Page 44 of The Homecoming

Jason looked like a deer caught in headlights, patting the girl on the back. “Hey,” he said. “Just a couple months.”

“Months?” The girl pulled away. “You said you’d call me when you got back.”

“Oh, sorry,” he said.

“From Weasel’s party the night before you left,” she said, studying his response.

“Yeah, of course,” he said weakly. “Weasel’s party.”

The girl cocked her head to the side and scowled. “The hot tub?” she asked.

Jason looked at the ground, no doubt wishing he’d disappear. “Yes, of course, who could ever forget that.” He tried to save the situation, but he’d already crashed and burned.

“What’s my name?” she asked.

“Uh… I had a lot of beer that night.” His cheeks were red and Autumn thought he might turn and run, but he didn’t have time. The girl slapped him across the face before turning on her heels and marching off.

He brought his hand up and touched his cheek where she’d hit him, appearing stunned. He made eye contact with Autumn, and she shot him a toothy, exaggerated grin as he glared at her.

“Everyone, get in the car,” Shirley announced.

On the way home, no one mentioned the mystery girl Jason apparently banged in a hot tub and promptly forgotten about before leaving for Afghanistan. Without a word, he unloaded the tree from the car and took the brunt of the weight while their dad helped him carry it in. Everyone remained quiet as they worked to put the tree in the stand and fasten it tight before situating it in the front window, the way their mom liked. The Christmas lights were eventually unwound and wrapped around the tree, working like a charm. The family almost made it through the decorating with the perfect family façade intact when Jason spoke. “Stop looking at me like that,” he said to Autumn.

“Like what?”

“Like you got something to say.”

“Now, now,” Shirley said. “No one has anything to say.”

“Just say it,” he said.

“Okay, fine.” Autumn pointed a candy cane at him. “You’re a hypocrite for telling me to avoid Dan after what you did to that poor girl.”

“I’m protecting you,” he said.

“I don’t need your protection. I need you to throw out your damn double standard.” She jabbed the end of the candy cane into his chest.

“Stop poking me with that.” He knocked the candy cane out of her hand, causing it to fly across the room. “Look, I just know how sweet and naïve you are, and I know how he is.”

“Yeah,” she replied, “I know how he is too. I was the one there with him. I looked at it as a summer fling, that’s it. That when he left, I thought it would be over.”

“Oh, sweet Jesus.” Shirley looked up to the ceiling as if in prayer.

“Then he asked me to wait for him. I didn’t mean to fall in love with him. I certainly didn’t do it to upset you. It’s been hard on me knowing you weren’t going to approve, especially after I found out I was pregnant.”

“He’s going to break your heart,” Jason said.

“I’m a big girl, and I’ve already made up my mind about him anyway.”

“What’s that?” Shirley asked.

“If he comes back, I’m just going to tell him he can be as involved in the baby’s life as he wants. No pressure.”

“No pressure,” Shirley repeated.

Autumn nodded. “When I found out, I decided to keep it and raise it. I don’t know whether he even wants kids. But I certainly can’t force the globetrotting, G.I. Joe, to settle down. If he doesn’t want to be a dad, then I don’t want that kind of negativity around.”

Jason hung a Santa ornament on the tree and sighed. “Just don’t tell him yet.”

---