“I’ll get the broom,” Dad said, probably as an excuse to escape the female drama.
“You did that on purpose,” Erika accused Darby.
“I didn’t. I really didn’t.”
“Darling, I’m sure she didn’t mean to,” said Mom, stepping in as peacemaker.
“Why wereyouhanging her anyway?” Erika demanded.
“I... don’t know.” What a dumb thing to do. “I just didn’t think.”
“Yeah, well, there’s a surprise,” Erika snapped, her eyes practically burning into her sister. “You never think about anyone but yourself.”
What could Darby say to that? Sadly, it was true. Jackal began to whimper. She wanted to join in with him.
“I’m done with this.” Erika tossed the cloth teddy bear ornament she’d been holding into the ornament box and stormed off.
Mom hurried after her, leaving Cole with Darby, the ballerina destroyer. “I didn’t do it on purpose,” she said to him.
“I know,” he said. “Rika’s always been a drama queen.”
But sometimes that drama was understandable. This was about way more than breaking an ornament. Darby had broken something much more valuable on her last visit. She just kept racking up the evil sister points.
She fell into the nearest chair. She could almost see the angel at the top of the tree shaking her head in disappointment. Jackal came and laid his head in her lap. Dogs were so forgiving. Why couldn’t everyone be more like dogs?
From upstairs the sound of a raised voice (Erika’s) drifted down to them. The words were muffled, but the anger came through loud and clear.
“I think she’s done helping,” Cole said.
I think she’s done with me,Darby thought.
Sure enough, Erika came stomping down the stairs a moment later. She grabbed her coat from the coat closet, yanked open the front door, and slammed it behind her.
Dad came back with the broom and began sweeping up. Mom returned and picked up a fresh ornament from the box, saying, “She’ll get over it.”
Darby had her doubts.
“So much for family time,” Dad muttered as he walked away with the dustpan.
“We are still having family time,” Mom insisted. “I didn’t buy all that pizza for nothing.”
Later, as they sat around the living room eating pizza and streaming old Christmas movies, Darby texted her pal Josh back in New York.Thomas Wolfe was right. U can’t go home again.
It wasn’t until the start of the next movie that Josh’s reply came through. He’d probably been out with his nice friends, having a nice time, like he deserved.
Sure U can. It worked for the prodigal son.
Not workin for the prodigal daughter.
What U going to do about that?
Don’t know.
I do. Try again.?
Easy for him to say. To try again you had to have some idea of where to start. She textedThanks a lotand set her phone aside.
On the TV, Nicolas Cage was having a serious discussion with a very strange angel. “You’re workin’ on a new deal now, baby,” the angel informed him.
