justprompts: Winter
It had been a long time coming, he felt. He had talked to his brother more in the past few years than he had his mother, and he actually liked his mother. The least he could do, he decided, especially with the possibility of a move looming on the horizon, was to give her a call for the holidays.
There was a click as the phone on the other end was picked up. "Hello, this is Catherine Hollister speaking!" came an energetic, joyful voice. There was some noise in the background, and the sound of a timer going off. "Oh--could you hold on for just one second; I don't want those cookies to end up burnt into my new baking sheets!"
Billy had to laugh as his mother set the phone down. It was just so like her to have a thousand things going on at once. And of course it was just like her to be baking a massive mound of sweets during the winter. What she was going to do with all of it was anyone's guess, but just the simple fact that it already seemed like she hadn’t changed a bit made him smile.
A few minutes later, she came breathlessly back to the phone. "I'm so sorry about that; you know how the holidays get."
He shook his head and tried to bite back a chuckle. "Yeah, that I do. Hi, mom."
There was a bout of silence. "...Billy? Is that my Billy dear, oh, my, I didn't expect to--"
"Yeah, it's me, mom, and...and I know, it's been a while, but I was thinking, and I thought--is this a bad time?"
"Oh, nononono, please, I will always have time for my boys!"
"Because it sounded like you were pretty busy."
He could just imagine her laughing and waving that silly notion aside. "It's just food, dear, I can do that any time. Well, you've made this old woman very happy. Why, the last I ever heard about you was when your brother said he saw you..."
He winced on his end. "You've talked to Brendon...?"
"Well, of course. He's tried to keep in touch ever since he moved." There might have been an undercurrent of unlike you there, but perhaps it was only his paranoia talking.
"I'd rather not know what he said about me. And you don't want to know what I've said about him, so."
"No, it's fine." Her voice clearly said that it wasn't all fine but that she would at least let the subject slide. "We won't talk about your brother; I'd rather talk about you! It's been nearly ten years now, hasn't it? You need to tell me everything that you've been up to since my little Billy moved out!" There was a pause and then an excited noise. "No, wait, I've got an even better idea--why don't you come home this Christmas? Your brother's usually too busy, but he said he could make the time. We could have ourselves a traditional family Christmas."
That was a string of words that did in no way warm his heart as they obviously did his mother. "...No, mom, no, I don't think that'd be such a good idea..."
She harrumphed at the idea that it might not be a good idea. "Nonsense. Now, I know you boys have your differences, but there's no reason that you can't put them aside to have Christmas with your mother."
"Mom, I'm...I kind of already made plans. I'll be in New York."
"I don't suppose you were hoping to make up with your brother."
"No." He sighed. "And I might move there, too."
"...Oh."
"Yeah."
"That's nice."
"Yeah."
"When?"
"I don't know. It might not even happen, but I hope it does. It just...there's this girl..."
"In New York?"
"No, mom, there's this girl here in LA, and if I move to New York, then I want her to come with me."
"But you don't know if she will."
"Not yet, but if she does...if she does, then I want it to be our Christmas gift."
"You seemed so adamant about going to Los Angeles, Billy, what's changed?"
That question had too many answers to it for comfort. "...A lot, mom. A lot's changed. But I have so many people that I care about in New York, and here...I don't...really have anything here. I really don't. All I've got, really, is her."
"Does this her have a name?"
"I don't think I'll be bringing her over for you to decide she's not good enough for me, or anything."
She scoffed. "Billy, you boys have never brought a girlfriend over for me to meet, and you know I would be delighted to do so. I just always assumed that would happen when you boys were teenagers, but your brother never thought to do that, and you only ever were interested in that popular girl."
"She's not my girlfriend. I mean...not...yet. It's...we're taking things slow. She's Penny, by the way."
"You have all the time in the world, love. I'm such an old woman, and I'm still looking."
"You're not old, mom."
"I've got two kids in their thirties, and I'm not having any more. I think I've got more right than anyone to say just how old or not old I am."
"Right, of course. I guess that means you haven't got a new boyfriend yet?"
"Oh," she started a little wistfully, "on and off, dear, on and off. But enough about my failure of a romantic life, I'm just glad to know someone in this family might get on all right."
"I wouldn't say all right, but. I'm getting there."
"Your brother doesn't seem to be trying at all. At this rate, I'll never be a grandmother."
He laughed. "Mom, don't, you never used to care about that kind of thing."
"Oh, yes, back in the days when all I cared about was making sure you two didn't break your necks on that trampoline."
"Jumping off the roof was his idea."
"Yes, that boy never had the most sense in that head of his."
"...But look where it's gotten him, mom. He's so much more than me. He's a lot more than I might ever be. Some famous businessman of god knows what in the most famous city in the world. He's gone places, and I haven't."
"And that's why you're moving."
"A new start would be nice."
"You could always start--"
"No."
"Dear--"
"No."
"There's always room to expand here."
"No. I don't want to move back. That won't get me anywhere. You've been stuck in the same job all your life. Haven't you ever wanted to do something? Do something with yourself? Or do something big and great? Haven't you ever wanted to get out of that old house and make something of yourself?"
There was a short pause. "I've made myself a mother, Billy. I raised two kids by myself, and I put them through college, and I watched them leave, and I have been happy where I am. This is my home, and maybe I won't ever find another man, and maybe I'll be lonely most of the year, but I like it here. I think I've made exactly what I needed to make out of myself and done a lot with my life, thank you very much. I've been a mother and a hard worker and a good, moral person in the eyes of God, and that makes me very happy. I would just like for my sons to come home and see their mother for one Christmas."
"...Sorry."
She sighed. "Your head's always been in one of two places, dear: in the books or in the clouds. Not everyone wants to change the world."
"Which is why I have to. Because people like Brendon? Are just going to fuck it up some more. I know he's your son, and he's been talking to you, and I've been a failure who dropped off your radar, but please listen to me when I say he's not a good person. He's heartless, mom, he is, and I wish other people could see that."
"I think maybe you just have a unique perspective is all, being his brother."
"I'm not coming home for Christmas. I'm going to New York. And I'm going to ignore Brendon. He only cares about himself. He just steps on people and doesn't really care, at all, and he's selfish, and he's homophobic, and he wants me to be just like him, and if he'd said that twenty years ago, I would've agreed, but I don't now, because he's the kind of person who makes me need to fix the world."
"...Okay."
"No, it's not okay."
"Billy--"
"It's not okay, mom!"
"I don't think you called me to argue with your mother."
"...No, I didn't, but...I'm sorry. I've been a terrible son, and an awful brother, and I act like I don't even have a family, but I love you, mom, I do. I hate Brendon so much, and we're never going to make up, but I never hated you. I just never called because, well...I just didn't see the point. There was never anything to say, and I'd just leave it by the wayside. I'm sorry."
"Billy Ezekiel Hollister," said his mother sharply, "of all the things I could possibly say about you, I would never say that you are a terrible son, and you should be ashamed to think like that. I'm perfectly happy with you, and I always will be, no matter what."
He blinked. Would she still think that if he finally got around to ruling the world? "Why?"
"Because you're my son, and I love you."
That made him smile. "...Thanks. So, doing your Christmas baking, then?"
The mood brightened considerably from there. "Oh! Yes, there's a volunteer thing down at the center on Friday, and you know how people just love my baked goods, and--I never got the chance to tell you...we haven't told each other much. Why don't I go first, and I'll start from the beginning..."
There was a click as the phone on the other end was picked up. "Hello, this is Catherine Hollister speaking!" came an energetic, joyful voice. There was some noise in the background, and the sound of a timer going off. "Oh--could you hold on for just one second; I don't want those cookies to end up burnt into my new baking sheets!"
Billy had to laugh as his mother set the phone down. It was just so like her to have a thousand things going on at once. And of course it was just like her to be baking a massive mound of sweets during the winter. What she was going to do with all of it was anyone's guess, but just the simple fact that it already seemed like she hadn’t changed a bit made him smile.
A few minutes later, she came breathlessly back to the phone. "I'm so sorry about that; you know how the holidays get."
He shook his head and tried to bite back a chuckle. "Yeah, that I do. Hi, mom."
There was a bout of silence. "...Billy? Is that my Billy dear, oh, my, I didn't expect to--"
"Yeah, it's me, mom, and...and I know, it's been a while, but I was thinking, and I thought--is this a bad time?"
"Oh, nononono, please, I will always have time for my boys!"
"Because it sounded like you were pretty busy."
He could just imagine her laughing and waving that silly notion aside. "It's just food, dear, I can do that any time. Well, you've made this old woman very happy. Why, the last I ever heard about you was when your brother said he saw you..."
He winced on his end. "You've talked to Brendon...?"
"Well, of course. He's tried to keep in touch ever since he moved." There might have been an undercurrent of unlike you there, but perhaps it was only his paranoia talking.
"I'd rather not know what he said about me. And you don't want to know what I've said about him, so."
"No, it's fine." Her voice clearly said that it wasn't all fine but that she would at least let the subject slide. "We won't talk about your brother; I'd rather talk about you! It's been nearly ten years now, hasn't it? You need to tell me everything that you've been up to since my little Billy moved out!" There was a pause and then an excited noise. "No, wait, I've got an even better idea--why don't you come home this Christmas? Your brother's usually too busy, but he said he could make the time. We could have ourselves a traditional family Christmas."
That was a string of words that did in no way warm his heart as they obviously did his mother. "...No, mom, no, I don't think that'd be such a good idea..."
She harrumphed at the idea that it might not be a good idea. "Nonsense. Now, I know you boys have your differences, but there's no reason that you can't put them aside to have Christmas with your mother."
"Mom, I'm...I kind of already made plans. I'll be in New York."
"I don't suppose you were hoping to make up with your brother."
"No." He sighed. "And I might move there, too."
"...Oh."
"Yeah."
"That's nice."
"Yeah."
"When?"
"I don't know. It might not even happen, but I hope it does. It just...there's this girl..."
"In New York?"
"No, mom, there's this girl here in LA, and if I move to New York, then I want her to come with me."
"But you don't know if she will."
"Not yet, but if she does...if she does, then I want it to be our Christmas gift."
"You seemed so adamant about going to Los Angeles, Billy, what's changed?"
That question had too many answers to it for comfort. "...A lot, mom. A lot's changed. But I have so many people that I care about in New York, and here...I don't...really have anything here. I really don't. All I've got, really, is her."
"Does this her have a name?"
"I don't think I'll be bringing her over for you to decide she's not good enough for me, or anything."
She scoffed. "Billy, you boys have never brought a girlfriend over for me to meet, and you know I would be delighted to do so. I just always assumed that would happen when you boys were teenagers, but your brother never thought to do that, and you only ever were interested in that popular girl."
"She's not my girlfriend. I mean...not...yet. It's...we're taking things slow. She's Penny, by the way."
"You have all the time in the world, love. I'm such an old woman, and I'm still looking."
"You're not old, mom."
"I've got two kids in their thirties, and I'm not having any more. I think I've got more right than anyone to say just how old or not old I am."
"Right, of course. I guess that means you haven't got a new boyfriend yet?"
"Oh," she started a little wistfully, "on and off, dear, on and off. But enough about my failure of a romantic life, I'm just glad to know someone in this family might get on all right."
"I wouldn't say all right, but. I'm getting there."
"Your brother doesn't seem to be trying at all. At this rate, I'll never be a grandmother."
He laughed. "Mom, don't, you never used to care about that kind of thing."
"Oh, yes, back in the days when all I cared about was making sure you two didn't break your necks on that trampoline."
"Jumping off the roof was his idea."
"Yes, that boy never had the most sense in that head of his."
"...But look where it's gotten him, mom. He's so much more than me. He's a lot more than I might ever be. Some famous businessman of god knows what in the most famous city in the world. He's gone places, and I haven't."
"And that's why you're moving."
"A new start would be nice."
"You could always start--"
"No."
"Dear--"
"No."
"There's always room to expand here."
"No. I don't want to move back. That won't get me anywhere. You've been stuck in the same job all your life. Haven't you ever wanted to do something? Do something with yourself? Or do something big and great? Haven't you ever wanted to get out of that old house and make something of yourself?"
There was a short pause. "I've made myself a mother, Billy. I raised two kids by myself, and I put them through college, and I watched them leave, and I have been happy where I am. This is my home, and maybe I won't ever find another man, and maybe I'll be lonely most of the year, but I like it here. I think I've made exactly what I needed to make out of myself and done a lot with my life, thank you very much. I've been a mother and a hard worker and a good, moral person in the eyes of God, and that makes me very happy. I would just like for my sons to come home and see their mother for one Christmas."
"...Sorry."
She sighed. "Your head's always been in one of two places, dear: in the books or in the clouds. Not everyone wants to change the world."
"Which is why I have to. Because people like Brendon? Are just going to fuck it up some more. I know he's your son, and he's been talking to you, and I've been a failure who dropped off your radar, but please listen to me when I say he's not a good person. He's heartless, mom, he is, and I wish other people could see that."
"I think maybe you just have a unique perspective is all, being his brother."
"I'm not coming home for Christmas. I'm going to New York. And I'm going to ignore Brendon. He only cares about himself. He just steps on people and doesn't really care, at all, and he's selfish, and he's homophobic, and he wants me to be just like him, and if he'd said that twenty years ago, I would've agreed, but I don't now, because he's the kind of person who makes me need to fix the world."
"...Okay."
"No, it's not okay."
"Billy--"
"It's not okay, mom!"
"I don't think you called me to argue with your mother."
"...No, I didn't, but...I'm sorry. I've been a terrible son, and an awful brother, and I act like I don't even have a family, but I love you, mom, I do. I hate Brendon so much, and we're never going to make up, but I never hated you. I just never called because, well...I just didn't see the point. There was never anything to say, and I'd just leave it by the wayside. I'm sorry."
"Billy Ezekiel Hollister," said his mother sharply, "of all the things I could possibly say about you, I would never say that you are a terrible son, and you should be ashamed to think like that. I'm perfectly happy with you, and I always will be, no matter what."
He blinked. Would she still think that if he finally got around to ruling the world? "Why?"
"Because you're my son, and I love you."
That made him smile. "...Thanks. So, doing your Christmas baking, then?"
The mood brightened considerably from there. "Oh! Yes, there's a volunteer thing down at the center on Friday, and you know how people just love my baked goods, and--I never got the chance to tell you...we haven't told each other much. Why don't I go first, and I'll start from the beginning..."