Lost Cause

Chapter 25

Alex's POV

I would say Thanksgiving is a big deal around here, but seeing as it's just a bigger scale Sunday dinner it really isn't. Though there are more people that show up. Uncle Ricky's parents come over, as well as Aunt Martha's. Plus Uncle Ricky's actual siblings bring their kids, and on top of that whatever family is left on the other parents' sides tag along too.

It's a full house, with loads of screaming and crying if the younger kids don't get their way. Don't get me wrong I love having a big family but sometimes I just want a quiet holiday where it's just Jordan, Mom and I.

We get treated like grandkids from Uncle Ricky's parents, which is nice because our actual grandparents on mom's side died when I was nine so Jordan never got to meet them. Dad's father died three years ago and our grandmother lives in Wyoming now. So we don't get to see her as much, she still sends birthday cards; sometimes if she can remember the date that is.

"Alex, can you bring the pies to the car when you're finished?" Mom calls up the stairs.

"Yeah." I yell.

I smooth my hands down the front of my leggings making sure there's no wrinkles and look over my makeup to finalize any last minute touches.

The weather has gotten a bit colder now that we're getting closer to December, so I went with a maroon long sleeved crop top and grey fleece leggings.

"Hurry up, the game is going to start soon and I wanna be at Uncle Ricky's before it starts!" Jordan yells running past my room.

He doesn't act six years old. He surprises me everyday.

"Don't run down the stairs!" I remind him before grabbing my boots.

I make my way downstairs and into the kitchen to grab the two pies sitting on the counter. Mom always makes four pies to bring but somehow never remembers to come back in the house to grab the other two.

"Don't lock the door, I have to get the flowers for everyone." Mom says from the trunk.

I take my hand off the door knob and make my way to put the pies on the back seat.

"Jaxon's going to be there right Lex?" Jordan asks from his car seat.

"I think so. The whole Castillo family should be there." I slide in next to him.

"So Izzy's gonna be there?"

I look up at him to see the biggest smile on his face, "Yeah kid she'll be there."

"Alright you two let's get going shall we?" Mom hops in the driver's seat.

"Will daddy be calling today?" Jordan asks.

Mom's eyes meet mine in the rearview mirror, I see the way hers lose their brightness at the mention of him.

"I don't know J, hopefully but if he's on a mission we can't expect him to drop what he's doing right?"

"Right, he's gotta do his job and sometimes that means that he can't spend every moment worrying about calling us cause he could get himself and other people hurt."

"Exactly."

We've only had Dad home for four Thanksgivings throughout my seventeen years. Sometimes we get lucky and we get him for one holiday a year but I've learned never to get my hopes up and we tell Jordan that we can't be selfish because he's protecting other people.

It's shitty, such a shitty thing to do to tell this six year old kid that he can't expect his dad to be home for the holidays that we get to spend with our family. Especially on the holidays that are centered around family.