“I’m glad you’re stepping a little out of your comfort zone lately. You need it. You’ve got this new badass confidence about you, I can’t tell if it’s me rubbing off on you or just that you’ve found your little bit of sass now living here, but I like it.” Summer swings her arm around my shoulder as we walk through downtown. It’s busy here today, everyone is probably running around at the last minute trying to get things done before the holiday.
“Probably a bit of both. I feel so much like my old self again. It feels good.”
We cross off everything on the list and head back to the apartment for the night. I haven’t talked with Ford since earlier but I’m not expecting to. I know he was doing a few volunteer events with the team and he knows Summer is in town too. It’s so nice, and it feels so mature to be in a relationship where we don’t have to check in every hour, where Ford isn’t texting me asking when I’m coming home or why I haven’t texted him. Welcome to an adult relationship, Abby.
Minus the part where it’s still a secret from my brother.
“So, what are the odds you’ll be in the Super Bowl? You’re going to have to play Minnesota in the playoffs, you know that right?” Summer and my brother are going back and forth about football while I continue wrapping presents for my mom. I found the coolest clock for her at this antique store downtown. She collects old clocks and this one has a cardinal engraved on the top. It looks pretty weathered, but she’ll like the look of it.
“You’ll have no excuse not to come to the Super Bowl since it’ll be in your backyard.” I hear Chase’s words, but don’t think anything of it, until it registers that the Super Bowl is being held in Miami this year. I had no plan to go back to Miami, at least not any time soon. Not when it would be too easy to run into Andrew at any given time. I guess the odds of me seeing him are slim, but not zero like they are here, and I’m a big fan of zero.
A puff of air blows through my lips and I already know that we’re making a trip to Miami in February. The team is too talented and too resilient. They deserve it. Damnit, out of all the stadiums and all the years…Why the hell does it have to be Miami?
I know we said we weren’t doing gifts, but I couldn’t help myself.
Abby
Anderson! Come on, now you’re going to make me feel bad.
Don’t. It’s technically a gift for both of us.
I’ve got another hour before I need to be at my parents house for Christmas Eve dinner and part of me is thinking of making an excuse and ditching altogether. Holidays with my parents are always a show. My mother throws a party every year and invites anyone who’s anyone over for dinner and drinks. I’m not even able to recall a time I truly enjoyed it. Maybe when I was a teenager, and it was cool to sneak some of the booze upstairs with Grace, but even that doesn’t bring me any memories to really smile about.
It’s 7:43 and my mom asked me to be there promptly at eight, so taking the fifteen minute drive into account, I should maybe put some clothes on that would be presentable for fifty people I barely know. People who will, no doubt, come to me with remarks and questions about the season, ask if I’ve met anice girlyet, or when I’m getting them tickets to a game. These people have more money than they know what to do with, they can buy their own tickets.
I show up at eight on the dot, because despite all of my desire to be anywhere else, this means a lot to my mom and I want to do right by her.
“Hi, honey! Merry Christmas!” Mom comes rushing to the door as I’m walking in. She’s wearing a beautiful long red dress with sequins and a necklace that I’m sure she bought just for this event.
“You look handsome.” She pulls at my tie, straightening it out as I pull at the collar of my shirt that’s suffocating my neck. There are few times you’ll find me in a suit and this is one of them. I own one and this is it.
“Looks great in here, mom.” Leaning in, I kiss her cheek and take the empty tray she’s holding in her hands to bring back to the kitchen.
“Don’t you hire people for this kind of stuff?” I say, gesturing towards the tray now in my hand.
“Well, yes but it was sitting outside empty so I just wanted to bring it in. I’m not above clearing a table Ford.” She raises an eyebrow at me before turning back to the door as someone else walks in.
I head into the kitchen and drop the plate near the sink. My parents hired caterers for tonight's event and all I can smell is fresh basil and garlic as I’m walking around the kitchen island. They never go easy on the food and I’ve got to say, I’m thankful for that.
“Ford!” I hear my name from a high-pitched voice coming from the dining room. Turning around, there are probably five or six women standing there in long evening gowns, waving in my direction. I give them a polite nod and continue about my business, looking under every tray to see what I’ll be scarfing down in the next hour.
The Christmas tree in my parents home is larger than necessary, but over the top decorations are definitely my mother’s thing when it comes to holidays. I’m sure Abby would love this shit. She completely changed Chase’s apartment into Santa’s little village and it’s equally adorable as it is obnoxious. I see my father and a few of his colleagues outside and make my way through the small crowds of people over to him. There is classical Christmas music playing over the speakers that you can hear inside and outside of the house. There are torches lit up around the pool creating a cozy vibe out here. It makes me wonder why this is such a black tie event when we could easily all show up, eat and drink in sweats just the same.
“Hi, son.” I shake my father’s hand as he introduces me to a few men he’s standing with. I’ve definitely met them before, but I don’t bother correcting him.
“You’re having a great season, Ford. If I were a betting man, I’d have money on you getting a ring this year.”
“Thank you, sir. I plan on that being the outcome too.”
We exchange polite conversation about football for the next twenty minutes before it’s time to eat. I take a seat next to my mother at the long table she had professionally set up under a canopy outside. There are a few heaters lined along the way outside, but truthfully, it’s not even cold enough for them.
My phone dings as soon as I’m ready for seconds.
Abby
How is the party?
It’d be a lot better if you were here.
