the back of the cafeteria. I thought we were done—until about 10 minutes later when Glenn brought all the trays back out, and Sara followed behind when frostings and sprinkles.
It was an amazing night. My sisters talked—not much to me, but they did talk to Sara and Brennan a lot. It was nice to just be around them while they were smiling and happy. It had been so long since I had seen that from them.
After hours of baking and decorating, we all gathered back up in my room to watch A Christmas Story. It turned out, Brennan had never seen the movie all the way through, so we had decided it was a must. When we got back in the room, Glenn was installing a newer, bigger, nicer, television.
I remembered Sara telling me about Brennan’s trick with the chairs. I gave him a look.
“Is this your doing?” I asked.
“Hey, you can’t watch A Christmas Story on a small TV,” he said smiling.
“Wise words from a man who’s never seen it,” I teased.
We thanked Glenn as he headed back to the kitchen. My sisters stayed for the whole movie before heading back to the hotel to be with my parents.
It was strange. Like, they didn’t want to talk to me, but they still sort of wanted to be around me. I didn’t quite understand how it worked, but I was at least thankful for the brief time with them. I was even more thankful that my parents hadn’t been there that night. Christmas Eve had been perfect, and my mother’s presence would have only ruined that.
***
That night, after I thought everyone had left, I sat up in my room, trying to find something to watch on Television. I had already had the chance to see all of my favorite Christmas movies on TV that week, and I couldn’t find any good ones on right then anyway.
Somehow I ended up settling on Telemundo, the Spanish channel. My sister and I had once loved making fun of the soap operas on the station. Part of me must have been feeling nostalgic because I sat the remote down and began watching.
From what I could understand, a woman named Maria had been cheating on a man named Francisco with another man named Miguel. I was half laughing, half fascinated as I heard Francisco ask with too much seriousness, “Porque Maria? Porque?”
“You speak Spanish?’ came a voice from the door. I turned too quickly and a sharp pain struck my head.
“Ouch!” I hissed, grabbing my head with my good hand. “That hurt!”
Brennan came over to the bed, concern in his eyes. “Do you need me to call a nurse?” he asked, sounding scared.
“No,” I said, “I’m fine. I just moved too quickly. That’s all.” I was still holding my head, but the pain was starting to subside.
“To answer your question,” I started, “No, I don’t speak Spanish. But, you don’t need to speak the language to know that Maria is an El Skank-o.” This elicited a small chuckle from Brennan, who was now sitting in one of the recliners next to my bed.
“Can I ask you something?” he said earnestly.
“Yes,” I said, wondering what he wanted to know. It took a minute for him to actually ask.
“Am I bothering you by being here?” he seemed to genuinely want to know.
“Of course not,” I shot back. “Why would you think that?’
“Then, why don’t you want me to help?” he asked, ignoring my question. “Is it because you don’t know me? Or do you just not let anyone help you?”
“You’re already helping me, Brennan. You’re spending the weeks of Christmas and New Years with my crazy family, pretending to be my fiancé.” I looked at him as sternly as I could. “If that’s not letting you help, I don’t know what is.”
“That’s not what I mean, and I think you know that.” He said simply. “Why don’t you let me help you with things like standing, sitting, walking, calling the nurse, or getting you a glass of water?” His eyes were stern as he examined me, then they softened. “I mean, is it me? Did I do something to make you uncomfortable? I know this is a
It was an amazing night. My sisters talked—not much to me, but they did talk to Sara and Brennan a lot. It was nice to just be around them while they were smiling and happy. It had been so long since I had seen that from them.
After hours of baking and decorating, we all gathered back up in my room to watch A Christmas Story. It turned out, Brennan had never seen the movie all the way through, so we had decided it was a must. When we got back in the room, Glenn was installing a newer, bigger, nicer, television.
I remembered Sara telling me about Brennan’s trick with the chairs. I gave him a look.
“Is this your doing?” I asked.
“Hey, you can’t watch A Christmas Story on a small TV,” he said smiling.
“Wise words from a man who’s never seen it,” I teased.
We thanked Glenn as he headed back to the kitchen. My sisters stayed for the whole movie before heading back to the hotel to be with my parents.
It was strange. Like, they didn’t want to talk to me, but they still sort of wanted to be around me. I didn’t quite understand how it worked, but I was at least thankful for the brief time with them. I was even more thankful that my parents hadn’t been there that night. Christmas Eve had been perfect, and my mother’s presence would have only ruined that.
***
That night, after I thought everyone had left, I sat up in my room, trying to find something to watch on Television. I had already had the chance to see all of my favorite Christmas movies on TV that week, and I couldn’t find any good ones on right then anyway.
Somehow I ended up settling on Telemundo, the Spanish channel. My sister and I had once loved making fun of the soap operas on the station. Part of me must have been feeling nostalgic because I sat the remote down and began watching.
From what I could understand, a woman named Maria had been cheating on a man named Francisco with another man named Miguel. I was half laughing, half fascinated as I heard Francisco ask with too much seriousness, “Porque Maria? Porque?”
“You speak Spanish?’ came a voice from the door. I turned too quickly and a sharp pain struck my head.
“Ouch!” I hissed, grabbing my head with my good hand. “That hurt!”
Brennan came over to the bed, concern in his eyes. “Do you need me to call a nurse?” he asked, sounding scared.
“No,” I said, “I’m fine. I just moved too quickly. That’s all.” I was still holding my head, but the pain was starting to subside.
“To answer your question,” I started, “No, I don’t speak Spanish. But, you don’t need to speak the language to know that Maria is an El Skank-o.” This elicited a small chuckle from Brennan, who was now sitting in one of the recliners next to my bed.
“Can I ask you something?” he said earnestly.
“Yes,” I said, wondering what he wanted to know. It took a minute for him to actually ask.
“Am I bothering you by being here?” he seemed to genuinely want to know.
“Of course not,” I shot back. “Why would you think that?’
“Then, why don’t you want me to help?” he asked, ignoring my question. “Is it because you don’t know me? Or do you just not let anyone help you?”
“You’re already helping me, Brennan. You’re spending the weeks of Christmas and New Years with my crazy family, pretending to be my fiancé.” I looked at him as sternly as I could. “If that’s not letting you help, I don’t know what is.”
“That’s not what I mean, and I think you know that.” He said simply. “Why don’t you let me help you with things like standing, sitting, walking, calling the nurse, or getting you a glass of water?” His eyes were stern as he examined me, then they softened. “I mean, is it me? Did I do something to make you uncomfortable? I know this is a
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