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Mom stops chopping vegetables and turns to look at me. “Hudson, of course, can hardly wait to see you. He wanted to tell you himself, but he’s purchasing the bookshop right beside Broken Ornament Cat Café downtown. He’s got big plans for it, but I’m sure you’ll hear all about it. Oh, and he’s bringing Celeste. She’ll be… on her best behavior, I’m sure.” Mom falters, even though she has a hard time finding positive things to say about Hudson’s on-again, off-again nightmare of a girlfriend.
“Hmm, well, I can’t wait to hear about the bookshop.” On the bright side, at least I don’t have to worry about staying in my on-camera makeup.
When Mom ushers me out of the kitchen, I take the opportunity to grab a quick shower before dinner. I go back and forth between being disappointed that Nathan won’t be showing up for dinner and dreading seeing Celeste. Nathan and Hudson’s friendship is one of the few in my brother’s life that have withstood Hurricane Celeste.
It’s a bummer. I’ll have to try to befriend her all over again, but on the upside, at least I’ll be comfortable. I’m in my oldest, faded, black stretchy pants, sopping wet hair wrapped in a towel on the top of my head by the time I hear the front door open behind me.
“Look who finally came home.” Hudson walks around the table toward me.
“It’s nice to be back.” I stand and Hudson wraps me in a hug.
I hear the second set of footsteps behind me and brace myself for whatever version of Celeste I’m about to meet. Keep your face neutral, Holly. Maybe she’s changed since the last time you saw her. But when I turn, Celeste isn’t anywhere to be seen. My heart leaps in my chest.
“Nathan, sweetheart, it’s so good to see you. Leave it to my second son to surprise me.” Mom gets to her tiptoes and wraps her arms around Nathan’s neck.
I have to keep my jaw from dropping open as I look down at my sweats and oversized t-shirt. What was I thinking? No makeup, sopping wet hair, and trashy sweats that aren’t even good enough to wear to the gym are not how I wanted to look when I saw Nathan again. I rip the towel odd of my sending my wet curls cascading down my back.
“Celeste wasn’t feeling well so, I found a replacement,” Hudson says all too casually, and I cut my eyes at him.
A little heads-up would’ve been nice.
“What?” Hudson shrugs off my death stare.
“Nothing.” I guess I should have figured Celeste wouldn’t show. She tends to avoid our family gatherings whenever possible.
When Nathan’s eyes meet mine, he gives me an easy smile. I can’t help but blush and I don’t know if it’s because he’s so charming or just embarrassment. I’m surprised he recognized me at all, seeing as I look drastically different than I did a few hours ago when we left work.
Mom ushers all of us to gather around the table, and we fall into old patterns. I take my childhood seat next to my brother and Nathan sits directly across from me. There’s something nostalgic about the four of us gathered around the table like this, and I wonder if Nathan feels it, too. Mom excitedly places her homemade pasta in the center of the table.
The meal tastes like home and the transition back in time is seamless. Before I know it, the conversation is flowing as readily as the wine. It occurs to me that Nathan might be the only person who loves my family as much as I do.
“Okay, I’m going to bring up the elephant in the room,” Hudson says with a laugh.
Oh no.
Four
Holly
My stomach tightens and panic wells up inside of me. Can he tell that I’m drooling over Nathan? What will he think? What will Nathan think? What about work? Falling in love with your coworker on day one is hardly professional.
Hudson points to a framed photo of himself, Mom, and me in matching Christmas pajamas on a Christmas morning in high school displayed with pride over the wood-burning stove. “Mom, it’s time to replace that photo. We’ve dealt with it for years, but come on, we’re a bit beyond that embarrassing family photo.” Hudson lets out a long chuckle as he teases Mom and I blow out a breath I didn’t know I was holding.
Mom bites back a smile. “I’ll change it out the minute you bring me one to replace it. And not a digital picture on a screen, a real, printed photo.”
“Ah, yes. Hudson, you and Holly still have those pajamas, don’t you? I think you should put them on now and recreate the magic. Listen to me, I’m a trained content producer.” Nathan chuckles.
“Yes, please do.” Mom lets out a giggle.
“Joke all you want, but to me, you’ll always be the kid that got stuck in Christmas lights downtown and almost ruined Broken Ornament Cat Café before it even opened its doors. I’ll never forget what Dad said that day.” Hudson’s eyes are already teary with laughter and the rest of us follow suit.
“Nathan, son, you’re too big to be an elf. Get out of there!” Hudson and I quote Dad in unison.
This is a tale we’ve retold hundreds of times since it happened. Every time I think back to Nathan, with his lanky figure wrapped up in a mess of Christmas lights, it’s enough to make me burst into giggles. His arms were tangled and twisted, and his legs were wrapped inside an inflatable elf. I’ll never forget it. Even now, I can almost feel the chill of the winter air from that night on my skin.
I can feel my eyes brimming with tears and my cheeks hurt from smiling as the night presses on. An hour passes as we finish eating and take turns recalling the precious memories of our shared childhood.
Finally, Hudson pushes his seat back from the table and gets to his feet. “Thank you for dinner. That was delicious. Mom, let me take a look at that burned strand of lights you’ve got out front while I’m here. You don’t want to be the only house in Christmas Town without Christmas cheer.”
