We Don't Have to Feel Alone

Chapter 11

"Are we gonna see everyone else in the family at Christmas too?" Nova asks Chris over FaceTime.

"Of course! I know your grandma wants to have a night with you some time before then though."

Nova gasps with delight, "Yes! I love grandma's house!"

Chris smiles, "Yeah, because she spoon feeds you junk food," He says before changing the subject, "How are things with Sariah?"

"Oooh! Sariah!" Nova picks up the iPad and walks to the other side of the room, "Show my dad what you got today!"

Sariah appears on screen and smiles, then she points to her new cochlear sound processor.

"Hey, you got it!" Chris says.

"We're officially back to business as usual," Sariah says.

"Good, do you feel better with it?"

"She's the best nanny in the whole wide world whether she can hear or not!" Nova interjects.

Chris laughs, "I know she is, sweetie. I'm just checking in on her."

Sariah smiles as well, "I'm doing great, thank you."

"Got any wedding planning lunches or hot dates when I get back?"

Sariah rolls her eyes, "Easton and Jason are throwing an ugly sweater Christmas party on the 20th."

"Oh, that'll be fun for you guys!"

"Until Easton inevitably says or does something to embarrass me."

"Isn't that what siblings are for?"

They laugh, then Sariah hands the tablet back to Nova so that she and Chris can finish talking.

Chris would be returning in a couple of days, and while he and Sariah acted normal when on FaceTime or texting, Sariah couldn't help but wonder what Chris would want to "talk" with her about when he came home. Sariah had also been gossiping about the whole situation to Easton and Jason, and Easton's head almost exploded when Sariah told him that Chris had kissed her forehead.

Nova was also officially on winter break from school, and Sariah actually enjoyed spending extra time with her. The two of them played out in the snow, made Christmas cookies and built blanket forts together. Nova clearly missed Chris though, so it would be good for him to return home for the holidays.

Sariah just hoped that things wouldn't be too weird...

x

Sariah could understand Chris wanting to act normal for Nova's sake, but when he'd brought up that she'd be staying at her grandmother's for a night, it made Sariah wonder if this were simply a coincidence, or if it was because he wanted to talk to her alone.

Then again, she was about to head out for the night. Was he going to try and talk to her right before she'd be headed to the Christmas party?

Sariah finally decides to just say 'fuck it' and perhaps try to initiate the conversation herself.

After looking herself in the mirror to make sure she looked as cute as she possibly could with an ugly Christmas sweater on, she walks into Chris's room. He was laying on his stomach on the bed, his head at the foot of the bed and one of his tattooed arms draped off the side; he was in sweats looked pretty depressed, which had Sariah concerned. She knocks on the open door frame, which snaps Chris out of his clearly deep thoughts as he looks up at her.

"Hey."

"You okay?" Sariah asks.

"Yeah, why?"