Page 18 of Merrily Yours
I get all the way to the door before saying, “Seven months and two days, Colette.”
I look back over my shoulder and enjoy watching that pretty mouth pop into a perfect “O.”
It’s good to be home.
“Christmas is awesome. First of all, you get to spend time with people you love. Secondly, you can get drunk and no one can say anything.” — Michael Scott,The Office
“Louie’s tonight?” Anders asks.
“Uno!”
Dammit, how is Bex so good at UNO?!
“Sure, I’d be down for a night at Louie’s. It’ll be just like old times!” I place a green two card down on the pile. We circle around to Jules who places a Draw Four card down right before it’s Bex’s turn again, quickly turning her expression of glee into one of frustration.
“What the fuck, JuJu!” Bex yells, startling a sleeping Elodie who passed out on the couch halfway throughThe Grinch.
“Easy there, killer,” Anders soothes, massaging her shoulders. I watch as Bex leans back onto him from her spot on the floor.
“That’s your name,” she reminds him. And then a whimpered, “I was so close to this game being over.”
“You didn’t have to play with us,” Ben states, handing her four new cards.
But we all know she didn’t really have a choice. Sibling UNO is a tradition.
Bex remains grumpy as we continue to play. Anders tries to calm her down—it’s a futile effort. I watch as he leans down and whispers something in her ear. It’s been six years since they first got together, but they are still sickeningly in love.
It is hard to be around them sometimes. Between my parents, and my best friend and sister, all I see is perfect relationships around me. A reminder that I’ve fucked up every relationship I’ve ever attempted. Not that I’ve tried that hard since?—
“Uno!” It’s Ben this time.
“Well, shit,” I mutter as I draw another card.
We play until it gets back to Ben, all of us watching as he lays down his last card. He hops up and does a bizarre victory dance that looks like his rendition of the macarena.
“After that display of athleticism, I feel like you all need some hot chocolate!” Mom pops her head in from the kitchen. Everyone nods enthusiastically and she disappears around the corner again.
“So, we are good for Louie’s tonight? Maybe after dinner?” I ask.
“I’ll drive,” Anders winks.
Mom walks back in with a tray of hot chocolate. She hands a mug to Bex first who asks, “Mom, can you watch El tonight? I think we’re all going to go to Louie’s after we put her to bed.”
“Of course I’ll watch my favorite baby!” Mom exclaims.
“We were all replaced the second that pregnancy test was positive,” I sigh.
Anders hums. “She’s definitely way cuter than all of you. She gets that from her mother”—he leans down and kisses Bex’s cheek—“and her grandmother,” he finishes, winking at Mom.
Ben, Jules, and I groan. Anders is such a suck up.
We continue talking and drinking our hot chocolate before parting ways to get ready for dinner.
It’s been really nice to have everyone in town for the holidays. We don’t get the same hang out time we did growing up. We fought like crazy, sure, but when you have three younger siblings that are so close in age—it’s a bond I’ve taken for granted in the past.
I head up to my old childhood bedroom and flop down on the bed. I live above Louie’s so I’ll stay there tonight, but I’m not that far from Mom and Dad’s, and it’s nice to be able to crash here when family is in town.
My phone dings and I pick it up to see a Tinder notification. I already know I’m not interested, however, curiosity gets the better of me. I open the app and see that I’ve matched with someone named Carly. I swipe through her pictures, chiding myself for how unaffected I am. She’s cute, sure. She is probably lovely to be around, but her hair is black and curly when I really want it to be blonde and wavy. Her eyes a deep brown, when I prefer to drown in a sea of blue. She’s tall and curvy, and yet, I find myself wishing she was petite and athletic.
