Rm w/a Vu(108)
The usual pleasantries are there, and they talk as though they’ve been friends for years. It eases my anxiety over asking a little, because the fact that they get along so well is promising for an unforgettable first Christmas with Greyston.
“Thank you, Juliette,” Daniel says, taking his glass.
“Dinner should be ready soon,” I announce, heading over to the oven and taking the lasagna out to sit for ten minutes before I serve it. “In the meantime, Greyston’s got the salad ready.” I look to Greyston.
Smiling, he picks up the bowl. “Right. Here you go,” he says, setting the bowl in the middle of the table.
After refilling Greyston’s wine, and pouring a glass for myself, I join them at the table and we dish up. Daddy eyes me, his eyebrow raised, and I laugh. “It’s my first—and will be my only—glass, Dad.”
As we all dish out and begin eating the salad, we talk about work—or in my case, school—and then the conversation shifts to the upcoming holidays. Mom and Jocelyn exchange stories from years past and then talk about what they’ve each got planned this year.
“Juliette,” Jocelyn speaks up, and I look over at her. “I know you’ll be spending the holidays with your family, but we’d just love if you could stop by our place for a little bit, as well.” The look on her face suddenly changes, almost like she’s afraid she’s overstepped some kind of boundary, and she glances toward my parents. “If that’s all right, of course. I certainly don’t want to step on anybody’s toes.”
Before my mom can object to Jocelyn’s invitation, I push my chair back and clear everyone’s salad dishes away, smiling as I wander toward the sink. “Actually, this is kind of why Greyston and I invited you all here tonight.” Grabbing the glass lasagna pan, I bring it back to the table and sit down to see all eyes are on me.
My hands begin to sweat, so I wipe them on my jeans and take a deep breath. I’m so nervous that I’m sure they can probably hear how hard my heart is pounding, and I begin to fear that they might think this is a horrible idea. The words are on the tip of my tongue, but my apprehension practically chokes me, refusing to let me say anything.
Thankfully, Greyston comes to my rescue.
When he gently places his hand on my rapidly bouncing knee, I feel a bit of my unease lift, and my heart flutters and then calms minutely. “Juliette and I were thinking that maybe we’d offer up our home, and we could have both families join together for Christmas this year. This way, there would be less time travelling, and we could spend the entire day together.”
We’re met with blank stares, and I inhale a deep breath, gripping Greyston’s hand in mine tightly and waiting. When they don’t say anything right away, I finally find my voice. “It’s just, we don’t want to lose out on any time with either of you—or each other—and while I know we haven’t been together that long, and we see each other every day, we just figured this was a simple solution.” I feel winded, so I take a deep breath to replenish my lungs before I continue rambling. “Obviously, we don’t expect an answer today. There’s a lot to consider. We’re not asking that you give up the usual traditions, we’re simply offering our space and hoping we can maybe start a few new ones.”
Mom and Dad exchange a glance, having one of their silent conversations, and Greyston’s parents seem to be doing the same. Then they all look at each other before turning back to Greyston and me. Even though I doubt that even a minute has passed, I feel like it’s been quiet for an eternity. I’m just about to say something—what, I don’t really know—but the minute they all smile, I feel my entire body relax and the excited jitters kick in.
“Well, while I can’t speak for Jocelyn and Daniel,” Mom starts to say, “I can definitely say that your father and I would be delighted to come here for Christmas. As long as you let me help out in the kitchen so you’re not running yourself ragged.”
Jocelyn is quick to add on to what Mom said with a bright smile. “We’d be delighted to have Christmas here with everyone. But I’m with Anne. I want to help with the cooking and the baking.”
Squeezing Greyston’s hand on my knee out of excitement, I nod emphatically. “Of course. We wouldn’t have it any other way,” I assure them. “I figured we could all contribute something.”
My smile widens until my cheeks begin to hurt as Mom and Jocelyn begin talking a mile a minute about plans and favorite recipes for the holidays. Meanwhile, our fathers are the first to dish up their lasagna, sharing their thoughts on the latest hockey game. Watching them get along so well makes me even more excited for the holidays, just knowing that we’ll all be under one roof for an entire day. Honestly, I’m so happy with the way this turned out—even though I know I really shouldn’t have expected any less—and I can’t wait for the next two and a half weeks to fly by.