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Winter Solstice was just around the corner - the next day, to be exact -, and Amelia was sitting in the kitchen, making the final touches on her painting. She asked Gwyn not to come inside so she wouldn’t see what she was making. Therefore, the older witch was outside, working in her garden.
It’s been a while since she spent the holiday with someone, besides Nyx. In normal circumstances, that is. So the older witch was more than happy to give her everything to make this holiday the best she could and make Amelia happy.
Gwyn knew it was hard for the girl. This was the first Winter Solstice she spent away from her siblings and while she noticed how much she tried to suppress her feelings, Gwyn could sense her pain.
At the beginning of the month, Gwyn, Amelia and Nyx went to town to buy decorations and returned with two bags full of lights, ornaments and literally anything related to the holiday. The reason for that was that Gwyn bought anything Amelia even just looked at for more than two seconds. The girl needed reassurance about it which Gwyn was more than happy to give to show her she didn’t have a reason to feel guilty.
They hung the lights and garlands all around the house, making it extremely colourful. The other decorations were placed on countertops, shelves, the table and literally anywhere they could find just a little free space.
Their tree was behind the house in a bucket of water, waiting to be decorated the next day. It was a small one, but due to the house also being small, that was the only one that could fit in. They’d put it on a tiny table in the kitchen, it looked amazing in Gwyn’s head already.
Amelia hummed as she inspected her work, finally satisfied with the result. She quickly packed all her stuff and ran upstairs to hide the painting under her bed. Then she put on her coat, scarf and beanie to join Gwyn.
The trees, the town, the roofs - everything was covered in snow, Amelia liked how it crunched under her feet. Everything was peaceful around her; she took a moment to look down at Bonesborough and watch as a few people walked through the Winter Market, the one she had visited a few times before with Gwyn.
“Hi, Witchling!” Gwyn greeted her once Amelia stepped into her sight.
“Hi! I finished it!” she announced happily, her cheeks and nose already turning red because of the cold.
“That’s great, I can’t wait to see it!”
Amelia chuckled, “You’ll have to wait till tomorrow, you know.”
“Yeah, yeah. One more reason to be excited,” Gwyn smiled and was beyond happy to see Amelia reciprocate.
It’s been a few months since Gwyn took the girl in, and seeing her smile was still a rare sight. The older witch asked her if she even wanted to celebrate, and she responded that, yes, she wanted to, even if it hurt that she couldn’t be with her siblings.
Amelia loved the holiday. Things seemed hopeful around this time of the year. She could spend some days away from her bullies, and while her parents always gave her even more chores than usual, at least she could see her baby siblings be happy. Amelia wished Winter Solstice could last forever.
“You know, I have a little tradition,” Gwyn started, meeting Amelia’s huge, curious eyes. “Every year before Winter Solstice I go to the Winter Market when it’s dark already and just wander around watching the lights and decorations. While drinking mulled apple blood, of course.”
Amelia let out a chuckle, “We can keep the tradition going.”
“Yes! But you ain’t getting hard apple blood just yet.”
“I know,” she rolled her eyes, laughing. “I’ll drink tea, then.”
Gwyn nodded approvingly, then they decided to wait inside for the sun to go down, and after that, go for that walk in town.
Gwyn, Nyx and Amelia sat at the table to eat from the various types of cookies they had made earlier. They had a good time talking until darkness took over Bonesborough. Gwyn and Amelia started putting on their warm clothes while Nyx grabbed as many pieces of the cookies for the walk as she could.
“Are you ready? Where’s your beanie?”
“I put it on the chair while I put my coat on, don’t worry, Mom,” Amelia rolled her eyes jokingly. “I won’t go outside without it.”
“You better not! I don’t want you to get sick.”
Gwyn ruffled Amelia’s hair, making her chuckle. Despite the pain she had to endure, the kid brought so much joy into her life. Amelia really was a ray of sunshine.
“Nyx, that’s enough cookies, let’s go!”
Nyx chirped something Amelia didn’t understand but the frown on the little palisman’s face told her everything.
“You know, I’m glad you can’t understand what she says,” Gwyn said as she locked the door. “She’d be a bad influence. Right, goddess of chaos?”
Gwyn stroked Nyx’s little head; the palisman snuggled into the touch and squeaked happily. Amelia chuckled and couldn’t stop thinking about how adorable Nyx was.
“When will you tell me what she says, though? I’m curious.”
“Not yet,” Gwyn winked, making Amelia playfully roll her eyes.
The two witches and the little palisman - who made herself snug in her spot on Gwyn’s shoulder - walked through the forest that separated the town from the hill Gwyn’s house was on. The houses they passed on their way to the market all had lights and decorations and Amelia didn’t know where to look, everything was so beautiful around her. Then, more and more people surrounded them, as they arrived at the Winter Market, and Amelia started fidgeting with the bracelet she got from Wynn to help her stay grounded and be able to focus on the stalls.
Gwyn watched as the kid fiddled with her bracelet while silently looking at what the stalls had to offer. The older witch followed her around until she stopped at a stall selling crystals. She looked at one in particular: an amethyst.
“Do you want it?” she asked, snapping the girl out of her thoughts.
Amelia looked back at the crystal, totally mesmerised by it. She didn’t want Gwyn to buy her another thing. But unfortunately, Gwyn wasn’t going to leave without it.
“How much is it?” she asked the seller.
“Fifteen snails.”
Amelia quickly turned to Gwyn upon hearing the price and the fact that the older witch really wanted to buy it for her sank in.
“No, I-”
“Here you go,” Gwyn smiled at the man who put the amethyst in a little paper bag and handed it to Amelia. She took it from him and sheepishly muttered a “ thank you” before following Gwyn.
“You didn’t have to-”
“I know you love crystals, Witchling.”
“I do, but-”
“Ah-ah! No ‘buts’! This is my money and I can spend it however I want to. I’m a responsible adult with a kid I want to make happy.”
“Thank you, Gwyn,” Amelia smiled and opened the bag to look at her new crystal. It was beautiful. She wanted to look at it for hours and inspect all its details.
Gwyn smiled back and gently squeezed Amelia’s shoulder. She was happy to see the kid starting to allow herself to enjoy things.
That content and warm smile disappeared, however, the moment she saw something on a stall: glass marbles. She slowly walked there, gripping the paper bag with both hands.
Ed collects glass marbles. He has a lot already, he can’t even count it. Amelia bought most of them whenever she could. She’d surprise him with a few every once in a while, never getting enough of the happy squeaks and thankful hugs she’d get from him. Amelia saved the small amount of money she got for food from her parents for many purposes, one of them specifically being to buy glass marbles.
And now, she was staring at whole a bunch of them, knowing she’d never see that happy smile on her little brother’s face again and play with him for hours.
Gwyn noticed the difference between Amelia’s current expression and the one she had moments ago when she saw that amethyst. The older witch was convinced she remembered something, probably connected to her siblings.
“Is everything okay, Amelia?”
“It’s nothing.”
She was about to turn to walk away, but Gwyn stopped her: “It’s bothering you.”
“It is, but… whatever. I don’t want to ruin your tradition.”
Gwyn didn’t respond, instead, she led the kid a few steps away from the stall where they could talk without anyone hearing them.
“Tell me.”
“Gwyn-”
“I don’t want you to spend the whole holiday with something bothering you.”
Amelia sighed, “It’s just that I used to buy a lot of glass marbles for Ed. He collects them and I always bought a few when I could.”
Gwyn thought for a moment before an idea popped up in her head.
“What if we buy a few of those and add them to the gift you prepared for him?”
“But then what about Em and Amity?”
“Of course, we’re not leaving them out. We’ll buy them something too.”
“But it’s your money, you shouldn’t spend it on gifts for my siblings who I’m not even allowed to see!”
Amelia looked away, sadness clouding her. But Gwyn didn’t give up.
“Amelia,” she started after she bent down a little bit to be at Amelia’s eye level. “You don’t have to worry about my money. And please don’t tell me not to spend it on you, of course I will! And I’m sure your siblings would be happy to receive a gift from their big sister, even if they don’t actually know it’s from you.”
It was Wynn’s idea. Amelia would prepare something for the kiddos, and Wynn would give it to them, saying it was from them. This way, Amelia could still give them presents without actually contacting them.
“I told you, I’ll find a job, I promise, and you won’t have to buy me everything, you’re doing too much already and I’m just a random kid, you took me into your home which is a huge thing and now you want to buy things for my-”
“Witchling,” Gwyn put her hand on Amelia’s shoulder to stop her rambling. “You’re a child. And I’m your new mom. And to my best understanding, mothers are supposed to take care of their children the best they can. Buying gifts for your siblings counts as taking care of you because you get to give them something which makes you feel better. Plus, these gifts will make them happy, which is important to me too.”
Amelia looked away. The thought of having a loving mother was still so new to her, but it was real, it was happening to her. Gwyn was so kind and supportive. Amelia was happy to have her as her new mom.
“And I don’t want you to start working just yet,” Gwyn continued. “You’re a kid, you’re supposed to do kid stuff. Not to mention, you’ve been on edge your whole life, you deserve to let go of the adult responsibilities that were forced on you.”
Amelia fought her tears and suddenly the emotions she tried to suppress were threatening to explode. If she were to open her mouth to say something, crying would’ve made it out faster than any words could.
“Come here,” Gwyn’s voice was soft and warm like the tea they drank the day before. She saw tears shining in Amelia’s golden eyes and hoped a hug would comfort her.
It did. She sniffled a few times before eventually fully leaning into the embrace. Amelia closed her eyes for a few moments and focused on the cold air flowing through her lungs. Her life was never easy. It wasn’t easy now either, but she had a loving mom and her best friend by her side.
“Thank you, Gwyn,” Amelia said quietly, her tone still a few pitches higher than usual, from the crying she was holding back.
“Anytime.”
The two witches broke the hug and smiled at each other, Gwyn squeezing Amelia’s shoulder reassuringly before she led the kid back to the stall. Amelia looked through the glass marbles and eventually picked one.
“How much do they cost?” Gwyn asked the seller.
“One snail per piece.”
“Okay, we’ll take ten.”
“Ten?!” Amelia looked at Gwyn as if she said she liked the coven system.
“Yes, ten, so better start counting, Witchling.”
Gwyn winked at her and Amelia figured it was pointless to argue. She nodded and picked those Ed hadn’t had yet in his collection. She gave them to the seller who put the glass marbles into a small organza bag with snowflakes. Gwyn paid for it and Amelia held the little bag like it meant the world. And maybe it did to her.
“Have you seen anything your sisters would like?”
“Not yet. Do you want to buy your apple blood while we’re looking?”
“Excellent idea!”
A few minutes later, with their drinks in hand, they continued walking around the Winter Market. Amelia knew how indecisive she could get sometimes; that’s why she reminded Gwyn of the drinks so that her guilt of keeping Gwyn - and Nyx - at the market could be eased a bit. This way, the older witch had her drink so she wouldn’t get too bored.
With her tea in her hand and now fully focusing on finding gifts for her sisters, Amelia walked around the market, Gwyn wandering beside her. It didn’t take too long until she spotted a beautiful Winter Solstice-themed doll dress that’d be perfect for Amity. She spent so much time playing with her, coming up with fantasies and creating beautiful outfits for her dolls.
And then, on the other side of the stall, she saw a sticker book. It was a princess dress-up book and she knew her other little sister would be thrilled to play with it. She was obsessed with stickers.
Amelia looked at Gwyn and the older witch knew what was up. The girl found what she’d been looking for.
_._._._._._._._._._
With their freshly bought gifts and their drinks gone, the two witches and the little palisman turned to walk home. It was starting to get seriously cold and Gwyn was worried about Amelia. The kid’s health was still fragile due to the abuse she faced her whole life and Gwyn hated to see her suffer. She promised she’d look after and care for her as best she could, and she didn’t plan to break that promise anytime soon, or at all.
The house was so warm and welcoming when Gwyn closed the door and sighed in contentment. Amelia was happily chattering with Nyx about how beautiful the market was and the older witch couldn’t help but smile at the lovely scene. Her little family meant the world to her; this was the moment she was dreaming of for a long time.
“Alright, little ones, who’s ready for dinner?”
Nyx chirped excitedly which made Amelia giggle. It meant a “yes” from both.
During dinner, they could only talk about putting up the tree. It’s been years since Gwyn last did that. At first, she kept the tradition but later realised that decorating the tree didn’t bring her the joy it used to. She hung a branch on her wall and put some decorations on it though, to celebrate symbolically.
But now… she had a kid who wasn’t allowed to be one for fifteen years. Of course, Gwyn bought a tree and decorations. And of course, the box full of the old tree ornaments would become empty again for the first time in years.
After the dishes were done, Gwyn put on her coat to bring the tree inside. She had to carve it to fit it into the tree stand which was her least favourite part of the holiday. But it had to be done and it was worth the struggle.
This became even more evident when Amelia jumped from her seat at the sight of the tree and started bouncing excitedly. Gwyn just kept asking herself, how could her parents hurt their own child who brought joy wherever she went? Wynn told the older witch earlier that despite everything, Amelia was a ray of sunshine. Gwyn couldn’t agree more.
“We should start with the lights and the garland and then put on the ornaments. Now, where did I put them-”
“Here, I untangled them while you were outside!” Amelia pointed behind herself to the lights and garland neatly placed on the table. Gwyn somehow didn’t notice them before.
“Thank you, Witchling, you helped a lot!”
And just like that, Amelia was beaming. A wide smile spread across her face; she liked to be useful. She liked to be appreciated. It was strange, she still had to get used to being treated well by a mother, but it felt amazing nonetheless.
Once the lights and the garland were on the tree, it was finally time for the ornaments. Gwyn told Amelia those were her favourite ones from her childhood and the young witch couldn’t wait to inspect all of them.
Gwyn opened the box and Amelia was just as amazed by the ornaments as she was the first time the older witch showed her the box. Some looked older, those were probably from Gwyn’s grandparents and the newer-looking ones were bought by her parents. There were red, pink, green, shiny, sparkly, glass and golden ornaments, all so beautiful.
“These are the most special ones. All of them have a little story about why I love them so much…” Gwyn trailed off, memories of previous holidays flooding her brain. But then, with a little shake of her head, she gathered herself. “Let’s put them up!”
Amelia took a big red ball out of the box and held it gently in her hands while looking at it. There were two houses painted on it with gold.
“What’s the story of this?”
“Ever since I can remember, we put this on the tree. No special story, just memories,” Gwyn smiled, though Amelia was sure she saw sadness in her eyes. And it was understandable; her life wasn’t easy either.
“What about this one?” she asked, holding a heart made of fabric.
“Oh! We made a few to represent our family.”
Gwyn thought it’d be easier to think and talk about these memories. Those hearts represented her, her parents and her siblings who didn’t get the chance to live. Thinking of “what could’ve been” seemingly didn’t get any easier. She was still grieving and though she knew she needed closure, she was afraid to move on. Somehow, in a twisted way, she thought she had to live with this pain. This way, she knew she still remembered her siblings and to live her life to the fullest since they couldn’t do that. And Gwyn had already wasted enough years burying herself deeper and deeper into loneliness.
Amelia nodded and didn’t ask any more questions. There were more hearts in the box and she assumed they represented Gwyn’s grandparents, cousins or other family members or friends.
Gwyn planned to tell the kid about her siblings, but she thought it was irrelevant so far. Amelia had to deal with a lot and Gwyn was busy trying to make her life at least a bit easier. So she hasn’t brought it up yet, but she was planning to. At some point.
Amelia’s thoughts wandered to her family as well. Her little siblings, specifically. She was wondering what they were up to; were they playing together? Did they open the books she used to read for them? Do they feel she’s missing from their lives?
Her heart was breaking but didn’t want to break down. She could cry at night, but now she wanted to keep her sadness away from this sweet moment with her new mom.
The two witches continued decorating the tree while Gwyn talked about the ornaments. Eventually, the box became empty and the tree was done. Gwyn and Amelia took a moment to look at it, then agreed they did a good job.
And while Amelia was excited about the next day, she also felt like she couldn’t keep her emotions in for too long. She never thought she’d spend the holiday away from her siblings, so this was a situation she had yet to get used to.
She couldn’t wait to get into the bathtub to cry and then continue in her bed. She really didn’t want to ruin Gwyn’s holiday. But she also couldn’t keep her pain bottled up forever. So when she closed the bathroom door behind herself, Amelia finally let her tears fall. Her throat was aching from the loud sobs she tried to keep from emerging and she ended up slipping down on the ground, hugging her knees. She was shaking and what she tried to suppress all day, was finally let out.
Amelia quickly learnt how to hide her feelings. Otherwise, she was seen as weak and Odalia couldn’t stand that. When Amelia was hurt and - Titan forbid - dared to express her pain, Odalia hurt her even more. When Amelia felt good for once and Odalia noticed that; she made sure Amelia wasn’t feeling good anymore.
And there were her little siblings too. She didn’t want them to see her suffer so she tried her absolute best to hide whatever pain she felt. She got so good at pretending that she stopped telling Wynn when something was wrong. She already didn’t tell them everything; so not saying anything at all was even more alarming to Wynn. It was hard to get her to talk about what was bothering her - to some extent - and Wynn wanted their best friend to evolve in communicating with them, not to retrograde. So after a conversation with Amelia, at least she was made aware of Wynn’s concern and promised to talk to them. Which was… still hard. It was easier to keep it inside than explain.
Plus, Amelia’s head was always louder. Odalia’s voice kept ringing in her ear and whatever progress she had made, crumbled. Amelia was convinced she wasn’t enough for this. She wasn’t enough to change what her brain was telling her. And once again, she came to the conclusion that Wynn deserved someone better than her.
Someone who didn’t have problems with expressing their emotions and communicating well. Someone who wasn’t broken. Someone who didn’t need fixing to function like everyone else.
Amelia wasn’t even sure if she could be “fixed”. If there was any way she could be normal someday. She knew she’d never be “normal”. There was a chance she could get better; but she’d always, always be the same, worn out witch beyond fixing.
Amelia took a deep breath. She came to the bathroom for a reason.
The tub was filled with warm water that Gwyn had prepared for her. The whole room smelled like citrus, cinnamon and ginger with a little hint of vanilla. Gwyn always made sure the baths matched the current season.
As soon as she slipped into the bathtub, Amelia felt like her soul was just a little bit lighter. She closed her eyes and let herself get lost in the silence. Ever since she discovered how good it felt to spend a little time in the warm water without the fear of getting yelled at and - or - punished, she actually enjoyed bathing. It calmed her. The bad thoughts attacked her and were so loud in this silence of solitude, but the warmth and care that surrounded her were enough to bring her peace.
Not even thirty minutes later Amelia was in bed, waiting for Gwyn to come out of the bathroom and turn the lights off so she could cry herself to sleep. She missed her siblings so much. She wanted to have them with her, away from Odalia. They deserved to live in a nice environment more than she did. She’d do anything to keep them safe-
“Are you excited for tomorrow?” Gwyn asked with a smile after she turned the lamp off in the bathroom.
Amelia nodded.
“I know it’s different,” Gwyn started when she sat on her bed. “And I know it hurts. Let me know if I can help you somehow, okay?”
She nodded again.
“Good night, Witchling.”
Gwyn kissed Amelia’s forehead before turning the lamp off. To Amelia, it felt less and less strange to think about Gwyn as her new mother. It even seemed too good to be true. To be found by a kind witch who just happened actually to want to adopt her and save her life? Really, what was the chance? But it happened. It really happened.
And Amelia was grateful. She was so, so grateful. But she knew she didn’t deserve this.
She didn’t deserve to live the life her siblings should have.
With that thought being the last thing on her mind, Amelia fell asleep.
_._._._._._._._._._
When she woke up in the morning, sorrow couldn’t get a strong grip on her. Although it was there in the back of her mind, the excitement for the day didn’t let it ruin her mood. She jumped out of bed, quickly dressed up and opened the door to the kitchen. The lights on the tree were turned on and gifts were under it, wrapped in colourful paper. Gwyn wasn’t inside which was Amelia’s cue to get her painting and put it next to the other gifts. Just when she rose from her knees, the door opened, revealing Gwyn and her usual, gentle smile whenever she looked at her kid.
“Good morning, Amelia! Did you sleep well?”
“Yes, I did!”
“You seem excited,” Gwyn winked.
“Of course! This is our first Winter Solstice together and we’ll go to Wynn’s and we’ll have a sleepover! I can’t wait to give them and Willow their gifts!” Gwyn chuckled at Amelia’s excitement who was bouncing while talking. “And my siblings’ gifts too…”
“I’m sure they’ll like your presents,” Gwyn smiled softly and opened her arms to welcome Amelia into a hug. The young witch nodded into her shoulder and closed her eyes while releasing a sad sigh.
She had such contradicting feelings about the holiday. On the one hand, she was excited to spend it with Gwyn and her best friend’s family; on the other hand, though, she missed her siblings probably even more than before. Amelia felt guilty for letting herself enjoy the holiday instead of burying herself in her pain. Which if she did, would also make her feel guilty for ruining Gwyn’s Winter Solstice.
“Do you want breakfast?” the older witch asked quietly.
“Yes, thank you.”
Amelia wiped her cheeks before she sat on her chair and Gwyn put the mug and cereal on the table. She sat down too, intending to cheer up the kid.
“What do you two do on sleepovers?”
“We talk a lot, watch something on the crystal ball, eat snacks all night, stay up late, braid each other’s hair and play games. It’s usually Hexes Hold’em.”
“Sounds great,” Gwyn smiled.
“Yeah, I love sleepovers. Especially because at Wynn’s, I could do things my mother never allowed me to.”
“So, living here feels like that too? I allow you to do things that woman never did.”
“Yes, kind of,” Amelia giggled. “And I’m getting more and more used to thinking of this place as my home.”
“Don’t make me cry, Witchling,” Gwyn chuckled and wiped her eyes, touched by her kid’s words.
“I’m just being honest!”
Amelia herself felt tears gathering in her eyes. It was so easy to be around Gwyn and show her true self. She didn’t need to hide who she was and was met with pure acceptance and love.
Eventually, Amelia finished her breakfast, and it was finally time to open the gifts. Back at the Blight Manor, she could be glad if she got a fruit or a pair of socks. Her parents never gave a second thought to her presents; it was always more about giving her something meaningless. At first, she did get fancy gifts, but that was until Odalia gave up on her completely and decided it was a waste of money if she spent it on her eldest daughter.
But Gwyn… she was so excited to give something personal to Amelia. And she couldn’t wait till the moment the kid would open it and she’d see her reaction. Gwyn and Odalia were opposites, in every aspect of the word.
Amelia knelt in front of the tree and the many gifts under it. Gwyn wrapped them all in cute wrapping paper in the morning while Amelia was still asleep. She wanted to give something to the Park kids and their dads too, and didn’t want to hear anyone argue about it. Plus, there were for Amelia and Nyx’s gifts too, of course.
“Go, find yours!” Gwyn urged, but Amelia was hesitant.
“I want to give you yours first,” Gwyn nodded and couldn’t contain her excitement. Amelia picked up the painting but didn’t show it to the older witch immediately. “I wanted to give you something special, but I couldn’t buy anything because it would’ve been a little funny to ask for money from you to buy you a gift,” she chuckled awkwardly. “Plus, I think I couldn’t have found anything more personal than this.”
She lifted the painting and Gwyn’s jaw dropped to the floor. It was a masterpiece, an absolutely amazing piece of art. The kind that’d belong in a museum.
Amelia continued: “I started this back when Wynn came here for the first time and I’m glad I could finish it in time to give it to you as a present. I’m not sure if it’s good enough for that, I felt like it was a crap gift because it’s just a piece of paper with a painting you might not even like, but Wynn said you’d love it so… So I finished it.
“I just love your garden, it’s beautiful and inspired me to create and I thought… maybe I could paint it. I wanted to give you something as a ‘thank you’ for everything you do for me and I want you to know that I appreciate you so much. Thank you, Gwyn.”
Amelia was talking fast, but not too fast to make it hard to understand her. Sometimes she glanced at Gwyn while talking and saw the tears rolling down the woman’s cheeks. Amelia wasn’t used to being so openly sentimental - she often was with her siblings and Wynn, but it was still strange - but she felt the need to be. She wanted Gwyn to know how grateful she was.
“Come here, Witchling,” Gwyn mumbled between two sniffles and hugged her kid close. “Thank you so much.”
After that, nothing else was said for a few moments. Gwyn stroked Amelia’s back and thanked the Titan for giving her the life she never thought she’d have. It was priceless to see the stars in Amelia’s eyes whenever Gwyn told her a story or taught her something new. Or when the kid came running to show her a spell she managed to get right.
The greatest gift she could ever get was Amelia.
Gwyn broke the hug and wiped Amelia’s cheeks before she sighed to gather herself.
“Wynn was right, I absolutely adore your painting! I can’t even describe how beautiful it is… thank you.”
Maybe she should’ve said something more. Other words might’ve told more than those she used. But Gwyn was too touched to think of better ways to express her feelings.
Amelia didn’t quite know how to go on or what to do. It was a little too much already to form her feelings into words and let them out. She had planned this speech for days now, trying to make sure it made sense and wasn’t too cheesy because she knew she didn’t feel quite so comfortable letting out her feelings like this. However, she got carried away by the end of her monologue and was glad she managed to get those words out. Gwyn was obviously touched.
“I’ll put this in a frame and hang it on the wall,” Gwyn said, seemingly unable to take her eyes off Amelia’s painting.
“Really?!” the kid exclaimed. Some of her works hung on the wall at the Park house, but she never thought Gwyn would want to do the same.
“Yes, really,” the older witch chuckled. “I’m a proud mama of a talented kid, of course, I want to look at her art every day!”
Amelia turned away shyly, not quite sure how to react to such a compliment.
“Now open yours, I’m excited for you to see it!”
Amelia smiled and turned back to the gifts. She found her little siblings’ names which - though twisted the knife in her heart - made her smile too. Then, she found her name. Somehow it felt right to see it with Gwyn’s hand-writing.
It was a bigger box in wrapping paper, but Amelia had no idea what was inside. When she opened it, she found a crystal-shaped display made of glass with little shelves inside.
“I saw this cute display and immediately thought of you! Also, look around the tree again, there’s another thing for you.”
Amelia did as Gwyn said and found a smaller box with her name on it. To her amazement, it had a beautiful aquamarine inside.
“Wow, thank you so much! I can put this and my amethyst in here!”
“Yes, and many more!”
Amelia jumped up to hug Gwyn and thanked her again before running to get her amethyst. Once she was back, she put both her crystals on the little shelves of the display and she couldn’t get enough of how beautiful it looked as a whole.
Gwyn watched the kid shriek excitedly and was convinced that there was barely anything better than seeing your child happy.
Nyx flew to Amelia to see her gift and that was when Gwyn remembered that the little palisman had something under the tree too. She knelt on the floor next to Amelia - with a very loud crack of her knees - and picked up a box with Nyx’s name.
“Nyx, goddess of chaos, you have something here too,” Gwyn gently shook the box and Nyx was quick to fly to her witch excitedly. As Gwyn unwrapped the box and then opened it, it revealed some small… things. After a closer look, Amelia realised it was a tiny Grudgby set. “Grudgby for palismen! It’s designed so that witches and demons can play with their palismen!”
Nyx’s little eyes grew at least two times bigger in excitement. She couldn’t wait to play it with her witch and her witch’s new daughter.
“Do you want to try it?”
After an enthusiastic nod, the set was put on the table and merciless matches were played between witches and a palisman.
_._._._._._._._._._
The little family kept on playing until lunchtime. Gwyn had to remind Amelia to eat multiple times since the girl was way too excited and couldn’t stop talking about her best friend. And her best friend’s little sister. And her best friend’s dads.
But Gwyn managed to make her finish her lunch and keep her busy with a book until a little later into the afternoon it was time to go. Amelia’s crystals were put on the shelf above her bed and she took another moment to admire them before she returned downstairs. Gwyn had put all the remaining gifts in her enormous hat and was waiting for Amelia to put on her coat too.
Amelia was so excited to finally hang out with her best friend. Not that they didn’t do it regularly anyway, but something about this holiday felt special. And because of that, once they arrived at the Park house, Amelia rushed to the door and knocked on it excitedly. It was Wynn who opened the door, and after a hug, they invited Amelia and Gwyn inside.
“Welcome, Havenglows!” Harvey greeted them. “We made head wreaths for you too.”
“Come in, make yourselves comfortable! Go to the living room, we’ll be there in a second! Wynn, help us with the desserts, please.”
Gwyn had already been in the house a few times, but still let Amelia lead her to the living room. They just sat down on the couch when fast steps could be heard from the stairs. Willow.
“Amelia!” she exclaimed, happily launching herself at the teen. Amelia hugged her back and was just as excited to see her.
“Hi, little Saintpaulia,” she kept Willow close for a few moments, savouring the feeling of holding the little girl close. For a second, she imagined it was one of her siblings in her arms, the thought ripping her heart in half. But she was hugging Willow and the little girl didn’t deserve to see how broken she actually was.
“Will you play with me? Wynn said you would!”
“Yes, of course, I will,” Amelia smiled gently. “You’re one of my favourite playmates!”
Willow did a little dance in happiness before her eyes lit up even more, “And you’ll sleep here tonight, right?!”
Amelia only got the chance to nod because the rest of the Park family appeared with three trays of desserts, putting them all on the table in front of the couch. Wynn sat next to Amelia, Harvey and Gilbert on two sofas facing each other from across the room and Willow made herself comfortable in Amelia’s lap. She was so happy to have Amelia there.
They were talking and laughing like a big, happy family. And they were, in fact, a big, happy family - well, as happy as they could be in the given circumstances. Amelia’s trauma shook everyone, even if not to the same extent as it shook her. But right now, the pain was just a bit more bearable than on other days, and breathing felt more liberating than suffocating.
Amelia could feel Willow getting antsy, so she asked what was up. She knew the answer but thought it’d be a good idea to let Willow say it herself.
“I can’t wait to open the gifts,” she whispered.
“I know, me too. What do you say, what should we do?”
“I’ll go tell Papa.”
Willow climbed off Amelia’s lap and rushed to Harvey, whispering in his ear. He giggled and whispered something back, then Willow returned to Amelia.
“He said we’ll do it now!” Willow clapped her little hands and Amelia’s heart melted at how adorable she was.
And, indeed it was time to open the gifts. Gwyn snuck her and Amelia’s presents under the Parks’ tree right after they arrived, not even Amelia noticed it. So when she and Wynn got up to hand everyone their gifts, she smiled when she saw the boxes from under their own tree.
Harvey and Gilbert got a fancy bottle of apple blood and a gingerbread house Gwyn and Amelia made. Wynn got a new bag from them, on which Amelia painted a beautiful picture. Willow received a colouring book drawn by Amelia, accompanied by a set of pencils.
Wynn gave Amelia a new bead weaving kit with colourful beads, clasps, and threads so they could make friendship bracelets again. From the Park dads, she got a fantasy book which seemed interesting at first glance and couldn’t wait to start reading it. And they gifted Gwyn a pan since a little bird (Wynn) told them she really needed a new one.
All gifts were opened, except for six more for three people who unfortunately weren’t present. And Amelia was the one wishing for them to be there the most.
Everyone was so happy. It showed the most on Willow who jumped around the living room, announcing she got a kitchen toy set from her dads. The parents chatted about adult stuff which the kids didn’t pay attention to at all. Wynn and Amelia were gossiping and being excited about their gifts, Wynn thanking their best friend for the bag a hundred times, saying it’s not just the most beautiful and unique bag ever but also a very needed one. Her old bag was hanging on a thread. Literally.
Willow insisted on putting her little kitchen together so Gilbert, Willow, Wynn and Amelia all gathered in the middle of the huge rug in the living room to set it up. Soon enough they finished it and Willow started to make soup for everyone with her two helpers.
Then, it was time for actual soup, as part of the Winter Solstice dinner menu. Wynn and Amelia sat next to each other - obviously - Willow facing them from the other side of the table. Beside Amelia sat Gwyn, in front of the Park dads so kids and adults all could continue chatting. With overlaps too, of course.
After dinner and the well-deserved dessert, the family was back in the living room. Amelia expected little Willow to immediately run back to her new kitchen set and continue cooking, but instead, she was whispering with Wynn, occasionally looking at Amelia. After a few more minutes, Willow walked up to her with her hands behind her back, Wynn following her.
“I have a gift for you too.”
“She forgot to give it to you because she was too excited about her kitchen,” Wynn added with a smile.
“And I don’t know if you’ll like it,” Willow whispered, looking at her feet.
“I’m sure, I will! I already do because it’s from you.”
Amelia smiled at the little girl reassuringly, and it was enough to encourage her.
“I drew you something too,” then she showed what she’s been hiding behind her back. A drawing of them all - including Ed, Em and Amity too, of course - happily holding each other’s hands on a hill, under the sun. There was a house behind them. “I want to draw like you someday and Wynn said it’s good that I started practicing already. I wanted to give this to you because I like how it turned out and we’re all happy here. I want you to be happy, Amelia.”
Amelia found it extremely hard to keep herself from breaking down, the lump in the back of her throat causing it to ache and her eyes overflowing with tears. That drawing showed a life she imagined every single day. No trauma, no pain, no Odalia. And Willow was so sincere and sweet. She wants Amelia to be happy. She wants to draw like her. Amelia’s heart was about to burst from all the emotions.
“Willow, I… adore it. This is the best gift ever,” still fighting her tears, Amelia hugged Willow and whispered a “thank you”.
“Best gift, huh? Don’t hurt my feelings like that, Amelia.”
“Shut up, Wynn, don’t ruin it,” Amelia chuckled. Then, she broke the hug and spoke to Willow: “You should be proud of this drawing because I definitely am. If you want, we can draw together someday.”
“Yes! Thank you, Amelia!”
“Thank you, Willow.”
“Saintpaulia, you didn’t tell her who’s in the house,” Wynn whispered, loudly enough for Amelia to hear it too.
“Oh, right! Our parents are in there! Our dads and Gwyn!”
Willow then walked around to show everyone the drawing; the most touched were Amelia and Gwyn. Willow didn’t know everything about what happened to Amelia and even the small amount of things she’d been told were confusing. But she understood that Amelia was living with Gwyn now and that she wasn’t supposed to mention her to her siblings. Which was… weird. But she did as she was told and didn’t talk about Amelia with anyone but her family.
After Amelia blew her nose and received a hug from Wynn, the kids continued playing with Willow’s kitchen set. Not that much later, however, the little chef couldn’t fight her sleepiness anymore and fell onto her Dad’s lap, blinking slowly. Soon she was put to bed and Gwyn thought it was time for her to go home and call it a day too.
“Have fun, kiddos!” she started while putting on her coat and hat. “Call me tomorrow and I’ll come to pick you up, Witchling. Goodnight!”
Gwyn kissed Amelia’s forehead and waved everyone goodbye. They all wished her a good night too and Gwyn was out the door, on her way home.
“Do you want to make bracelets while gossiping?” Wynn grabbed Amelia’s arm excitedly, the moment the door closed. “I heard so many interesting stories at school, I want to tell you them all!”
“I thought we discussed everything?”
“The best is yet to come,” they whispered, a smirk forming on their face.
Amelia and Wynn started giggling and turned to go to Wynn’s room, but were stopped by Harvey and Gilbert.
“Girls, tonight you can stay up longer than usual…”
“But still… please don’t wait for the sunrise like last time,” Gilbert finished, pinching the bridge of his nose.
“Don’t worry, Dads, we won’t!”
“I’m sure.”
The girls rushed upstairs, clearly not intending to consider sleeping anytime soon. But they were happy, enjoying their time being kids. And that was the only thing that mattered.
_._._._._._._._._._
On the first day of school after the winter break, Wynn called the young Blights into the Secret Room of Shortcuts. She wanted to give them the gifts from Amelia, but of course, they wouldn’t know they were from her.
“So, kiddos, we’re here because I have something for you,” she winked, adoring the stars in the kids’ eyes.
Wynn gave them each their little boxes wrapped in colourful paper and before they even looked at them, the kids all launched themselves at her, wrapping her in a big hug.
“Thank you, Wynn!” they said in unison, gratefulness obvious in their voices.
“You’re welcome, now open them!”
One box hid a little framed painting of their favourite characters from their favourite books or shows and the other contained the things Gwyn and Amelia bought at the Winter Market. The absolute joy on the kids’ faces was priceless and melted Wynn’s heart.
“You painted these?! They look so good, I love it!” Ed exclaimed, after inspecting his gift for a few moments.
“I’m so happy you do,” Wynn’s voice was soft and overflowing with emotions - emotions that were mainly a secret to the kids.
They didn’t know the gifts were actually from their sister. They didn’t know who was taken from them. They had no idea how much Amelia loved and missed them.