"Saylor, this dress is itchy," Caddie complained. I know for a fact that she only agreed to wearing the dress because Elliot dutch-braided her hair.

"I don't want to be in the middle," I said.

"Lily, put your doll down for the picture," Cassidy (not to be confused with Caddie) said.

"But I want Felicity to be in the picture too!"

"Can we just take the picture already?" Caddie asked.

"If you're talking we can't take the picture," I said without moving my lips.

"People, come on," Saylor said. "Five, four, three,"

"No Daisy, sit," I said to our puppy who was trying to climb my leg like it was Mount Everest.

"Two,"

"Daisy, down," Lily said. Daisy only really listens to Lily, which is kind of odd because Lily only got here a couple days ago. Actually, the rest of us had got here a couple days ago too. We spent Christmas with our families and then flew back to the studio, but Lily was new, this was her first week.

"One." The camera flashed and we all stood fake hugging each other a smiling peacefully.

We all sighed and brought our arms down.

"Can we open presents now?" Caddie asked.

"Christmas isn't about presents," I said automatically.

"Yes, we can open presents now," Saylor said, but Caddie and Cassidy had already run out of the room and were probably sliding down the banister.

"Where's Caddie?" I asked as I stepped into the living room.

"I have arrived," she said, walking into the room in black leggings and a t-shirt.

"Finally," I said.

Caddie glared at me.

"Eeeeeee," Lily exclaimed, she had torn off the wrapping paper from her present and was dancing around the room holding a doll box.

"Another one," Caddie said unbelievingly.

"I only have two," Lily said defensively.

"I'll run to the kitchen and grab the scissors," I offered.

"Don't run with them on your way back!"

I grabbed the scissors and returned (not running) to the living room, which in the 57 seconds I was gone had turned into a sea of wrapping paper.

I cut the straps on the back of the doll box for Lily, then the binding around Elliot's ukulele, and sat down with one of my three gifts.

"Glasses, yes."

"Said no one ever," Caddie rolled her eyes.

"Says people who wake up in the morning and can't find the light switch," I said.

I put them on, they were brown and round, I loved them no matter what Caddie said. I could see! Actually, I had gone to the eye doctor last week and I picked these out, but I got them for Christmas anyways.

"What doll did you get?" Saylor asked Lily.

"Her name is Lu- Lu- Luci-nan."

"Luciana," Cassidy said.

"I'm gonna call her Anna like the princess." Lily was ten.

There was one present left under the tree. It was small and flat and discarded wrapping paper was covering half of it.

"What's this?" I asked, picking it up.

"Open it and find out," Saylor said, she smiled. She knew what it was.

"This certifies that Cape Cardam Studios is officially welcoming Seth H. Medina and Caspian T. Parker to their establishment to live and work with their current residents, Caroline Lovelace, Saylor Hensley, Cassidy. Quin, Lily Hallaway, Elliot Ambrose, and Penelope Parker." I stopped and looked up.

"We're getting more siblings," Cassidy asked, mouth open.

"And they're boys," Elliot said, stating the obvious.

"Oh brother," Caddie rolled her eyes.

"Yeah Caddie, 'cause Caspian is my brother," I said.

____________________________________________________________

yay! I got the wigs to make two boy doll for Christmas and am now looking for suitable bodies on eBay and Mercari! (in case you see any for under $60, I'm looking for a tm 23 and 55) I also got glasses for Christmas (not for my semi-bad vision, though not as bad as Penelope's, but for blue light, I'm wearing them right now!) and doll glasses that match them! And a doll ukulele! And, drumroll please, truly me 40! I was going to name her Cali, and I still might, but I keep thinking of her as Juniper-Lily, so I guess that's her name!

Merry Christmas!!

-Evy

*edit: meet Lily in my doll bios post!