Eggnog #1
“Aaron, is that you?” The front door of his childhood home was thrown wide open, letting icy air into the home as his mother stood in the doorway, eyes wide with shock. Aaron shifted, uncomfortably, and offered a forced smile.
“Yes, Ma, it’s me. Let me in already. I’m freezing.” His mother stepped back hurriedly, making room for her son as he tramped inside leaving a trail of melting snow beside him. “Jesus, it’s like a furnace in here.”
“It is not, Aaron. Here. I’ll get Ryan to help you take your bags up to your old room so you can come visit with the rest of the family.” He opened his mouth in protest, but one firm look from his mother made him stop arguing immediately. “You’re such a good son. Ryan! Come here!”
It was as though the entire family had been spying since fourteen year old Ryan appeared in the hall immediately, eyes wide when he saw his older brother. “No way!” He exclaimed, after a moment. “Nuh-uh. Dude, this has gotta be the best present ever!” Aaron froze at his brother’s words, glancing at the younger boy with raised brows.
“I’m not a fu-damn present.” Aaron stated, grouchily. However, he did slide the laptop bag from his shoulder and hand it to the younger boy. “You break it, Ry, and you owe me close to two thousand.” Ryan just nodded and took the bag, heading toward the staircase. Aaron then turned his gaze to his mother, about to let loose sharp comments, but the sad, almost begging look on her face stopped him in his tracks and he simply followed his brother. His room was much like he remembered; only much more bare. However, the black and white posters of city scapes were still on the walls and his bed was still in the same place as it had always been. He nearly swore when he noticed there were no clean linens on the bed and a bare mattress before he realized that his brother was in the room.
“Where do you want your computer?”Aaron didn’t answer, eyes trained out the window. “Um, Aaron?” Now, Ryan had recently received the Family Talk given by none other than his older sister Kim. She had mentioned that Aaron, the mysterious older brother who rarely ever stopped by which was usually when he actually had to be in town and didn’t want to pay for a hotel room, was extremely temperamental. Because of that and the fact he hadn’t seen Aaron in a good six years, Ryan felt as though he was walking on egg shells. “Aaron!”
“Shut up and just set it down, would you?” Aaron snapped. He was feeling rather cramped in this house already and when he saw his brother’s shocked face, his lips tugged downward into a rather deep frown. He wasn’t in the mood to deal with guilt, kids or even with his family. “Tell Ma I’ll be down in a few minutes, would you, Ry?” Ryan nodded, eagerly taking the chance to escape from the room and Aaron sighed, dropping onto the bed with a heavy sigh. He didn’t understand why he had even come back in the first place. He always came back stressed and ready to hurt someone, always taking it out on Carly who had a small tolerance for his bad attitude. However, this visit wasn’t because he was in town. He was here because his mom had sent him a letter…and she guilt tripped him. That’s exactly what it was, he decided, standing up and heading to the door, she made him guilty.
When he made it downstairs, he was immediately assaulted by his mother once again and dragged into the den, where the rest of the family was waiting for dinner, before she went back to the kitchen. He knew most of them: Dad, Ryan, Kim, Kim’s husband Jaren. But then there were Kim’s kids whose names he never even bothered learning since he didn’t even know she’d had them and the friend of Ryan’s who was staying over...
Aaron just stared and lucky for him, his family stared back too, until Kim stood up and threw herself at him. “Aaron! You’re back, you idiot!” He swore her arms were like iron bands and he could feel her squeezing his neck tightly. “I haven’t seen you in years. Dad! Jair! Ry!” Kim’s enthusiasm made him want to rip his hair out. “How are you? Where have you been? How’s your job?” She began to babble, pulling him toward the couch so he could sit by her. “Have I introduced you to my kids?” He shook his head, feeling very numb, and she began to talk some more, mentioning Ellen and Peter, before Aaron was forced to tune her out. His eyes ended up settling on his dad who was looking at him with a scrutinizing gaze.
He suddenly felt afraid.
Would he be kicked out?
God only knew how disappointed his father was.
Was he happy?
Mad?
Sad?
Aaron began to run his thumb across his palm, looking down at the carpeted floor, before looking up again. His dad was smiling. He felt himself relax immensely and smiled back, softly. He then turned his ears back to Kim, who was telling him of last summer’s adventure in Spain.
For once in his life, Aaron was glad to be home for the holidays.
“Yes, Ma, it’s me. Let me in already. I’m freezing.” His mother stepped back hurriedly, making room for her son as he tramped inside leaving a trail of melting snow beside him. “Jesus, it’s like a furnace in here.”
“It is not, Aaron. Here. I’ll get Ryan to help you take your bags up to your old room so you can come visit with the rest of the family.” He opened his mouth in protest, but one firm look from his mother made him stop arguing immediately. “You’re such a good son. Ryan! Come here!”
It was as though the entire family had been spying since fourteen year old Ryan appeared in the hall immediately, eyes wide when he saw his older brother. “No way!” He exclaimed, after a moment. “Nuh-uh. Dude, this has gotta be the best present ever!” Aaron froze at his brother’s words, glancing at the younger boy with raised brows.
“I’m not a fu-damn present.” Aaron stated, grouchily. However, he did slide the laptop bag from his shoulder and hand it to the younger boy. “You break it, Ry, and you owe me close to two thousand.” Ryan just nodded and took the bag, heading toward the staircase. Aaron then turned his gaze to his mother, about to let loose sharp comments, but the sad, almost begging look on her face stopped him in his tracks and he simply followed his brother. His room was much like he remembered; only much more bare. However, the black and white posters of city scapes were still on the walls and his bed was still in the same place as it had always been. He nearly swore when he noticed there were no clean linens on the bed and a bare mattress before he realized that his brother was in the room.
“Where do you want your computer?”Aaron didn’t answer, eyes trained out the window. “Um, Aaron?” Now, Ryan had recently received the Family Talk given by none other than his older sister Kim. She had mentioned that Aaron, the mysterious older brother who rarely ever stopped by which was usually when he actually had to be in town and didn’t want to pay for a hotel room, was extremely temperamental. Because of that and the fact he hadn’t seen Aaron in a good six years, Ryan felt as though he was walking on egg shells. “Aaron!”
“Shut up and just set it down, would you?” Aaron snapped. He was feeling rather cramped in this house already and when he saw his brother’s shocked face, his lips tugged downward into a rather deep frown. He wasn’t in the mood to deal with guilt, kids or even with his family. “Tell Ma I’ll be down in a few minutes, would you, Ry?” Ryan nodded, eagerly taking the chance to escape from the room and Aaron sighed, dropping onto the bed with a heavy sigh. He didn’t understand why he had even come back in the first place. He always came back stressed and ready to hurt someone, always taking it out on Carly who had a small tolerance for his bad attitude. However, this visit wasn’t because he was in town. He was here because his mom had sent him a letter…and she guilt tripped him. That’s exactly what it was, he decided, standing up and heading to the door, she made him guilty.
When he made it downstairs, he was immediately assaulted by his mother once again and dragged into the den, where the rest of the family was waiting for dinner, before she went back to the kitchen. He knew most of them: Dad, Ryan, Kim, Kim’s husband Jaren. But then there were Kim’s kids whose names he never even bothered learning since he didn’t even know she’d had them and the friend of Ryan’s who was staying over...
Aaron just stared and lucky for him, his family stared back too, until Kim stood up and threw herself at him. “Aaron! You’re back, you idiot!” He swore her arms were like iron bands and he could feel her squeezing his neck tightly. “I haven’t seen you in years. Dad! Jair! Ry!” Kim’s enthusiasm made him want to rip his hair out. “How are you? Where have you been? How’s your job?” She began to babble, pulling him toward the couch so he could sit by her. “Have I introduced you to my kids?” He shook his head, feeling very numb, and she began to talk some more, mentioning Ellen and Peter, before Aaron was forced to tune her out. His eyes ended up settling on his dad who was looking at him with a scrutinizing gaze.
He suddenly felt afraid.
Would he be kicked out?
God only knew how disappointed his father was.
Was he happy?
Mad?
Sad?
Aaron began to run his thumb across his palm, looking down at the carpeted floor, before looking up again. His dad was smiling. He felt himself relax immensely and smiled back, softly. He then turned his ears back to Kim, who was telling him of last summer’s adventure in Spain.
For once in his life, Aaron was glad to be home for the holidays.