Page 11 of UnLucky Christmas
“And what about Christmas Eve?” I ask.
My mother sighs. “Well, you can spend one of the days with me and the other with your father. We can probably coordinate it with Ben and Emme.”
Hmm…I guess that will work especially now that I won’t be spending Christmas with Pete and his family.
A lump is forming in my throat as tears fill my eyes. I leap up from the couch and run to the bathroom. I stay as quiet as possible as tears stream down my face. I thought this was going to be the best Christmas in years. And I thought it was bad enough to lose Pete, but now my family is falling apart. Talk about bad luck.
I dab the corners of my eyes with my fingertips and take a few deep breaths.
This is fine. I’m an adult, and there are millions of families that have been through this very thing.
I wipe my eyes and gather myself before I leave the bathroom. I walk down the hall to the kitchen, where my parents are waiting. My mother hands me a glass of water. Admittedly, I could use something stronger in this glass.
“Thanks.”
My father engulfs me into a hug.
“Just remember we both love you very much,” he whispers.
“I know.”
I feel so bad for him, and admittedly, I’m angry with my mother. It sounds like this is her doing.
She puts a bowl of pasta and a salad on the table. I guess we’re having dinner together as a family. I have so many questions to ask, but I’m emotionally spent.
My dad asks me about work, and I tell them about planning our annual Christmas party. It’s the one thing that’s bringing me joy right now. We make every effort to avoid the topics of Pete and their pending divorce.
I’m ready to leave as soon as I finish eating. My parents promise to keep me informed on their plans. I give a nod. “Okay.”
As I make my way home, I try to wrap my head around the unexpected news I received tonight. I sent my brother a text asking him to call me, but he’s terrible about keeping in touch. I should call Emme, I have a better shot at getting her on the phone.
When I arrive home, Dasher is at the door to greet me. He’s such a loyal sidekick and exactly what I need. I pick him up and bring him to the couch. I don’t even take off my shoes. I just sit in the silence of my living room. It’s interesting how everything can change so quickly. Could anything else go wrong? Ugh. I probably shouldn’t even be thinking this. I guess I need to be ready for anything.
* * *
“How’s it going?”Callie asks. She’s holding her signature coffee mug that says,ask me later.
“Great.” I say not looking up from my laptop. “I already sent you the weekly reports, and I’m updating the calendar with new content.”
She’s quiet, so I finally look up at her. Her wildly curly hair is piled on top of her head, and her eyes are staring at me curiously behind her cat-eye framed glasses.
“What?” I ask.
“Are you feeling okay?”
“Of course. Why do you ask?”
Her mouth twists to the side. “Well, it sounds like you’ve been busy this morning.”
“Which is a good thing,” I point out.
“It is…” she trails off.
“I’m fine,” I insist. “Just a lot of work to catch up on.”
Callie doesn’t ask any questions. She probably thinks I’m throwing myself into work to avoid thinking about Pete. Which is partially true, but my parents splitting up has taken precedence over that.
“Okay, keep up the great work,” she says awkwardly, which makes me giggle.
