mute » tomlinson ON HOLD

prologue

My family sat around the table, food covering every inch of the dark wood. It was a madhouse today like always; perks of having a huge family. My mother's side of the family always came over for the holiday while my mother made a glorious dinner.

The twins, I noticed, were whispering in each other's ears, then slipping their slimy fingers into the pumpkin pie that was set on a tray behind them. I would raise my eyebrow at them each time to which they giggled and did it again.

Fizzy talked harshly to Garrett next to her, one of the boy cousins. The furious look in her eyes as he continuously tugged on her hair was very amusing. The two went back and forth until he pulled her hair far enough that it dipped into the mashed potatoes. Mom had to separate the two, then.

Lottie stared down at her phone underneath the table. Her tongue stuck out slightly as she typed vigorously on the touch screen, totally ignoring Nora, a cousin the same age. Nevertheless, Nora seemed completely oblivious and kept rambling off to my sister, telling her about her newest arch nemesis, I imagine.

"So," I began, expecting to talk over all the chaos. "What does everyone want for Christmas?"

No one heard me, of course. Mom noticed this and gave me a sympathetic look, whispering from beside me, "I'm sorry, Lou. I know you came all the way over here from Chicago. You know how it is on Thanksgiving."

I nodded and smiled, then repeated louder, "So, what does everyone want for Christmas?"

"A new phone," Fizzy was the first to answer, waving her flip phone in the air as proof.

The twins were next, Daisy spoke, "The new dollhouse set! Mom, remember the one we saw on TV that once?"

"I remember, love," my mother smiled.

"G.I. Joe action figure," One of the boy cousins shrugged.

Lottie grinned, "A Nicholas Sparks book. I've always wanted to read one!"

After much more chatter, most of our extended family had left while the girls and my mother cleaned up the dishes. I was left to gather up the table cloth and put away any leftovers.

"I gotta go, Mom," I walked into the kitchen where she stood over the sink, rinsing a plate off.

She sat the china on the counter and turned towards me, a small smile accenting her face. "I guess you do," she sighed and pulled me in for a hug. "See you soon, Lou."

"Bye, Mom," I spoke into her shoulder.

When we pulled away, I shared brief goodbyes with my sisters before heading out. Taking one last look at my mother's house, I started the long drive from Springfield to Chicago.

**Please read!

Okay, this is short. But, it's only the prologue; giving you more information of the character Louis will be portraying. He's kind of like a momma's boy in this story, so I'm excited. They live in Illinois, so yes, they do have Thanksgiving. Christmas is a big part of this story, so if you don't celebrate the holiday or it makes you uncomfortable, you may want to rethink reading this. The first chapter should be up pretty soon. Thank you!

~Kay