My phone rang just as Gabe came through the door.
“That’s all of it,” he said, walking to my room with an armful of dress shirts and slacks.
I picked my phone up and answered. “Hold on, Mom. That’s all you have?” I shouted to him, guessing he was in my closet.
“Yeah. The furniture came with the apartment.”
My brows knitted while I thought about that. The furniture in his apartment had seemed to fit him, and I vaguely remembered him saying something about buying the couch.
“Victoria?” My mother’s voice came through the phone, distracting my thoughts.
“Shoot, sorry, Mom. Gabe’s moving in today, and he was bringing in the rest of his stuff.”
With Gabe’s lease running out in a month, we decided to take the plunge and have him move in with me. It made the most sense, and with us already spending the night between apartments, it was already like we were living together.
“Today? Oh my, that’s so exciting and perfectly timed for my call. Dad and I want you to bring him home for Christmas so we can meet him.”
There was a high probability she heard my grimace through the phone. Gabe peeked his head out of the bedroom door, his auburn hair messy. I chewed my lip, knowing I was going to crush my mother. I’d already let her down by telling her Thanksgiving was off the table.
“Umm, I don’t think we can.”
“Can what?” Gabe mouthed, entering the room, his hazel eyes scrunched with worry.
“Why not? It’s Christmas. We always do Christmas together.”
“It’s not that simple, Mom. I’m still new, and I don’t have vacation time accrued yet. I only get the one day off, and there won’t be enough time to warrant a plane ticket, especially at holiday rates.”
“Your dad and I will pay, Tori.”
“We will!” I heard my dad yell in the background.
“I just can’t, Mom. I’m sorry.”
“But Cash will be home and, well, we’ve never had a Christmas without you.”
My heart dropped, and the pressure at the back of my eyes had me looking for an excuse to hang up. Gabe took the phone from me before I could stop him.
“I’ll have her there, Mrs. Hent.”
“Gabe!” I heard my mother exclaim, followed by a shout from my father.
My parents loved Gabe. After the first time he talked to them, it was like they had another son.
“What are you doing?” I asked him, trying to grab the phone from him. He put his hand out and held me at a distance.
“Don’t worry. She’ll be home for Christmas.”
“Are you crazy? We won’t have time.” I was still fighting to get the phone back, but his damned long arms had me too far back.
“Sure will. Of course I can come.”
A pause while my mother spoke.
A shadow of darkness passed through his eyes. “No, my family won’t mind.”
Quiet again, and I gave up my fight, flopping onto the sofa and crossing my arms.
“I’ll make the arrangements, and she’ll let you know the flight information. Gotta go. She’s pouting.”
