Home for the Holidays

1: Disowned At Christmas

It was a sunny but frosty Christmas morning, and a blanket of snow covered the yard and street outside the Uzzell family home on Fairmont Avenue. Maximilian and his wife, Gwendolyn, beamed with pride as they watched their children, Neveah and Amir open their many presents. Money was never an issue for the Uzzell family. After all, they were the wealthiest family in the city. Maximilian’s ancestors built the lavish city of Aurora Creek and as a sixth-generation and only child, it was his duty to ensure the Uzzell name carried on and the family wealth.

The young Amir, who looked exactly like his prudish father, was an introverted bookworm and genius. His black hair was neatly parted and in small twists that barely fell over his forehead. He wore thick, round glasses, which solidified his bookworm and nerdy nature. One of his Christmas gifts was a large box full of every book he mentioned he wanted to read. There were over fifty books in the humongous box. In another humongous box that towered over the seven-year-old was a five-shelf bookshelf to house all his new books. Maximilian was confident his young son would be the one to continue his family’s legacy.

Sixteen-year-old Nevaeh eagerly opened her gifts. Several bags full of clothes from all the trendy fashion brands made Nevaeh squeal in glee. Unlike her younger brother, she was a socialite and fashionista. She had beautiful, round, light brown eyes, neatly arched eyebrows, a thin nose like Gwendolyn, and luscious lips. Although she wore braces, her teeth were pearly white. She loved tight-fitting clothes that showed off her figure-eight body. Nevaeh had it all; cute face, tiny waist, thunder thighs, and a big butt.

She also wore square glasses, which were more stylish than Amir’s. Despite her trendsetting looks, she was a genius like her younger brother. Nevaeh was a cheerleader and straight-A student. In two years, she’d be off to university. Her nonchalant, carefree view of her future annoyed her father. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to go into fashion, real estate, or architecture, although Maximilian wanted her to become an architect like him and those before him.

Maximilian sat in his favorite leather chair, wearing a beige snug-fit silk two-piece pajama set. The beige went well against his pecan tan skin tone and short gray hair. His thick mustache turned gray last year. For years he maintained a salt-and-pepper look; dying his hair black while his facial hair grew black and gray. However, after his sixty-first birthday, the black in his mustache stopped growing and so did the hair in the middle of his head.

Maximilian also had a slender build, something he maintained since his teenage years. He’d had those large bags under his round, somber dark brown eyes for so long, it looked natural. He kept his thin pointed, but wide nostril nose in the air, always judging someone who didn’t have money like he did. His prude personality and reputation made Maximilian one of the most respected but least liked people of Aurora Creek.

Gwendolyn, who sat opposite her husband in a long red satin housecoat and sipping on a cup of coffee, was thirty years his junior and breathtakingly beautiful. Her beauty marks above her lips on the left side of her face and below her right eye were more noticeable than usual because she wasn’t wearing her typical full face of makeup. However, she was wearing her favorite lipstick. With each sip of her coffee, the bright red imprint of her full lips grew larger.

Red was her favorite color, which went very well with her medium-brown skin. She usually wore her silky black hair in a shoulder-length bob with a signature left part and right side swoop bang, but since it was Christmas and a massive amount of snow outside, she kept her hair in a protective wrap. Gwendolyn was in her early thirties and the epitome of a trophy wife. Both the younger and older generations of men in Aurora Creek lusted after her. All the housewives envied her.

Maximilian and Gwendolyn exchanged their lavish gifts long before the kids awoke. Maximilian gifted Gwendolyn yet another ten-carat diamond ring as if she didn’t already have enough from him from the course of their eighteen-year marriage. No matter how many times Maximilian gifted her a diamond ring, her cat-shaped eyes always went wide with happiness like it was her first one. Gwendolyn gifted Maximilian a Rolex and a fancy brand pajama set.

“Only one present remains. Nevaeh, close your eyes,” Maximilian requested after the children settled down from opening the gifts under the tree.

Neveah closed her eyes just as her father requested, but immediately went for a peek when she heard her dad leave his favorite sitting chair.

“Aht aht,” Maximilian immediately snapped. “Gwen, put your hands over her eyes,” he told his wife. “Clearly we can’t trust her,” he teased.

A few moments passed. Neveah tried peeking through her mother’s hands, but Gwendolyn pressed her fingers tightly against Neveah’s face. Maximilian returned with a pair of keys in his hand and grabbed his daughter’s, leading her outside to the front porch. Maximilian nodded at his wife and she dropped her hands from Nevaeh’s face. *Chirp Chirp.* A car beeped and Nevaeh squealed in glee.

“My precious, Neveah. Merry Christmas from your mother and me,” Maximilian whispered, dropping the keys in Nevaeh’s hand.

“Is this-”

“The car you’ve been talking about since… I dunno, you were a little girl? Yes, it’s a Mercedes Maybach. It’s a brand new EQE 350+. It’s electric, too… no gas needed. The best daughter gets the best reward,” Maximilian smiled proudly at his daughter while she jumped with glee.

“Mama… Daddy,” Nevaeh paused, but still full of excitement, “I love it!”

“Anything for my sweet girl,” Maximilian smiled back and stroked his beloved daughter’s cheek.

The family returned to the house and ate their Christmas dinner together. Dinner featured T-Bone steaks, cheesy baked asparagus, scallops, and creamed spinach. The children drank homemade eggnog while Maximilian and Gwendolyn enjoyed glasses of Pinot Noir. Dessert included apple tarts, gingerbread cookies, chocolate toffee bars, and candy cane cake. A personal chef and friend of the family prepared all the dishes, including the eggnog.

After dinner, they spent their afternoon watching Christmas movies until Nevaeh’s boyfriend, Tahj, arrived bearing gifts for the entire Uzzell family. Tahj was the only child of the second wealthiest family in Aurora Creek, the McNairs. Tahj was attractive and his muscular build displayed how much time he spent in the gym. All the girls wanted him. He had soft, kind eyes and full lips. Always neatly dressed, Tahj wore a high fade and was the typical guy next door everyone adored.

Nevaeh and Tahj’s parents used their relationship as a ploy to unite the two wealthiest families in the city. Tahj knew of this arranged relationship because his business-savvy mother told him everything. He was highly attracted to Nevaeh. After all, who wouldn’t want to bag such a stunning young woman, but he didn’t share the same feelings as her.

After everyone opened their gifts from Tahj, Nevaeh stood, cleared her throat, and gulped loudly. “Everyone… I have an announcement.”

“Announcement,” Maximilian leaned forward and raised his bushy brow in curiosity. He paused and looked at Tahj and Nevaeh before exclaiming, “Oh my! Is this an engagement announcement?”

“What?! No!” Tahj shrieked in panic.

“Well,” Maximilian softly chuckled. “What else could you possibly announce?”

Nevaeh took a deep breath and shared her big news. “Family, Tahj… I’M PREGNANT!”

She giggled excitedly, but the room fell awkwardly silent. The ticks of the clock were the only sound heard in the room. After a few more moments of silence, Maximilian flared his nostrils and grunted, “Pregnant? Absolutely not! No child of mine is having a baby at sixteen!”

“Daddy, I don’t understand. I promise I can still do all my schoolwork and care for the baby. You and Mom can help me.”

“No! I will not tolerate this!” Maximilian shouted roughly. “Gwen, make an appointment with the OBGYN first thing on the twenty-seventh so we can get this thing out of Nevaeh.”

Nevaeh, aghast, remarked, “Get this thing out of me? Daddy, no! I’m not getting rid of my baby!”

“NEVAEH BROOKLYN UZZELL, IF YOU DON’T GET RID OF THAT BABY, YOU ARE NO LONGER MY DAUGHTER!” Maximilian’s skin turned bright red and every vein in his forehead looked as if it was going to burst any second.

“Daddy,” Nevaeh gasped. “Are you serious right now?!”

“Very,” he answered sternly and his eyes went cold. “If you choose to keep this child, you need to get the hell out of my house and don’t you dare come back!”

Nevaeh stared helplessly at her mom, hoping she would reason with her father. Instead, Gwendolyn kept her mouth closed while Maximilian shouted angry and hurtful things at their daughter. Nevaeh broke out in a sobbing fit. “Mom, SAY SOMETHING!! Help me, PLEASE!”

Maximilian eyed Gwendolyn, daring her to say something to defy him. She wouldn’t dare do it. In all their years together, Gwendolyn never challenged Maximilian. Her jelly back spine was one of his favorite personality trait. Instead, Gwendolyn held her head low to avoid Nevaeh’s pain-filled eyes pleading with her for help.

“You are such a passive b***h,” Nevaeh yelled at her mother. “Come on Mom! You can’t even help out your only daughter?”

“You are no longer our daughter! You did this to yourself! GET THE HELL OUT OF MY HOUSE! NOW!” Maximilian harshly shouted at Nevaeh one last time.

“I hate you! You two are the WORST parents ever!” Nevaeh bitterly bit out. “I hope you eat s**t and die!”

Maximilian scolded and ridiculed Tahj, calling him a worthless, horny piece of s**t before kicking both Tahj and Nevaeh out. Nevaeh started upstairs to her room to pack a bag of her favorite clothes, but Maximilian pulled her from the stairs and sent her off wearing only her pink onesie pajamas and bunny slippers.