The living room feels like a hurricane. My little cousins are buried in piles of presents, shrieking with pure joy over new toys as their parents scramble to keep the mess contained. I catch sight of Evelyn scrolling through her phone, completely ignoring me or at least pretending to. The last time we talked, we didn’t exactly resolve anything. I can tell she’s still upset about how things ended that night, but neither of us seems ready to face the elephant in the room.
“Hi, sleepyhead,” my mom says from the kitchen doorway, tray of cinnamon rolls in hand. “Coffee’s ready if you need it.”
“Need is an understatement.” I make a beeline for the coffee pot.
TíaMary is already perched on the couch in her usual holiday getup, sipping her tea like it’s a prop, not a drink. I brace myself, knowing the inevitable is coming. But not yet. I’m not letting her ruin my peaceful day.
I lean against the counter, my coffee in hand, surveying the living room. Dad’s trying to assemble a new train set for the kids with laser focus, looking like he’s about to burst a blood vessel from the instructions. Mom’s already busy with dinner, while Evelyn and Victoria are glued to their phones, laughing over some inside joke that I’m obviously not a part of.
“Honey!” my mom calls from the kitchen.
She doesn’t give me a chance to answer before swapping my coffee for hot chocolate, and giving me a kiss on the forehead. “Feliz Navidad, hija.” She says.
“Feliz Navidad,” I smile at her and squeeze her arm a bit before she goes back to yelling at my cousins to get out of the kitchen.
Desperate for some quiet, I slip outside to the backyard. The cold air nips at my cheeks as I wrap my hands around a mug of hot chocolate, feeling the heat of the ceramic seep into my cold fingers.
My phone buzzes in my pocket, and I pull it out to see a message from Jared.
Jared:merry christmas
I rest the mug on the glass table as my fingers fly over the keys. In a split moment, I catch my reflection on the screen, grinning so wide I look terrifying.
Me:merry christmas to you too. how’s your day so far?
Jared:ma made pho and egg rolls.
Jared:serena and tyler snuck out for an hour. twins are hyped about the barbie dream house i got them.
I can practically picture him rolling his eyes as he types.
Me:that sounds nice!
Me:love how you just casually ignored the fact that ser and tyler disappeared
Jared:strategic ignorance. i don’t want to know what they’re doing.
Me:fair point.
Me:barbie dream house, though? didn’t peg you as a guy who knows his dolls.
Jared:know your enemy. i’ve stepped on three barbie shoes, and i’m pretty sure one is embedded in my foot.
Me:RIP to your foot. at least you’re not stuck untangling doll hair.
There’s a pause before he responds, and when he does, his message feels almost too real.
Jared:honestly, it’s been nice. you know, no big blow ups so far. it’s weird like… almost like i’m in a dream.
My mind races as I scramble to find the right words to say back.
Me:weird doesn’t have to be bad. maybe you just deserve a good day :)
Jared:yeah? you think so?
I bite my lip, the knot in my chest tightening. It’s a mix of nerves and something else—something I can’t quite name, but it makes my skin buzz and my heart race.
Me:definitely.
