I came back into the bedroom, and there was Holst, dressed, bed made, with one little present laying on top.
“We’re almost out of time, and this is important.”
“Holst…” I approached the bed and picked up the little box.
“You’ve never asked what my tattoos mean,” he said.
He had on jeans, casual, but neat, with a navy blue sweater and dark brown leather shoes. His hair was still mussed from sleep, but it looked like he meant it to be that way. Those caramel eyes looked down at me, soulful, but tired.
“I always mean to…and…” Frodo mentioned this to me just the night before. I stood there thinking for a moment and concluded, “You never have more than one drink…”
“Yeah.”
“You made sure I wasn’t an alcoholic.”
“Yeah,” he confirmed.
“Because you are one, or you don’t want to become one like your dad?” I asked.
Then the doorbell rang.
“They’ll wait, Katherine.”
He looked almost scared standing there, revealing whatever it was he wanted to tell me.
“Hey,” I said, putting my hands on his face. “I told you. Remember that day when you covered me with a blanket and I agreed to open Bear Claw with you? I told you, once I give my word, that’s it for me. I’m loyal, no matter what. I’m wearing your ring without knowing all your secrets. You know why that is?” I didn’t give him a chance to reply. “Because I kept a secret for years. Never knowing why until yesterday: I was ashamed, H. Whether I should’ve been or not, I was. Whatever this secret is…Frodo knows. Doesn’t he?”
“Yes,” he confirmed.
“And he has a deep respect for you; I can see that. So this can wait.”
“Katherine…”
“My future mother-in-law is at my front door, Holst. I don’t think I’m making a very good first impression, do you?”
His face set in a smirk. “Are you gonna say ‘fuck’ a lot today?”
“I can dial the ‘fucks’ down a notch in mixed company, H.” I giggled, and put the little box back on the bed.
Then I squeezed his hand, let go, and walked into the hall. I kept a smile on my face, because, really, I had no choice, and also, I was really looking forward to meeting his mom.
But when I opened the door, it wasn’t just Becky and Al, my mom was there, too.
I started laughing. The kind of laugh that people look at you and stare because it’s awkward and they don’t know why you’re laughing.
But I opened the door wide and said, “This is gonna be interesting. Dad isn’t gonna show up and ruin my day…again?” I asked to the glances of Al and Becky to me, to her, and then to Holst, who appeared next to me.
“No.” She smiled. “He will not be joining us today. I was still in town, and I didn’t know what your plans were today…so I took a chance,” she said. “Oh, and I brought food,” She held up two bags from the hotel where she was staying. “Holiday meals, the works…I didn’t know…I wasn’t sure…um…I just got a little bit of everything.”
Mom and I had a stare-off…hers pleading for my forgiveness and mine letting her know she was welcome, but not off the hook quite yet.
“Well,” Al said to Holst with a huge, hungry grin. “I’m eating like a king today! Let me in.”
We quickly settled into our new familial roles. Everyone found their place and claimed it.
Al took the end of the couch and quickly figured out the remote. “Grab me a beer if they have ‘em, honey,” he called to Becky.
“Sure thing, Al,” she said with a smile, then mumbled to us girls, “He’s really saying ‘I love you; you’re my entire world.’ It just comes out as honey, get me a beer.”
We women all pitched in and laughed about the men doing men things as my kitchen table was filled with food for a buffet service. Holst had the task of “be a good son and get everything out of the trunk for me” and was on his last haul of booty which I was really, really looking forward to checking out. Our house was full, the little tree Holst and I put up finally looked like a real Christmas tree with the multitude of gifts beneath, and the place smelled fantastic. But the thing that really got to me was the laughter.
Standing with my head in the pantry, not looking for anything other than a quiet moment to get a hold of myself, Holst came up behind me.
“Talk to me, baby,” he said quietly.
“This is our family, H.”
His arms around me grew tighter.
“It’s awesome.”
“Are you happy, Katherine?”
I turned in his arms and said in an effort to divert attention from our sudden heavy convo in the kitchen, “I have a jar of pear chutney that might be nice with ham. I’ve been meaning to make something just to use it.” I chuckled, then whispered, “Marriage and babies. A husband I love, who loves me back. A business I never had the balls to do on my own. You did this, H.”
“No, baby. You did this. We still need to talk,” he reminded.
“And we will. But right now, let’s be in this moment, okay?”
He nodded, but didn’t seem real happy I was putting off this conversation he wanted to have.
“I need to make a few phone calls,” I told him. “Seeing as how I didn’t leave town after all. And Leo. I forgot about Leo watching the shop tomorrow.”
“It’s all taken care of, Katherine.”
When we closed the pantry door, Becky and my mom were standing there, staring at us with their hands together.
“Well,” I said. “I see the two of you are gonna get along just fine.” It was so weird, considering I really didn’t have a relationship with my mother to speak of until yesterday.
“Katherine,” my mom said. “If we could get a couple of minutes together…”
I’m sure my mother wanted to have a conversation with me, too. Probably not with an audience, but I figured, what the hell.
“Becky,” I said to her new, kitchen soul-sister. “Up until yesterday, Mom and I didn’t really talk much. So, this is all new territory. I’m just gonna air our dirty laundry and say yesterday sucked. My dad is a giant asshole, and by that, I mean gaping—”
“Katherine.” My mother chuckled uncomfortably and shook her head.
Becky was trying not to laugh. “Holst said you don’t beat around the bush.”
“I only promised I’d try to control my use of the F-bomb.” I grinned.
After that little icebreaker, our day was so fantastic, we were up to the pie, coffee, and present portion of the afternoon, and I’d nearly forgotten to call Tori, Dee, and Ruby to wish them a Merry Christmas.
I excused myself into the bedroom and called Tori first. She’d invited Ruby and her dad to spend the holiday at their place, so I’d be able to kill two birds with one stone.
“Hey,” I greeted.
“Hey, yourself. Everything still good?” I could hear the smile in her voice.
“Dude, you know it is, you whore.”
“Whore with child.” She laughed. “And, um, by the way, thanks for buying out Baby Gap for me.”
I had. Baby Lana was going to be Baby Gap from her cute little head to her teeny, tiny toes.
“That’s what aunties are for.”
“Hey,” she whispered into the phone. “Cam’s brother, you know, the-almost-as-hot-as-my-husband, brother?”
“Yeah.” I laughed. “I know Drew.” She was right though; the guy was hot.
“He has not taken his eyes off Ruby. Seriously, has not stopped looking at her. He brings her a drink, or smiles at her, and she smiles back. It’s so cute. She’s all…shy. So weird.”
“Why is that weird? She’s always quiet.”
“I don’t know. I guess you and me are different.”
“Yeah, I would’ve fucked him by now.”
“At someone else’s house on Christmas with your dad and his dad there?”