AllFreeNovel
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“Go away.” My sister pushes me. “I’m stealing her.” She loops her arm through Kara’s and turns them both back to the bookshelf. “Now, have you read this one?” I hear as I walk away. “Because he’s got horns that function as a handlebar.”
I get a drink, greet the rest of the family, and pour myself a glass of wine. There’s not much left in the bottle, so I take the rest and refill Kara’s glass. The two women are unsettlingly quiet while I do it.
Mami’s sliding dinner into the oven, and I know we’ll be lighting the menorah soon. Normally, we would light it at sunset, but the sun had set while I was picking up Grandmother, so we’ve missed that window. I remember that my bags are still in my car, my arms too full with Kara’s stuff and then Grosi’s, so I leave the wine on the counter and rush back out to the car to get my bags. The snow is just starting to fall, and the wind is picking it up and swirling it in white tornadoes on the street. Other houses in the neighborhood are lit with Christmas decorations, while ours has a soft glow from the menorah in the window.
I wipe my shoes on the rug at the door before removing them and descending the stairs, the sounds of my family’s merriment rising. I take a left to my usual room and come to a halt just inside the door. Kara’s things are in here; her suitcase is against the wall, unzipped and flipped open to show a collection of shoes and a bulging plastic bag, the kind hotels offer for laundry services. Her phone is on the nightstand and her messenger bag is on the bed.
I back out quickly and duck into the next room. There are bags in here too: from the looks of it, my sister’s and her husband’s.
There’s only one bedroom left, and my shoulders slump. That one is going to be Grosi’s.
I set my bag down at the top of the stairs and descend. The family has moved to the back room, the one with the big windows looking out into the backyard with the iron stove. Tom is getting the fire going, which will probably be maintained for the next few days. We’ve got plenty of firewood to last us through the storm and more out back.
In the center of the back window is the real menorah. It’s not lit yet, so I approach Mami.
“What did you plan for sleeping arrangements?” I ask.
She sighs. “Well, I gave Kara the guest room.”
“Yes. I saw that.”
“And your sister and Mami are going to share one bed.”
“They are?”
She shakes her head sadly. “I don’t want Mami to wake up confused. You know she’s not doing well, so I thought it would be best if one of us stayed with her. And then Sylvie is going to sleep on the floor of my room.”
“So then, who’s sleeping in Juna’s old room?”
“Tom and Noah.”
“Mami. Where am I sleeping?”
“You have a choice. You can sleep on the couch in the front room or on the floor in Kara’s room. Or, you can share the bed with her. She’s your friend, after all.”
“She’s not my friend, she’s...”
Mami tilts her head. “If she’s not your friend, then why did you invite her?”
“Are you mad at me because I did?”
“No, but it is an awfully nice thing to do for someone you don’t like.”
I cross my arms. “You’re putting words into my mouth. I never said I didn’t like her.”
“So, you do like her?”
“Well, yes. She’s nice and—”
Mami pats my cheek. “Couch or share the room with her, your choice.” She turns to the rest of the room. “Are we ready?”
7
Kara
“Have you celebrated Hanukkah before?”Juna asks me as we gather around the menorah. There are five candles in it, one in the center and four on the right. She stands just to the left of it, me next to her, and Peter to my right. The rest of the family fills in the circle around, ending with Noah.
“No,” I say. “I know the general story about how the oil miraculously burned for eight days, but that’s it.”
