LbA: Thanksgiving

I walked out towards the living area, dressed for the day.  I had on leggings and a sweater dress with oversized riding boots.  I had loose spiraled my hair and had it pulled back in a low pony.  I wanted to be casually and comfortably dressed to offset whatever ensemble Miriam was attempting to rock. 

I arrived in the living room to see all the guys gathered, with football on.  Of course.  I gave my dad a kiss on the cheek and my brother a punch to the arm.  I hugged my grandpa tightly, continuing to make my rounds.  Bart fist bumped me.  My brother jumped up and quickly put me in a headlock, and we play wrestled, past transgressions forgotten and ignored.  At least for now.

They went back to watching football and I walked into the kitchen, curious to see what was going on in there.  My mom, grandma, and Nancy were busy cooking/baking/preparing our traditional Thanksgiving meal:  turkey, green bean casserole, stuffing, cranberry sauce, olive/veggie tray, deviled eggs, sweet potatoes with marshmallows, brussel sprouts with bacon, and zweiback (an absolutely delicious German roll).

Nancy and Bart’s twin daughters, Nicole and Natalia, were on the bar stools watching, stealing pieces of food as they came within their reach.  They were a year younger than my brother, so seniors in high school, currently.  They were fashion lovers to the extreme.  I knew I usually was hitting the current fashion trends, and sometimes before they were trends, but they were always ahead of the curve.  I could acknowledge the fact that I was an attractive female, but these girls were gorgeous.  I hadn’t understood how they never got picked up as models.  Especially being identical.  While I had an athletic frame, they were built thin and svelte, with striking bone structure, long medium brown hair that appeared as if it had come straight out of a magazine shoot, and large, doe-y eyes.  They were about two inches taller than me, coming in at 5’ 10”ish.  But they never shied away from their height, wearing 5” heels at times and not looking the least bit uncomfortable peering down on everyone.

When they saw me they jumped up and ran over and tag teamed me in an all consuming hug.  These girls adored me.  I knew they had been extra busy this school year and the prior one, but my first two years at UNL they had come and stayed the night with me in the dorms multiple times.  Growing up, whenever we were at family functions, they had always followed me around like puppy dogs.  Now that they were older, I actually enjoyed them.  The only way I could actually tell them apart was that Natalia had a little bit of a rounder face and a minuscule mole under her left eye.  Most people didn’t even notice either of those differences.

“Have you met Miriam before?” Nicole hissed at me.

I looked around, seeing she was missing.  I frowned.  “Yeah, where is she?”

Natalia looked around to make sure she wasn’t there.  “She stepped outside to make a phone call, I think.”

“You have GOT to see what she is wearing,” Nicole stated, with wide eyes, and an undertone of judgement.

I giggled, already unable to imagine the train wreck I was about to witness.  I heard clicking behind me.  The twins’ eyes told me everything I needed to know.

I turned around to come face to face with Miriam.  Her hair was poofed up all over (probably with the use of some trusty Aquanet) and the end held back into a pony tail.  It appeared to be frosted, but I couldn’t tell for sure what her hair stylist had done.  She had on sky high over the knee stiletto boots with lace up backs.  Under those she adorned teal high rise jeggings and (I swear) what appeared to be some sort of dominatrix black bra top with a knitted black sweatigan (sweater/cardigan) over it. 

“Dear Lord,” I whispered, accidentally outloud.  I heard the twins start giggling behind me.  I choked back my own laughter.  “Hi, Miriam.” I know I sounded a little too fake-happy.

She appraised me and then didn’t even try to hide her eye roll.  “Aleah.”  And she waved her hand in front of me, as if to hurry me along.  Although I think her true motive was the diamond ring/band that was on that all-important finger.

I know my eyes bugged out of my head as I stammered, “What the hell is that?”  I could hear the whole kitchen go silent.  I didn’t know if my family already knew about whatever this was, or if they’d already talked about it, or if they had no idea, but I wasn’t about to sit by and wait and find out.

Miriam smiled widely.  “Oh... Tom didn’t tell you?”  She looked lovingly down at her rings and clutched them dramatically to her chest.  “We eloped.”  I heard my grandma gasp, and loud stomps walking out of the kitchen towards the other door to the living room.  I’m assuming my mother was about to beat Tom’s ass.

Miriam pulled out her best Cruella DeVil smile and shuffled past me into the kitchen area.

I turned, following her with my icy stare, seeing the twins having the same reaction as me.  Before I could move or say anything, Tom came storming into the kitchen and grabbed Miriam by the elbow, dragging her out towards the garage.  As the door was closing I heard him yell something that sounded like, “I told you to keep the rings put away for now.”

Since food was in the middle of being cooked, Nancy and my grandma kept cooking, speaking in hushed tones.  I couldn’t only imagine what was being said and the good family gossip this would produce. 

I strode out to the living room to see dad, grandpa, and Bart watching tv as if nothing happened.  Successfully ignoring the situation.  But my mom was not in there.  I quietly padded to her room and the door was cracked open.  I pushed it open and saw her sitting on the bed, not facing me.  I went over to her, and put my arm on her shoulder.  She looked up at me and I saw the tears falling from her eyes.

I just sat down next to her, and wrapped my arms around her, hugging her.  “I’m sorry,” I whispered.  “She’s a bitch.”

My mom sniffed.  “Aleah, watch your mouth.”  But I saw the smile playing at the corners of her mouth.  She sighed then.  “I’m just really hurt that your brother would get married and I wouldn’t be invited.”

“I promise you that I’ll never do that to you.”

My mom stood then, and wiped the tears off her cheeks.  She weakly smiled at me.  “I know,” she said softly.

She started walking away.  Before she exited the bedroom, she turned back to me.  “You better not!  Or else!” Then she straightened her posture, laughed, and walked out.