Learning to Cope

Ch2 Page 4

Andrew:

August's eyes are still a bit puffy but my parents are busy. They won't notice.

We walk into the living room and there are 3 plastic totes of ornaments on the floor around the tree. "Welcome back! Did ya fall in?" Mom chuckles. August nervously rubs the back of his neck and chuckles. I pick up an old ornament that's basically just 2 sticks glued together with green paint and glitter. I hand it to August and gesture to the tree.

"Does it matter where I put it?" he whispers. "Nope, put it wherever you want." I smile. I pick up an ornament and place it on the tree so he isn't doing it alone. "Oh! That stick! Do you remember that ornament?" my father chimes. "No? We just put it on the tree every year." I state. It's an ugly ornament but it was clearly made by a child.

"Oh, you and one of your friends found two sticks in the woods and kept beating each other with them. We had to take 'em away to make 'decorations'" my dad laughs. I don't remember that, but he seems to be happy about it. August stretches and puts it on a branch in the middle of the tree. He looks at me and grins "Now you can't reach it and beat me with it" He chuckles. "I can still hit you with a frying pan." I gently punched him in the arm.

Decorating the tree went smoothly after that, every time we'd grab an ornament, my parents would have some funny story to go along with it. I grab the last ornament from the tote and it's a picture of me with another little boy with short dark curly hair in a popsicle stick frame. We look to be about 1 or 2. "I've never seen this one before." I say.

My mom comes over and takes it from me. "Oh... We stopped hanging that one on the tree." She placed it back into the bin and closed the lid. "What? Why? It's cute." I raise an eyebrow. "I'm sure you don't remember but that was the Galloways kid, James. He passed away and out of respect, we don't put his picture on the tree anymore." "Oh, I didn't know they had a kid." She sighs.

I look and August is distracted on a step ladder putting the star on top of the tree. "I can't reach" he grunts and climbs down. "I think we have a taller ladder in the hall closet, opposite the bathroom" my dad announces. August seems to have warmed up to my parents rather quickly, I'm glad he isn't panicking anymore.

August nods and walks into the hall. "Oh! That reminds me! Henry and Christine are coming for Christmas dinner tomorrow!" Dad proudly states "they called last second to let us know." "oh that's so good, it's been a while since we've seen them." my mom does a little excited dance before grabbing the other tote. August walks back carrying a ladder. "Wow, I thought you were tall." I say, loudly. August glares at me and sets the ladder up.

My mother pulls some stockings out of the tote and starts placing them on the mantle. There is one for Mom, Dad, Me, and... August? "I went to the store and got this one since you said your friend hasn't celebrated Christmas before." My mom smiles at August. He steps down off the ladder and takes a peek at the stockings. "Y-you didn't have to do that." He stutters. "Of course I did Darling! This is your FIRST Christmas! We don't have many of those anymore." She glares at me. "This one had to be gay" she gestured to me. Oh no. I hadn't told August yet... He looks over and smiles "So punching your arm is a hate crime?" He laughs. What a dick.