Christmas Day came and I woke up in my apartment to find it completely empty. I had a bowl of cereal, found some instant coffee in a cupboard that, while it did nothing for the taste, at least gave me my morning shot of caffeine. I had promised Bette the day before that I would come by the house for lunch. I putzed around the apartment for the morning, took a long shower, gave myself a bit of a haircut with my new cutting tools. I grabbed a small tattered backpack and put a hoodie in it, along with the left-over candy canes. I also threw in a bag of pot, and a bag of blow I had lying around. I loaded the bag with a couple bottles of liquor, then headed to my truck. I’m not sure when I had decided, but somehow I got it into my head that after Bette and Tina’s, I’d head to the beach to see if any of the guys were there. While I had gotten out of that life, and was trying hard to put that chapter behind me, they were still my friends, and they had been my holiday companions for years now.

I pulled the truck up to the house and headed up the porch. Tina let me in but motioned for me to keep quiet. In the living room, Bette was holding Kit’s hand, who was on the phone. I raised a questioning eyebrow at Tina, who mouthed “David” to me. I nodded and followed Tina to the kitchen. She poured me a glass of wine and we quietly chatted, trying to give some privacy to the sisters in the other room.

“I feel so bad for Kit. She’s really trying to get to know her son, and he and her father just keep shutting her down.”

I shrugged, “Maybe it’s just not a good time for them.”

Tina sipped her wine, “When is it ever a good time to re-connect with estranged family?”

“True. But it might not be the best time for Kit right now. I mean, some of their problems still seem unresolved right now…”