It seemed like one holiday was just leaking right into the next and the days were flying by faster and faster each week. Before I knew what had happened it was Thanksgiving and Jason and I were preparing the house for my parents as well as his to come down for dinner. I was far from happy about this but my mother was throwing a fit about still not being invited down to see the house and so here I was in a festive holiday dress greeting the she-devil at the door and taking her coat.

“It’s so nice to see you mother,” I said as I hung her thick and unnecessary coat up in our coat closet right next to the door.

“It’s about time you invited us down,” She shot back not even taking the time to properly greet me.

With a sigh I hugged my father loosely and awkwardly before doing the same with both of Jason’s parents.

Once everyone was greeted we sat down around the living room with glasses of wine having light conversation while the dinner I had been working on all day finished cooking.

Upon hearing a timer go off I quickly exited the room much to my delight. I moved over to the stove and after shoving a pair of protective mitts over my hands I pulled a massive turkey out before checking the stuffing that was still baking one rack down from where I had the turkey.

I was bent over sticking a poker in the potatoes sitting next to the stuffing when I felt familiar hands grip at my hips making me shot up bolt straight before turning around and shoving the person back out the back door.

“What the fuck Alex?” I whispered harshly at him while looking back to make sure no one in the living room could see us.

“My mom sent me over with that dish that’s now sitting on your counter and I know not to use the front door and you looked so delicious bent over like that and I couldn’t help myself.” He said leaning down and nipping at my earlobe making me shiver.

“I really, really can’t do this today Lex,” I sighed, falling into a nickname that I had come to call him at times. “I have my parents in there, with Jason’s parents and I’m just so beyond stressed today and I can’t deal with anymore than I already have to.”

“Shh,” He said grabbing my shoulders and holding me at an arm’s length. “You need to calm down babe. You can’t keep stressing yourself like this.”

“I know, I know but it just seems to all build up at once and…” I trailed off rubbing my hand over my hair that was once more pulled back in a tight bun like I had it whenever I dealt with family.

“Why don’t you let your hair down,” He asked moving a hand up to twirl a loose strand around his finger. “It looks so much better without it being restrained so much.”

“I can’t exactly let my hair down around them,” I said making myself chuckle at the play on words, meaning it both figuratively and realistically.

“Well go back to your food so the house doesn’t burn down and maybe I can see you later?” He asked, making me smile as I pulled him into a tight hug.

“Maybe,” I replied. “And thank you Lex.”

“Anything for you sweets.” He said winking as I descended back into the kitchen where the oven door was still hanging open making the room heat up.

I moved back over to it and pulled out the last few food items just as Jason’s mother entered the room.

“I saw sent to see why it suddenly became so hot in the other room,” She stated in an almost awkward tone, looking around as if she didn’t know what to do.

It had been a few months since her and I had last seen each other and it seemed like she didn’t know what to do.

“I got a bit distracted,” I explained vaguely. “You can tell the others that every thing is ready.

~~

I was already on my third glass of wine throughout the dinner and it was becoming more and more appealing to just get up and walk out the back door to go see Alex with the way my mother was acting.

“So you two have no plans of children? I mean why not?” She pestered making me sigh and go to rub at my temple for what seemed like the thousandth time that night, only to have Jason grab my wrist lightly to lower my hand back down under the table.

“I’ve told you that I don’t want any children, and if I did I would want to wait until I was at least in my late twenties,” I said making her shake her head in disbelief. “I would like to enjoy my life before making such a big choice like having a baby.”

“And what exactly are you doing to enjoy life?” Mother snipped making me fall silent.

My mind was flashing around to various memories, but none of them that I could speak freely.

I flashed back to not only a week ago when Alex and I went to the park like we did more and more each month, when he decided it was such a good idea to hang upside down like Spiderman on the monkey bars and demand a kiss.

Or the time when we spent the day in the bathtub just relaxing.

Or when, Or when, Or when-

I could name so many different moments off the top of my head, and yet none of them evolved Jason or my family.

The one thing that stood out the most in my mind was that first day at the park with Alex when I was staring into his eyes and got lost, when he carried my away from the swings spinning me around as he held me around the waist making me laugh and giggle as my hair flew all around me.

Jason was not part of any of these happy moments.