Simon welcomed the warmth of the soapy sink water as he scrubbed chocolate frosting from his plate. He was still getting used to the sudden arrival of freezing air and snowy skies. Washing the dishes also allowed him some reprieve from the awkward silence in the living room. Dani had rushed off to take a phone call, and Ryan was hardly paying any attention to their conversations anyway.
Why is he so out of it, lately? I don’t think I’ve ever seen him like this.
As he finished washing and rinsing his plate, he moved on to the next one. He had grabbed Ryan’s plate as well, and planned to wash Dani’s when she came back and finished her last piece of cake. It was technically her turn to wash dishes but Simon didn’t mind taking over the task on her birthday.
The chill lingering in the apartment lent itself well to the silence. Nobody seemed upset, no bad blood was felt between anyone. Everything was finally settled. Simon was glad for the newfound peace, but something still felt off. He debated bringing it up, but hoped it would pass after a couple of weeks. All of their problems seemed to work themselves out in the long run, anyway.
From the kitchen, Simon could hear Dani’s door open. The timing was perfect, and Simon set the other plate on the drying rack and stepped into the living room, ready to move on to opening Dani’s gifts.
Instead, he saw his roommates with puffy red eyes, clutching her phone to her chest.
Fuck, what happened? Did she get fired after coming out at work? On her birthday of all days? No, I bet it was her parents calling and harassing her.
He wanted to run to her side and ask what was wrong, but held himself back. Ryan was there, they were dating, he didn’t want to overstep. Since they had become more open with their affection, Simon made it a point to not seem too protective of Dani. Even though he wasn’t sure what his feelings toward her really were, he didn’t want to give either of his roommates a reason to hate him.
As Simon watched in anticipation, Ryan did nothing. He maybe didn’t even notice that Dani had left her room, let alone that she seemed distraught. She sat back down on the couch without a word. Only then did Ryan notice her, yet all he gave her was a nod before looking at his phone again.
How can someone be this oblivious? Do you seriously not pay any attention to the girl you’re dating?
Simon thought back to his time with Rachel. Oh wow. Was it this bad for everyone looking in?
To Ryan’s credit, Dani was smiling. Simon didn’t know if it was genuine or if she was putting on a good face to avoid concerns, but Ryan didn’t let on that he noticed, if he even did.
Guess I’ll let it be…
“So,” Simon said as he sat on the cushy chair beside the couch. He hoped a subject change would clear the air. “I take it we all liked the cake? Maybe we should order from there more often.”
Ryan nodded along. “Yeah, it was good. Really lucky we found the place.”
“Definitely.” Dani picked up her plate and scooped up a massive chunk of cake. “Is it a new place in town?”
Simon paid close attention to her voice as she spoke, but couldn’t detect any distress. Maybe it’s allergies? Yeah, she could have just been sneezing a lot and that’s why her eyes are like that.
“No, I don’t think it’s new,” Simon responded. “But it’s mixed in with a bunch of random knick-knack shops. We hardly ever go that direction, it was only because we were shopping for gifts.”
“Oh?” Dani’s ears perked up and she faced Simon with a mouth full of cake. She thankfully swallowed before continuing. “Like the stuff you guys got for my birthday?”
“Yup. And some Christmas stuff for my family.” Simon noticed Ryan was actually paying attention to the conversation, or at least taking a break from staring at his phone. “I still need to do a little bit more, though. My mom always likes a big mix of little things so it takes some time to get a nice assortment made up.”
When he finished speaking, Simon felt the mood drop. Ryan went back to his phone and Dani’s smile wavered as she finished her cake. Then Simon realized his mistake.
Why would I mention Christmas like that? Dani wasn’t invited home for Thanksgiving, I doubt much has changed since then. I should invite her to tag along with me again. Everything went so well last time, and Mom already said it would be fine.
He opened his mouth to let Dani know she was welcome to join him for the holiday, before stopping himself.
I guess doing that in front of Ryan again could be rude. I know his family wouldn’t be okay with Dani joining them, so it might make him feel threatened if I keep spending time with her like this? But still, she shouldn’t have to spend Christmas by herself just because of that! I guess I’ll talk to Dani about it separately, that way Ryan isn’t put on the spot. Then he can’t complain.
“Well, how about we start presents?” Simon asked.
***
Ryan felt a supernatural pull toward his phone. A slurry of fear, nervousness, and excitement bounced around his head while he did his best to not let it show. Heather, his cousin who was essentially exiled from his family, had responded to him. Not only that, she said she was excited to reconnect and chat! It was all Ryan had hoped for when he reached out to her. The only issue was that she had set a time for them to meet, but no location. All she had said was she would let him know before the day they would meet.
That day, of course, being tomorrow.
Heather had reassured him earlier that morning that she hadn’t forgotten about him and was simply busy, but he couldn’t help but worry. When he first contacted his cousin, he knew that her ignoring him, or even lashing out at him, was a possibility. At the time, he thought he could have handled that.
But now, with his hopes set high for an emotional reconnection, he hated the anticipation.
What if she can’t find time until next week? Or until the new year? I’d like to not be a weird wreck of a person for much longer. Not that talking with her is guaranteed to fix anything, but…
He was jostled out of his thoughts by Simon standing up and lifting Dani’s birthday gifts over to the coffee table. Both of their gifts next to each other made Ryan wonder if he should have included a third item. Two sets of earrings look like nothing compared to the box Simon’s sweater was in.
Whatever, Dani isn’t superficial like that. And we’re going to dinner later! I hope she’s looking forward to that.
Ryan had considered filling Dani in on what he was going through. Learning how awful his family could be, reaching out to an estranged cousin, planning to meet up. He wanted her to see that he was trying to improve from his mistake on Halloween.
But, he also knew she had her own family problems.
It’s better this way. I can talk to her about it once I’ve figured out what I’m going to do.
Abandoning his own family was what he originally wanted to do. Telling them all off when they were all together and walking out the door, only keeping in touch with those who bothered to reach out and change their ways. The only issue with that was he knew it wouldn’t work. They would talk him down, maybe convince him they were sorry, maybe a couple of them really would be sorry, but nothing would change. When they were all together it was like a powerful force kept any one of them from developing or drifting too far away from the herd.
I bet Abby isn’t all bad. I mean, she obviously stays in touch with Heather and doesn’t fully buy into what her mom says. But who else? Could Dad ever really be saved from that mindset?
The task was a mountain he had no clue how to climb. As satisfying as calling out his family would be, afterwards he would be on his own. He felt guilty saying it, but even though Heather had to be on her own, he wasn’t sure he had the guts to join her willingly.
There’s too much left to figure out to bother Dani with all of this. Reconnecting with a lost family member, it’s not something everyone can easily relate to. I’ll talk to Heather, then I’ll know what to do.
“I’ll open Ryan’s first,” Dani said.
Once again, Ryan had to be yanked from his own headspace.
Dani turned the small box in her hands, examining it from every angle. Ryan had used some spare brown paper he found in his closet to wrap it up. It wasn’t his best work; the corners jutted out too far, and he used twice as much tape as Simon had for only a fraction of the size.
Unsure if she was waiting for his response, Ryan spoke up. “Remember, dinner later is also part of the gift. If you don’t like that one very much.”
Damn, I sound like an idiot. Talking with Heather better give me some of my confidence back. It’s a wonder Dani’s even still interested in me at this point.
After a few seconds of struggling with the taped-over edges, Dani gave the paper two strong rips and pulled out the earring box from the wreckage.
She gasped. “Woah, is it jewelry?”
Ryan subtly nodded, though Dani had already stopped looking at him to open the box. Her reaction didn’t disappoint. With a giggle that evolved into her usual adorable laugh, she plucked out one of the kitten earrings and held it out for everyone to see.
“It’s a little cat! Look!” She set the box on the table and immediately tried to fit it into her ear, though stopped when she remembered a stud was already in place. “And the little coffees, they’re so cute! This is amazing.”
Ryan relaxed his shoulders, that he just realized were tensed. Seeing Dani’s face light up from his own gift. The girl he had known for so long and also so little, sharing her warm cheery self with all of them. It helped him make up his mind.
Whatever happens with my family, I can never let them hurt her. I’ll never even give them a chance.
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Simon welcomed the warmth of the soapy sink water as he scrubbed chocolate frosting from his plate. He was still getting used to the sudden arrival of freezing air and snowy skies. Washing the dishes also allowed him some reprieve from the awkward silence in the living room. Dani had rushed off to take a phone call, and Ryan was hardly paying any attention to their conversations anyway.
Why is he so out of it, lately? I don’t think I’ve ever seen him like this.
As he finished washing and rinsing his plate, he moved on to the next one. He had grabbed Ryan’s plate as well, and planned to wash Dani’s when she came back and finished her last piece of cake. It was technically her turn to wash dishes but Simon didn’t mind taking over the task on her birthday.
The chill lingering in the apartment lent itself well to the silence. Nobody seemed upset, no bad blood was felt between anyone. Everything was finally settled. Simon was glad for the newfound peace, but something still felt off. He debated bringing it up, but hoped it would pass after a couple of weeks. All of their problems seemed to work themselves out in the long run, anyway.
From the kitchen, Simon could hear Dani’s door open. The timing was perfect, and Simon set the other plate on the drying rack and stepped into the living room, ready to move on to opening Dani’s gifts.
Instead, he saw his roommates with puffy red eyes, clutching her phone to her chest.
Fuck, what happened? Did she get fired after coming out at work? On her birthday of all days? No, I bet it was her parents calling and harassing her.
He wanted to run to her side and ask what was wrong, but held himself back. Ryan was there, they were dating, he didn’t want to overstep. Since they had become more open with their affection, Simon made it a point to not seem too protective of Dani. Even though he wasn’t sure what his feelings toward her really were, he didn’t want to give either of his roommates a reason to hate him.
As Simon watched in anticipation, Ryan did nothing. He maybe didn’t even notice that Dani had left her room, let alone that she seemed distraught. She sat back down on the couch without a word. Only then did Ryan notice her, yet all he gave her was a nod before looking at his phone again.
How can someone be this oblivious? Do you seriously not pay any attention to the girl you’re dating?
Simon thought back to his time with Rachel. Oh wow. Was it this bad for everyone looking in?
To Ryan’s credit, Dani was smiling. Simon didn’t know if it was genuine or if she was putting on a good face to avoid concerns, but Ryan didn’t let on that he noticed, if he even did.
Guess I’ll let it be…
“So,” Simon said as he sat on the cushy chair beside the couch. He hoped a subject change would clear the air. “I take it we all liked the cake? Maybe we should order from there more often.”
Ryan nodded along. “Yeah, it was good. Really lucky we found the place.”
“Definitely.” Dani picked up her plate and scooped up a massive chunk of cake. “Is it a new place in town?”
Simon paid close attention to her voice as she spoke, but couldn’t detect any distress. Maybe it’s allergies? Yeah, she could have just been sneezing a lot and that’s why her eyes are like that.
“No, I don’t think it’s new,” Simon responded. “But it’s mixed in with a bunch of random knick-knack shops. We hardly ever go that direction, it was only because we were shopping for gifts.”
“Oh?” Dani’s ears perked up and she faced Simon with a mouth full of cake. She thankfully swallowed before continuing. “Like the stuff you guys got for my birthday?”
“Yup. And some Christmas stuff for my family.” Simon noticed Ryan was actually paying attention to the conversation, or at least taking a break from staring at his phone. “I still need to do a little bit more, though. My mom always likes a big mix of little things so it takes some time to get a nice assortment made up.”
When he finished speaking, Simon felt the mood drop. Ryan went back to his phone and Dani’s smile wavered as she finished her cake. Then Simon realized his mistake.
Why would I mention Christmas like that? Dani wasn’t invited home for Thanksgiving, I doubt much has changed since then. I should invite her to tag along with me again. Everything went so well last time, and Mom already said it would be fine.
He opened his mouth to let Dani know she was welcome to join him for the holiday, before stopping himself.
I guess doing that in front of Ryan again could be rude. I know his family wouldn’t be okay with Dani joining them, so it might make him feel threatened if I keep spending time with her like this? But still, she shouldn’t have to spend Christmas by herself just because of that! I guess I’ll talk to Dani about it separately, that way Ryan isn’t put on the spot. Then he can’t complain.
“Well, how about we start presents?” Simon asked.
***
Ryan felt a supernatural pull toward his phone. A slurry of fear, nervousness, and excitement bounced around his head while he did his best to not let it show. Heather, his cousin who was essentially exiled from his family, had responded to him. Not only that, she said she was excited to reconnect and chat! It was all Ryan had hoped for when he reached out to her. The only issue was that she had set a time for them to meet, but no location. All she had said was she would let him know before the day they would meet.
That day, of course, being tomorrow.
Heather had reassured him earlier that morning that she hadn’t forgotten about him and was simply busy, but he couldn’t help but worry. When he first contacted his cousin, he knew that her ignoring him, or even lashing out at him, was a possibility. At the time, he thought he could have handled that.
But now, with his hopes set high for an emotional reconnection, he hated the anticipation.
What if she can’t find time until next week? Or until the new year? I’d like to not be a weird wreck of a person for much longer. Not that talking with her is guaranteed to fix anything, but…
He was jostled out of his thoughts by Simon standing up and lifting Dani’s birthday gifts over to the coffee table. Both of their gifts next to each other made Ryan wonder if he should have included a third item. Two sets of earrings look like nothing compared to the box Simon’s sweater was in.
Whatever, Dani isn’t superficial like that. And we’re going to dinner later! I hope she’s looking forward to that.
Ryan had considered filling Dani in on what he was going through. Learning how awful his family could be, reaching out to an estranged cousin, planning to meet up. He wanted her to see that he was trying to improve from his mistake on Halloween.
But, he also knew she had her own family problems.
It’s better this way. I can talk to her about it once I’ve figured out what I’m going to do.
Abandoning his own family was what he originally wanted to do. Telling them all off when they were all together and walking out the door, only keeping in touch with those who bothered to reach out and change their ways. The only issue with that was he knew it wouldn’t work. They would talk him down, maybe convince him they were sorry, maybe a couple of them really would be sorry, but nothing would change. When they were all together it was like a powerful force kept any one of them from developing or drifting too far away from the herd.
I bet Abby isn’t all bad. I mean, she obviously stays in touch with Heather and doesn’t fully buy into what her mom says. But who else? Could Dad ever really be saved from that mindset?
The task was a mountain he had no clue how to climb. As satisfying as calling out his family would be, afterwards he would be on his own. He felt guilty saying it, but even though Heather had to be on her own, he wasn’t sure he had the guts to join her willingly.
There’s too much left to figure out to bother Dani with all of this. Reconnecting with a lost family member, it’s not something everyone can easily relate to. I’ll talk to Heather, then I’ll know what to do.
“I’ll open Ryan’s first,” Dani said.
Once again, Ryan had to be yanked from his own headspace.
Dani turned the small box in her hands, examining it from every angle. Ryan had used some spare brown paper he found in his closet to wrap it up. It wasn’t his best work; the corners jutted out too far, and he used twice as much tape as Simon had for only a fraction of the size.
Unsure if she was waiting for his response, Ryan spoke up. “Remember, dinner later is also part of the gift. If you don’t like that one very much.”
Damn, I sound like an idiot. Talking with Heather better give me some of my confidence back. It’s a wonder Dani’s even still interested in me at this point.
After a few seconds of struggling with the taped-over edges, Dani gave the paper two strong rips and pulled out the earring box from the wreckage.
She gasped. “Woah, is it jewelry?”
Ryan subtly nodded, though Dani had already stopped looking at him to open the box. Her reaction didn’t disappoint. With a giggle that evolved into her usual adorable laugh, she plucked out one of the kitten earrings and held it out for everyone to see.
“It’s a little cat! Look!” She set the box on the table and immediately tried to fit it into her ear, though stopped when she remembered a stud was already in place. “And the little coffees, they’re so cute! This is amazing.”
Ryan relaxed his shoulders, that he just realized were tensed. Seeing Dani’s face light up from his own gift. The girl he had known for so long and also so little, sharing her warm cheery self with all of them. It helped him make up his mind.
Whatever happens with my family, I can never let them hurt her. I’ll never even give them a chance.
Announcement Patrons can read four chapters ahead as well as the three exclusive fluff chapters!Social media plugs:
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