I chuckle, picturing Calvin in zebra-wear scratching his back against a palm tree, or better, the beak of Mia the flamingo.
My eyes fall back to the Polaroid in my hand. This makes my heart so warm.
“How about we book the next flight home so we can play with our presents?”
“Nice try, McKenna. Running from your family?”
I shrug, my usual code for ending the conversation. Problem is, Yosh only speaks shrug when it’s his own shoulder moving.
“Yesterday you were pretty clear about not wanting to see Cheryl.”
I take another sip of my tea that is now cold.
“I wasn’t in the mood for her mothering me, then running every word I say straight through to Jay so he can ambush me with it later. That’s how it always goes.”
He crosses his legs, leaning back against the Chesterfield’s worn leather.
“I get that you didn’t want that yesterday, but maybe talking could be a step forward instead of avoiding them.”
“Fair enough. Hopefully I’ll get a moment with them at Heatherfell.”
His hand finds my collarbone. “What about Effy? Have you thought about talking to her?”
I let my eyes fall shut for a second, then turn to the window. The towers of the gothic church behind the block look like they’ve been dipped in cake icing. It gives me a second to settle my inner conflict.
I sigh. “God, I want to, Yosh. But fuck… I don’t even know where to begin.”
“What you could do is write down the things that matter to you. Not a speech, you don’t need a script. But it might help you figure out how to approach it.”
I sit with that for a sec. “Yeah, makes sense. What if she doesn’t want to talk?”
“That’s always a possibility, but at least you’re making the first move. She might need time to sort through her feelings.”
“God, I hate the idea that she might look at me and see all the things I’ve fucked up.”
I drag a hand through my hair. “But yeah, you’re probably right. If she slams the door in my face, at least she’ll know I showed up.”
“Christmas is the best moment for people to reconnect. Somehow it’s just in the spirit of things.”
Yosh tilts his head. “Besides, how do you guys celebrate Christmas? Are there presents? Christmas dinner? Should I bring something?”
“We don’t exchange presents,” I say. “Tried it once and it was pure chaos. Instead, every year one person gets chosen to buy a gift for the whole family. It has to be an object, and something everyone can use.”
Yosh raises an eyebrow. “That sounds like a challenge.”
“It is, but that’s the point. It’s not about receiving, it’s about the game, finding something unique. It’s an honor to get chosen. It’s Eli’s turn this year.”
“Okay. And besides that? Any traditions?”
I roll my eyes. “The McKenna Christmas dinner. Jay gives his usual speech summarizing the year and outlining our family values. Then he hands out the ‘award’ to whoever raked in the most for the firm.”
“The firm?”
“Everything we earn goes into one shared fund. Salaries come out of it. It’s a family business on steroids.”
“That sounds… unconventional.”
“I don’t know any different, and it’s easy. I pour my creativity into the work, and Jay handles the business side.”
