After my cousins, uncle, and aunts arrived we had a peaceful dinner, until my little cousin, Howie Jr, gulped down his soda and belches loud enough for the next room to hear.

Uncle Howard laughs at this action, while Beth was filled with disgust tried to getaway. But unfortunately, I placed a hand on her shoulder and giving her my 'hang in there' face. She replied with a nod and sat back down. "" Uncle Howard chants to everyone (mostly Dad). "It sure is." He said plainly, not impressed by it. "I'm getting Howie Jr into game shape. By the time he gets to high school, he's gonna be the biggest lineman in the state." My uncle gloats. "The one who repairs electrical power lines and auxiliary equipment or is there another definition?" I asked curiously, not sure what he's talking about. Clearly, he didn't understand since gave a glare of disapproval while others snickered. " It's football, Honey." Aunt Linda reassured me. Causing her two older daughters, Jordan and Stevie to roll their eyes. "Stupid Bitch." Stevie mutters, for her sister and I could hear. I was unaffected by this comment. She is not the only one who has nasty comments about me.

"Did you ever spend any time on the field, Tommy?" "No actually, I didn't have time in my younger years. I was in training mostly." Uncle Howard raised his brow. "What were you training for? Army? Marines?" Dad was hesitated to answer. "Uh, Eagle Scouts." "Eagle Scouts, kids that's where you weave baskets and help old ladies walk across the street." He explained in a teasing manner, causing Stevie and Jordan to laugh at his comment which hurt, Dad. "Actually, the Eagle Scouts is a survival group. You know, how to track, start a fire, also martial arts." I smiled as Uncle Howard stared at me starstruck. In the corner of my eye, I saw a smirk from Omi. "Well, Ms. Know-it-all the only survival training I need is my old smoke pole and big, fat box buckshot that I keep out in that truck." He announced to everyone, making my mother and father cringe at the very second he listed. "A shepherd has got to protect his flock." He states (mostly to Dad). "Honey we said no gun talk at the dinner table." Aunt Linda convinces her husband weakly.

Mom took her gaze at her right and said. "Wow, looks like Chrissy's really enjoyed my gravlax." with so much sarcasm you could cut it with a knife as my baby cousin, Chrissy sat on her mother's lap while dropped the food on the rug which their English bulldog, Rosie cleaned up. Aw man Mom worked so hard for that. "Careful kids remember that your Aunt Sarah likes everything to be clean and perfect. And that's why she makes so much food that you can't pronounce." Aunt Linda spoke to her older children then cooed to her youngest daughter. "Sorry, but Mom and I thought you guys might've been bored with macaroni and cheese with hotdogs." I gave a sorry smile to her, as she got up with Chrissy. "Yeah okay." Aunt Linda scoffed and took Chrissy to her playing pen or change her diaper? "Well, both of you were wrong." Great Aunt Dorothy placed her fork down. "And who doesn't make ham at Christmas? What are you now, a Jew?" she asked directly to Mom. I felt an aura of anger and pain by the words. "Maybe it's time for dessert, hmm?" Mom snapped back as she got up to go to the kitchen. "It's delicious, honey," Dad reassured her. "It's a little dry." Uncle Howard interrupts rudely. "Well, mine is delicious!" Dad corrected but only received a disproved look before shutting the slide doors. Dad sighed in defeat, I want to cry seeing him like this. What happened to us?

"Hey, Maxi-pad. Hear what happened to Santa." Stevie whispered as she threw a pea at Max, gaining the attention of me and Beth. Maxie sighed but answered. "No Stevie, what happened to Santa." "Heard it on the news. His sleigh crashed in the Rockies. Shattered both his legs. Frostbite took care of his pain but not his hunger." Max rolled his eyes as she said to him. "So, to survive he had to slaughter and eat his reindeer," Jordan added in, startling Max. "Including Rudolph." She finished, eating a piece of her bird. " 'Ate' tiny reindeer. Get it?" Stevie joked, causing me to scold at her in disgust.

"Knock it off!" Max growled, threw food at them. I took his arm (gently), gaining his attention. "Don't start anything, please." "Hey, guys, take it easy." Dad ordered us. "They're just playing Tommy." Uncle Howard reassured him. After a while, Uncle Howard and Dad were talking about reindeer and stuff Jordan decided to speak to Max. "We know you still believe in the big, fat creeper." "" Max growled softly as he could. Stevie pulled out a folded paper from her pocket. "You're sure about that?" Max's eyes widened at the sight and tried to reach it, but Beth grabbed his arm before he could go any further. "Max, stop." she begs quietly. " 'Dear Santa, I know I haven't been great this year, and I'm sorry about that, but I was really hoping you could help out me and my family this Christmas. We need you.' Oh, Maxi-Pad that's so sweet." She began. "Give it back." Maxie begged, trying to grab it but failed to. "Maxie please stop." I said while placing a hand on his shoulder. "Blah, blah, blah, bullshit, bullshit. Ah, here we go- Maxie's wish list." "Stevie that's not your letter to read. Give it back!" "Wait you're up first Eira." She looked up to me with a grin then back down. " 'I wish for Eira to have a boyfriend. Not just any boyfriend, but the one who is just right, she totally deserves it.'" "Good luck with that, Goldie Locks." Jordan sneered. "Stevie, stop. That's enough." Beth begs. "You're next up Beth, 'I wish me and Beth could hang out like we used to. You might have noticed that I don't have tons of friends.' Oh no really Max." she went on. " 'I wish my Mom and Dad could fall in love again,'" she paused, looking at Dad before continuing. " 'I know they get upset a lot, with Dad away from home so much. I think they really just miss each other.'" Gaining Dad's and Uncle Howard's awareness. Aunt Linda came in to ask about something but was interrupted by Stevie. " 'Also, I wish things weren't so hard for Uncle Howard and Aunt Linda.'" She said shocked at what she read. I can't help but smile at the generous wish. " 'So maybe you can lend them a hand for the rest of the year too.'" I turned my gaze to Max, who tensed up a bit. I raised a brow in confusion then jumped by the sudden shout. "S!" "Who wants Crème brûlée?" Mom came into the dining room with a tray, causing a silence.

"K!" Max screamed at the girls and tried it. Everyone was startled at this action as Maxie and the girls wrestled with each other. Uncle Howard and Dad managed to take the girls off of Max while I put him up. I watched Max shed some tears, "I just wanted Christmas to be like it used to be, but forget it. " I was frozen still as he shouted those words with such pain and anger then raced off. I felt this weight of fury inside that wanted to get out.

Dad saw my face covered in tears, approached me to wipe them off with his thumb. "Baby he didn't-" I snapped. "What happened to you?" I asked him in a whisper. "What?" "What happened to you?!" I raised my voice, swatting the hand off my cheek. "" My fury that I handle on to colored every word I shouted. Never before they heard me scream like this. Never before they felt so much rage and pain in a person that was usually generous and happy. Never before they were terrified of this, even Howie Jr. stopped munching on his food as the yellings began. "" I whispered the last sentence out of my mouth along with sobs.

I ran fast as I possibly could, ignoring the calling of my name. I didn't care if I closed the door to my room or not, I landed on my bed sobbing harder and harder than before. I heard creaking from my door, paws jumping onto my bed, and a whine. I looked up, seeing Rosie looking sad right in front of me. Feeling my emotions. I stroked her back and neck as I sobbed to sleep. "Where did we go, Rosie?"