Page 4 of Christmas Souls

Once home, I'm restless and kicking myself for mistreating her when I had the chance to reconnect with her instead. The way she left, though, it shattered me.

A big part of me needs answers. At least, I think I deserve them. The urge for alcohol plagues me again, but I've gotten rid of all the liquor here.

The first few years after Mandy left, I was in shambles, and whiskey was my best friend. If it was not for the support of my family, I think I would have hurt myself and ended it all. Then there was all this anger and resentment for letting her actions affect my life the way they did. I'm eleven years older than her and should know better.

My phone vibrates on the living room table and I take a peek to see who it is. I know it's probably Ben, and I'm right.

Ben: Are you okay?

Me: No

Ben: Do you want me to come over?

Me: We'll have Christmas Eve dinner together tomorrow

Ben: Okay, see you tomorrow

I get ready for bed, but all I can think about is Mandy. Will I ever be able to get over her? Can I even interact with her without treating her badly?

Little do I know I will get my answer in twenty-four hours at my parent’s house.

I'm bringing some apple pie from Flora's Baked Delights to Christmas Eve dinner with the family when I see an unknown car in my parent's driveway. It used to be just the six of us for dinner, plus granny, but my brothers have started expanding the family with their significant others. The newest member is Sam, who owns Over the Roast, a fantastic coffee shop downtown. Danny's wife, Merry, is expecting her first baby, and Justin has kept to himself since the mother of his little girl passed away when she was born.

I lock my car and go through the back door into the mud room, where I take almost all my clothes off. The house is warm and smells amazing, with a mixture of food, pine, and Christmas overall. I love this season, but I miss having someone to share it with. I place the pie on one of the warmers on the stove and get ready to greet my family.

As soon as I walk into the dining room, I freeze. Mandy is there with someone I don't recognize.

"Michael! So glad you made it. We have some guests today, you remember Mandy? And this is our town's own librarian, Ana Maria Gonzalez."

I nod to them mechanically and swallow the bile that is in my mouth right now. I search for something to help Mom with, but they seem to be waiting for me to get her to start eating. So, I sit as far away from Mandy as possible and focus on what my family is chatting about. I do notice the looks my brother Justin is giving the librarian, and she seems to know his daughter Daisy well. There's clearly something going on there, but I'm too tied up with my own feelings about Mandy being here to ponder it.

My mom has outdone herself as usual, and everything looks delicious. We pass the dishes down the table, and I make an effort to ignore the short, curvy blond at the end. I think I'm doing well when Danny throws me to the wolves.

"Mandy, on Monday Michael will go evaluate your house for the necessary repairs. He'll draw up the quote, so make sure you give him every detail of what you need fixed or changed."

"What?" I say, looking like a zombie who's just resurrected and is looking for brains.

"Oh, Michael is going to do it?"

"Yes, if that's okay," Danny says.

"Sure. I already have a list going. I just need to double-check it and add anything I've forgotten. What time on Monday, Michael?"

I'm totally frozen in front of everyone, but I feel a kick on my shin, and I bounce up in my chair.

"Around ten."

"I'll be waiting for you, then." She says.

I go back to my eating, but I can feel all eyes on me. The one person that isn't looking at me is Mandy, who seems to be trying to ignore me as much as I am her. That'll make for an interesting business meeting come Monday. But I realize I have to talk to her before we do any business. If only there was a way for me to do that without tearing my heart open all over again.

Chapter 3

Mandy

Two days later, I'm still reeling about seeing and talking to Michael Hoffer on Christmas Eve. His family was so kind to me that I couldn't say no to their invitation. I tried my best not to look at him or engage him, but I don't think I was fooling anyone, especially his brothers.

I look around Grandma's living room and am glad I got the utilities back on. Otherwise, I'd be freezing right now. I didn't realize my grandmother was such a hoarder, though. The house is full of junk, and in the six months that she's been gone, the spiders have created nests everywhere. I want to tackle the ones in the living room before Michael gets here, but it takes me a while to find the ladder and broom.

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