I smirked as I wrapped the sandwiches I’d made in foil and added them to the twins’ packed lunch.“You don’t hear memoaning when you get the whole of summer off, and I have to work, do you?”
“Yeah, but summer is boring,”my sister huffed.“December is much more fun, you get to start enjoying the build-up to Christmas.”
I twisted to face them, catching Holly rolling her eyes at her twin’s dramatics. Not only were they different in looks, but their personalities were polar opposites, too. Ivy was the older of the two by seven minutes and made sure everyone knew. Despite their twelfth birthdayjuston the horizon, you could have been fooled into thinking she would be turning eighteen with the attitude she had.
Holly, on the other hand, was more reserved. She tended to keep her opinions to herself, often coming across as shy, whenreally, she was assessing her surroundings or getting the measure of someone. In contrast to Ivy, Holly sometimes acted like she was an eighty-year-old woman who was wise to the world.
“Well, when you get to my age, you can work all year and have December off. Untilthen, you’lljusthave to suck it up, buttercup.”I grinned at them, earning a snort from Holly and a scowl from Ivy.
Despite there being a ten-year age gap between the girls and me, they were my best friends. I didn’t think I’d ever forget how excited I was when my mom told me she was pregnant, and I’d gone to bed wishing for a baby sister. My wish had been answered when, a few weeks later, Mom told methatI would be gettingtwobaby sisters.
From the minute they were born, I doted on them. I suppose our closeness was helped by my looking after them a lot as we were growing up. My mom didn’t work for the first three years of the girls’ lives, but when money became scarce, she returned to her job as a nurse at the local hospital.
Her work in the intensive care unit meant she often worked long and unpredictable hours. With Dad working six days a week, and them not being able to afford childcare, there was only one person left to look after the girls.
I didn’t mind. We had a lot of fun hanging out together, and although I missed out on a lot of things thirteen-year-old boys got up to, I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. As the girls neared their teenage years, the three of us were closer than ever, and I hoped nothing would changethat.
“You promise you won’t put the tree up until we’re home from school?”Ivy said, pouting into her cereal, having now spilled milk onto her school shirt.
Zipping up their lunch boxes, I crossed to where the two of them sat at the tiny kitchen table. The house we lived in was far too small for a family of five. The girls shared a bedroom, and I had the smallest room to myself, which barely fit a single bed and a chest of drawers. There was only one bathroom, which caused all sorts of havoc during the morning when everyone was trying to get ready for work or school, and our living room only had one double sofathatmy mom and dad usually shared, while the girls and I sat on the floor.
At twenty-two, Ireallyought to have considered moving out, but I couldn’t afford it. I had my own business as a painter and decorator, which had grown massively over the year, and I earned decent money. But after paying rent to my parents to help them with their mortgage, along with contributing to the food shop, and whatever the girls needed for school, there wasn’t a huge amount left over at the end of each month.
My dream of having a place to myself was simplythat. A dream.
I squeezed Ivy’s shoulder.“I promise I won’t put the tree up until you’re home. Besides, Mom’s picking you up from school today, I’m meeting someone.”
Ivy’s face broke into a beaming smile.“Ooooh, Tristan’s got a date,”she sang, her eyes twinkling with mischief.
“What’s his name?”Holly asked quietly, finishing off her toast and peanut butter.
I met her affectionate gaze across the table. I couldn’t say when the girls learnedthatI was gay. I remembered telling my mom and dad when I was nine; I came home from school one day and told themthatI didn’t like girls, but I liked boys. My parents were nothing but accepting, and when the girls came along, it was like they alwaysjust…knew.
“Mike.”
“Mike and Tristan sitting in the tree,”Ivy started, bouncing in her seat, and earning an eye roll from Holly.
I couldn’t stop the grin lifting my lips. As a family, we might have lived in a small house, and we might not have been the richest family, but as far as I was concerned, I was the richest guy alive for having a family who loved and supported me.
“I hope you have fun,”Holly said, giving me a warm smile, onethatI returned.
“Thanks, Jolly Holly,”I replied, using the nickname I’d given her since she was a baby.
The two of them were born one week before Christmas Day, hence their names, Holly and Ivy. Christmas had always been my favorite time of the year, but when the girls were born, it made the festive season more special.
I knew the burden it put on my mom and dad, though, and it was one of the reasons I worked throughout the year and took the whole of December off. We might not have had much money, but I was always determined to make sure the girls had the best birthday and Christmas, andthatmeant working all year so I could make the whole month of December perfect for them.
“Right, come on, you two,”I said, clapping my hands.“The bus will be here in five, and you still haven’t got your shoes on.”
Ivy grumbled as she finished the last of her cereal, still complaining about life’s injustice, while Holly grabbed her lunch, kissed me on the cheek, and headed to the door to put her shoes on.
Twenty minutes later, I was home alone, and I collapsed onto the couch, exhausted. I loved the twins, and I loved my job, but sometimes, Ijustwanted to give in to the aches and pains my body experienced. With the TV showing reruns ofFriends, I allowed my eyes to close.
The shrill ringtone of my phone woke me. Disoriented, I grabbed it, my eyes widening at seeingthatit was past 1 pm, before answering the call from my best friend, Bella.“Hey, babe, what’s up?”
“Hey. Did I wake you?”
I sat up, wiping the sleep from my eyes at hearing the anguish in her voice.“It’s all good. What’s up?”I was met with silence, and instantly, my senses were on alert.“What’s going on, Bella? Are you okay?”
