“Yeah, Dad always goes all out.” I opened the door and guided Lexi inside.
“Hello?” my dad called from the kitchen.
“It’s me and Lexi,” I replied as I helped her out of her coat.
Daphne, Nathan, and my dad rounded the corner from the kitchen to greet us. Everyone took turns hugging one another. Lexi tried to shake my dad’s hand, but he pulled her into one of his famous bear hugs. He wasn’t really the handshake type.
She handed him the sketchbook she’d gotten him at the market as we started towards the kitchen. “Lexi, this was very thoughtful. I love it, but you didn’t have to bring anything.”
“My mom always taught me not to show up empty-handed, and I thought you could use this for your art,” Lexi replied.
“Sounds like your mom did a great job with you,” Dad said as we reached the kitchen.
Dad didn’t host a fancy sit down dinner like Mom would’ve. That wasn’t his style, but the food looked and smelled amazing, and was set up buffet-style in the kitchen.
“Did Nathan help you with all of this, pops?” I asked.
“And Daphne. They’ve been here most of the day helping me get ready,” Dad answered while pulling Daphne in for a side hug.
Daphne animatedly shook her head. “Oh, no. This was all you guys. I was solely here for moral support and to taste test the wine,” Daphne joked. “Speaking of wine—Lexi?”
“You don’t have to twist my arm,” Lexi answered.
The front door opened, and moments later Dylan walked in with his cat, Coco, in tow—decked out in her Christmas best.I’m not kidding.This cat came prancing in on a freaking leash, wearing a plaid jacket with her head held high.I’m not exaggerating when I say that that cat was spoiled with a capital S.
A squeal cut through the air. I turned to see Lexi with her hands on her cheeks and the ungodly noise emanating from her. She ran and dropped to the floor in front of Coco, who began aggressively rubbing herself all over her.
“Oh, isn’t she the sweetest?” Lexi cooed. “What’s her name?”
My brother beamed proudly. “This is Coco Baby.”
Lexi plopped back onto her butt and allowed Coco to climb into her arms. “Who’s the prettiest baby? You are. Aren’t you? Oh, my God. You’re so sweet.”
This continued for several minutes until my dad cleared his throat. “If you’re done fawning over my grandkitty, dinner’s just about ready.”
Lexi looked up, her cheeks reddened. “Oh, shit. I’m sorry. But seriously, has there ever been a prettier cat?”
“No, there hasn’t. She’s definitely the prettiest,” Dylan chimed in proudly and then offered his hand to Lexi. As her hand slipped into his, a pang of jealousy shot through me. I couldn’t remember a time before Lexi when I’d ever felt jealousy. Now every time another man even looked at her, I felt it. But this was my brother, and I had no reason to be jealous. Lexi and I weren’t even a thing.
“Now that everyone’s here, let’s eat,” Dad said as he clapped his hands together.
We filled our plates and then gathered in the dining room to eat. The table looked like Mom had set it, complete with her favorite Christmas tablecloth and centerpiece decorations. There were even candles lit, which I attributed to Daphne’s presence this year. Dad still decorated for Christmas, but didn’t keep up with all the details Mom would have.
“This all looks great,” I mentioned as I took my seat and, through no scheming on my part, Lexi and I ended up sitting next to one another. The table fell into easy conversation. It was awesome having Daphne and Lexi here to celebrate with us this year. The holidays with my brothers anddad were nice, but since Mom’s death, there was an underlying sadness to our celebrations. This year seemed different with the ladies present—lighter even. I was obviously still sad Mom wasn’t with us, but hearing Lexi’s laugh throughout dinner seemed to ease the pain in my chest.
Lexi moaned next to me, drawing my attention. “Oh, my God! This is soooo good. Who made these mashed potatoes?” she asked.
“Nathan and Daphne did,” my dad answered her. “The only thing I’m taking credit for this year is the turkey. I deep-fried it this time, and it turned out pretty good, if I do say so myself.”
Lexi continued to moan, “It’s soooo juicy. Like seriously, I’ve never had turkey this moist before.” I choked a little on my drink and began coughing.
“You okay there, Brando?” Lexi turned toward me, looking not at all concerned.
I couldn’t seem to stop coughing, but I attempted to talk in between fits. “Just—cough—went down—cough—the wrong—cough—pipe.”
“I remember my first drink,” Dad joked, and everyone around the table snickered.
“Thanks—cough—for nothing, Dad—cough cough.” Tears built in my eyes as another fit of coughing overcame me. It must have been at least a full minute more before I finally stopped coughing, and conversations started back up around the table.
