“Let’s go inside,” Mom says, ushering everyone toward the door. “Let me show you around.”
Eli and I trail behind, and wait in the kitchen while Mom leads the parade through the living room, her master bedroom, my room and Janet’s room, and the bathroom in the hallway, and then everyone crowds into the kitchen with us. Uncle Henry sits at the table next to me and props his chin on his fists. “Sooo,” he says in a sing-song voice. “What’s new with you?”
“So much,” I tell him, and launch into what’s happened since the last time I saw him.
Tuesday vanishes pretty quicklyafter that, everyone eager to catch everyone else up on their lives. Hannah, Jared, and their one-year-old daughter, Diana, come over around dinner time, and watching Hugh interact with someone smaller than him is amusing and sometimes nerve-wracking (he’s always been big for his age, and he’s rough and clumsy—Diana is a peanut). But he loves having a new person to play with, so half of the group sits in the living room with them, half in the kitchen. Eli relaxes more when the group splits. Uncle Henry stays with us most of the time, asking us all about the soccer season, so I’m pretty sure Eli is comfortable with him.
“Will we see you again?” Uncle Henry asks Eli when he rounds his crew up to head to their hotel.
“He’s spending Christmas with us,” I tell him.
Uncle Henry smiles. “Well then, get ready for a feast tomorrow.”
“Mrs. Benson makes the best meals,” Eli says, like he’s agreeing.
“Just you wait,” Uncle Henry says, challenge gleaming in his eyes. “My sister is the best cook in the family, no question about it, but I handle Christmas Eve brunch.” He leans closer and mock whispers, “It’s so good Lilah feels she can’t compete in the same day, so we get takeout for dinner.”
“Is that so?” Mom asks, appearing behind Uncle Henry so fast he jumps. He isn’t the only one.
“Uh, Lilah, I didn’t mean—”
“Course you didn’t,” Mom says, shoving him. “Your wife and kids are already in the car.”
“Damn. See you tomorrow,” he calls, rushing out the door. Mom shakes her head after him.
“I like him,” Eli says.
Mom turns with a surprised look, then smiles. “I’m glad.” She’s gotten pretty good at hearing the vinyl quality in Eli’s voice, so I know she can tell as much as I can that Eli really meant it, and wasn’t just saying it to be polite. “See you in the morning, Eli,” she says, giving him a quick hug and walking to the kitchen.
“What time should I be over tomorrow?” Eli asks.
“Let’s do our route at the park. 9?”
“9 it is,” he agrees.
“Ooh, wear the sweater I got you!”
“No.”
“But Mom hasn’t seen it!”
“That’s a good thing. It’s hideous.”
I chuckle. It is pretty bad. I’m amazed I got him to wear it once. “I’ll wear my elf hat,” I offer, trying to compromise. Mom will get a kick out of seeing him in a light-up Christmas sweater.
Eli shakes his head. “Not a fair trade. The hat makes you look adorable.”
The teasing is gone from his voice. “Yeah?”
He crooks one finger under my chin and leans in close. “Yeah.”
His lips are soft and warm, and pull away far too soon. “Wait,” I complain.
“Tomorrow morning,” he says, a promising mischief in his eyes. “I need to go finish something.”
He slips on his boots and pulls on his coat. “You’re being secretive,” I say, studying him.
He has the nerve to smirk. “Yep. Night.”
