The Starling Vigilante [Watty's 2015 Award Winner]

Chapter 45

Soon, December came to the city in a flurry of snow and fairy lights, and I had eventually forgiven Malcolm after much deliberation, coming to the conclusion that he had killed Simon due to him being a potential threat to me and Tommy.

Helping Tommy decorate the Christmas tree at the Queens' house because it looked as bare as anything and as Moira, Oliver's mother, had asked us as a favour, we were joined by Oliver and Laurel, who also were in the Christmas mood.

'Aria!' Laurel exclaimed, giving me a hug like always. 'I feel like it's been ages since I've seen you!'

'Me too!' I agreed.

I hadn't seen Laurel for about a month, with training, work and spending time just with Tommy in my limited free time. Sometimes I wished I could lead a simple life, but unfortunately I wasn't that lucky.

'So, how's it's going?' Laurel smiled, using her eyes to indicate she was taking about Tommy as we went to the side of the room, Tommy and Oliver talking to each other.

'Good,' I answered, not knowing what to say. 'Great, actually.'

'I knew you two would be perfect for one another!' Laurel squealed. 'Just perfect.'

Laughing at her reaction, we joined the boys again to finish decorating the function room ready for the Christmas party the Queens were holding.

'Ollie, why didn't you tell me you were decorating the tree?' I heard a girl enter the room, her long brown hair and big brown eyes the only thing setting her apart from her brother's other facial features. It was Thea Queen, Oliver's 11 year old sister.

'Sorry, Speedy,' Oliver ran up to her at once, and brought her to the tree. 'We still haven't put the star on the top yet. We left it especially for you.'

Picking her up from the ground and handing her the star, she triumphantly attached it onto the highest branch, wafts of the scent of the pine tree coming our way. Oliver treated his sister way differently than anyone else, indicating they had been very close ever since Oliver was a child.

'Hey Thea,' Tommy waved at her, he also knowing her well, my visits to the Queens' house telling me this.

'Hi Tommy,' the sixth grader waved back. 'And hi Aria!'

Smiling, I also waved with a laugh.

'And what about me?' Laurel joked, hugging Thea like a little sister.

'When are we going shopping?' Thea piped up at once to Laurel with puppy dog eyes.

'That can wait until it's closer to Christmas,' Laurel said authoritatively.

'But it already feels like Christmas!' Thea exclaimed. She seemed still young in her ways, fulfilling her role as a younger sister despite her brother being so immature. And it seemed Laurel got on with Thea better than her own sister, Sara.

After hours of spending time together and conversation that always ended up with the boys trying to tell me and Laurel stories they only found funny, Moira came back to the house.

'You've done a marvellous job,' Moira complimented, approving the our decorations. 'The guests will love what you've done to the room!'

'Hey, mom,' Oliver walked up to his mother. 'Where's dad?'

'Work,' I heard her say before their conversation led into another room.

It seemed Oliver loved his father, who spent more time with him than his mother, and wished to spend every moment with him.

I only wished I could do the same. But unfortunately I wasn't that lucky.

---

'I could just stay here forever,' I proclaimed as Tommy and I shared a bottle of mulled wine in the lounge of the house, both of us curled up on the sofa. We had returned back to the house after Oliver and Laurel had decided to go off with one another for an evening stroll, even though the weather outside was as cold as anything.

'Me too,' Tommy said, his arm around my shoulders. 'I don't ever want to leave you Aria.'

Growing weary, I felt my eyelids grow heavy, my mouth shaping into a yawn.

'Am I boring you?' Tommy joked, laughing.

'No,' I replied, half awake. 'Its just, I'm so... sleepy.'

Falling asleep in Tommy's arms, I felt as if I was finally stable for once in my life, that I was finally happy.

I felt as though was finally at peace.