Who: Savannah and Eve What: Early Christmas Gift When: Christmas Eve Where: Paige and Savannah’s house Rating: low
The holidays were tough normally as a ghost who had to watch her child enjoy them without her. Eve had often asked the Fates for an assignment if she was an angel and when she was just a ghost, Kristof had done a good job keeping her busy when things like Christmas or Savannah’s birthday came around. They visited, of course, but never lingered since it was entirely too depressing. Now she found herself ‘alive’ and with Savannah around. Sure, there were things she wished she could have here - she wished that she and Kris could be together and they could all have Christmas together like a family - but she knew that wasn’t reality. She had started to take sessions of therapy to figure out how to actually move on from where she was, but she was stubborn. Thankfully Cami seemed to have the patience for her.
Eve pushed all those thoughts aside. Paige had invited her for dinner tonight and while she knew this was Paige’s way of giving her a more ‘intimate’ experience with her daughter without it being forced, she still appreciated it. Tomorrow she’d be at the Pack House and there’d be too many people there to really think.
Paige let her in and then disappeared into the kitchen for wine. Eve sat down in the living room, placing the two gift bags under Paige’s medium sized and neatly decorated tree - it was a very Paige tree.
Savannah didn’t quite know what to expect for Christmas in Madison, especially given her parents weren’t dead like back home. She hadn’t experienced a Christmas with her mother in over a decade, and never had one with Kristof. Of course, she felt incredibly lucky to have her brother, her younger half-siblings, her parents, Adam, and her friends from home.
The witch loved Paige’s tree. After all, it reminded her of the Christmases she experienced with Paige and Lucas and she’d gotten used to the Paige type of tree over the years.
She appreciated the time with Eve, without so many people around. “Merry Christmas, Mom.” Savannah hugged Eve.
“Merry Christmas Savannah.” She hugged her daughter back. “Have any plans later tonight? I’m sure you have some for tomorrow.” Eve didn’t see Savannah being the ‘stay in and brood’ sort especially since, as far as Eve knew, Savannah was in a pretty good place right now. Eve of course tried to avoid the topic of Kol as much as possible. She and Savannah had worked things out, more or less, and Eve wanted to keep that momentum up. Sometimes she wondered if it was easier because at the moment she wasn’t a ghost. And then when she thought about it, she wasn’t sure which answer to that question she’d prefer.
Life was complicated.
“I’ll probably see Adam tonight for a bit. Do our own Christmas together, before the craziness of tomorrow.” Between the Pack, her mother, Paige, Kristof and his family, plus Sean and Adam, Savannah had a lot of people to see.
“I’ll be at the Pack dinner tomorrow, though at least for some of it.” Savannah wanted a little time with her younger and older half-siblings too, and they probably wouldn’t be at the Pack house.
“But for now I’m looking forward to dinner with you.”
She smiled at that. “Sounds like you got a full plate. I’m glad.” She thought it was a good indication that Savannah was flourishing here. Hopefully her daughter wasn’t spreading herself too thin, but even if she brought up that concern, Eve knew it’d be met with placating. She’d have done the same.
“Me too.” About dinner. “And I know Christmas is technically tomorrow, but I was hoping I can convince you to open my gift now.”
Eve went for one of the gift bags and held it out. It was a small bag and inside was a rectangle box. Inside the box was a a necklace with a simple silver chain.
Eve waited until her daughter opened the box before explaining. “My mother made me one of these when I was younger.” It was probably one of the only nice things the woman had done, although her mother had had ulterior motives even then. “It’ll absorb just enough of one fatal incident to keep you alive.” Meaning if someone were to shoot her and she’d normally die, she’d be kept alive by the stone. This was, most definitely, darker magic than Paige would have dipped her toes into, but Eve didn’t see a problem with it at all.
Savannah smiled. “I do, but I like it. Adam and I are discussing my moving in with him in the New Year. The idea of leaving Paige by herself, though, makes me feel a little guilty.” No, she didn’t think of herself as being spread too far, although maybe she should reach out to Kol. Of course, her friend could just as easily text her.
“Oh. Mom. It’s gorgeous.” Sav reached over and hugged her mother tightly. “Thank you.” As Eve explained its significance, the brunette witch looked at it more closely. No, Paige might not dip her toes into this kind of magic, but Sav and Eve always practiced darker magic.
“I don’t have anything nearly as fantastic.” Savannah handed her mother a framed sketch of the two of them.
She hugged Savannah back, obviously happy and prideful that her daughter seemed to like it. Eve had been fairly certain, but it was always nice to see the confirmation. Thankfully she’d been thinking about it for a while lest she give her daughter something embarrassingly too young for her age or something.
“Listen, I’m your mom. I’m allowed to spoil and outdo you at Christmas. It’s practically the rule.” Well, for Eve anyway. She certainly hadn’t had that experience of her own unless you counted being outdone by disappointment.
Eve took in the sketch and her eyes softened and chest warmed. “This is a wonderful gift, Savannah.” Eve didn’t have a lot of actual photos of her and her grown up daughter and the sketch made things feel even more personal. She’d have to find the perfect spot for this now.
She took a longer look at the sketch before she looked up and backtracked on their previous conversation. Adam and Savannah, huh? “Well… I could always ask Paige to move in. I mean, I’m less of a pain in the ass half the year, but it’s not like she’d be alone.” And it wasn’t like Eve would be throwing herself on a grenade either. She liked the other witch, especially after having done such a good job with Savannah.
Savannah felt so grateful for this time with her mother. Sure, she’d needed time to adjust, and the situation with Kol hadn’t helped matters, but Savannah honestly loved this time with Eve. “Thanks Mom. I love you.” She laughed at her mom’s rule.
“I’m glad you like it.” She’d spent some time on the sketch and thought it showed her and Eve rather well.
“You’d live with Paige?” The idea honestly never crossed Savannah’s mind, but it did make sense. While they weren’t friends, they did have friends and Savannah in common. “I do like the idea of visiting both of you in the same place.”
“I love you too.” It was nice to be able to say that again and she was thankful Savannah was passed the teenager stage where that’d be super cringe.
“Yeah, sure, why not?” She shrugged. “It’s not like I’m staying with anyone else and a house would be nice instead of an apartment. Plus if Paige gets on my nerves too much, I’m dead half the year so I can just pretend I’m not there.” Her wry smile showed she was kidding about the last part. Maybe staying with Paige would help Eve with the whole ‘getting over Kris’ thing. Sure, she was also seeing a therapist, but that was slow going because despite everything, Eve was still a stubborn pain in the ass.
Savannah laughed. “It would be nice to come visit you both in the same place.” Even if the witch would need some one-on-one time with them on occasion. After all, Paige had become one of her best friends back home now that she moved out of the house and became an adult.
“I’m glad you’re here Mom. I know I didn’t seem like I thought this, but I did for the whole time, even if I needed time to adjust.” Of course the whole ghost thing half the year didn’t help.
Her smile warmed. “Me too.” While she believed that sentiment to be true already, it was still nice to hear Savannah say it outright. It was comforting, even now.