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CLEO
“Dinner was delicious, as usual,” Brody grins after taking the last bite of his Christmas salmon, which is nothing but a regular baked salmon finished with a topping of cranberries, parsley and pomegranate seeds. “I didn’t even know something called Christmas salmon existed, but your commitment to making something holiday-themed for every meal up until the big day is very impressive, honey.”
I smile, blushing at the compliment as I rinse a few dishes at the kitchen sink.
“Yes, but you know Christmas is my favorite holiday, so of course I have to go all out. Plus, you’ve finished eating just in time,” I giggle while putting the last of the gingerbread cookies onto a plate before bringing them over to the dining room table. “Hopefully, these are good.”
As if to reassure myself, I take a big bite of one of the cookies, letting my teeth sink into the soft dough. Mm, it’s crumbly, cinnamon-y and very sweet all at once. These definitely came out perfect, and it seems my ex-stepdad agrees because Brody devours one of the gingerbread men in two bites.
“Delicious,” he growls. “You know, I’m really glad you came to stay with me during your Christmas break, sweetheart, because if I knew you could cook like this, I would have invited you over a lot more often.”
“Well, thank you, I think. And remember, I make a special dessert for you every day too,” I tease.
Brody grins, his smile like a movie star’s.
“I’m not going to pretend that I don’t like that part of it,” the older man agrees. “But you know how much I enjoy your company, Cleo. It’s nice getting to spend some time with you, and I’m glad I don’t have to be by myself during the holidays this year. Maybe I’m just getting old and cantankerous,” he jests. “So no one wants to hang out with me anymore.”
I merely flap my hand at him, giggling.
“No, that’s not it. You’re friendly and warm, so I know you’re popular. But thank you for inviting me because you know how my mom is. I thought I’d be exchanging gifts with Jeannie, but she’s not available this year…”
My ex-stepfather frowns as my voice trails off.
“Yeah, I don’t think either of us saw that coming. Where is she exactly? I mean, the prison’s name.”
“Lockwood Women’s Correctional Facility,” I say with a wrinkle of my nose. “And you know what she’s in there for, right?”
Brody looks thoughtful.
“Something to do with purses? Stealing them or the like?”
I nod while sighing.
“Sort of. It turns out that Jeannie was hawking fake designer bags while also trying to pass them off as real. She was basically making off like a bandit, but the law finally caught up to her and she’s in the slammer now. I think her sentence is almost over though. Maybe just another few months, if they grant her early release on good behavior? To be honest, I’m not too sure either. I’ll have to call her lawyer to ask.”
Both Brody and I are silent for a moment because my mom (who’s also his ex-wife) is really a character. I love Jeannie, don’t get me wrong, but selling fake purses to rich ladies isn’t exactly something that makes me proud. I missed out on the “stick it to the wealthy” gene, so being vindictive isn’t really my thing. But the long and the short of it is that my mom’s currently behind bars, and I’m spending Christmas with my ex-stepdad because I had nowhere else to go. Trust me, it’s a surprise to me as well.
After all, as a freshman at Coleman University, I was stunned to find out that the dorms close for Christmas. Even more, I literally had nowhere to go, seeing that my mom’s in the slammer. But I happened to talk with Brody, and he invited me over for the holidays, to my relief. It’s turned out for the better, and I’ve had a nice time with the handsome man, even if it’s a little awkward, seeing that he used to be married to my mom.
“Well,” Brody says before clearing his throat. “I know you and your mother used to enjoy spending the holidays together—”
I fix him with a look.
“Brody,” I send him a look, shaking my head. “I’m fine, really. I’ve accepted that my mom is currently starring inOrange is the New Black. I get it, and don’t worry about me.”
He sighs, his handsome face rueful.
“It’s not that I’m worried, exactly, it’s just that it’s strange,” he murmurs. “It must be hard for you sometimes.”
I take a deep breath
“Not as hard as it could be,” is my reply. “At least I have you, don’t I? You didn’t have to stick around after you and Mom got divorced, but you did. You went out of your way to keep in touch with me and now you’re letting me spend my first ever Christmas break from university here. I’m fine because I have you, Brody.”
My ex-stepdad waves me off, but I think he does feel better about the situation. Not that he has any reason to feel bad in the first place because no one forced Jeannie to turn to a life of crime.
But to be honest, this isn’t the first time my mom’s gotten up to no good. After Brody and Jeannie divorced, my mom was convicted of kiting checks. She got off with probation, but really, that was only the beginning. Now, she’s in the slammer for real, and as a result, I’m chilling with my ex-stepdad over Christmas break. Brody easily could have brushed me off, but he didn’t, and I’m grateful for that.
