Chapter49:

“Bounce, bounce, bounce! Wakey, wakey sleepy head! Santa’s come and Mama refuses to let me open my presents until you’re awake and downstairs, so get up kiddo.” Nik ordered as he bounced repeatedly on my bed. I yawned and rolled over, turning my back to him in the hope that he’d just take the hint and vanish. I wasn’t in luck. “Come on...” he moaned as he threw my duvet off of me and tugged on my arm.  I groaned, sounding very much like a zombie from one of those black and white horror movies. “Merry Christmas to you too, pest.” I managed to yawn out, slowly obeying Nik and dragging myself from the warmth of my bed. Nik clearly thought I was taking too long because he tossed me over his shoulder and carried me down to the living room where our Christmas tree had been set up, setting me down in my usual chair and thrusting a cup of luke-warm coffee into my hands. Our Christmas tree had been the same tree ever since I was a child. It had actually been rescued by my mother from a garden c