Author's Note: That's how Evelyn looks like, based on a custom character of Taissa Farmiga. :))

--- A Day Later ---

--- 25th of December, 1962 ---

The Mars family spent the entire Christmas Eve day in preparation, in order to bake sweets and cook altogether, besides jollily chanting themselves, during the Christmas meals' preparation, besides embellishing their home with exquisite Christmas decoration as their grandiose white Christmas tree, which was adorned with garlands in diversity colors along with balls and wrapped up presents underneath the tree were ideally set in the living room. 

As the Christmas day approached lastly, subsequently, the married couple were snuggling as they wore nothing else than their own comfy pyjamas in their king sized bed, whereas convenient blankets blanketed their senseless bodies, warming them. 

Despite the common muggy weather, plaguing Florida, this time the weather was much different compared to the other winter days as they were prominently exceptional. It hasn't snowed for years as the overwhelming miracle for the Marses came true at last especially for Evelyn, their sole daughter they had.

Not only the couple postponed to get up as the wee hours of the morning dawned in Florida along with the sunrise with the saturating, translucently mist sunrays which dispersed through the bedroom's large sized window, bathing the room in fresh day light, but also the hive of tumbling down snowflakes was naturally pictured outside, reflecting the genuine winter scenery. 

At the moment, the young lady came to her senses at last as she rubbed with her frail, petite fists her drowsy hazelish-brown eyes, emitting a mere yawn, she got from the bed and hopped up in comfortable, fuzzy slippers by deciding to surprise her family as she makes a breakfast for them. In the corner of her eye, she scanned instantly the clock on the right side of her nightstand, reading it approximately "7:30am". 

Afterwards she fled her bedroom, pacing in the hallway until she descended the stairs and marched up to the kitchen in no time without causing turmoil in the silenced luxurious mansion, subsequently tying a tight knot of an ordinary, white apron, bracing her torso and lower abdomen as an armor against soiling her pajamas. When the brunette was in the kitchen, she researched the refrigerator for milk, an egg and butter, gathering a package of  flour, baking soda along with the molasses, orange zest and bowl of brown sugar as they were the necessary ingredients for baking mouth-watering, insatiably sweet gingerbread cookies within less an hour.

As the Italian emigrant woke up first, stretching his muscular, strong arms as they spread in the air as they once braced his wife, scooping her in a leisure, nevertheless, doting, insatiable embrace as a casual, mellow yawn zinged his dry lips, subsequently absently playing with Elsa's stray, glossy aureate tresses, admiring the softness of her disheveled hair, framing daintily her gorgeous, pale as snow complexion. 

"You're so beautiful when you're asleep, my angel!" Massimo whispered in velvety voice as his Italian accent accentuated on his whisper, which died on his tongue. Meanwhile, his coffee brown orbs absent-mindedly gawked the middle-aged lady, admiring her ethereal beauty even when she was kipping yet, drowned in repose, sketched upon her face. His long, dexterous finger twirled the curls, whereas his other, solely free hand cupped her chin, gripping it gingerly without interrupting her kipping. The thumb of his hand traced gently her chin as the tip hardly brushed the silken skin of her rosy-coloured bottom lip. Radiant, megawatt smile cradled his lips as a swinging hammock, due to the fresh summer breeze, playing with every surrounding object. "Merry Christ-" As he verged to resume his utterance, suddenly Elsa stirred as she opened reluctantly her eyelids which shielded as a plate armor her brittle eyes from the bright light, veiling the bedroom. 

"Good morning, darling!" Her firm, German accent hoarsely glazed the syllables, in fact, she just woke up as he tilted her head, meeting her hypnotizing gaze. 

"Good morning, my angel!" He mumbled softly as their faces approached, capturing her naturally rosy-coloured, dry lips in a sultry morning kiss, deepening it as she threw her slender arms around his bare, toned back, being clung to him. "Merry Christmas, beautiful!"

"Merry Christmas, mein Liebchen!" Moments after they broke off the sensual kiss, subsequently they withdrew with a handful of centimetres their faces, in order to admire one another's enchanting facial features. 

--- *** ---

A quarter an hour after kneading the flour and forming well-defined gingerbread cookies, subsequently the brunette put the oven with the swarm of floured gingerbreak cookies to bake for approximately 10 minutes without an ado, setting them on moderately high temperature, whereas she plugged in the radio in the plug by distracting herself with the recent music which came on the radio, jingling joyous tunes into her sensitive, petite ears. At times, Evelyn danced and twirled with open arms, taking steps forward as she expected the oven cheep as soon as possible.

"Rockin' around the Christmas tree at the Christmas party hop! Mistletoe hung where you can see. Every couple tries to stop!" Brenda Lee's song recently played on the radio, whilst the both adults descended the stairway for the first floor, hearing the looped playing song in the kitchen's background.

"Oh! Evelyn is probably having fun." The middle-aged man said in jeering manner as he couldn't repress a snicker, tickling the corners of his mouth as Elsa joined him. 

"For sure! She loves dancing whenever she's extremely bored and she should wait for too long something to occur." The blonde mumbled in velvety as satin voice, lingering on her tongue as she dangled an arm around her husband's shoulder. 

"Woo-hooo!" The adolescent squealed in sheer, unconditional glee, vomited in her voice as if the squeal beared a semblance of a childish one, swimming in the background, interweaving with Brenda's eloquent singing voice. 

"Evie?" The parents of the teenager stepped in the kitchen, propping on the doorframe as they admired the sight of their carelessly dancing daughter, spreading her lean arms in the air as flapping, grand wings of a bird. 

In the corner of her honey brown pool, she noted Elsa and Massimo, wearing vibrant radiance, masking their looks until the chubby, well-shaped cheeks tinged in sanguine nuances as muggy heat crawled underneath them, halting. 

"Rockin' around the Christmas tree! Let the Christmas spirit ring! Later we'll have some pumpkin pie and we'll do some caroling!"

"Looks like somebody's awake a bit early!" Evelyn zinged up to the radio, consequently unplugging it from the plug as the music in the background subdued as a baby cry. "Morning, mom and dad!" She said, offering them a sympathetic, composed smile, distorted across her lips.

"Morning, sweetie! You're slightly early awake than our expectancies." The married couple replied in unison as Elsa took off the coffee pot from the upper kitchen cabinet, while Massimo gathered empty, white mugs. "A morning bird!"

"Not exactly! I wasn't sleepy at all." Evelyn confessed, nibbling on the silken skin of her bottom, plumpish lip begrudgingly as she glimpsed at the oven, scanning the remaining time until the gingerbread cookies were lastly baked. "Merry Christmas!"

"Merry Christmas to you too, angel!"

--- *** ---

In the wee hours of the morning after the patients were released from their cells for breakfast and participating in adorning the monumental Christmas tree, taking its place in the sufficiently expansive common room, due to Father McKenzie's message, the majority of the patients gawked glassily at the Christmas tree, whereas Alexander scrutinized 2 security guards assembling the tree as they used a wooden ladder, in case, for the decorations and neatly setting it. 

In the meanwhile, Samuel and Susan contemplated jadedly, apathetically the embellishment of the Christmas tree with crossed arms as the older woman chewed her upper lip. 

"Well, he hasn't messed up with us yet for not participating in decorating this shit which he wants!" The black-haired woman muttered, exhaling sharply, dramatically as the exhale flared her nostrils, rolling her eyes as a readible expression of tedium, painted across her look as colder pigments were airbrushed. 

"Look at these poor wretched souls! They're like slaves for the asshat, wiping his ass!" The younger man scowled as he was beyond vexed as the blood vigorously boiled in his veins and the ire brewed inside him. Meantime, he pouted his lips.

"Exactly, Sam! I pity them."

"Hey you, Ms. Clarke and Mr. Manson! Didn't we have an agreement which we're looking forward, did we?" All of a sudden, the head of the mental institution turned to the both inmates, casting a dubious glare at them as his piercing azure blue eyes were glued on the serial killer duo.

"Didn't ya hear our responses to the pointless question, Father?" Samuel confronted the administrator of the nuthouse, opting to moderate his voice decibels without raising a voice at the foe. "We won't be part of this."

"Don't be childish, Mr. Manson! That's not a kindergarten or school. That's an asylum and you," Suddenly he approached them in haughty gait, highlighting his overweening demeanor, pursing his lips unwillingly as he didn't take his eyes off the duo. "Both of you, don't have the right to ruin the Christmas not only for them with your infantile complaints, but also for yourselves as this can be yar," As the juvenile man of the cloth was about to keep on with his exclaimation, lifting a forefinger into their faces as a handful of inches gapped the proximity of the forefinger and their complexions until the older lady wrapped her slim, long as piano keys fingers around the native Salemian's neck, grasping firmer the grip of the fingers.

"Who do ya dare to talk to in such manner, Father? Huh?" In the interval, Susan spat clammily into his face, baring her mildly yellowed teeth, due to the poor hygiene. 

"Jesus H Christ! Fuck!" The holy man whimpered as stoicness was tattooed on his youthful, parchment face, meeting the grotesquely glaring stares of the both frustrated inmates as if he just encountered the Satan. "You're actually the people who don't have the right to talk to me as if I'm an asshole."

"Guess who says that!" Wry giggles zinged their lips as they inhaled the alluring cologne, emanating his clerical attires, which clothed every inch of his flesh. "The asshole, himself!" In the interim, the hive of patients gawked whether in rejoicing manner or peculiarly flabbergasted as their complexions blanched, acquiring palish, vapid hues.

"Taste the pain, hypocritical motherfucker! To lick the purulent scars! To savor their sweetness as yar beloved lies, coated in sugar." The older man retaliated in coarse manner, licking viciously, gloriously his lips just before pushing efortlessly the priest as the Christmas tree slumps on his body, hence, trapping him with immense, dead weight, whereas the both security guards were imposing the ladders as they were about to lock up in the solitary Samuel and Susan as the obth serial killers were exceedingly versatile, swift as an arrow. In this moment, they pushed violently, effortlessly the man of the cloth until his rear and toned back contacted the artificial Christmas tree. 

"For heaven sake, you will pay for your deeds, believe me, Ms. Clarke and Mr. Manson!" Alexander bemoaned, clutching firmly his hands into balled fists as he fell backward, conking his head behind the collapsed tree as the both security guards sheeted the apocalyptic scene, taking deep breaths. In the interval, the both imprisoned adults stormed off the common room, finding a way to escape the dull walls of the madhouse as they inwardly, wickedly guffawed, without suppressing their vocal stings pulsating in their oral caverns.

--- *** ---

"Morning!" It was Odette, who woke up first in the wee hours of the morning, offering a benevolent, calm smile, honed up in ther corner of her rosy-coloured, damp lips shortly after breastfeeding Charlotte, who laid peacefully, securely into her mother's secure, loving arms being rocked faintly at times. 

Meantime, the horde of adults gathered altogether in the living room as Jude held Lucas, whilst Timothy held and swinged gingerly Jack as they woke up, due to their blubbers, hankering for being feed. 

Kit was asleep on the leather, convenient couch as soon as he heard his girlfriend and her parents' voices, consequently he couldn't help but come to his senses eventually as quilt blanketed his toned, tall figure. 

"Morning, sweetie! Merry Christmas!" The juvenile singer said in optimistic way as she ambled up to the sofa, pecking a tender, doting kiss on Kit's cheek as her lips scooped the facial flesh. "Morning, Kit! Merry Christmas to you too!" In the meanwhile, the big hazelish-ocean irises of Charlotte Marion were fixed on her step-father, pursing bashfully, girlishly her baby pinkish lips. 

"Morning everybody! Merry Christmas to you too, my two of a kind!" He peppered feather, delicate kisses on Charlotte and Odette's temples. Genuinely kindhearted smile flourished on his lips once he beheld his fiancé and their daughter along. He momentarily struggled to get from the sofa, hopping up in comfy slippers. 

"It looks like somebody is up earlier!" The former sister of the church commented in scoffing manner, winking gamely, mischievous at her daughter, racking lightly with her slim, adroit fingers the dark sparse hair, fondling the softness of his capping hair. 

"It depends for whom is addressed." The brunette added, nuzzling her nose against her daughter's button one, giggling and goggling her pools at the infant into her arms in awe being overwhemingly mesmerized for being graced with a child. "Aww, look at ya, Cher! Yar the cutest and most precious Christmas present I've ever received along with the proposal from yar Daddy." The little girl cooed absently, cheerfully. "Ah, yeah, my heart! You're a special Christmas present, ya know."

"You're the most special Christmas presents which I've ever got! Never and ever forget that, my two of a kind!" 

"Kiddos, don't ya want some tea and gingerbread cookies as breakfast, do you?" The middle-aged mother rambled up to the young couple.

"Rare bird, we haven't checked the presents under the Christmas tree," It was Timothy, who broke the ice promptly. "And now you're talking about breakfast."

"Oops! I almost missed that one." The elder woman responded reluctantly as the horde of adults approached the grandiose, awe-inspiringly embellished Christmas tree as the tree's lights flickered as the multicoloured garlands glimmered variety of tinges, reflexed on the decoration. "I'm still wondering who's going to be first with the presents."

"Probably I." Odette mischievously, smugly answered, biting her bottom, plump lip in jeering way, rocking yet her little sweet ray of sunshine. "And for this purpose, I and Charlotte will open them together! Isn't like that, my darling?" Odette emboldened the young girl as she pulled by the waxen crimson present envelop the box towards her, throughout unboxing it with her solely free, elvish hand until her irises glistened in awe, meeting a sky blue baby rocker. "Aww, that's so sweet! It's unbelievably adorable for the baby!"

"Definitely! Just imagine the little angel sitting on it, watching her mother cooking or doing other type of housework around the house." The juvenile gas station salesman riposted encouragingly, patting amiably his girlfriend's shoulder. 

"Aww! I can already sink in the reverie of this sweetness," She paused as the murmur died on her tongue. "Sweet Jesus! It's awfully cute. Do not allow my rich imagination work as a buzzing car engine!" The love child said in teasing way, keeping on with her utterance.

"I'm sure, I'm next!" 

As Jude handed one of the twins to her husband, in order to unwrap her Christmas present with an ease, thus she unwrapped the enveloped box until her honey brown orbs widened in wonderment, transfixing them on the velvet scarlet extravagant sundress, holding by the subtle spaghetti straps the garment, lifting up as she scrutinized it for a split second. 

"Oh my god!" In the meanwhile, she earned inquisitive looks, inked on the adults and infants' complexions as her mouth was mildly agape, testing the sundress onto her body without changing her current outfit. "It's magnificently stunning! I love it so much, honey!" Meanwhile, the married couple shared a brief, luscious kiss as the blonde expressed her endless gratitude for the simon-purely dazzling gift. 

"It will look even more magnificently stunning on you if you go upstairs, changing yourself. Trust me, rare bird!"

"I'll do it within a few minutes. I'm just eager to find out what a facial expression is going to be tattooed on yar face once if ya," At the moment, he handed the baby boy twins to swing them into her maternally protective, doting arms, whilst he was unpacking his Christmas present, earning the sly gaze of his curious wife. "Once open the pandora's box!"

"Oh wow! It's terrifically wonderful!" When the former member of the church discovered his Christmas present by unwrapping it within seconds without delay, subsequently his warm chocolate brown eyes were met with the bewitching sight of a new photo camera, taking with better quality polaroid photographs. 

"Are ya glad?" 

"More than anything, my Judy!" Soothing, rejoicing smile danced across his berry-coloured, damp lips as the married couple linked one another's gazes, staring right into one another's abysmal souls. "Thank you for this spectacular present!"

"No need to!" She simply, humbly nodded her head, affirming his words as he took away Lucas from her arms, having the chance to hold him. "Let's make a family photo, shall we?"

"Why not?" The both men readily agreed with the native Bostonian's suggestion as the entire compact, nonetheless lovable, inseperable family posed behind the Christmas tree as part of their family memorable photograph's crucial background. 

"Okay so," In this moment, Timothy handed Kit the sole twin, who was into his arms by setting the polaroid camera to snap photographs within seconds just moments before hasting to pose alongside his wife and small family with shining smiles, crawled immediately on their complexions. "1..2...3," He hemmed, thereafter rushing up to the blonde, hence, readjusting their postures as they darted their gleaming radiantly irises to the camera. 

To be continued...