Christmas Eve

December 24th finally arrived, the night that many people were waiting for, because it was the night they could get together with their families. Both those close by and those from outside Quespion City.

Amanda thought that she would just celebrate the night alone in her house. However, Camille invited her to celebrate together at her house.

"But you'll want to hang out with your family, I don't want to intrude..." Amanda said.

"Ahh... Not at all. It's just me and my kids anyway. Come on." Camille pulled Amanda's hand.

Thinking it was a good opportunity to celebrate with the others, Amanda said she would catch up later. She would change her clothes first.

Actually, she had prepared a gift for Lili too. Camille had helped her a lot in the almost half a year since Amanda had moved into the house. She was also very close to Lili, so she prepared a gift for the child.

When they arrived at Camille's house, it was Lili who opened the door. The 9-year-old girl invited Amanda to come inside.

"Merry Christmas, Miss Amanda!" she said cheerfully.

"Merry Christmas to you too, Lili." Amanda gave the gift to Lili.

"What is this?! A present for me? Waahhh thank you so much!" exclaimed Lili hugging Amanda.

The woman told her to open the gift the next day when Christmas came. Lili agreed and put the gift away with the others.

When Amanda wanted to catch up with Camille in the kitchen to help her, a young man suddenly appeared in front of her and they looked at each other in confusion.

This was the first time Amanda had seen the young man, but from his face, he looked very much like Camille. Was he Camille's other son?

"Oh... Hello, you must be Miss Amanda, right? Mama said you were coming," he said.

"Yes, I did. I'm Amanda. Are you Camille's eldest son? I just found out she has a son," Amanda replied.

"Yes, my name is Alejandro. Just call me Al. I study in North Quespion, quite far from here. That's why I live there and only come home on vacation," he introduced himself while extending his hand. Amanda smiled and shook Alejandro's hand.

"Oh really? What major are you studying?"

Alejandro explained that he was studying graphic design, and that he loved to design and draw. Amanda was amazed by Alejandro's education.

If she could remember, Amanda herself had never taken any formal education. From elementary school to college. She didn't have the money to go to school, and when she did, she was already busy with her job as a secret agent that didn't require a certificate of education.

Everything was self-taught and taught by the people around her.

"You must really like art, huh?" asked Amanda.

"Yes! I like to see beauty, just like my late father. He loved taking pictures of so many beautiful things. He was a very good photographer..." he said excitedly.

'Deceased? So... Camille's husband is dead? She never said that. I thought he was just so busy working that I never saw him...' Amanda thought.

She had never asked about Camille's husband's whereabouts because she was worried it would be rude of her to ask. She had just found out that Camille had been a widow all this time.

While the two of them were talking, Camille emerged from the kitchen and invited them to sit at the dining table. The evening meal was ready.

The four of them sat on the chairs with the dining table full of warm and delicious food.

"Camille, you cooked all this yourself?" Amanda asked.

"Yes, of course. Lili and Al can't cook yet, so I made everything. Let's eat as much as we want!" replied Camille.

"Of course, thank you for inviting me to join your family for dinner like this. I'm very happy," Amanda said.

Camille smiled and said that she considered Amanda as her own family. Amanda was so kind and happy to help Camille when she couldn't do things on her own.

"I knew from the beginning that you were a good woman. That's why you're like family to me." Camille said.

"That's good to hear. Camille has also helped me a lot since I came here. I don't know how to repay your kindness."

"Ahhh never mind! I did it without expecting anything back from you."

The woman also offered Amanda her favorite potato salad, she made it because she knew Amanda loved it. Amanda happily ate the salad which tasted very good.

"I don't want the broccoli, I'm not a goat that eats grass!" complained Lili.

"You have to eat it, it doesn't taste like grass. It's delicious anyway, I've given you the seasoning you'll love," Camille coaxed her daughter.

"Still don't want it! I'll just eat the sausage," said the girl, taking a grilled sausage from the table.

"What are you-- It's for your health..." said Alejandro who was annoyed at his sister's picky attitude.

Amanda couldn't help but smile. She felt like she was in the middle of a warm family. The commotion that she sometimes missed, even though it sounded so noisy, but she was happy to be among those who loved her.

After dinner, they enjoyed a dessert of chocolate pudding with vanilla fla.

That night they enjoyed Christmas Eve so much, Camille looked very excited to celebrate with her two children. At that moment, Amanda missed her biological family even more. She asked Camille for permission to go home on the grounds that she was sleepy.

"Thank you for dinner. I'm getting sleepy, so I'd like to get some rest," Amanda said.

"Oh, okay then. Thank you for coming. I'll see you tomorrow," said Camille, escorting Amanda to the front door.

She made sure Amanda entered her house safely, then closed the door.

Inside the house, Amanda walked to her room and sat on the bed. She looked down at her cell phone on the bedside table. For a long time, she had been dying to contact her family after so many things happened in Quespion that made her think of them.

Amanda slowly reached for her cell phone and searched for her family's number.

"Okay Amanda. Don't cry, speak casually, don't make them worry. Okay."

Amanda pressed the phone button and waited for her family to pick up the phone.

Piiip

"Hello, who is it?" came a man's voice from the other end of the line. Amanda recognized the voice very well.

"Hello dad, it's me... Amanda. How are you guys doing over there? Oh yeah, happy Christmas Eve..."

"Amanda?! Oh my god... My wife! Amanda called us! Oh Amanda. I miss you so much. Why are you calling us now?" her father asked.

Amanda replied that her work was very busy. The mission she was on was also quite tough, but that day she took the time to call them to ask how they were doing.

Amanda's parents sounded very happy to chat with the daughter they missed so much. They kept asking about Amanda's condition, whether she had eaten or not, and if she was okay.

"I'm fine. Mr. James is giving me a day off for Christmas, so I can call you guys. What about mom and dad, have you set up the Christmas tree this year? I made it..."

"Mom and Dad made it. We also hung a picture of the three of you as something very precious to us. Amanda, mom and dad are so glad you called us. We know you're very busy. But if you have anything you want to tell us, you can tell us. We're your family..." her mom explained.

Amanda was silent for a moment and then rubbed her rounded stomach. She replied that she had nothing to tell them, everything was fine. So they didn't need to worry about her.

"I'll be fine, and I hope you will too."

That night, Amanda spent part of the night talking to her parents, releasing the longing she had been harboring.

Even with the lies tucked in between their conversations.