Shortly after the movie ended, Taylor and I were arguing about what we should watch next. The basement door opened and my dad yelled down that dinner was ready and that our help was needed in setting up the tables. My parents always rented tables and chairs for the Christmas feasts. They pretty much didn\u2019t have a choice, there were so many people there and they all needed a place to sit and eat.<\/p>\n
Taylor darted up the stairs taking them by twos. I stood and stretched with a sigh. \u201cI guess I should get up there and help\u2026\u201d I mused, although I didn\u2019t really want to help.<\/p>\n
Olivia stood, carefully folding the blanket. \u201cMaybe you shouldn\u2019t. Your hand is still sore, and the last thing we need is to spend the rest of the night in the emergency room because you\u2019ve popped a stitch.\u201d She smiled.<\/p>\n
I crossed the room, carefully holding her face in my hands. \u201cWhat would I ever do without you to take care of me?\u201d I asked, gently kissing her. Olivia beamed happily, sinking her teeth into her lower lip. \u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d She answered. \u201cBut I think I\u2019ll follow you up and see if your mom needs any help.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOkay.\u201d I took her hand and led her up the stairs. The events going on upstairs were utter chaos. Taylor was helping my uncle move the arm chair, while my dad and two uncles were moving the sofa out of the way. Zac was bringing in a stack of chairs, and the girls were coming in with table cloths.<\/p>\n
My drunken uncle Larry was trying to hold up one of the folded tables. He was still holding a red cup with a glass of what I could only assume was rum and eggnog, so he was only able to hold the table with one hand.<\/p>\n
\u201cHere, Uncle Larry. Let me help you.\u201d I insisted. I released Olivia\u2019s hand and crossed the room to catch the table before it fell.<\/p>\n
When I turned back to see Olivia, she wasn\u2019t standing where I\u2019d left her.<\/p>\n
Taylor came over and took the other side of the table, helping me awkwardly flip the table over and fold down the legs.<\/p>\n
Once both legs were secured, I wiped my hands on my pants and set off to bring in more chairs from the garage. I grabbed a stack of chairs and brought them into living room.<\/p>\n
\u201cHere, son.\u201d Dad came up behind me. He took the chairs from me. \u201cYou shouldn\u2019t be lifting anything. I appreciate you wanting to help, but with a bum hand, you should be taking it easy.\u201d He pat my shoulder lightly, with a smile.<\/p>\n
I nodded, watching my dad leave with the chairs.<\/p>\n
I assumed that I should have taken that as an apology. I knew my dad wasn\u2019t one for apologies. We shared the same trait when it came to admitting we were wrong.<\/p>\n
I crossed my arms and walked into the dining room. The table had already been set up in there, and two had now been set up in the living room. The kitchen table was set, and there was no more work to be done. I moved into the kitchen, and found Olivia helping my mom spoon food into fancier dishes with the proper utensils.<\/p>\n
\u201cThank you for your help, Olivia.\u201d Mom was saying. \u201cI don\u2019t know how I would have done all this without you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAny time.\u201d Olivia smiled sweetly.<\/p>\n
\u201cOkay, everyone!\u201d My mom said, turning around. \u201cDinner is ready!\u201d<\/p>\n
The kitchen suddenly flooded with people. I moved out of the way, leaning casually in the corner. I watched as everyone moved around me, filling their plates.<\/p>\n
I folded my arms over my chest, feeling more like a piece of furniture than a member of the family. It was a feeling I was used to a lot in this house. With all the kids running around and since I was the oldest I was kind of used to being in the background.<\/p>\n
Once the kitchen had cleared out, my mom spotted me in the corner. \u201cIsaac! Are you going to eat?\u201d She asked me.<\/p>\n
I shrugged. \u201cI don\u2019t know, maybe later.\u201d I mused.<\/p>\n
Olivia frowned for a split second.<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, honey. You need to eat!\u201d She insisted. \u201cCome on, I made all of your favorites!\u201d My mom looked absolutely devastated by the fact that I wasn\u2019t hungry and didn\u2019t want to eat.<\/p>\n
In my family, not eating was the worst thing in the world.<\/p>\n
I dropped my arms. \u201cAlright, I\u2019ll eat.\u201d I offered. I pushed myself away from the wall and crossed the kitchen. I picked up a plate and started filling it.<\/p>\n
Mom left the room, probably to ask if anyone else needed anything before she settled down with her own plate of food.<\/p>\n
Olivia placed her hand on my back. \u201cAre you okay?\u201d She asked worriedly. The expression of concern on her face was clearly evident.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m fine.\u201d I insisted. \u201cI\u2019m just not really hungry.\u201d I shrugged. \u201cI\u2019m not used to eating so much. In case you haven\u2019t noticed, my mom feels the need to feed everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n
Olivia smiled. \u201cI noticed. She keeps trying to talk me into eating some turkey. She\u2019s insisting that it isn\u2019t real meat, because it\u2019s poultry.\u201d<\/p>\n
I smirked. \u201cYeah, that sounds like her.\u201d<\/p>\n
Olivia picked up a plate and started to spoon some potatoes on her plate. \u201cI hope everyone likes the potatoes. I made them. They\u2019re still a little lumpy though.\u201d She frowned.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m sure they\u2019re delicious.\u201d I mused.<\/p>\n
Olivia smiled sweetly.<\/p>\n
I added extra turkey to my plate, I figured that if Olivia wasn\u2019t eating any turkey, I could have some extra turkey. I drowned half my plate in gravy. Olivia handed me a fork.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe should find a place to eat.\u201d I mused. \u201cI\u2019m sure we could steal a couple of seats somewhere.\u201d<\/p>\n
Olivia smiled sweetly. \u201cDo you want me to carry your plate?\u201d She offered.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve got it.\u201d I answered. \u201cBesides, I still have one good hand,\u201d I smiled.<\/p>\n
Olivia smiled, shaking her head.<\/p>\n
We somehow managed to get lucky with the table in the dining room. There were two seats together, but unfortunately that meant I had to sit next to my brother Taylor. Just trying not to strangle him during dinner was almost impossible. He was shoveling food in his mouth like he wasn\u2019t even chewing it. He was simply inhaling the food on his plate.<\/p>\n
I placed my free hand on Olivia\u2019s knee for a second. She smiled sweetly up at me.<\/p>\n
I picked up my fork and started eating.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re not having any turkey?\u201d Someone at the table asked. I shot an irritated glare in the general direction of the voice.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t eat meat.\u201d Olivia answered politely. \u201cI\u2019m a vegetarian.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA vegetarian?\u201d My drunken Uncle Larry slurred. \u201cTurkey isn\u2019t meat. It\u2019s a bird.\u201d<\/p>\n
Olivia worried her lower lip. \u201cIt\u2019s still an innocent animal.\u201d She insisted.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a bird.\u201d Uncle Larry slurred.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s what I said!\u201d Taylor argued.<\/p>\n
I kicked Taylor sharply under the table.<\/p>\n
He groaned. \u201cOw! Ass.\u201d He warned under his breath.<\/p>\n
I kicked him again.<\/p>\n
Olivia fidgeted next to me. I knew she was trying to be polite, and was having a hard time staying polite with the subject matter.<\/p>\n
Vegetarianism was something she felt very strongly about.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, Uncle Albert\u2026 do you still have that vintage mustang in your garage?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n
I knew this was a subject he couldn\u2019t refuse. He would talk about the stupid car endlessly.<\/p>\n
He launched into a lengthy lecture about all of the parts he\u2019d acquired for the vehicle and that he was almost ready to finish it. He was thinking of selling it and getting another project to work on.<\/p>\n
I turned to Olivia to make sure she was doing okay. The awkward expression had left her face and she smiled up at me. \u201cThank you.\u201d She mouthed.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo problem.\u201d I whispered back.<\/p>\n
She smiled and placed her hand on my thigh for a moment, then returned for her dinner.<\/p>\n
I hadn\u2019t started off hungry, but I somehow managed to eat all of the food on my plate.<\/p>\n
I took my plate and Olivia\u2019s into the kitchen and tucked them into the garbage bag my dad had prepared in advance.<\/p>\n
Olivia followed me.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you kids get enough to eat?\u201d Mom asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes,\u201d Olivia said sweetly. \u201cDinner was delicious. I can\u2019t thank you enough for inviting me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, honey, we\u2019re very, very glad to have you here.\u201d Mom smiled. \u201cActually, I was thinking\u2026 instead of you going home tonight and coming back so early in the morning, why don\u2019t you just spend the night?\u201d<\/p>\n
Olivia glanced toward me. \u201cOh, I don\u2019t know\u2026 you\u2019ve got such a full house already\u2026 I don\u2019t want to put anyone out.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re not putting anyone out.\u201d My mom insisted. \u201cWe\u2019d be glad to have you\u2026 there\u2019s supposed to be a lot of snow coming tonight, I hate to think of you driving all the way into the city in a snow storm.\u201d Mom protested.<\/p>\n
Olivia chewed her lower lip.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe could stay in my room, and I can sleep on the sofa.\u201d I offered. \u201cThat is if you want to stay\u2026\u201d I countered.<\/p>\n
Olivia smiled. \u201cI don\u2019t have pajamas or a change of clothes for the morning\u2026\u201d She mused.<\/p>\n
\u201cI could find something for you to sleep in. I probably have some old clothes somewhere…\u201d I mused. \u201cAnd for tomorrow you could wear what you have on, and after we open our gifts, I\u2019ll go with you to your dad\u2019s apartment so you can get a change of clothes.\u201d I offered lightly.<\/p>\n
Olivia smiled, and turned to my mom. \u201cAre you sure?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAbsolutely, honey.\u201d She insisted. \u201cWe would love to have you.\u201d<\/p>\n
One of my aunts called for my mom from the other room. \u201cOh, excuse me for just one moment.\u201d My mom said before fluttering out of the room.<\/p>\n
Olivia drew in a deep breath and wrapped her arms around me, laying her head on my chest. \u201cAre you sure that it\u2019s going to be okay for me to stay here?\u201d She asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cOf course.\u201d I mused, lightly kissing her hair. \u201cBesides, if you sleep in my bed, I might be able to sneak in there with you. I\u2019ll make sure I\u2019m sleeping in the basement\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
Olivia smiled. \u201cI think I might like that.\u201d<\/p>\n