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“I was wondering if you were ever going to get up,” she said warmly as I laughed weakly.
“Late night,” I replied as she nodded.
“Did you have fun?”
“Yeah. I just hung out with the guys. It was nice to catch up.” I reminded myself to tell them to go with that story, just in case. I doubted they’d see my family at all this week.
“I’m glad,” Mom said as she went to open the pantry to look inside.
“Dad was up when I got home. Does he do that a lot?” I asked as she stilled.
“If he has work to do, yes. You know your father. He’s a workaholic.” Mom shrugged, and I watched her closely. She walked back to the counter and jotted something down as I glanced over at the coffee pot. It was one of those one cup ones and I walked over to take a better look. There was already water in it and I grabbed a mug. Mom showed me where the variety of cups were, and I chose something strong and popped it into the machine. I needed to wake up and snap back into the moment. I didn’t know what to say to Mom about something she’d been dealing with for years.
She spoke about dinner and how aunts, uncles, and cousins were coming over. She liked noise on the holidays and a lot of people. Mom wanted kids around and I knew that next year she would be in heaven with a baby to spoil. I told her that it sounded great as I sat at the breakfast bar, nibbling on some toast as I tried to focus on her words. Mom glanced at me several times with a worried look on her face.
“Are you okay, Sterling?” She asked as I blinked at her.
“Yeah. I’m just waking up. That’s all.”
Dan showed up in about an hour and Callie followed him into the house. She was on the phone giggling, and I nodded my head at them. I assumed that she was talking to her boyfriend as Dan took a seat next to me. We made small talk as Mom decided what to make for dinner. Molly came home and helped with the chicken and veggies that Mom decided on as Dan turned on a hockey game in the living room.
Dad didn’t come home until late that night. It was the day before Thanksgiving tomorrow and he was working late at the office. Or he wasn’t. Whatever. We ate and laughed around the table before playing games together for several hours. I went up to my bedroom after midnight and gazed out the window down to the house where Rosie was likely sleeping. I wanted her here with me, whispering and making love.
That would never fucking happen.
I slept late the following day as well, rising to the sound of voices downstairs. I showered and pulled on jeans and a Henley, walking down the stairs in bare feet. Three of my aunts were already here, laughing, and prepping food with my mom. They saw me and hugged me before going back to work and I looked into the living room to see cousins watching TV. I joined them, asking how they were doing. I only saw them on holidays and during the summer now, so it was nice to catch up.
We decided on pizza for dinner since everyone was home in addition
to my three uncles. I offered to go and pick it up as my cousin Nathan asked if he could come. He was a good ten years younger than I was and looked up to me in a way. I agreed, and we left, driving past Rosie’s house as I stared longingly at it for a moment. The pizza place was a couple of blocks away and I appreciated the company as the clerk handed us ten boxes with a smile. Nathan and I split the boxes, struggling with the extra-large pies inside. I was laughing when we had them in the back of the car and driving home.
“As much food as that is, it will probably be gone tonight,” I noted as I glanced at Nathan at a stoplight. He nodded, and I frowned. “Are you okay, Nate?”
“I have a girlfriend,” he said slowly as I raised an eyebrow. He was just thirteen but, in this day, and age, that was older than my version of thirteen.
“What’s she like?” I asked as he stared outside of the window for a moment.
“She’s pretty with blonde hair and these bright green eyes. Her name is Hope.” He looked at me.
“Sounds good to me. How long has it been?” I asked as he smiled.
“Two months,” Nathan bragged as I whistled.
“That sounds serious.” I thought back to thirteen when I was still hanging around with Rosie in public. I dated girls casually back then and hadn’t slept with any yet. I didn’t know that I liked her then. “Treat her good, buddy. Be a good man.”
“I am,” he told me solemnly as I pulled into the driveway. I sensed that there was more as I gazed at him. There was a commotion in the garage and people came out to help carry the food into the house. When I entered the kitchen with the last box, I noticed that there were bowls of salad on the counter.
Everyone heaped food on their plates and sat wherever they could. I liked my family, looking around as they talked and laughed. I considered that I’d see a lot more of them if I just decided to stay here. When I looked at my father, busy on his cell phone it made me want to run screaming away from the house. He didn’t appreciate shit in his life.
We all moved to the living room, perched on chairs, and sitting on the floor as the kids picked a movie on the huge TV. Dad went to his office as Mom squeezed in between two of her sisters, laughing loudly. She didn’t seem to mind, but he’d been like this for years.
We decided sleeping arrangements after midnight. The house was big and offered plenty of room for everyone. I headed upstairs, knowing that the women would be up early to start dinner while us cousins slept in. We’d sit around the house and watch TV and play games as the house continued to fill up, finally moving when dinner was ready.
It was tradition.
23
Rosalind
