The Heart Of Everything

17. Affectionate monster

I am currently sitting in the backseat in the middle with two sleeping animals. The big one with her head resting on my shoulder and the little one that stole my hand. These Sanders girls are really clingy. I smile at Kate as she looks back to us, and she has to suppress her laughter.

"You didn't just take Kim's heart huh?" She teased and I roll my eyes smiling. Bruce snorted aloud.

"I think one is enough." I tell her and they both laugh. I am a little too nervous to sleep since we are on our way to the rest of the family. Kimmie's hand moves up to my cheek and she kisses my other one. I lean down to kiss her on the top of her head.

"I love you, honey." I whisper so low so only she can hear it.

"I love you too." She whispers back with such a sleepy voice and then she yawns.

"Are we there soon?" She asks and to be honest, I don't know, the only thing I can see is darkness or lights from other cars and buildings.

"Yes, just some few minutes left." Her dad answers for me.

Not long after we stop in front of a bright house, and that is when I notice all of the snow on the ground. There wasn't snow back home, but I like it. Feels like a real Christmas when it is white. We all step out of the car. Then I help the four-year-old to get out of her seat and I have to carry her since she does not have the shoes to walk in the snow. She smiles and wraps her arms around me.

"Oh, okay." I just say I guess she is still tired. Kimmie meets me and she has both of our bags in her hands. I give her a smile.

"Thank you, Sam." I hear Bruce say as he comes behind Kimmie.

"No, problem." I tell him. To be honest, she is hanging on to me like Kimmie does sometimes. I follow the three of them to the door. Before even Kate can knock, an old woman opens it with a glass of wine in her hand. That must be Kimmie's granny.

"Hello!" She says happy with a bright smile on her face. I must say she is a joy spreader. I had to bite my lip to avoid bursting out in laughter. We all step into the bright house, god it is so much light in here that my eyes hurt.

"Mom, you don't need to use all of your lamps." I hear Kate complain. Her mother just rolls her eyes and take a sip from her glass. Kimmie's mother walks around and turns off some of the lamps as I follow Kimmie into the living room with Bella holding me around the neck.

A woman in her late twenties sits on the couch that must be Molly and I guess the man next to her is her husband, Tyson. There is a younger male, sitting on another couch that must be Percy. Kimmie's youngest uncle. He has long ash blond hair in a ponytail, his arms with tattoos and a piercing in his lip. His sister Molly has a piercing as well, but on her eyebrow, so does her husband. I like it because it makes me feel in a way welcome. Which is probably weird, but they seem so chill and fun. Just the way I like it.

"Hi, everyone." Kimmie says and they all look at me questioning.

"Who is your tall friend?" Molly asks and I feel offended.

"I am not that tall." I argue, and she raises her eyebrow.

"Compared to Kim you are." Molly says with a crooked smile. I clench my teeth as Kimmie put her hand on my arm. Still, Bella is holding me around my neck, sleeping. I relax under Kimmie's touch.

"Molly, you need to shut up." I hear Percy say and it makes me snort. Okay, I like him better.

"So, who is your friend?" He asks Kimmie.

"Didn't grandma tell?" She asks a little confused now. They all shake their heads.

"I guess she must have forgotten then." She says and sighs. I turn around as I hear footsteps, and Bruce comes.

"I'll take her to bed." He says and I try to hand Bella over but struggle with the death grip around my neck. Kimmie chuckles, but help us to get her off me. Then her father walks out of the living room with his daughter. I turn around again meeting all of the eyes that are staring at me, and it makes me uncomfortable.

"Well, this is Sam." Kimmie says to them.

"Hi, Sam." Percy says, smiling as he lifts up his beer in a hello way, and it makes me smile. Tyson does the same with his bottle.

"Why is your friend here?" Tyson asks with a friendly smile. Kimmie takes my hand and leads me to a chair. I sit down into the softness and then Kimmie moves down in my lap, I feel the fire in my cheeks. Why did I have to fall in love with the affectionate monster?

"She is mine," Kimmie kisses my cheek.

"Girlfriend." She says and I look at her unpleasant. She grins so satisfied and pleased.

"You're gay?" Molly burst out, and it makes me clench my teeth again. Kimmie moves, which makes her rest her head on my shoulder and her feet over the armrest. I lay my hand on her thigh and stroke her. Kimmie rolls her eyes as she looks at her aunt. Percy and Tyson seem surprised.

"If you want to call me that, that's fine." Kimmie says and looks at me softly, making my heart tickle.

"I like Kimmie better." I tell her and she grins while rolling her eyes.

"You know what I meant Kim." Molly says annoyed. Kimmie's eyes drift from me and to her aunt.

"I just fell in love whit my teaser." She tells her and Molly raises her eyebrow to me.

"She doesn't look like a teaser." Kimmie's aunt says and I bite my inner cheeks. I kind of promised Kate to set her sister in place.

"Says the woman that has known Kimmie for seventeen years and still do not know her name." I say and sigh to make myself calm down. Kimmie snort and so do the guys. Molly raises her eyebrow.

"Says the girl that isn't home with her family for Christmas."

"MOLLY!" Kimmie and Kate shout. I didn't even hear her come in. Kimmie gives her aunt the death glare. I bite my inner cheeks again and look down at my hand that is still stroking Kimmie's thigh, feeling a little hollow of Molly's words. I wish I could celebrate Christmas with my family, but it is not that easy. Kate sits down next to her little brother.

"It's okay." I tell them, trying to smile as I look at Molly. She looks a little guilty, even though she does not know why. I met Kimmie's eyes and she looks at me worried, then she leans in to kiss my temple.

"What?" Molly asks now irritated, by all the looks she gets.

"Calm down, Molly." Percy says as he put the empty beer bottle on the table.

"I need more beer." He mumbles to himself as he gets out of the couch.

"Of course you do." Molly says rolling her eyes.

"And I thought Kimmie had a high temper." I mumble only to make Kimmie hit my cheek lightly, offended. Looks like Molly wants to hit me as well. God, I am going to be here for over a week and I am already a target.

Kimmie's granny comes in behind us, still with the glass of wine in her hand. She sits down next to her oldest daughter. She has that happy grin on her face and it amazes me. Her youngest son comes back in with a beer in his hand and sits next to his mother.

"I am so glad everyone is here." She says so happily, while everyone is rolling their eyes.

"Especially since we have a new family member." She says, smiling brightly to me and I feel my cheeks on fire. It makes me hide my face in the side of Kimmie's and she chuckles of me.

"It's not like they are married mom." Molly says, and Kimmie looks irritated.

"Well, it feels like we are married." I tell them, and Kimmie looks at me confused and I roll my eyes.

"Known you for fifteen years remember?" I tell her with a raised eyebrow. Kimmie snorts and then bite the nail on her thumb, it makes her look adorable.

"You have known each other for fifteen years, what took you so long to ask her out?" Molly asks, trying to get on my nerves and it works as I sigh of irritation.

"She didn't." Kimmie answer for me.

"Sam... She..." Kimmie itches her head, looking at me unsure what to say.

"We are a mess." She says and we all burst into laughter. Kimmie hides her face in my neck.

"Oh, god." She mumbles on my skin, embarrassed. I remember exactly what happened, I kissed her and that made me realize that I have always liked her, maybe even loved her. Well, I love her more than anything right now, and that is good enough for me.

"No, come on tell us." Kimmie's granny asks, very curious. She has this intense look in her eyes.

"Well, Kimmie and I have..." I tell them the story about before I kissed her, then after and...

"Oh god, we are a mess." I realize and it makes people laugh again.

"A cute mess though." She says and kisses my cheek. I roll my eyes off her.

We have been listening to Kimmie's drunk granny talk about her kids. It was fun listening to her, she is funny. Kimmie fell asleep on my lap with her face buried in my neck. Took her only ten minutes into her granny's stories. I am starting to feel the tiredness as well. It's really late and I am pretty sure that Percy has fallen asleep in the bathroom since he hasn't come out the door yet.

"Honey?" I whisper to my beautiful girl, but she is completely gone, just like her little sister was.

"I think it is time to say Goodnight." Kate yawns and stretches out. The rest agrees as I kiss Kimmie on the top of her head. My heart melts as I breathe her in, she smells so good.

"Need any help?" Molly asks teasing and her tone makes me irritated, but I keep myself calm.

"No, I don't think so." I smile as I stand up with my girl in my arms. Molly raises her eyebrow and then shake her head as she leaves with her husband. Kate offered to show me the way to our room and I am grateful. I follow her up the stairs.

"I'm sorry about my sister, Sam. She so not really think before she says anything." Kate tells me sadly.

"It's okay. I was just caught off guard." I tell her as I walk after her in the hallway. I do not really want to talk about it, right now. My family is my problem. Kate stops in front of a door and smiles to me as she opens it.

"Here you go." She tells me and help me to take the duvet away from the bed, so I can lay Kimmie down.

"Thank you." I tell her with a smile as I lay Kimmie in the bed.

"No, Sam, thank you." She says in I feel my cheeks turn red.

"When I saw you two in the kitchen that morning. I have never seen Kim smile so bright before, now she smiles every time I see her, even before and after school." Kate tells me as she brushes the hair away from her daughter's face.

"Thank you for making my little girl happy." She tells me and looks at me so delighted.

"Umm..." I say unsure what to tell her now. I am not used to people being grateful to me. They are usually angry. Kate takes a step towards me and put her hand on my arm.

"If you keep on doing that, you will make her mother happy." She tells me and let her hand go from my arm.

"And I think... your mother would have been proud of you too." Her words make me smile and my heart turns warm. It is nice to hear her say that.

"Thank you." I tell her and she smiles.

"Well, I see you tomorrow." She says and walks towards the door.

"Goodnight." I tell her and she says the same as she walks out and closes the door. I turn to my sleeping beauty who lies curled up in the bed. She is such a heavy sleeper. I start to drag her pants and take on her the pajama pants. Kimmie wanted mine since they are warmer and longer, well, it's good I have two of them. I change into mine and then find Kimmie's little Griffin in her bag. Kimmie really loves this little creature and I do not blame her. Since I love, my mother's neckless.

I lay down next to my red-haired and put the tiger under her arm next to her face. She snuggles into it right away and it makes my heart melt by the view. I kiss her forehead, and she laid her free arm around me and bury her face in my chest.

"I love you, princess." I tell her and then kiss her on the top of her head.

"I love you too, Sammie bear." She mumbled and I snort while shaking my head. I really hate that name.