrey.

Aubrey's heart swelled with emotion, and he leaned in to kiss Sophie softly on the lips. "I love you too, Soph," he whispered, his voice filled with affection.

After dinner, they spent the evening lounging around the living room, watching Christmas movies and playing games. As the night drew to a close, Emily pulled out a special Christmas dessert – a decadent chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream.

As they dug in, Aubrey turned to Sophie with a mischievous grin. "You know what would make this Christmas even better?" he asked, his eyes sparkling with excitement.

Sophie raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "What's that?" she asked.

Aubrey leaned in, his voice dropping to a whisper. "A Christmas kiss under the mistletoe."

Sophie's eyes widened, and she glanced up at the mistletoe hanging from the ceiling. Then, she turned back to Aubrey, a sly smile spreading across her face.

"Game on," she whispered, leaning in to kiss him.

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