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Go Fish!

Frank, Kendra and Chelsea were engaged in a spirited game of Go Fish when the curtains lit up.

“Mom’s home.” Kendra said, laying down a pair of fours. “Do you have any Jacks?”

“None at all. Go fish. Your turn, Chelsea.”

“Gimme a Queen, Daddy.”

“My only queen is coming in through the garage. Go fish.”

“Can we watch a Christmas movie?” Kendra asked as scanned her cards.

“After Mom and Aunt Ivy get settled, we’ll pick a movie to watch. Do you have any nines?”

Kendra handed one over and Frank set down his pair.

“Hello, everybody!” Holly sang as she put a bag on the counter. “Did you have fun while Aunt Ivy and I were out?”

Chelsea ran to her mother’s side. “Did you get it? Did you get it?”

“Get what, honey?”

“Fruitcake! I asked for fruitcake.” Chelsea hopped up to see what was in the bag.

“Oh, that.” Holly said with a wince. “They were out.”

“But I wanted fruitcake!” Tears welled up in Chelsea’s hazel eyes.

“I can’t imagine why, dear.” Holly picked her up and kissed her cheek.

“Because you are what you eat.” Kendra said to her dad.

“That’s not nice, Kendra. Santa is still watching, you know.”

Kendra dismissed it with a shrug. “If I get coal, I can still use it as a paperweight. Do you have any eights?”

“Here.” He handed her a card. “Why don’t you see how Aunt Ivy is doing?”

“Okay. Looks like I won anyway.” She skipped away to the garage to check on her aunt, her auburn braid bouncing on her back as she went.

“Hello, dear. Did you have a nice time?” Frank said as he gathered the cards.

“It was crazy, as usual.” Holly hugged her daughter and set her down. “Santa said he got your list, Chelsea. If you’re a good girl, he’ll bring you some of the things you asked for.”

“Yay!” Chelsea ran into the living room and dove onto the couch. “Daddy said we could pick a movie when you got home.”

“Daddy said we could pick a movie when Mommy and Aunt Ivy got settled. Give her a moment to get in the door.” Frank said as he slid the cards back into the box. “Why don’t you go put on your jammies? We should be ready for movie time after you get back.”

Chelsea scurried off of the couch and dashed for the stairs.

“No running on the stairs!” Holly called after her. “I don’t know where she gets the energy.”

Frank walked over to his wife and wrapped his arms around her waist. “Did Santa get me anything?”

“Well, not Santa, but I do have something important to tell you.”

Frank’s face fell, and he loosened his grip. “You maxed out the card, didn’t you?”

“What? No.”

“Somebody dinged the door? They didn’t key the car, did they?”

Holly wrenched herself free and walked away to grab a tissue. “No, nothing happened to the car.”

“Well, what is it?”

“Never mind. I’ll tell you later.” She dabbed at her eyes and blew her nose piteously. ‘When you’re not being a jerk.’

Frank rummaged through the bag to see if anything needed to be put in the fridge. “What’s the matter?”

“You wouldn’t understand.” She slam dunked the tissue into the trash can and stormed upstairs.

“Probably not.” Frank said with a frown as he set about putting the contents of the shopping bag away.

“Hi, Frank.” Ivy came in with Kendra in tow. “Where’s Holly?”

“She went up to help Chelsea put on her pajamas. Kendra, maybe you should put yours on, too. We’ll pick a movie when everyone’s all comfy and settled down.”

“Settled down?” Kendra asked. “Now what did you do?”

“Go on and get changed.”

Kendra shook her head and went upstairs to investigate.

“How did she get so old?” Ivy asked as she grabbed a mug from the cabinet.

“She was born old. Pretty big difference between her and Chelsea.”

‘But not as different as the next one.’ Ivy thought as she searched for the tea bags. “Where did the tea go?”

“Next door over. Shelf above the cereal. What happened?”

“What happened when?” Ivy asked as she reached for the box of cinnamon tea.

“Today. Holly said she had something to tell me. She said it wasn’t her credit limit or the car.”

Ivy turned to Frank with her mouth hanging open. “She said that? And you asked her that?”

“Yeah, I figured something happened at the store.”

“Oh, Frank.” Ivy sucked in a calming breath. “No. Oh, my. No.”

“Well, what is it?”

“It’s good news, but you have to let her tell it without being a knucklehead. Oh, my.” Ivy massaged her forehead. She handed him the mug and the box of tea. “Stay here and make me a cup of this. Oh, Frank. What the heck?”

Frank looked at the mug and tea in bewilderment as his sister-in-law hurried upstairs.
“Holly?” Ivy searched upstairs for her sister.

“She’s in Chelsea’s room.” Kendra called from behind her door.

“Holly, are you okay?”

“Sure.” She sniffled. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Mommy’s crying, Aunt Ivy.”

“I know, honey.” Ivy sat down on the bed beside them.

“I tried…”

“I know. He told me.”

“Why would he do that?”

“I guess you’re right, Holly. He’s stressing himself out. He’s obviously not thinking straight.”

“Who?” Chelsea asked.

“Why don’t you go back downstairs and pick a movie, honey?”

“Go change. Go pick a movie.” Chelsea humpfed. “It’s my room. Why don’t you go put your pajamas on?”

Holly laughed and hugged her daughter before getting up. “Maybe I should.”

“Here. I’ll make sure Mommy gets changed and ready for movie time, okay?” Ivy headed for the door.

“Okay.” Chelsea said as she pulled on her fuzzy blue slippers with the plush claws.

Out in the hallway, Kendra was waiting for her sister to join her. “Are you okay, Mom?”

“I just need a moment, honey.”

“Seems like.” Her eyebrow arched over the rims of her octagonal glasses. “Chelsea! Are you ready?”

“Hang on! I’m getting Bradley!”

“Who’s Bradley?” Ivy asked.

Kendra shrugged.

Chelsea emerged from her room with a stuffed snowman tucked under her arm.

“Is that Bradley?” Holly asked.

“Yep.”

“Where’d you get him from?” Ivy asked.

“My friend, Lynn.” She held the snowman up cheerfully.

“Why Bradley?” Kendra asked. “That’s kind of an odd name for a snowman.”

“She said he looks like her brother.”

Kendra face palmed and led her sister downstairs.

“Were we silly like that?” Holly asked.

“Probably so.” Ivy said. “Are you going to be alright?”

“Yes. I was just shocked by Frank’s reaction.” Holly headed toward her bedroom.

“That makes two of us. What the heck? Why would he jump to conclusions like that?”

“You’re right. It’s just the stress talking. Once he gets some rest, I can try again.”

“It’s not like him, Holly.”

“Yes, it is.” Holly fell down on her bed and began crying again. “That’s exactly how he is.”