Home For The Holidays

“Sure, mom, I’ll try to get along with her, but that thing you were doing just now, that’s not a good look.”

“She has problems Sam, I understand she needs help, and Tom has asked us to be kind to her. She doesn’t have any family of her own, you know.”

“Oh, really!”

“Why do you say it like that?”

“No reason, I just had no idea.” My ass. I can bite my tongue for another day or two because the end, in this case, does justify the means.

Samantha

I made a side trip on my way back upstairs to make sure that my dad was okay. He didn’t turn from the fireplace where he knelt, stoking the fire, but he sensed my presence all the same. That’s something I’ve never been able to understand and a talent only he had before I met Jared. He’s another one who can sense when I’m near without me even making a sound.

Thinking of him made me smile, but I had to put thoughts of him on hold for now. I’ve been told my face gives my thoughts away whenever I’m thinking of him, and it’s not yet time. Dad’s going to freak when he realizes that someone else has taken his place as my number one guy.

He’s already griping at the fact that I’m having company for holiday dinner, and though I’m sure he knows how serious this is due to the mere fact that I’ve invited someone home to meet him and mom, he can have no idea of the close bond Jared, and I already share.

I’ve had nightmares about the tug of war between those two with me in the middle. They’re both such strong personalities I don’t see either of them giving an inch, and Jared has already made it known with his jealous ass that no one comes before him. He sulks like a brat if he even thinks that I’ve put him aside to do something with someone else. I’ve barely seen my roommate this last semester or anyone else for that matter because of Mr. Insane’s possessive streak.

I have too much on my plate as it is dealing with Tom’s mess and haven’t had time to think of ways to navigate that particular minefield, but I’ve given Jared enough ammo to win dad over. That’s granted he puts it into use since he can be stubborn as hell in his way of thinking.

“What are you planning, daughter mine? I know that face of yours better than you think you know.” Dad had turned when I was lost in thought and was studying me like a specimen under a microscope the way he did when I was a kid. The last time I got one over on him was when I was eight, and our neighbor’s son, who was two years older, tried to cop a feel during an innocent game of hide and seek.

I’d come home bawling my eyes out but refused to tell him the truth for two reasons. One, dad would’ve killed that kid, and two, I wanted to handle that ass myself, and I did. His black eye had lasted a good week and a half.

I’d filled dad in after the fact, and his hands were then tied since I’d already exacted vengeance. He’d still had words with the neighbor, and I still don’t know to this day if that had anything to do with their hasty relocation a few weeks later but whatever.

He was boring holes into my head with that stare of his now. “All in due time, dad, I promise.

“Tell me, does it have anything to do with knocking some sense into your brother? I’ve given him ample time to get his act together; I thought for sure by now he’d have got his head out of his ass, but I was wrong.”

This is the first time dad has voiced his true feelings on the subject out loud, and the look of disgust on his face was even more evidence of how he really felt. “Why haven’t you knocked his block off yet if you feel this way?”

“Because he’s an adult, and I raised him better. Still not going to tell me the truth about what happened back there?”

“What? You don’t believe Tom’s version of events?” Dad rubbed his nape the way he always does when he’s frustrated. It’s times like this when I remember that Tessa’s lies and betrayal hadn’t hurt only Deidre and the twins, but my whole family as well. I’m with dad though it was way past time for my once sensible brother to have come to his senses.

Unless Jared has a point and the fact that Tom had loved his wife deeply, and this is the reason for his long lapse in judgment, according to Jared, the deeper the wound, the longer it takes to heal. I’m all for that and would’ve given my brother some slack for that if the truth hadn’t been staring him in the face all this time.