Chapter 179

The time comes to light up the tree and an eager silence falls over everyone, anticipation thrumming through the crowd as we all keep our gazes fixed to the tree.

Virgil slips his hand through mine and so does my mom, everyone holding hands.

Children are carried on the shoulders of their parents to see better and the excitement in their wide eyes brings a soft smile to my face.

A man I've not seen before or maybe I have but I simply can't place his name or face, places his hands on the lever and I can literally hear everyone hold their breaths.

He slams it down and a loud cheer rips through the crowd, crackers and poppers going off as confetti gets showered everywhere.

The tree is absolutely stunning, the moon glowing subtly on top of it, the fairy lights hung all around the rest of the house get turned on as well, someone dimming the lights.

Gasps get uttered at the full impact of the lighted up tree hits, then the crowd starts to move around, hugging and sharing greetings.

I frown, unable to place the greetings because I sure wasn't hearing 'merry Christmas' 

"What are they saying?" I ask curiously.

"May the goddess bless you." Virgil replies to me with one of his gummy smiles.

I blink, not too surprised, I knew that Werewolves sorta revered the moon. "Oh."

My mom is elated by this though. "May the goddess bless you." She says happily to Dale who is right beside her, making a sign of the cross.

"Mom, no…" I start to say but she's already slipped away to go traumatize more people.

"My mom wants to see you!" Shana says happily to Mae, eagerly grabbing her hand and dashing away with her.

"May the goddess bless you." Mae manages to wave to us before she gets pulled away.

The crowd is starting to think out, most people are moving the socializing outside while some people are already leaving.

"Dale, darling, here you are." A woman's voice says and I drag my eyes from the enchanting, glowing moon.

"Won't you introduce me?" She prompts with a faint smile across her red lips.

I look around to see a lady with inky black hair in a chignon and a fur coat over a tailored skirt and black heels.

"Um, mom, this is my friend, Hayden and you already know Virgil…"

"Yes of course, hello child, you never visit." She pouts slightly.

Virgil just makes a non committal sound while Dale forges on.

"...and Hayden, this is my mom."

She steps forward at this to pull me into a hug. "May the goddess bless you." She croons in my ears, leaning back to pat my cheeks.

"You're just adorable, I believe we've never met in person and I deeply apologize, I should have come personally to thank you for your immense help with that murderer's case."

I just take deep breaths, trying to keep up with her and her close proximity, she still was my least favorite person but I could be polite for Dale's sake.

"No, no, it's fine, I didn't really do much."

"So humble." She says with sparkling dark green eyes, patting my cheeks again. "You know I've heard a lot about you and in person you're such a sweet child that I wouldn't have minded you with Dale but you see…"

"That's enough mom." Dale cuts in fluidly, a sympathetic look on his face as he laces his arms with hers and leads her away.

"May the goddess bless you." She greets in a hurry, waving as Dale practically pulls her away.

"Well that was all parts awkward." I mutter to Virgil who hugs me from behind.

"Are you hungry?" He asks in a low voice, ignoring the people walking past us as he nuzzles into the crook of my neck.

It might not bother him but I'm burning up under my way too large sweater at the PDA. "I guess."

I might as well spend as much time as I could with Virgil before he'd have to go home, I couldn't help but feel like he'd sneak in my bedroom at night anyway, I was actually looking forward to that.

The dinner is full of laughter and it's easy to just live when you're so happy, Shana goes home with her mom and older brother but that's after the dinner and it's fun to watch them bicker while their mom tries to separate them.

I end up helping my mom down the stairs when she drinks one too many wine glasses, at least she had stopped making the sign of the cross and asking people if the goddess had a baby.

"Baby?" She hums to me when I prop her against the wall to close the door.

"Yes mom?"

"I wove y-y…" hiccup. "I w-ov…" hiccup "I love my adorable little snowflake." She finally gets out sleepily, trying to hug me but ends up throwing her entire weight on me.

She's not a lightweight but has always been a sucker for sweet tasting alcohol so here we are, I eventually get her in her bed and tuck her in.

Kissing her cheek when I'm done only to find her fast asleep. "Goodnight, mom." I whisper to her with a fond smile, making my way out.

It's too cold to think about showering but the acrobatics I had to do to get my mom safely to her room makes me heat up so I wear one of my mom's less thicker sweaters that smell like warmth and home and sweatpants before getting in bed.

I doze off staring at the moon which reminds me of the one sitting on the tree in the foyer, the moon is soothing, the gentle light lulling me to sleep.

I wake up briefly much later when my bed dips and I lazily roll over to the other side, Virgil's open arms waiting for me.

I fall asleep again with a soft smile on my face.