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“About my age. Maybe a little older.”
“Your age?” He lowers his head and puts his hands up to his face as if he’s despondent. He brought this on himself with all his affairs. How can he be upset if she’s starting a new life without him?
“Dad, we need to go in there. I don’t understand why you’re so upset? You caused this with your affairs.” I shake my head and go to stand up, Griff holds me back, a hand on my bicep.
“I know. I know. I was having so many problems and your mother. Your mother and I were having problems for a while. She…she wouldn’t. You know.” He looks away from me so he can’t meet my eyes at admitting to not having sex with my mother for a while. Maybe due to menopause? “I’m a man. I need it.”
Griffin shakes his head and huffs out a laugh at that. Dad glares at him, “what do you know about it? You have a young girlfriend and your younger and good looking. You can have anyone you want. I’m sure they fall all over you.”
“Max…”
The door opens and Griff’s mother enters the room, “What’s going on here? We’re waiting for you.”
“We’re coming, Mom.” Griff lifts me off his lap and sets me on my feet, his arm around my waist. “Come on, Max. You’ve got to face the music.”
He nods and swipes at his face, standing. “Coming.”
Auntie Angel says in a gentle voice, “why don’t you go into the bathroom and wash your face. We’ll be in the living room until everything is ready. Just come in when you’re ready.”
He nods and slips by us, Auntie shakes her head sadly. “Poor man.”
“Poor man.” Griff protests, throwing his hands in the air in disgust. “I can’t believe you said poor man.”
“I know. I know.”
“He’s the one who had affairs.” I don’t understand why he would do that. Trying to blame Mom for it. “I guess we should join everyone.”
“Yes, you’re right. He’ll join us when he’s ready.” Auntie Angel says, the three of us go to the living room lit with red fairy lights and a floor to ceiling Christmas tree decorated in red and white. But, there are decorations from both Griff and me when we were children. Of course, mine are newer. The reindeer attempt I made was a disaster but it is new the top of the tree along with one Griff made when he was ten. A blue tree still covered in glitter.
There’s pots of poinsettias in all the corners, crystal angels on the fireplace mantle. Everything is a combination of homemade and elegant, and it somehow works.
Griff stands before the floor to ceiling windows, there’s still a slight amount of twilight seeping through backlighting his tall, muscled body. I frown slightly watching him fidget. He never acts nervous but his hand keeps going into the jacket pocket of his suit, as if making sure something is still there.
Dad finally comes into the room and sits on one end of a love seat, Auntie Angelina on the other, Griff in a comfy recliner and I’m beside him. Everyone’s quiet. There’s something going on, I don’t know if it’s Mom and her date or what.
“Well…”
“Mom, can I say something first?” He stands and moves his feet and body erratically as if he can’t hold still for some reason.
“Sure, Griffin. Go ahead.” She waves her hand and everyone stares at him like he’s at the head of a boardroom.
He steps in front of me and grabs my left hand into his, everyone in the room stares at us and I shift in the chair uncomfortable being the center of attention. “Katrina, we’ve known each other for years. We’ve become closer the past month…”
Dad snorts a huff of laughter but glares make him be quiet.
Griff clears his throat and starts again, “Katrina, we’ve known each other for years. We’ve become closer this past month.” He stops for a moment glaring at Dad as if daring him to do anything again but he stays quiet. “…and we’ve grown to love each other even with our differences.” He looks pointedly at my father who still stays silent. His mouth moves like he wants to say something but he doesn’t. Griff lowers himself to the floor and down to one knee. I can’t believe this. He pulls a tiny blue box out of the jacket pocket he had been fiddling in. “And I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Loving you, taking care of you, having children with you if that’s what you want.”
“Maybe that should have been discussed first.” Dad just can’t shut up. Griff starts to get up, his face hard and angry. I lay my hand on his arm to stop him.
“Max.” Auntie Angelina says, her eyes hard as brown glass chips, her hand lays on the seat of the sofa between them as if holding him back.
Griff holds the tiny box out and opens the lid for a diamond and ruby-filled ring. It’s amazing. My hands slap over my mouth, tears fill my eyes. This, I wasn’t expecting. Especially on Christmas Eve with the whole family here. Well, tomorrow it would be the whole family because their cousins and mother will be here.
“So, will you marry me and take on my crazy family?” I’ve never seen him so anxious. Unsure. He’s such a dynamic, self-assured man, this makes me love him even more.
“Um. Is this a no?” He blinks at me and lowers himself to both knees and leans forward until our lips are almost touching. “Please? Put me out of my miserable existence without you?”
I put my hands on each side of his face, his skin warm against my cold palms. I lean forward the slight inch left between us and mumble against his lips, “yes. I won’t have it any other way. You and me.”
THE END
