Christmas Reunion

Topic from Reedsy: Write a story about a family (biological or found) coming together for Christmas.

-December 24, 471 S. Vernon Drive Portsmouth-

This is it. 471 S. Vernon Drive Portsmouth, VA

I’m standing in front of a house in a cul-de-sac neighborhood in Portsmouth to meet the maternal side of my family, more specifically, my third cousin, once removed, Alessia Sanchez. As I worked up the courage to ring the doorbell, I saw the Christmas decorations adorning the yard. Seeing the lights twinkling and sparkling was something I never experienced while growing up.

Before I tell you how I got here, let me return to the beginning. My name is Isabella Cordova, and my story started twenty-five years earlier. I was born in a tiny rural California town; from the beginning, I didn’t have the best start. I could tell there was strife between my father, Kedrick Cordova, and my mother, Ainsley Wellington. Once I was born, she recuperated for a few days and took off for days on end to party and have fun. My father, Kedrick, always worked and cared for me. My so-called mother would come home every now and then. While home, she would pay me no attention, argue with my dad, get what she needed, and leave the house again.

While I didn’t understand, I was happy because I had a father who cared. It was like this for a few years. Then when I was six my father died unexpectedly. After that day, everything was a blur. During the commotion, a social worker came by, got me, and then took me to a location far from home, Ann Arbor, Michigan and I stayed with a friend of my father’s family, Adalyn McKellan. She was a tall woman in her early sixties and did her best to raise me. She ensured I got an education and that studying and schoolwork would be taken seriously. Because of her, I learned many life lessons, like grabbing an opportunity or regretting it later. She also instilled a lot in me, like being truthful and don’t promises you make them or don’t make at all.

The one thing I didn’t get to enjoy was Christmas. Adalyn didn’t believe in celebrating Christmas in her home. So while I got gifts from my friends here and there, I wasn’t allowed to mention them. Aside from studying hard and having no Christmas rule, Adalyn also encouraged me to participate in various activities, which I did.

The next several years went well. After graduating from college and working as a writer, I began to be curious about my parents’ family since I knew nothing. Adalyn said, “I know that your dad’s side of the family was conservative, but I am not sure about your mother’s family.”

So I ordered a kit to help find my maternal family and soon got in touch with family I had never talked to until now. Fast forward to today, and I am in front of Alessia’s house. Taking a deep breath, I rang the doorbell, and within an instant, the door and there stood Alessia Sanchez, my cousin. Like my mom, she was tall and slender. But, unlike my mom, Alessia had a warm smile. Alessia said, “Are going to come in or are you going to continue standing outside in the cold?”

With a smile growing on my face, I went in. I know that I found where I truly belong.