Harry Christmas to You!

December 11

It's Sunday morning, and though you're feeling much improved from Friday's illness, you still aren't back to your usual bouncy self. You attempt to spend your Sunday like your normally would, trying to sleep late despite Benny's whines. Taking Benny for a walk. Cleaning house since you didn't get to it on Saturday. But there is no joy in any of it.

You put on three or four different albums, but none of them satisfy you. Every song pales in comparison to the one Harry sang for you yesterday. Silently, you wish you had a copy of that album so you could listen to more of it.

Finally, you break down and call your mom. After about 15 minutes of nagging you and dragging you, she finally says, "Should I send your father over to get to you to bring you home for Sunday dinner? We're having roast."

You sigh, both in frustration and longing. You love roast Sundays, and you love your father. But going home for Sunday dinner means you have to deal with your mother and your sister. What else have you got to do, though? Sit home and pine for Harry? That's ridiculous. He had the opportunity to spend time with you, and he chose to leave. Rather unexpectedly, for crying out loud.

So you agree, and it's not long before your father is pulling into the driveway, honking the horn to signal that you should come outside. Which you do, of course. With Benny. Because right now, he's your baby, and if your mother is going to fuss at you, then you're going to need a buffer.

Your father chats amiably on the way home, and you relax a bit, laughing at his silly jokes and bad one-liners. It's when your dad looks at you sideways and says, "How's Harry today?" that you cringe. It's the first time you've ever felt like not responding to your dad. Your father is your most favorite person in the world, but you really aren't ready to talk about Harry yet. With anyone.

When you respond with a quiet, "I'm sure he's fine," your dad takes the hint and changes the subject to something more interesting (or safe. You're not sure which.): "Did you know that your sister and Matthew are talking about a divorce?"

You are properly diverted at that point. You've never been Matt's biggest fan, and you're intrigued to hear that maybe your sister has finally made the right decision – the one you've been hoping would happen the last decade. Matthew is a douche. You know it. Your father knows it. But your mother and sister are immune. They think Matthew is wonderful. So you and your father often joke about the day when your sister will finally recognize the reality: that her husband is a jerk. But it hasn't happened yet, and you're not really sure it's happened now. As you probe your father's brain some more, you find that this is mostly wishful thinking on your father's part. Apparently, Matthew is still around. Your sister got mad at him. That was the extent of it.

You and your father pass the rest of the trip companionably relating the times Matthew has let the family down. And you're sadly reminded that your niece and nephew will be the ones who suffer the most if Matt and your sister actually break up. This sobers you just as your father pulls into the lane leading to your parents' house.

Your nephew greets you with a nod as you walk into the living room. He is on his iPad playing Minecraft, and you think about engaging with him, but you really don't understand the Minecraft world, so you ruffle the hair on the 10-year-old's head and continue up the stairs.

Your mother and sister are in the kitchen when you walk in the door, and they are arguing about whether there is enough spice in the gravy. Making a wide swath around them to avoid getting stuck in the pointless conversation, you veer towards the parlor where your niece is sitting. She's usually the sane one in your sister's family.