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Christmas was April’s favorite holiday for a variety of reasons. Of course, she deeply respected the religious significance of the holiday. It would feel blasphemous to not list that as her top reason for loving Christmas, and she always studied the Bible a little harder in December. However, that didn’t mean she had to ignore the music, the special foods, and the general sense of wonder that filled the chilly air. Plus, Decorating the Christmas tree was one of the only things she and her mother could do together without insurmountable awkwardness. Her father never helped beyond bringing the tree into the house, as he thought “real men” shouldn’t bother themselves with decorating anything. May Stevens was always more at ease when John was out of the house. Sometimes, while they were putting ornaments on the tree alone in the house, she even took an interest in her daughter’s personal life. April shared very little, but she was always happy to hear her mother ask about Ezekiel and Hannah B. instead of just her grades.
This year was going to be extra special because April had a girlfriend with whom she could share the holiday magic. That had always been one of her most sentimental desires, which she would never admit because no one at Willingham Academy needed to know she had a sentimental side. Nevertheless, it was a strong desire. When she had heard that Sterling’s parents planned to spend the entire day after Thanksgiving out Black Friday shopping in crowded Atlanta, she wasted no time in sneaking out of her house to cuddle with her girlfriend and watch How the Grinch Stole Christmas. (The original animated version, of course. Not that disaster live action attempt!) April looked forward to more moments like that as soon as midterms were over and the holiday break started. For as long as she could remember, April had dreamed of picking out the perfect gift for a girlfriend, taking her ice skating, and baking Christmas cookies together. Sometimes, she even let herself daydream about waking up with Sterling on Christmas morning in their own home in the hopefully not-too-distant future. Her heart felt as if it would burst with love every time she imagined that scenario for too long.
Fortunately, Sterling was just as big of a Christmas enthusiast as she was. It might have been a deal-breaker if she wasn’t. It took the two of them just a single afternoon to drive Sterling’s more Halloween-inclined sister Blair insane with Mariah Carey’s Christmas album.
One of the holiday events April was most looking forward to enjoying with Sterling was touring Santa’s House. Every December, a rich, eccentric couple decorated one of their properties in the countryside like the North Pole, complete with fake snow. The inside of the mansion was decorated how one might imagine Santa’s, and it was open to the public for tours. It was quite popular as a local attraction. April had gone frequently when she was much younger, but she hadn’t been since they had added the elves’ workshop area in the back. Sterling had never been, so when she expressed the desire, April was quick to make plans.
The only time they could go happened to fall during the days that April’s older sister, June, was visiting. That was alright with April, though, because June had been dying to meet Sterling ever since April had visited her in North Carolina during the summer and told her about the relationship. Sterling had been thrilled at the suggestion of June coming along and decided that she would force Blair to join as well.
Now that the day had arrived, April was a bit nervous. They were all meeting up in just a few short hours. She obviously wanted her sister to approve of Sterling and vice versa. They had gotten along the one time they had video chatted while April was at June’s apartment, but that didn’t necessarily mean it would go well in person. June was 25 years old… What if she got annoyed at spending an afternoon with teenagers? April thought Sterling hung the moon, but Blair was joining too, and she never knew when to curb her trollish comments.
A soft knock on her bedroom door snapped April out of her thoughts.
“Come in,” she called out.
The door opened, revealing June holding her car keys.
“Hey, I’m going to pick up lunch at Burger Superior,” said June. “You can come along, or just let me know what you want.”
April mentally debated it for a moment. She wasn’t particularly hungry and didn’t care about lunch at all when bigger problems were at hand. However, she figured it might be nice to get a chance to explain her anxiety. Without a word, she got up, grabbed her coat, and followed June.
“Ugh, I am so glad to get out of the house,” sighed June as soon as she closed the car door. “John is trying way too hard to get back in my good graces.”
April knew her sister was still having a difficult time forgiving their father for his violence, his infidelity, and now that she knew about April’s relationship, his homophobia. June had made it clear to April that the only reason she had come home for the holidays was so that April wouldn’t have to be alone with their awful family. Months had passed since April had come out to her sister, but sometimes she still had a hard time wrapping her brain around the fact that someone in her family supported her so much.
“I’ve noticed. He’s groveling every time I see him. It’s… disgusting.”
“I’ll be glad when we go meet up with your girl this afternoon,” said the elder Stevens with a playful grin.
April glanced down at her hands in her lap. This was the perfect opportunity to express her fears, but embarrassment gripped her. How could she word this without sounding silly?
“What’s the matter? Don’t tell me you had an argument with her this morning and things are going to be awkward now!”
“I’m nervous,” admitted April. “I want you and Sterling to approve of each other.”
“Based on what I know, Sterling seems like a great girl. I’m sure it will be fine.”
“Well, you haven’t met her sister, Blair.” April rolled her eyes. “She loves to get under my skin, and things can be tense. I don’t want her antics to color your perception of my girlfriend.”
“I’m sorry. I know I’m supposed to be the adult in the room here, but you’re so funny when you’re flustered. Remember that time right before I moved out, when I kept purposely mixing up the Star Wars characters’ names, so you—”
April shot her older sister an icy glare, causing her to stop mid-sentence. Nothing made her feel more powerful than when that worked on adults.
“Right. Blair bothers you. Noted,” said June as she steered the car into the parking lot of Burger Superior. “I will try to ignore her antics… but you should try just not reacting.”
April was going to formulate a snarky response to that, but her phone chimed as the car pulled up to the drive-thru window. She told her sister that she just wanted a small, plain burger, then opened the message. It was from Sterling, of course, which didn’t help her anxiety.
Sterling Wesley 😘 (12:14 p.m.)
So excited for the Wesley/Stevens sisters hangout!!! Love you and see you soon babe
***
A few hours later, April once again found herself in June’s car, this time en route to meet Sterling and Blair at the Santa House. The thirty-minute drive felt like it was taking hours. April could still barely believe that a member of her family was about to meet Sterling as her girlfriend. That was something she had never anticipated until just a few months ago.
They had managed to get out of a family outing to the country club by telling what was technically the truth, just with the part about the Wesleys omitted. June told their father that she wanted to take April to Santa’s House for old times’ sake and left him seething over the fact that his favorite child would rather spend the afternoon with April than sit at the stuffy old country club with him. Unable to handle him when he was in one of his awful moods, April was glad that she and her sister would be gone for most of the day.
“You’re quiet,” remarked June.
“I’m aware.”
“It’ll be alright. If Sterling is as good for you as she sounds, then I’m going to like her.” June took advantage of a stoplight to reach over and pat April’s shoulder. “Seriously.”
April hoped it was true. She had been enjoying reconnecting with her sister over the past few months and dreaded the thought of their new relationship becoming strained over something like girlfriend disapproval.
Santa’s House appeared in the distance, its huge lawn blanketed in fake snow. It was more crowded than April had anticipated. The line to get inside looked at least thirty people deep.
“Damn, it looks like we’re going to have to wait a while,” said June as she parked the car.
“I’m going to see if Sterling and Blair are here yet.”
April pulled out her phone and sent a message to Sterling. Her girlfriend was a contender for worst driver in Atlanta, so it was a safe bet that Blair was the one behind the wheel.
April Stevens (3:28 p.m.)
Just arrived. Are you here yet?
The three dots indicating that Sterling was typing appeared on April’s screen, but a familiar Chevy Volt pulled up beside June’s car. April put her phone back in the pocket of her coat and unbuckled her seatbelt.
“That’s their car.”
April got out of the car and waved at Blair from a respectable distance. They were still not on hugging terms yet. Sterling ran around from the passenger’s side of the Wesleys’ car and swept April up in a tight hug. April wrapped her arms around her girlfriend’s waist and allowed herself to momentarily get lost in the sweet, floral scent of her perfume. Sterling looked around to make sure no one from Willingham was in the parking lot, then pressed a quick kiss to April’s lips. The smaller girl blushed, suddenly quite conscious of the fact that her sister could see them.
“Hey, babe!” exclaimed Sterling. “Let’s go get our Christmas cheer on.”
“Get a room!” scoffed Blair.
April ignored their heckler and motioned for her sister to come over. “I’d like you to officially meet my sister, June.”
“Hi, Sterling!” June said with a smile. “I’ve heard so much about you.”
Sterling ignored June’s attempt at a handshake and instead went straight for a hug. “All good, I hope.”
“Of course.”
“And this is Sterling’s twin, Blair,” April sighed. “They’re practically conjoined.”
Blair smirked. “I bet you’ve heard so much about me too.”
A nervous look crossed June’s face, but she held out her hand to Blair anyway. “Um, not really besides the fact that you’re Sterling’s sister.”
“Wow, I’m surprised at your restraint, Stevens,” Blair remarked to April as she shook June’s hand. “Wait, I guess that won’t work with you both here. I’m gonna call y’all Stevens 1 and Stevens 2. Obviously, April, you are Stevens 2. Nice to meet you, Stevens 1.”
April gritted her teeth. Blair was grating on her nerves already. Sterling seemed to sense the tension in the air and slipped her hand into April’s, giving it a gentle squeeze. April’s anger dulled to mere exasperation. It was really, really hard to be upset while the prettiest girl at Willingham was holding her hand.
“Well, let’s go get in line,” suggested June. “Before it starts circling around the block…”
The four of them took their place at the back of the line, which stretched almost to the edge of the property. Just as April remembered, the owners of the Santa House had gone all out in transforming the area into a winter wonderland. Fake, unmeltable snow allowed for entire snow families decked out in holiday-themed attire. Every tree on the premises was wrapped in colorful lights, which didn’t look like much at the moment but would come to life as soon as the sun set. Perhaps the most attention-grabbing feature was the full fleet of taxidermy reindeer harnessed up to a sparkling, candy apple red sleigh. That was new, or at least new since the last time April had visited the property. She had to admire the dedication and attention to detail.
“Wow, I love this!” Sterling exclaimed. “Blair, I can’t believe Mom and Dad never brought us here when we were little.”
“It’s pretty cool,” agreed Blair. “I’d like to see their Halloween take on a haunted house.”
“We used to come here every year, but I’ve been only once since June moved out. I went with Hannah B. and her little brothers in seventh grade.”
“Maybe we’ll make this our own tradition,” Sterling said as she affectionately cupped April’s cheek.
The late afternoon air was chillier than April had expected. Sure, she was almost always cold in the winter— June and Sterling had both made fun of her before for wearing a coat indoors—but it was cold enough to see her breath in the air! Such frigid temperatures were supposed to be unusual in Atlanta. She had tried her best to come prepared, wearing a sweater and a hat and her thickest coat. For a while, everything was fine, but they had been outside for what felt like an eternity. April shivered.
“Are you cold, babe?” asked Sterling, a hint of concern in her voice.
“No,” April insisted. She knew what Sterling would try to do, and while it would be welcome in any other setting, it was absolutely not happening in front of Blair and June. The embarrassment from showing her soft side might kill her.
June tried not to laugh. “April practically lives in that fluffy Baby Yoda blanket you gave her. Of course she’s cold.”
“I’m fine. Seriously.”
They were still only a little over halfway through the line. April tried her best to think of warm things. Fireplaces, coffee, the beach, fresh laundry, Sterling’s bed… She would end up on the Naughty List if she thought about that last one for too long. April shivered again and silently cursed her body for betraying her.
“You are cold!” gasped Sterling.
“No, I’m not.”
“Your teeth are chattering,” June pointed out.
April glared at her sister and wished she and Sterling had come to Santa’s House without an audience. She turned so that her back was to Blair and June and waited a few moments before inching closer to Sterling and slipping her hand underneath her girlfriend’s arm to warm it up. She tried to be subtle enough that those two wouldn’t notice.
“Look!” Blair whispered, as if April couldn’t hear her.
“If she admits she’s cold, I will buy all of you hot cocoa when we’re done here,” June whispered back, still at an audible volume.
Blair raised an eyebrow. “Oh, a bet? I like you already, Stevens 1. Deal.”
An indignant April dropped her hands and stepped away from Sterling. The last thing she had anticipated was Blair and June getting along. She had completely forgotten to stress over that particular scenario.
The line moved up just a little. April was still freezing, but she was not about to let either of them have their satisfaction. June would probably try to snap a photo of her clinging to Sterling because it was “cute,” but April couldn’t risk allowing any photos of herself showing weakness to circulate. No one needed to know how easily she was defeated by cold weather. And in no universe did Blair Wesley deserve free hot cocoa!
She had gone back to curating her mental list of warm things when a breeze picked up.
Sterling opened her arms. “April, just come here. I can’t let you be cold.”
“Fine.”
Blushing and grumbling under her breath, April leaned into Sterling’s embrace. She rested her cheek against the soft fabric of her girlfriend’s coat while Sterling rubbed circles on her back. April stopped shivering. It was undeniably much warmer in Sterling’s arms. If they were alone, or at least somewhere without their sisterly antagonists, this would have been perfect.
“Yes!” cried Blair. “Free hot cocoa!”
“Aww, y’all are so cute. Can I take a picture?” June asked as she reached for her phone. “I never thought I’d see April being cute with anyone.”
Sterling’s face lit up. “Oh my gosh, yes, it would make the perfect phone wallpaper!”
April couldn’t say no to Sterling’s excited grin. She allowed her sister to snap a photo and send it to her so she could send it to Sterling later. The breeze picked up again, but this time, she was unbothered.
She pretended not to hear Blair’s request for June to send her the photo as well so she could draw on it.
At long last, they made it to the front of the line. As much as she had tried to resist admitting that she was cold and accepting Sterling’s help, she was actually disappointed to have to remove herself from the other girl’s embrace once they stepped inside.
The front door opened into a lavishly decorated foyer. Silver and gold tinsel lined the railing of the staircase in the center of the room. A man dressed in a humiliating green elf suit stood in front of them and a few other strangers, a forced, cheery smile plastered across his face.
“Welcome to Santa’s House!” the elf man exclaimed. “I’m his number one elf, and today, I’ll be showing you around. Follow me!”
Blair leaned in and whispered to April, “That looks like a job you’d be good at.”
God was testing her patience. There was almost nothing April hated more than a short joke! She folded her arms and glared at her giggling frenemy, wishing she could say something back but not wanting to upset Sterling.
The group followed the elf man through a door to the left, his shoes jingling with every step. They came into what was styled to look like Santa’s living room. It looked exactly as April had remembered it. Wooden panelling on the walls gave the room the appearance of a cozy cabin interior. The centerpiece of the room was a large fake fireplace, its mantle adorned with framed photos of Santa and Mrs. Claus. April wondered briefly what her first name was. The group gathered in a single area, careful not to stand too close to the enormous Christmas tree and its many glass ornaments.
While the elf man was going on about the way Santa loved to lounge by the fireplace and eat cookies, Sterling caught April off-guard with an enthusiastic kiss to the cheek. April looked up and spotted the mistletoe, which reminded her of the time she had gotten to bring Adele Meisner here in second grade, just a few months before Adele moved away and shattered little April’s heart. June hadn’t come with them that year because she had been at a Christmas party with her boyfriend at the time. Little April had noticed a couple kiss under the mistletoe and was overcome with longing to get Adele to follow her over there. But even back then, before she’d had a word for it, something in her mind had told her it wasn’t a good idea in front of her father.
It felt good to finally get a kiss under the mistletoe.
The next room on the tour was the kitchen. There were a couple more people in elf costumes popping a sheet full of festively-shaped cookie dough into an antique stove. When April was little, this had been her favorite part of the tour.
“And these are Santa’s favorite cookies,” explained the elf man as he passed a tray containing sugar cookies among the group. “Take only one or you will end up on the Naughty List.”
June nudged April’s shoulder. “Remember the time you put, like, ten cookies in your pockets?”
April cringed at the memory. It was true. Her five-year-old self was the reason that the cookies were not left out unattended anymore. In her younger self’s defense, those cookies were delicious.
“Oh my gosh, April, that mental image is adorable,” said Sterling as she finished her star-shaped cookie.
“I mean, it was pretty cute, but they used to just put them out on the table for you to take freely until the incident.”
Blair scoffed. “Way to go, Stevens 2. You ruined the all-you-can-eat cookie buffet.”
“I was only five!” huffed April.
The elf man then led the group up the stairs and down a long hallway. This was the part of the tour in which they were supposed to go to Santa’s library room and learn about the history of the original Saint Nicholas.
Putting on a pair of glasses to appear scholarly, the elf man explained a brief history of Saint Nicholas to the group.
“...Saint Nicholas was known for his generosity, which became the subject of many legends across Europe…”
April happened to glance over at Sterling, who was not paying much attention to their tour guide.
“I already know this story,” whispered Sterling.
“What are you looking at?”
April followed her girlfriend’s line of sight. There was a door slightly ajar across the hall. She couldn’t see too far inside the room, but she could tell it was a bedroom.
Sterling winked. “We could go make a little Christmas cheer.”
“Sterl!” April gasped. In Santa’s House? Sterling couldn’t be serious!
“Relax, babe, I’m joking… Mostly.”
The room felt ten degrees hotter all of a sudden. April hoped no one would notice her blushing as they went on to the last part of the tour, the elves’ workshop.
The elves’ workshop was a room filled with toys. Shelves of dolls, toy cars, and stuffed animals lined the walls. More people dressed as elves sat at a long table in the center of the room, pretending to “test” the toys. April wondered how many kids had screaming meltdowns in this room because they were not allowed to take a toy.
One of the property owners, dressed as Santa Claus himself, sat in a stately chair off to the side of the room. A few people had gathered around, waiting for their turn to take a picture with him.
“Ooh, I want to take a picture with Santa!” Sterling exclaimed, pulling April over to the line.
***
Something was different when they all stepped out into the night. It wasn’t just that the trees were now lit up in brilliant colors, although that certainly elevated the Christmassy atmosphere. Something felt different. April stopped in her tracks and looked up at the sky.
“April? What are you doing?” asked a confused Sterling.
April scrunched up her nose. “I think it’s snowing.”
Blair scooped up a handful of snow off the ground, some real and some fake, and packed it into a ball.
“Don’t—” April began.
“Snowball fight!” shouted the brunette Wesley.
Knowing exactly what was about to happen, April turned away and flinched. Blair’s snowball hit her squarely on the butt.
“Ugh, seriously?” hissed April as Sterling brushed the white dust off of her. “That was actually cold! There was real snow in that.”
Sterling scooped up her own snowball and threw it at her twin. “Don’t throw snowballs at my girlfriend!”
“I didn’t throw a snowball! It was a… a.. fauxball,” argued Blair as she fired another snowball, this time aimed at Sterling. “It’s only like 20% real snow!”
April sighed and covered her face with her hands. This was exactly what she had been afraid of. Why couldn’t they ever have just a single evening without any ridiculous antics? She felt so embarrassed that her adult sister was seeing this.
She turned to June to apologize, only to witness her 25-year-old sister lobbing a snowball at Blair. This grown woman, who had a college degree and her own apartment, was throwing semi-real snowballs at high schoolers! April couldn't believe they were related.
She wondered silently why she had to be surrounded by idiots.
“I’m cold,” she insisted, crossing her arms and exaggerating a shiver in hopes of tugging Sterling’s heartstrings.
But Sterling ignored her and continued to make snowballs!
April tried again. “I said I’m—”
She didn’t finish her sentence because a snowball collided with her face. Scowling, April wiped away the snow. She turned to scold the other three and noticed a particularly stunned look on her sister’s face.
Blair gasped. “Oh shit, Stevens 1, you’re in trouble now.”
June, of all people there, had hit her with a snowball? How immature! How could an adult act like that? April had had enough. She was going to show her. April scooped up a handful of snow and chucked it straight at June’s face, brimming with satisfaction as it exploded into a powdery mess.
That sense of satisfaction lasted half a second before she was smacked with yet another snowball. This time, Blair was snickering. April decided to silence her with a snowball as well, and before she knew it, she had officially joined the fight.
April concentrated her snowball-throwing efforts on her sister and Blair. It seemed wrong to hit Sterling with one, but the other two absolutely deserved it.
“I can’t believe you got me involved in this!” she cried as she tossed a snowball at June.
“Oh, come on,” said June as she reached down to grab a handful of snow. “You’re having fun. Admit it.”
“This is so childish!” huffed April.
“Don’t be such a wet blanket!” exclaimed Blair.
Blair threw another snowball at April, who quickly attempted to dodge it. Unfortunately, April lost her footing and crashed into Sterling, taking her down with her into the cold, sludgy mixture of real and fake snow. She landed right on top of the taller girl, their faces nearly touching.
“I’m so sorry, Sterl!” April yelped. “Are you alright?”
“Better than alright,” Sterling said with a grin as she wrapped her arms around April.
April melted into Sterling’s touch. She was, all of a sudden, acutely aware of how cold she had gotten during the snowball fight. This was just what she needed. April gazed into her girlfriend’s big, blue puppy dog eyes and felt warmth within her heart as well. Unable to stand it any longer, she leaned in for a kiss. Sterling reciprocated, pulling April closer.
“Having fun?” asked Sterling as she reached up and adjusted April’s hat, which had been knocked askew when she fell.
“I am now,” April replied before going in for another kiss.
June cleared her throat. The realization that they were, in fact, in public hit April and she quickly got up off of her girlfriend. She helped Sterling up and brushed most of the snow off of their coats.
“Sorry about that,” she mumbled, her cheeks bright red and not just from the cold. “I got caught up in the moment.”
“I’ve walked in on worse,” said Blair with a devilish smirk.
“Stop talking!” April hissed.
It was true, but Blair shouldn’t say it! April considered smashing yet another snowball in her face.
“Before we all start throwing snowballs again, I vote that we go get that hot cocoa I promised,” said June. “It really is getting cold.”
Sterling nodded. “I second that.”
“Charlie’s Cafe?” suggested April.
The group walked toward their cars. A freezing April clung to Sterling’s side. As much as she loved Christmas, she could really do without winter. Before getting in her sister’s car, she stopped to give Sterling a goodbye kiss, even though they would see each other again in ten minutes. After she pulled away, April looked back over her shoulder at the winter wonderland across the street. The lights on the trees had finally come alive, casting a colorful glow on the snowy scene.
“So, what did you think?” April asked nervously as she shut the car door behind herself.
“I like her. When you were kissing her goodbye out there, that was the happiest I’ve seen you look since, like… the time you got to ride a pony at your eighth birthday party.”
“Bringing up my horse girl phase again?” sighed April. She prayed that June hadn’t been able to locate those embarrassing childhood photos of her playing an elaborate Star Wars -themed game with horse figurines that she had threatened to show Sterling several months ago. “I’m glad you approve, though.”
“I will bring up your horse girl phase forever,” teased June. “I also like Blair and think y’all should bond more, Stevens 2.”
“Ugh!”
Charlie’s Cafe came into view up the road. April was excited to make her sister pay for her hot cocoa and to see Sterling again, even though she had just seen her a few minutes ago. The Santa’s House outing had gone well, and she could breathe a sigh of relief. Knowing that her sister liked Sterling and approved of their relationship filled April’s heart with pride. She felt much more relaxed about their meeting at the cafe.
April took out her phone and opened the photo June had taken of her attempting to shield herself from the winter chill. She was clinging to Sterling, her cheek resting against her grinning girlfriend’s shoulder. It was pretty cute. As they pulled into the parking lot, April sent the photo to Sterling and typed out a message.
April Stevens (5:40 pm.)
June gave you her official stamp of approval!
Sterling Wesley 😘 (5:40 p.m.)
Of course she did
I’m adorable
April got out of the car after the Wesleys arrived and slipped her hand into Sterling’s. The evening felt magical. She had gotten to participate in one of her favorite childhood traditions, and her sister approved of her relationship with Sterling.
She couldn’t ask for a better holiday season.