AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“No, I don’t think it’s crazy. I think it just shows how much she loves you.” I go on my toes and place a kiss on his lips.
“Feel free to explore, but you better not judge me by anything in this room mister.” He laughs and I make my way back to the kitchen, but Dexter is following me.
“Is there anything I can help with Mrs. Pierce.” I turn to him and smile when he offers. Andrew use to always just hang out with my father in the living room watching sports. I was surprised that Andrew wanted to spend time with my father after how he ignored me at most dinners.
“Oh, that’s okay, you can go relax. I have it.” He smiles and makes his way towards me.
“I have no doubt that you do, but my mother always taught me to help prepare the meal that you are about to eat.” I look up to him when he grabs the peeler out of my hand.
“I’ll peel and you cut?” I nod and smile to him.
We work so well as a team. We finish helping my mother prepare everything and help set the table when the food is ready at three thirty.
“Food is done dad.”
Dexter looks at me with that same look he did in the car, and I hate it. I never looked at my relationship with my father anyway other than exactly what it was. He was there when I grew up but was always working and I was supposed to understand that the job comes before family. When he got home, he was tired from working all day long, so he wanted to relax. It became a routine in the house, and I grew comfortable around it, but now that I’m older I know that its bullshit. I don’t have the energy to try harder because I did that so much growing up that it wore me out. Constantly trying to impress someone you love is emotionally exhausting and eventually makes you resent them for not being there. I still love my father, but I hate that he doesn’t try for at least my mother now that it’s just them here.
My father takes his seat at the head of the table and then my mother is across from me, and Dexter sits next to me. My father goes to cut the turkey but Dexter cuts in before he starts.
“Before we eat, I just wanted to thank both of you for having me here with you and thank you for cooking this delicious food, Ms. Pierce”
I look at my mother and she is beaming with how polite Dexter is, but my dad has no expression on his face when he resumes his task of cutting the turkey.
“Oh, dear please call me Marie and it’s no big deal. Dig in!”
I see Dexter’s Jaw tense when she says that, and I can tell he is over analyzing her answer like he does with me when I brush complements off.This is where I get it from.We both get our plates ready and start eating in silence and I tense up worrying that this will scare Dex away. He must notice because he looks at me and smiles while grabbing my thigh under the table.
“We would love to have you guys over for Christmas if you would like.” I choke on my bite of turkey because I forgot to tell Dexter that I already invited my mother out for Christmas, but that was before we moved in together.
“I actually invited my mother to the apartment for Christmas, but that was before…” My mother has a smirk on her face and interrupts.
“Before what?” I clear my throat and grow nervous to answer her question because I don’t know how she will react.
“Uhm, before we moved.” Dexter comes to the rescue again and saves me from my awkward self.
“I asked Allison to move in with me. She doesn’t live in the apartment anymore, but that doesn’t change anything. We both would love for both of you to come.” My father scoffs and ignores the conversation like he always does, and I can feel the tension in the air get thicker between Dexter and him.
“Just my mother is coming, my father can’t make it with work.”
“I see.”
Dexter goes back to eating and my mother excitedly shifts in her seat asking me all about the new place and school. I tell her all about the house and all the things I love about it, which is basically everything. As I’m telling her about my book and how I sent it to get published, we are interrupted by Dexter.
“Are we boring you Mr. Pierce?”
My eyes grow wide, and I kick Dexter under the table and shake my head to him. He doesn’t take his eyes off my father. My father puts his fork down and slowly looks up at us.
“Excuse me?”
“I couldn’t help but notice that you haven’t looked up not once when Allison was talking.”
My heart is racing so fast when I see the anger in Dexter’s eyes directed toward my father. My father scowls toward Dexter and my mother tries to interrupt to lighten the mood in the room.
“Does anyone want dessert?” we all ignore her, and I look at Dexter to try to get him to stop and that it’s not worth it.
“Did you even hear a word that she has said?”
“Dex.” I whisper to him and nudge my leg into his.
