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It's not the same Christmas parties they used to have -- for one, there's no chance of snow in California, and for two, Johnny convinced Moira to pare the guest list way down, so that only the people they actually like are here, for the most part -- but there's still a big tree, and the kids have come into town for their first holiday together since they left the motel; they should be arriving any minute, in fact, and that's why he's standing by the door, waiting.Johnny's talking to Laura, who's supplying Moira's wigs for Sunrise Bay this season, when the door opens and they stagger in: David in full complaining mode, Patrick glancing around at their new place, Alexis looking down at her phone instead of where she's going, and Stevie, who tries for a smile despite her travel-rumpled look."It's my kids!" Johnny says, opening his arms and folding them all in, and it doesn't occur to him until later that he hadn't hesitated to include Patrick and Stevie in that number, and that neither of them had protested; what else could he want for Christmas this year besides that?
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There's no way Stevie would have asked if she were sober, but sometimes she gets maudlin or soppy when she's high, and she tries to cover her sincerity with a snort and an elbow to David's side."You and me," David answers, without hesitation, his pupils huge but his voice honest; "Me and Patrick, it's different, it's --" he struggles for words, taking the joint from her and sucking in another long drag; "I picked Patrick," he says finally, his eyes crinkled with a smile, "but I'm stuck with you forever, soulmate.""Gross," Stevie says, leaning into him for just a second, crowing with delight when she's able to snatch the bag of chips out of David's lap, and she really hopes Patrick still feels good about choosing David back when he has to drive Stevie to the emergency room because she got kneed in the nose in the ensuing struggle for the snacks (worth it: the conversation, and the chips - they were all dressed, Stevie's favorite).