The penthouse was almost living and breathing with excitement. Emi was beside herself with excitement as she worked along with Aubrey and Angelo on making more Christmas cookies. The first batch had easily been devoured the day before, but Emi insisted on making more for her aunt and uncle. Meanwhile, Rosa and Amanda were busy preparing dinner to take to Rico and Ceci’s house while the men looked after soundly sleeping Elia and focused on wrapping and piling Christmas gifts for the kids into a big bag. Even with each family celebrating the Christmas morning and afternoon separately, they loved to come together for a common dinner and unwrap presents together.
“We’re all done!” Emi announced, looking back at Amanda from where she was kneeling on the kitchen stool. Amanda moved closer to look at the cookies decorated by the children. They were surprisingly well-done and quite impressive if she did say so herself. Now just to pack up all of the food and head over to the Barthels. “Here, let me pack,” said Niels, appearing in the kitchen with Elia babbling on his arm. Amanda chuckled and took her baby girl. “Alright, I’ll get this little one ready. Emi help your brother get ready. His clothes is on his bed, as is yours.” Aubrey glanced down at her clothes, spotting smears of frosting on her princess outfit. “Don’t worry Aubrey, I’ll find something for you too,” Amanda said with a wink. Within a few minutes, they were all dressed, the food and presents were loaded into the cars and they were on their way. Niels eyes were lit with excitement as he drove. It had been just yesterday that he had been driving Ceci and Rico to the hospital when the newest member of the family decided she didn’t want to wait to be in the hospital to make her debut. Today, they were proud kobeparents; Amanda could see it in Niels’ eyes. The kids sang along with Christmas carols on the radio all the way to Rico and Ceci’s house. Rosa, Teun and Aubrey followed behind them in their rental car, carrying the bulk of the presents in the trunk. After getting through traffic, they all finally arrived but rather than be eager to eat and open presents, everyone was excited to see baby Rhea Eve again. She was certainly a cute little Christmas present for everyone. “We won’t stay long, I promise,” said Amanda, giving Ceci a light hug. “But we certainly weren’t leaving you guys out of our family celebration this year.” Ceci smiled at her. She looked exhausted, but delighted. There was that maternal glow that couldn’t be denied. Amanda set Elia down on the carpet and then began to place the presents under the Christmas tree. Once Eli, Aelin and Belie arrived, they all ate dinner and then enjoyed some hot cocoa and Christmas cookies while they kids opened presents. All the while, Rico was snapping photographs, happy that his family was together once again, with the exception of Bella who did send word that she was alive and well. Amanda hoped that they would always be this close, or even closer. As promised, they didn’t stay very long, and instead they cleaned up promptly after presents were opened, then bid the Barthels goodbye before heading back home. The kids didn’t put up any fuss to go to bed that night, leaving Amanda and Niels some time alone. They settled in the living room, with nothing but the lights of the Christmas tree to illuminate the area as they sipped more hot cocoa. “It’s been an eventful couple of days, hasn’t it?” Amanda asked. Between Eli showing up with a girlfriend, Rhea’s exciting birth, and family dinner, it had been one of the greatest Christmases. “It has,” Niels agreed. “Merry Christmas, baby.” “Merry Christmas.”
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Amanda at a GlanceNames: Amanda Pontremoli, Amanda van Loon Archives
August 2017
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