Chloe gave Ben a playful push. “We still do, at YOUR parents’ house. My year for Christmas, we do it right.”
Russ nodded theatrically to Ben. “Yes, the second we were all up, it was a race to the tree and a wrapping-paper frenzy going a hundred miles an hour.”
“Yup. It’s the best,” Ben agreed, smiling smartly at his wife.
Knowing what I knew of Russ, I could very well imagine him in the middle of the fray with his kids, childlike excitement in his manners, just like he was looking at us now.
This didn’t necessarily feel like climbing Mount Everest or scaling a ninety-foot wall, but it was perhaps a tiny step forward I could take. “I guess we could try it Russ and Ben’s way. But if it sucks, we’re eating breakfast first next year.”
“Deal,” Russ said.
Mom gave me a small, relieved smile, and we all sat down while Russ began handing out presents like Santa’s elf. Russ’s way wasn’t half bad, except that the excitement of Christmas was over much earlier. We each walked away with a handful of presents, and to my surprise, my lame gift to Russ of a digital picture frame was received like I had just handed him keys to a sports car. If I wasn’t careful, Russ’s excitement for life and people might start to endear him to me. As it was, we ended up having a nice morning together. Different, but nice. I could at least say that much.
After our breakfast of fresh maple cinnamon rolls, cut-up oranges, and hot chocolate, Russ stepped into the bedroom, claiming he needed a nap after all that sugar. Soon after, Ben and Chloe left for their own cabin to attempt a nap for their own sugar-crazed children.
My mom and I sat next to each other on the couch, a brief moment of awkwardness between us at our sudden alone time. I hadn’t really spoken much to my mom this whole trip once I moved to the other cabin. Some of that had been intentional. Wherever my mom was, Russ was somewhere nearby, and I hadn’t wanted to deal with him. But now, for the first time since coming, I wondered if this Christmas had been strange for her, too.
“Have you had a nice time here?” I asked, almost bracing myself for her answer. Why was it all so hard? Why did there have to be so many emotions tied up into the holidays?
A smile touched her lips. “Yes. This place is almost magical.”
I nodded. Even though it still didn’t seem quite right to make memories without my dad, I thought of my time with Miles and couldn’t deny the magical qualities of this place. I glanced again at my mom. She was still smiling, but it almost looked pained. It didn’t reach her eyes. Like mother, like daughter, I guess.
“You and Miles seem pretty cozy. How are things?” She said the words but still wasn’t looking at me.
Suddenly, I was tired of the fake. I actually wasn’t even sure whatwasfake anymore. But it was time. “Mom, I need to tell you something.”
She looked slightly alarmed but waved me on. I took a deep breath and blurted, “Miles and I were never really dating. We were pretending so I could get the Fosters off my back.”
“What?”
I smiled a little sheepishly. “I’m sorry. But Ireallydidn’t want to get set up with Glenn.”
“I don’t understand. Why couldn’t you have just told me that?”
“Because he was already coming. Next time, could you give me more than twelve-hours notice that you’re inviting my ex-boyfriend to our Christmas vacation?”
“I thought you’d be excited to have an old friend. I knew you wouldn’t want to hang out with us the whole time.”
Well, that was true. “But he wasn’t an old friend. He was an old boyfriend, and I broke up with him. And…it wasn’t a good plan.” I didn’t want to dive into Glenn’s less-favorable qualities, so I didn’t.
Her mouth had been open as if to argue before she closed it and leaned back against the couch. “Well, then, I’m sorry. I thought the two of you were still friends. The way Glenn lit up when we mentioned you’d be there, I wondered…but I didn’t know how you really felt. I just…I knew this Christmas was going to be hard, and I wanted you to have a distraction. Something fun to look forward to.”
I hoped that, one day, Glenn found a girl who would find him an exciting distraction, but I was definitely not that girl.
Her brows furrowed as though she had just thought of something. “You two really aren’t dating? I saw that mistletoe kiss.”
“The anti-mistletoe kiss,” I said. “Apparently, I missed by about thirty feet, so Miles says we have to do it again.”
“What a tragedy,” she murmured.
I shrugged my shoulders. “I’m not really sure what we are. The past few days have been fun.” And sweet. And eye-opening. “But we work together. I don’t think he’s too concerned about that, but…”
“But you are?”
“Yeah. I’ve had a bad experience with dating coworkers, remember?”
“That doesn’t mean that will happen this time.”