(tw (just to be safe than sorry): this chapter mentions the topics of dr*gs and ab*se. this chapter is actually very personal for me and i wouldn't have been able to have the courage to write it if it weren't for all of the healing that's been done in the past, the present, and the healing that will be needed in the future. there is always a light at the end of the tunnel, i would know.)

December 25th

Skye woke up on Christmas morning bright and early as she simply couldn't wait to open her presents. Christmas always made her feel like a little kid again, and it reminded her of the times when things were innocent and seemed to be okay. It always reminded her of her mother as well, especially before Skye had grown up and learned the harsh reality of her parents' relationship.

Brushing away the thoughts of the past, Skye tiptoed to her dad's room to see if he had gotten out of bed already, which he had, then hurried down the stairs in her pajamas so she could finally head to the living room. Scott, like always, was up in the early hours of the morning as his work schedule made him accustomed to it, sitting in his chair with a cup of coffee as he waited for his daughter. Skye should probably get him to reconnect with his old friends if his only child was practically his best friend.

"Merry Christmas," Skye said, wrapping her arms around her dad from behind.

"Merry Christmas, pumpkin." Scott cooed. "Want me to make breakfast?"

"After we open presents." She replied, then let go of her dad went over to the couch. "You're gonna make the pancakes shaped like snowmen, right?"

"I could attempt." He shrugged. By attempt, he means he'll actually do it, but Scott liked the element of surprise.

"Yes," Skye said excitedly under her breath.

"Let me get the presents." Her dad said, getting up from her chair to grab presents from the Christmas tree.

Scott came back with a box, one that didn't seem heavy when Skye got it in her hands and went to shake it. "I didn't get much, but you'll be excited anyway."

"Dad, no amount of presents can determine my love for-" Skye stopped, looking down at what was inside. "A box full of money? Nice!"

"I expect you to save it for college, but I know too well you'll spend it all on nonsense items." He said, which was absolutely true.

"God, you know me too well." She said in awe. Skye could see herself buying plenty of new pairs of Vans and Converse, but maybe she should actually set it aside.

"That's not all though." Scott continued, going back to the tree to give Skye the rest of her presents.

"There's more-"

"I got you a few more things." Her dad interrupted.

Skye opened up the rest of her presents one by one, gasping in shock and going to hug her dad every single time. She had learned to appreciate everything Scott got her knowing how hard he worked for the two of them, but he always managed to put a smile on his daughter's face no matter what.

After going through all of the new clothes, phone cases, gift cards, and whatnot, Skye hugged her dad one last time, thanking him yet again for all of the Christmas gifts. "This is all the best, thank you."

"You're welcome, pumpkin," Scott said. "Let me get started on those pancakes, okay?"

"I'll clean up all of this wrapping paper." Skye offered, which her dad was glad to hear.

"It makes my life easier." He chuckled, getting up from his chair to get started in the kitchen. "Don't get any paper cuts."

"No promises." She joked.

Picking up pieces of torn wrapping paper from the floor, Skye paced back and forth from the living room and the kitchen, shoving all of the wrapping paper in the trash can, even pressing down on the trash inside to make more room. With each and every trip, Skye could start to smell her upcoming breakfast, which only made her more motivated to clean up all of the festive mess in the living room.

As Skye was just finishing up, a knock on the door appeared, which Skye found odd as it was only morning, and Levi wasn't supposed to come over for dinner for at least a few hours. Seeing as her dad was occupied in the kitchen, Skye offered to get the door for him.

"I'll get it!" She yelled out, receiving an "okay" from Scott as she walked to the door.

With sparkles in her eyes and a smile as bright as day, Skye opened the door, but then her face dulled as the absolute last person she wanted to see stood right in front of her on this once innocent Christmas morning.

"You... you're not supposed to be here," Skye said, slowly shutting the door behind her but leaving just a small crack open.

Diana Larson, aka the woman Skye once called mom. The last time she saw her was over two years ago when she showed up like this before, but that time Skye was safe as her dad was the one to answer the door. Before that time, Skye had last seen her in the courtroom where the judge deemed that she shouldn't have any custody or any contact at all with Skye. Despite the judge's words, Diana was persistent, but not persistent for the right reasons.

Skye's mom was once a kind, caring, and nurturing woman, at least in Skye's once innocent eyes. It was when Skye got older that she saw that Diana wasn't a good mother at all, and she especially wasn't a good wife to Scott either. The drugs, the hitting him then turning the tables and saying he hit her when he didn't, the yelling when she couldn't get her way, and many other things that ruined Skye's perception of her mother. But now Skye stood in front of her today, still not wanting anything to do with her, just as she said to the judge at the age of thirteen.

"You're not supposed to be here."

"No hello? Geez, it's Christmas and I'm your mother, dammit." Diana scoffed, arms crossed as she shivered with a torn coat swamping her now frail body. She looked absolutely awful, but Skye wouldn't dare say a thing as the only goal in mind was to get her the hell out of here.

"Well, you need to leave," Skye said, staying insistent on her mom leaving.

Skye's mom looked over at the new bike in the front yard, noticing the red bow that Skye had yet to take off as she kept forgetting and also didn't feel like stepping out into the cold. "What happened to that bike I got ya, huh? That's not the one I bought ya."

"It got ran over," Skye mumbled, looking down on the ground as she couldn't bear to look her in the eye anymore.

"What?" Her mom questioned. "I can't hear you."

"It-"

"Did you sell it?" She asked, raising her voice at her, which Skye hated more than anything in this world. "Huh? Huh!"

"It got ran over!" Skye yelled, now looking up at her as she tried not to cry.

"Got ran over... yeah right. That shit costs money, ya know. I could've spent it on something good for me." Diana rolled her eyes. Something good for her? Skye knew exactly what she meant, and "something good" was only slowly killing her.

"Please leave," Skye begged as her voice got shaky as the tears began to well up in her eyes, which Diana noticed and wanted to use to her advantage.

"Look, mommy just needs some money, okay?" Her mom pouted, trying to put on the same innocent voice she used on Skye when she was little, but Skye could see right through it now.

"You have no right to call yourself that." She said.

"Just twenty dollars, come on." Diana pleaded, the fake innocent voice beginning to crack.

"No, I-I won't do it." Skye stuttered, which her mom didn't like hearing at all.

"No?"

"No." She shook her head.

The rejection sent Diana off the edge, acting out by trying to push her daughter out of the way in an attempt to force herself into the house. "Goddammit, just let me in."

"Hey! No!" Skye exclaimed, pushing her mother away from her and the door.

"I'm your mother!" Diana yelled.

"Dad! Help!" Skye called out, using one of her hands to swing the door open so her dad can hear her plea.

"What's going on- shit!" Scott curses. He immediately runs over to Skye, throwing his arms around her waist to pick her up (causing Skye to let out a yelp) so she could get out of the way while he handles the situation. Skye stood a couple of feet behind him, her heart racing and her chest rapidly going up and down in fear of what was next.

"Scott, have you brainwashed our daughter?" Diana argued.

"Skye, go to your room." Her dad ordered while trying to block the doorway.

"I'm not leaving you to deal with this!" Skye protested.

"I said go to your room!" He yelled, which made Skye yelp and run up the stairs with tears in her eyes.

Skye sat at the top of the stairs, overhearing her parent's conversation as she wiped away her tears with her shaky hands. She let out deep breaths in an attempt to calm herself down, but even that wasn't helping her at all. There was no way she could ever feel completely safe in this house.

Scott and Diana went back and forth as Scott didn't hesitate to threaten to call the police, which had been done the last time, although Diana ran off from the police. "Diana, get out of here before I call the police."

"Are you seriously gonna stop me from seeing my kid?" She asked, but the reason she was here wasn't for Skye. Diana simply wanted money, and she thought she could've easily gotten it as it was Christmas and she had no idea how much Skye had grown up.

"Are you gonna stop doing drugs?" Scott crossed his arms, which made Diana roll her eyes and scoff.

"Oh, screw you-"

"No!" He interrupted. "You lost your right to be in Skye's life the moment that judge said so. I mean, did you even get her a present?"

"Look, I just need some money!" Diana exclaimed.

"Get it somewhere else! We're not enabling you anymore! You're dead to this family!" Scott yelled, regretting that last part a little bit, but Diana had done so much damage to the family that it only made sense.

"Scott-"

"Go. Now." He demanded. "I'm sure the cops would love to get a load of this mess."

Knowing what happened last time, Diana officially gave up and began to walk away, still not letting go of the anger that she was denied some cash (that most definitely would've gone to drugs). "Merry Christmas, my ass."

"I miss the old you, Diana!" Scott yelled out as Diana walked off.

"Fuck you!" She said loudly, sticking up the middle finger and walking away even faster after hearing that.

Skye heard the door slam shut and the locks turn, then heard her dad's footsteps as he headed towards the stairs to see her sitting at the top with her knees close to her chest. Scott walked up the steps to sit next to her, trying to comfort her now that the situation was finally over. "Skye, I'm sorry."

"When is she gonna stop?" Skye asked, looking over at her dad. "We can't keep letting her get away with this."

"You know how much it costs to get a lawyer. I can't afford that again." He sighed. It had already cost him thousands just to win full custody of Skye. Scott had to pay back the money he owed to family members for over a year as he couldn't afford the legal fees, which was a dark time for the Simmons family.

"Dad, I don't wanna cry about this anymore." Skye cried.

"I know." Scott frowned. "Let's not let this ruin our Christmas, okay?"

"It already has." She said. "I don't want Levi coming over seeing me like this either."

"Pumpkin-" he began as Skye stood up.

"I'm just gonna tell him to forget it." Skye interrupted, starting to walk to her room and not wanting anyone else to see her in this emotional state.

"I love you," Scott said as she walked away.

"I know you do." She sobbed, shutting her bedroom door behind her as she burst into tears and fell to the ground.

Scott still sat on the steps as he buried his face in his hands, trying to think of how he could fix this. There was simply no one else that could do this, so Scott pulled out his phone, dialing the one person that could save Christmas.

•••

MARIA TALKS!

as i said before, this chapter is very personal for me. i was ready to dive into like a 3 page long author's note explaining everything and how this chapter came to be, but i'm not fully ready to do that. i am one to get vulnerable with my writing and my characters, but actually talking about me and my trauma is extremely hard. plus who really wants me to dive into that like a therapy session-

i would say i hope everyone enjoyed, but this chapter is sad asf, so i doubt anyone actually enjoyed LMAO

peace out lol