The day started simple and easy. I had coffee and biscuits with my parents, and we opened a few gifts by the Christmas tree. Nothing crazy. We don’t do elaborate and instead opt for small things. Cliché sweaters, that kind of thing.
Staring down at the potato, I’m at my final peel. The moment that I drop the peeler, my aunt flicks her dark hair over her shoulder and glances at me as she continues to flip the latkes in the pan.
“So.”
Here it comes. My mom sitting on the other side of the island covers her smirk by keeping her mouth as shut aspossible. I know how this goes, have my Aunt Harper do my mom’s dirty work. Then again, Harper is always ready for any gossip.
“You mentioned a neighbor… a woman… a good-looking one that is stopping by.” Oh, subtle.
“Did I say good-looking?” I reply blandly, purely because I’m aware that I shouldn’t slip in any details that they will use as ammunition.
“No, but your mom did. Tell me more. I need all the deets before she arrives later.” My family never ages, and I cringe when they attempt to use language that should just be criminal coming out of their mouths.
“Lainey is a neighbor with a cute kid. She’s a preschool teacher, and her brother used to play for my team but was traded. There. You have thedeets.”
She turns off the stove, as she’s about to get comfortable and fire safety comes first.
“Single?”
“Yes,” my mom jumps in, and my eyes slide to her. She shrugs at me. “What? I have my ways of detecting these things, plus you talk about her all the time.”
“I do not.” My voice sounds a little uneven because I just lied.
My aunt snaps her fingers. “He’s doing that thing, Layla. The look away, squeak in his voice, and his words sound completely unbelievable. He always used to do it when he and his cousin would get wild at family gatherings.”
“Us, wild?” I scoff then look around my place. Eggnog with an extra dash of rum was opened promptly upon their arrival before my aunt took the liberty to spread Hanukkah-themed confetti on my table to make it bluer.
“Someone must have broken through your outer layer. You have a Christmas tree, for Christ’s sake.”
“Harper, don’t say the Lord’s name in vain.” My mom has never stepped foot in a church.
My aunt snaps her gaze to my mother. “It’s fine. Jesus is our favorite Jewish carpenter, remember?”
I rub my temples. Keeping up with these women and their fast conversations is a headache.
“Let’s not bother Tyler. He doesn’t have many days off during the season, so let him enjoy it,” my mother attempts to deter my aunt.
“Yeah, a chance torelax,” I deadpan.
My aunt throws her hands in the air. “Fine. But I’m on to you.” She points her spatula at me. “I love that she’s a teacher. We’ll have so much to talk about.” Shit. My aunt is a kindergarten teacher; she and Lainey will hit it off.
“Riveting.”
It’s not that I don’t want Lainey and Enzo to stop by, I do. My family being present isn’t ideal. First off, they are an energy drain, and secondly, they will be observing us to prove their theories right. I can’t forget that Lainey and I are kind of in a confusing state. Neighbors, friends, hooking up. That’s what we’re doing, right?
In the end, it’s not about me. Enzo was curious when we were tree shopping about Chrismukkah, so it will be nice for him. They also live across the hall and have an easy escape if needed.
But maybe it is about me. An intuitive selfish want to have Lainey around. I only have a few days off, and I want to enjoy them, and that seems to entail having Lainey nearby. Yesterday was relaxed and simple. Making lists, checking them twice, and watching her cute expression when it involved wrapping. We didn’t need to go to any expensive restaurants or make a big deal of the day. I hear what some of the guys on my team do for their significantothers, and to me, it’s over the top. If I were to get Lainey a designer bag, I’m positive she would throw it back at me.
The next hour is busy in my head. We eat the latkes, a nut roast since turkey is not on the menu, and my mom made homemade cranberry sauce. I make no mistake of the hours on the clock, and when my aunt and mom are busy in the kitchen cleaning up, I rush to the doorbell when I assume that it is Lainey arriving.
Opening the door, I press a smile with my lips. “Welcome.”
“Hey, Tyler, thanks for the gift. It’s awesome.” Enzo seems excited and races into my home before I get a chance to respond. It’s kind of funny.
“Sorry. He’s been talking about this the entire ride home,” Lainey explains.
I place my hand on her shoulder and grab her attention. “Just give me a sign when it’s too much or feel free to fake an illness when they have zero filter,” I say in a hushed tone.
