I chose a different kind of lights. Yes, maybe it was predictable, since you always kind of did the same. Not exactly with Christmas decorations, but with that surrounded us. Sometimes it was your smile. It changed when we needed to, from a strong and very secure one, to one that felt like a pure hug filled with love. Or, sometimes it was your presence, or your advices, or your songs… You always knew who to be when it was needed.

As always, I remember the music. Dad playing the piano while you were singing for me. Ever since Bloom told us everything about Christmas on Earth, something out you shined in my heart. It’s hard to explain for all of my friends, I have never celebrated it, but it’s surrounded by plenty of traditions which I would be delighted to love… if it wasn’t for how much they remind me of you.

This holidays are feeling so different. Your image is more present than ever. I can’t stop thinking of how much you would love Christmas. The music, the food, the presents and the people. For reasons I can’t understad, I know you would prefer golden and red Christmas. There is silver and blue Christmas, or green Christmas, but I have been picturing you with a precious golden dress. Your long hair would look beautiful on it.

For sure, everybody on that dinning table would drop their jaws when they see you, specially dad. Have I told you recently how much he misses you?

I forgot to mention it, but this is the first Christmas on Melody. This is also the first time I would be the host. At first, it was always Bloom, but, with the years all of us were chosen to reunite the rest of the girls. Christmas at Solaria last year was so much fun! I hate to admit it sometimes but Stella is such a good host!

I wish my hands weren’t trembling right now, because I know hers surely wasn’t back then. But here I am, with my new and different Christmas lights. And yes! Of course I chose the golden ones. Last year I bought the silver ones, because they were on sale, but, as I said, I really want your presence to be here with us. And the lights, the colors and everything around this Christmas party must reflect it.

This is not the first time my friends are at my home, but it kind of feels like it. I spent all of the last week rearranging our cd collection. Riven told me it looks exactly the same, but I know it doesn’t. Well, maybe nobody would notice it doesn’t, except for you and me and that’s what makes it so special.

I decorated everything thinking about you. Dad helped me and that’s how I know he misses you too. He cried when I showed him that beautiful painting of you I asked Helio to make for my living room. Now, my entrance looks complete, because there is you. I couldn’t call it home without you.

I know I just told you Riven didn’t notice the details on the collection, but he knows how special is your memory for me. He has been cooking since morning with your recipes. He tends now to call you “mom” too, because he says he doesn’t have a mother and you seemed like a really cool one.

I’m always thinking about you, so now he does it too. Yesterday we watch some Christmas movies, Bloom gifted us las year. Riven was enjoying it so much and a tear drop down secretly from my eyes when he screamed: “Oh, mom would love this one for sure!”. I totally agree, I could almost listen your laugh mixing with Riven’s, feeling like a whole family.

Look at me, it’s almost time for my whole Winx to be here, and I don’t feel ready. I mean, the house is fully decorated, my hair looks fine, my clothes, everything. Even the enchanted piano that is in my hall is playing some seasonal music and the kitchen it’s filled with those delicious plates Riven cooked.

He is in the shower right now, dad’s on its way, the girls are too. I would give everything in this world so I could say the same thing about you. I try to imagine what you would have been doing? Helping Riven with dinner? Help dad with his outfit? Helping me with… it doesn’t matter.

Beside the music, I think you would love the Christmas tree. It’s so beautiful. I enchanted it so now it has a little Santa Claus turning around the tree from up to down, sparkling and making softly bell sounds. I have a gift for you. This Christmas I have a gift for you.

My eyes are dancing around the decorations again. I never celebrated Christmas with you as a child, but I am always imagining how would it have been. You would gifted me a piano! I’m sure of it! Or a guitar, you knew I love it. For what I would have gifted you, if I had a clue that you won’t be with me forever, I would gifted you the world. No jokes, no exaggerations.

Every year, since this started, I always choose a gift for you. Most of the years it has been flowers, I know you loved them. Last year I chose a beautiful necklace and brought it to you. Some people just don’t understand why I married Riven, but when he was the only one who didn’t called me crazy for buying that necklace just to burry it on the ground, I felt as I made the right choice.

He didn’t say a word on the way to the cemetery. He’s not very god with this kind of things, but while I was laying on the ground to gift you the necklace, he extended me a pair of matching earrings for you. We cried in silence, sometime I feel he wishes you are alive as much as I do.

But… as I say, this year I have another gift for you. I don’t know if people will call me crazy with this one. I hope they don’t, but if they do, I really don’t care.

The clock is running. Everybody is almost here to arrive, I can feel it. I must star to set the table, and I hate to be so sentimental and repetitive, but doing that also reminds me of you.

Yes! Now I know what you would be doing, helping me setting the table for sure. Singing a little song while you are softening my nerves. I’m sure you would be taking about everything and nothing with me, just for my mind to be less complicated. That’s one of the things I miss the most about you.

The phone starts ringing and I jump scared. Riven is coming down stairs he just finished dressing up and now he’s answering the phone while winking me an eye.

“Your dad is almost here. I love these types of lights! Good choice” he says while approaching the kitchen to admire his own creations.

I know he is loving this kind of lights, but everybody should see him a while ago. So afraid of changes, so afraid of this color in particular. Now he’s happy, a happy man contemplating the dumplings. And now I’m the nervous wreck, the nervous woman contemplating the man contemplating the dumplings.

The door bell rings and Riven almost runs to open. It’s not just my that, everybody is here. Stella is the first one to notice the changes on the decoration.

“This is what I was talking about! Pure glamour, Musa, you did it!”

Sometimes it feels so weird to hear Stella talking so kindly, but the years, being now the Queen of Solaria, and that light of new wisdom, actually fitted so well on her. The rest of the girls ran excited to the kitchen to see the delicious food.

“This looks amazing, you made it?” said Stella laughing “I don’t know, it actually looks good, but are you sure it’s edible?”

“Don’t be so rude, last time Riven cooked nobody died. I mean, just minor injures”

Everybody laughed with Bloom’s joke. And that was the beginning of a very beautiful night.

Before the dinner, we talked and Aisha showed us some new dance moves. Tecna and Timmy brought a new video game they are designing together. It was actually very fun. Flora and Helio baked some cookies and also a delicious cake that would be our dessert at the end of the dinner.

While we were walking to the dinner table, my heart started shaking. Riven noticed, so he brought some champagne that Sky and Bloom gifted to start the celebration.

“Thank you everybody for coming to our home. I know, in the past, you may have think I hated most of you. Let me clear this to you right now. You were all very right” joked Riven while opening the champagne as the laughs started bubbling too “Well, let the super nerdy words start”

“I want to start” said Flora with a sweet smile on her lips. “Thank you all for your friendship. I know I tend to repeat this so much, but you are my family, our family”

Helio smiled and everybody clapped. I think I’m going to have a heart attack. Mom, I was joking, I need you! I need you right now!

“Well, I also want to thank each one of you for this. The friendship, the magic, but also the lessons I have been learning since the minute I know you”.

Bloom just said something amazing, Mom I’m serious, I just…

“Thank you, thank you for another year. And weirdly, thank you Riven for this meal which I hope doesn’t intoxicate us” Tecna laughed.

Some laughters, just what I need, the ambience to be relaxed, but the lights are now blinding me, the looks seems so weird. The faraway chimney now feels suffocating.

“To this year to be one of the most magical year in history”

“Good one, Aisha” said Brandon clapping “And I hope it will come true, cause I have a little big announcement.

Everybody exchanged looks and Brandon smiled.

“Stella and I… are building another garden for our castle”

The sights were loud and everybody started laughing to this unexpected joke.

“For a moment I thought it was a baby” said Aisha laughing.

Dad interrupted with a sound on his glass.

“I want to thank for something too” Everybody tried their best to be serious again “Thank you girls and gentlemen, for being such a good group of friends for my daughter. Thank you, Riven, because you have proven to me that you are such a good husband for Musa. But I want to thank… my wife”

I could almost feel everybody’s heart to ache a little. He turned to your painting and cleaned a tear from his cheek.

“Without her, I would still be a lonely musician. Now, I’m so much more. I’m a proud father, a proud man. So filled with love. Now I feel almost complete. Thank you to her, and thank you, Musa. I am so proud of you”

Wow, so many years waiting for this to happen. Now I’m frozen, Riven’s looking me. Everybody’s clapping, it’s my turn. My father’s proud but, in this precise moment, I couldn’t care less.

“Well…” I start with a crackling voice. “First of all, thank you, Dad. I appreciate those words so much. But… second, well…Riven and I are building another garden”

“What?” Said Stella after a long silence “Are you talking serious? We could recommend you the gardener that is working with ours”

“Actually no, Stella, that’s a joke” said Riven holding my hand.

“In fact it is” I responded “I made you think for a moment it was a garden”

“No way” Flora has always been the smart one, in my opinion. She lifted up and hugged me tearing up.

“I don’t get the joke” Stella looked around confused, but the rest of them were silently thinking.

Dad had his eyes on me. I know he need the words, no jokes. Straight up the words, so there I go.

“Guys, dad… We’re having a baby”

I chose a different kind of lights this year, also, a different kind of gift for you. This Christmas feels different. Wish me luck, and the best golden and red following me around this next months.

Mom, it’s my first Christmas as a mom.