Page 59 of The Holidays with Dr. Mitchell
“Are we going to sit here all night while the sun races down the other side of that mountain, or are we going to get the hell out of here?” Mark questioned.
“Hey, Dad,” John said. “Do you think we can ride the reindeer?”
“Those guys aren’t made for that, buddy,” I said. “It would be nice if they were, though.”
“Another hole in your game revealed,” Jim said as we all began strapping on our snowshoes.
I wasn’t going down like this. I wasn’t going to crash and burn on my own game that was going so fucking well up until the sled cracked under pressure. No way in hell was that happening.So, I pressed forward and spun this into a tale that would make everyone believe this was the plan all along.
“That’s the best part,” I said while we all went to work unharnessing the reindeer from the sleigh. “This was all part of the plan.”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Spencer said. “Try again, Jakey.”
“I’m serious. We shook all of you up, thinking we were stuck out here. The ladies will soon be saddened that we haven’t returned in time for Christmas, and while they think they’re going to have aBlue Christmas…” I sang as Collin looked over at me and grinned, “that’s when everyone will see us walking up that snow-plowed driveway, singingI’ll be Home for Christmas.”
Jim stared blankly at both me and Collin and sighed, “Do you even realize how fucking cheesy all of this is?”
“Cheesy, as in the most ridiculous bullshit you’ve ever been through?” I cockily returned, guiding my deer by the reins and helping John with his as we all began walking the way we came.
“Yes. I may never sing another Christmas song again because of how stupid this has been,” Jim said.
“There’s our Grinch,” Mark chuckled. I loved this man for not getting pissy about this bullshit when he had every right to.
“Uncle Jim, you know Dad is just a big goofball,” John said, trying to ease Jim out of his cranky mood.
“This is true,” Jim smiled down at my son. “Let me ask you something, John?”
“Sure,” my son answered, unfazed by what we were going through.
“Are you having a good time? AMerryChristmas?”
I watched the amused expressions of Spencer and Mark, looking at John for his answer.
“I am. All I usually ever think about at Christmas time is getting presents, but this whole week, I haven’t even thought about them.”
“Well,” I said, my eyes widening in humor, “if anything makes all this worth it, it’s that statement.”
“That doesn’t mean I don’t want any presents, Dad,” John insisted.
“Then what does it mean?” I questioned.
“It means this week has been so much fun. Even doing this,” he reached up to hold his grandpa’s hand, “I’ll never forget this as long as I live.”
“That’s a lot of years you’ll be thanking your dad for nearly killing all of us,” Spencer said with a laugh. “You’ll definitely never forget it if your toes freeze off.”
“Mom made sure I wore thick socks, and I’ve got a bunch of layers under my winter coat. I’m actually sweating a little bit,” John giggled like an eight-year-old, dropping his usual forty-year-old demeanor. “Seriously, Dad. This is so much fun. Everything has been.”
“Does it make up for me missing your band recital at Thanksgiving?” I asked.
John rolled his eyes. “I was never upset about that; that was Mom.”
“That’s good to know, but it makes me sad that your mother was upset,” I answered truthfully.
“I think she’s better now,” John grinned at me.
“I’m glad this has given you good memories,” Jim said before smiling at me with approval.
From the look in Jim’s eye and the change in his demeanor, I could tell things had become clear to him. Jim and I were raised in a wealthy family, but our family had detrimental problems and gave us issues that nearly cost us our happiness. Our mother was a drug abuser and alcoholic who was never present even onChristmas, and our father was a broken-hearted man who spent his days buried in work to escape the harsh reality of feeling unlovable. My father had amassed a fortune but sacrificed all his relationships to get it, leaving himself isolated and unhappy.
