The family home was quiet now that Adoraâs parents had cleared out for whatever fancy winter cruise they had planned for the holidays. They had been home for a total of three days with her before clearing out, with plans to be back by Christmas Eve after three weeks out on the water, touring whatever islands were in the area.
She hadnât really paid that much attention to the details, to be completely honest. This would be their fourth annual cruise; they were retired now, and they took a lot of trips, but the holiday cruise seemed to be the one they looked forward to most. And that worked out fine for her. She wasnât alone â Richie and El werenât far, and she had a few friends still in the area. But this year, she was on a mission.
She was going to talk to Catra.
Maybe.
It wasnât that she didnât want to because, honestly, it was all she wanted. After sheâd run into Scorpia at breakfast not long after she made it home and heard that the animal shelter was looking for volunteers, sheâd been there every day. She liked animals, so it wasnât a hardship, but it was the close proximity to Catra sheâd been looking for. Problem was, no matter how close she got to her ex, she couldnât seem to muster up the courage to talk to her much. It was easier to make small talk about the animals, but she was still an awkward mess. But at least she got to be in her presence.
It was pathetic, but could she really be blamed? Sheâd been dumped without any idea why three and a half years ago, and any attempts sheâd made to reach out since had been ignored. Who was to say this year wouldnât be the same? Just because she missed Catra every single moment didnât mean Catra felt the same way. For all she knew, sheâd never loved her at all.
That was a well of heartbreak that she didnât need to fall down right now.
All she wanted was to get it off her mind. Sheâd decided to stop by and see her big brother before going into the shelter for the day. And, of course, she came bearing peppermint hot chocolate because what was winter without it?!
âRichie!â she called out as she stepped right over her brotherâs threshold and into the house without so much as knocking on the door. âPlease tell me youâre decent!â
âTotally decent!â Richie called back, and it wasnât a lie. He wouldnât say he was presentable (wearing a pair of flannel pajama pants and an ugly âdon we now our gay apparelâ hoodie, becuse hilarious) but he was decent. And he smelled cocoa, despite how it was physically impossible to catch a whiff of even the peppermint from where he was in the kitchen.
Still. He was like a bloodhound when it came to holiday treats. Besides, he craved holiday treats - after spending an hour or two sitting at the kitchen table trying to come up with new material to bring to auditions out of town (he had dreams of big city lights and being a big city star) heâd given up and started baking some cookies instead. Heâd gotten the recipe from the matronly lady who ran the shop called Bottom of the Cup - it served up delicious teas and, whenever a customer was done with a cup, the grandmother matron would come by and do a reading for them based on the tea remnants left behind; it was cozy in there, with mismatched wood-fired ceramic bowls and cups and quirky stuff like framed musical instruments on the walls, with newspaper covering the tables with headlines dating back many decades.
So the cookie recipe he learned? Legit. Richie pulled the baking sheet from the oven, the smell of old-fashioned sugar cookies filling the air; he knew itâd attract his sister like a moth to a flame. âWhatâs up, blondie?â
Adora pushed the front door shut with one booted foot, already headed right back toward the kitchen when she heard Richieâs voice. She had memorized this houseâs layout a long time ago; she could suss out what room his voice was coming from without a problem. The scent of sugar cookies permeating the air was another good indicator; her mouth instantly began to water.
âWell, now I just want cookies,â she replied, setting the to-go cup carrier down on the counter between them. Those cookies smelled like heaven and paired with peppermint hot chocolate? She would skip the animal shelter just to indulge in that perfect combination of holiday treats. âWhereâs El?â
So. The thing with El? That was kind of putting a damper on the holiday spirit, but. Richie would attempt to keep the good cheer alive - he was depressed, yet wanting to be supportive so it was definitely an interesting contradiction. Could be why he was also all up in here drowning his fee-feeâs in baking, but shit stuff was what it was.
âOh, uh - â He blinked, blue eyes a cloudless sky behind his glasses - which he pushed up further onto his nose since theyâd slipped down a little in the middle of his cookie adventures. âShe decided she wanted to spend the holidays looking for her real dad.â
Even just saying the words stung but, again - trying to be supportive. Heâd always love El like she was his own, however - maybe Richie hadnât hit it lucky in the romance department yet, always searching for The One, but in the adopted child lottery? Oh yeah. You didnât get any better than his kid. He began using a spatula to carefully ease the cookies from the baking sheet to a wire rack where they could cool better - though half the fun was stuffing one into your mouth and burning your tongue. âItâs fine though, maybe sheâll find what sheâs looking for,â he shrugged.
Oh, that wasnât a great face nor did Elâs apparent plans elicit anything but a concerned frown from her. She knew her niece had been more and more curious about her origins lately, but to do this now? Right before the holidays? It seemed tactless, but â well, she was a teenager. Adora had never gone through that rebellious phase, but Catra had certainly had her moments. She knew consideration wasnât always high on a teenagerâs priority list.
âWell, I donât know why sheâd bother with that when youâre the best dad in the world,â she said firmly. âBest big brother, too.â She meant that with all her heart, too. Despite their age gap being pretty vast, he had always been there for her and supported her through everything. He hadnât once resented her for coming in and taking up attention from their parents when he was in high school. She couldnât have found better if she tried.
âHere.â She popped one of the four large hot cocoas out of the cup carrier and pushed it across the counter toward him to have when he was done with his spatula-ing. âNo one can be sad with peppermint hot cocoa, right?â She popped one out for herself and took a sip for herself. âBuuuut maybe some mini marshmallows would make it better. Do you have any?â
Richie chuckled. ââCourse I do,â he nodded, and stepped to the pantry to take out the bag of festive marshmallows - he had the fat ones too, because sugar was a prime staple in this house, but the mini ones definitely held some special appeal with hot cocoa. Plus, you could just dump a bunch in there and have them soak up the chocolate and yum.
He knocked the lids off both their cocoa cups and added a bunch of marshmallows before testing out the drink once heâd upped the ante on the sweetness. âPerfect,â he announced. âAnd have some of these - â Richie motioned toward the cookies, perfectly willing to share - heâd probably end up frosting them at some point too, if he really wanted to be ambitious. Maybe make some red and green snowflakes, others blue and white.
âBut yeah, what about you? You come clean to Catra yet about your feelings?â
Adora lifted her drinks to her lips again, and yep, Richie was right. Perfect was the only word for it. She wasnât sure why the marshmallows seemed to add so much to it, since it was really just sugar on top of sugar, but she was all about that extra sugar at this time of you. she had plenty of time to watch her diet and be careful at school. Christmas got a pass from all that.
Her nose wrinkled and she reached out to scoop up a cooling sugar cookie and take a bite. âNo,â she huffed, mouth full of delicious warm cookies. âIâve even been able to say anything more than, like, âgood morningâ in her general direction and sometimes we talk about the animals. We havenât spoken in over three years. I donât even know where Iâd start.â
She loved Catra more than she could possibly describe. Richie knew. Richie had seen it. Theyâd grown up together, even before they were adopted by their respective families. Maybe it was a silly teenage notion, but sheâd really seen the rest of her life with that girl, and then sheâd been dumped. Years later and she was still heartbroken about it; sometimes she even still dwelled in it like it had just happened yesterday.
âWell, you gotta try sometime,â Richie insisted - he was gentle about it, because he knew that Adora had genuine feelings for her childhood friend. But also he was the flailing muppet he was about it too, wanting to see best sister be happy - if someone around here got lucky in love, shouldnât it be her?
Someday, his prince would come. Maybe. Maybe he even lived in a castle already - wouldnât that be something?
He dunked one of the sugar cookies into the hot cocoa - that was partly why heâd made sugar, because they soaked up chocolate like oil to a wick. âHere, let me show you something - I had a vision,â he grinned, knowing that he could say that without sounding like complete looney tunes. It was a thing since his own childhood, before Adora came into his life, but heâd sort of gotten a handle on it over time - thanks to that matronly lady that owned the tea shop, anyway; she seemed to want to take him under her wing.
âDonât go anywhere.â
Adora knew Richie was right. There were so many things in her life sheâd been brave about, and on the field, she cut a hell of an imposing figure. But four little words to her ex-girlfriend â âHi, how are you?â, that simple â felt like an impossible task. But it was something she needed to do, something she wanted to do. She had no idea if things between them could ever be anything close to what theyâd been, but she had to find out.
She just had to find the courage somewhere.
She dipped her head, a little shamefaced, before scooping up a new cookie to mimic her brother. The heightened taste of the two sweet treats mixed together almost overwhelmed the nerves this subject always brought to the surface.
His reveal of a vision had her perking up, though, eyebrows raised. She wasnât sure where heâd come across a gift like that, but she knew it was legit. There were too many âvisions come trueâ in his history for it to be anything but real, even if he played up the silly angle to make a little cash. And his insistence that she stay, even though she had no intention to leave, set off alarm bells in her head.
âOkay, but itâs not something bad, is it?â she called out after him. ââCause I canât really take that kind of rejection right now.â
âI got you, sis, donât worry!â were Richieâs parting words before he disappeared, bounding up the stairs on legs-too-long, heading into his bedroom where heâd stashed his latest drawing. At first he had visions that just kind of smacked him upside the head, hitting him with the force of lightning bolts and juggernauts. Then he was shown how to toss the invisible reins on them, learning now to sort of redirect the energy or whatever - it was a mysterious, unknown sort of sense (a sixth sense?), a bit of something supernatural that he didnât talk about with many people in the town except his matronly tutor. And sure, he incorporated it all into his routines, earning cash in the process (in addition to making good tips at his coffee shop gig), but it was sort of an unspoken thing in Serendipity Hills that his drawings were real. People knew.
The drawing he brought down now was clearly Adora and Catra - Adoraâs ponytail and Catraâs messy mane both distinctive traits; they were embracing, kissing in the snow as the flakes fell around them. He remembered that snow looked soft like powdered sugar, fluffy sheepâs wool - and he was decent at drawing too, so he thought he captured it pretty well. âCheck this out - pretty cute, right? Right?â
Well. And it was supposed to snow later. It was gonna be a pretty nice amount too.
Adora set down her hot cocoa, reaching out to take the drawing from Richieâs hands, awe painted across her features. Not just because Richie was really a good artist but the drawing itself. It was very clearly Catra and Adora, kissing in what looked like quite a bit of snow. Her heart nearly stopped at the sight. It had been so long since sheâd gotten that intimacy with Catra, and right now, she couldnât even scrounge up the balls to say hello to her.
Maybe this was the push she needed, knowing something in the universe wanted them together. Maybe Richie was giving her even more of a gift than he realized.
âI guess this means I end up properly talking to her,â she said at last, the words huffed out around a half-laugh. She set the drawing back down on the counter in front of her, one hand tracing over the shape of Catraâs ears in that beanie that accommodated them. The mane was a dead giveaway, too, of course, but sheâd know those magicat ears anywhere.
Richie smiled triumphantly. ââYou do,â he agreed - he didnât have to be a psychic to know that much (even if he was a psychic, thanks). âThis may be the boost you need, blondie. But you know - either way, donât let this opportunity pass you by,â he added as he stuffed part of another cookie in his mouth, chasing it with more hot chocolate.
That was the most solid advice Richie could give. He knew that Catra and Adora wouldnât be in the same town for long - and so that was why he wanted them both to work out their stuff and finally get together. Sure, there was history - but it wasnât so insurmountable that they had to end things before they even truly began.
Plus - there was something beautiful about second chances, right? The way the opportunities glimmered like stars. Richie was really rooting for them.
âI wonât.â Adora nodded, her voice suddenly becoming much more firm in her determination. This picture was enough for her to know that, some way or another, they were going to work everything out. She didnât believe for a second it would be easy or quick, but at least she knew she stood a chance of avoiding outright rejection.
âWhat about you?â she said, grabbing another cookie. She hoped Richie had plans to make more if he wanted these to last because she was making quick work of these and she wasnât even sorry. âPrince Charmingâs got to be coming along someday soon, right? Anyone new on the horizon?â
Richieâs expression softened a little at the question, something a bit sad. Wistful, maybe. He knew his best sis really well - and knew sheâd plow through these cookies like a Pac-Man game character - so that was why he began gathering the ingredients together for a second batch. Most of it he already had out and ready (sugar and flour on the counter, eggs and butter at room temperature) but he reached for the sifter and the measuring cup to really get this show on the road.
âNah, nothing for me,â he shrugged. âI better focus on work anyway. Iâve been writing a lot of new material.â Plus he had promised heâd help around Bottom of the Cup, and he had his usual job at Nyxâs coffee shop too - they were right on the brink of war with the Starbucks in town so he wasnât about to throw in the towel there. âI figure itâll happen when it happens? And you know - gotta make sure my little sis is happy too.â Though he guessed you never could tell what would unfold when you were least expecting it (even if it was hard to get the jump on a psychic). âTis the season for Christmas miracles, after all.
âI want you to be happy, too,â Adora insisted, breaking off a piece of the cookie to pop into her mouth. She knew that look on his face, and even if he brushed it off, she knew he was a little sad. âYou deserve it more than anyone I know.â Richie had always been so there for her and El and anyone else who needed him. He had predicted so many peopleâs futures, both negative and positive, and given them hope or outs if they needed it. Why didnât he deserve to find love himself? It didnât make any sense, and she hated that she couldnât do anything for him.
âIâm here if you need a test subject for the new material, though. Maybe dinner tonight?â It was lonely at their parentsâ house, and though she was fine alone at almost 22, thank you very much, she wouldnât mind some company. Especially the first night their parents were gone. Plus, her cooking was still middling at best, so maybe there was some ulterior motive there. She could excuse ordering UberEats again if she wasnât the only one who needed it.
Richie didnât mind cooking but he too wasnât some amazing, prize-winning chef - and he wasnât about to say no to something he didnât have to actually put effort into making. Pizza would suffice just as well on this cold winterâs night. âDinner sounds good,â he nodded. âIâll give you a case of the giggles, blondie.â He always liked testing out new material on Adora - and it had been awhile since heâd gotten to do it, to have her smiley face be a captive audience as she humored him, so now was the perfect time to catch up.
âOkay, now quit being all lazy - cream the butter and sugar for me,â he pushed the stand mixer toward Adora (whom he was clearly teasing, because that was the job of the older sibling). âAnd definitely put some muscle into it.â
âYou donât want me to do that, Iâll put you to shame,â Adora teased right back, taking a sip of her cocoa. While Richie had never been particularly athletic growing up, Adora had. She liked to be out and active, and sheâd dedicated herself from a young age to soccer. There was a reason sheâd gotten a soccer scholarship at the city university, after all. Her legs may be stronger, but sheâd put in her fair share of weight training, too, and her arms were proof of it.
âYeah, yeah - I wonât cry about it too much,â Richie chuckled, fully aware of and proud of the fact that Adora could bench press him. Athletic was pretty much the last word that should be used to describe him - heâd always been broad-shouldered and tall, but he was overall just kind of clumsy and not always in control of those lanky limbs.
But as he mixed the dry ingredients together (and scooted around to find his phone, pulling up some festive music they could listen to, namely, Santa Tell Me by the queen Ariana Grande) he got another glance at the drawing on the counter and he knew things were going to go well. âAnd in case I forget to mention, blondie - Merry Christmas.â
Adoraâs eyes went soft and she reached out to give her brotherâs arm a squeeze. âYouâve got literally three weeks to not forget,â she joked, smirking at him playfully. âBut - Merry Christmas to you too, big brother.â