As the girls walked into the house, they were greeted by the warm aroma of dinner and the sound of their parents' conversation.
Snow's mom, Ella, looked up from the table and smiled, "Sweetheart, you're back!" Snow nodded, "Yes, Mom. I'm home."
Ella's eyes landed on Minnie, and her face lit up with excitement. "And I brought a second daughter," Snow added, gesturing to Minnie.
Ella's eyes widened as she took in Minnie's presence. "Oh, my darling!" she exclaimed, hurrying over to greet Minnie. "How are you?"
Minnie smiled, "I'm fine, Aunt Ella." Ella asked, "How have you been?" Minnie replied, and Ella chuckled,
"I've been doing perfectly well, as you can see. I didn't really age much."
Snow's mom turned to her and said, "Snow, why don't you go say hello to your stepdad?" Snow nodded and walked over to greet him.
"Good evening, sir," she said politely. Her stepdad, Mister Daniels, looked up from his plate and smiled.
"How are you, Snow?" Snow replied, "I'm fine," before turning to head upstairs.
Minnie also greeted Mister Daniels, who responded warmly. Ella suggested, "Minnie, you can stay in the guest room or with Snow. Whatever you prefer."
Before Minnie could respond, Snow yelled from upstairs, "No worries, she's sleeping in my room with me!" Mister Daniels chuckled,
"No problem, just don't cause any mischief." Snow's response was a casual "whatever" from upstairs.
Minnie smiled and thanked Ella, "Thank you, Aunt Ella, Thank you, Uncle." As the staff began bringing in their luggage, Minnie followed Snow upstairs, excited she wasn't gonna spend time with that beast of a father.
THE NEXT DAY
As the sun rose over the horizon, Oliver and William prepared to leave the hostel and head back home for Christmas.
They stood outside, saying their goodbyes to Leo, who was choosing to stay behind.
Oliver turned to Leo and said, "Hey, man, if you ever need a place to spend the holidays, you're welcome to come over to our house. We'll make sure you're taken care of."
Leo nodded his appreciation, a hint of a smile on his face. "Thanks, guys. I appreciate it."
William chimed in, his voice laced with a mix of concern and teasing. "Yeah, dude, just remember, if you get tired of...whatever it is you're doing, you can always come home. We'll be here for you."
Leo chuckled, his eyes glinting with amusement. "I'll keep that in mind, guys. Thanks for the offer."
The air was filled with the sound of laughter as Oliver and William exchanged a look, both of them grinning. "Just don't forget to call us if you need anytime for fun," Oliver added, as they turned to leave.
With one last wave, they climbed into a taxi and drove off, leaving Leo standing alone outside the hostel.
The sound of the car's engine faded into the distance, and Leo was left to his thoughts, the city stretching out before him like an endless canvas of possibilities.
___
Oliver and William stepped into the warm glow of their home, they were greeted by the familiar figure of Miss Helen, who stood eagerly at the doorpost.
Her face lit up with joy as she exclaimed, "My babies are back home!" She rushed forward, embracing them tightly, her eyes welling up with tears of happiness.
Oliver and William exchanged a look, both of them smiling as they tried to calm her down.
"Come on, Aunt, don't do this," Oliver said, while William added, "Yeah, Mom, please don't cry. We're back, and it's something to be happy about. I don't want to see these tears right now."
William gently wiped away her tears, and Miss Helen sniffled, her voice trembling with emotion.
"I missed you both so much," she said, her voice filled with longing.
"The house was so boring without you guys whining and complaining." Oliver chuckled, "Of course, we missed you more. We missed you so much."
Miss Helen smiled, composing herself as she ushered them inside. "Let's go in, and I'll get you something to eat. I'm sure you guys haven't eaten well since you left."
She bustled around the kitchen, adjusting the table settings and presenting them with a lavish feast.
As they sat down to eat, Oliver and William exchanged a look of surprise.
The spread before them was almost too much to handle. William asked, "Mom, are we having a feast? Are we having guests coming?" Miss Helen replied, "No, why do you ask?"
Oliver chimed in, "Because this is too much, Aunt. We could eat this for weeks and never run out."
Miss Helen laughed, "I didn't make all of this just for you guys. I'm going to give some of it out to those in need."
William's curiosity was piqued. "Aha, Mom, you didn't make it all for us? Then who else is coming?" Miss Helen smiled, "No one is coming. You guys can just eat what you like, and when you're done, I'll take the rest to give out."
As they dug into the delicious meal, William teased, "Mom, you'll never change." Miss Helen smiled, "It's all my duty to give, Jesus taught us that."
Oliver chimed in, "I missed you so much, Auntie." Miss Helen playfully replied, "It seems like Oliver is the only one who misses me. William doesn't even seem to miss me."
William rolled his eyes good-naturedly, "Do I really have to spell it out for you, Mom?"
The conversation flowed easily, filled with laughter and warmth, as they enjoyed their meal together.
***
Leo walked back into the hostel, the silence a stark contrast to the lively atmosphere he had left behind with his friends.
He sat down on his bed, his mind wandering as he picked up his phone. After a moment of hesitation, he decided to call his mom.
As the phone rang, Leo's anxiety grew. He wasn't sure how the conversation would go, but he felt compelled to reach out.
When his mom finally answered, her voice was warm and familiar. "Hey, Leo."
Leo took a deep breath and dove straight into the reason for his call.
"Mom, can I come home for the holidays?" There was a pause on the other end of the line, and Leo could almost hear his mom's sigh.
"Leo, do you want me to go over this again?" she asked, her tone laced with a mix of frustration and resignation. "You know your dad and I won't be in the country over the holidays. How exactly do you expect us to have Christmas together?"
Leo felt a pang of disappointment, but he knew this wasn't news to him.
His dad's obligations as the head of his office, particularly in the political sphere, often took precedence over family gatherings. "Yeah, I get it. It's about work again. Never mind. I just wanted to remind you guys that you have a son."
His mom's voice snapped back, a hint of defensiveness creeping in. "Are you shouting at me right now, Leo?"
Leo's response was immediate, a mix of humor and submission. "No, I wouldn't dare dream of it."
With that, Leo ended the call, the abrupt disconnection a reflection of his frustration and resignation.
He lay back on his bed, staring at the ceiling, the silence of the hostel room enveloping him.