Irreplaceable

22

"Hey! Nathan, thanks for coming dear." I heard my mother say to the person now standing in the front hall, taking off his jacket. I grinned and shot up off the couch to watch him come inside and greet everyone. He had missed not only the summer barbeque, but Thanksgiving as well, and my family was making up for his absence with hugs and well wishes from all sides.

I saw him looking around and waved to him from my spot, motioning him over to come sit with me and shoving my sister out of her spot so he could fit. It took a while for him to get through the crowd of family and friends to where I was waiting.

"Hey." He said to me. I smiled and hugged him.

"Hey back stranger. Thanks for coming." I replied. I pulled him down onto the couch and asked him how his school courses went this past semester. I tried to act like he was just away and not really like we had broken up. I was really interested, despite how upset I had been to be ignored... I felt it was more important that we were talking now.

I kept the conversation on him. How his family was doing, what he was doing in his spare time. He looked a little uncomfortable for a second when he mentioned going out with friends, but I just asked him to tell me all about them. You know like what their names were, how they had met and stuff.

We were talking. It didn't matter what it was about. I got to just stare at him as he went on about his new friend Gerry and how he had accidentally dropped his phone in the fountain at the park. I had missed this so much. Seeing him up close and smiling at me. Why the heck had I put this in jeopardy?

"Alright folks! Food is served in the dining room. Oldest to youngest now." My dad called from the hallway. The shift of people made their way through the house to grab plates and food from the overladen tables that were against one wall. We used to try to do a full sit down dinner, but most of the aunts and uncles now had too many growing children to make it practical at anyone's house.

The kid's table had been overflowing and set up in a different room. The adult's table was cramped with friends. It had all fallen apart one year when my cousin's kid had gotten mad at my uncles' adopted son and started a food fight. The cleaning bill had been horrendous due to the mashed potatoes being flung about and the 'children' were never left by themselves again.

When it was finally our turn, I followed in behind Nathan for once. He usually let me cut the line, but I just smiled and told him to go first. He was slightly older after all. By a couple months if I remembered correctly. He did reach over and grab me the last piece of apple pie before anyone else got to it and passed it to me.

"Thanks." I breathed, my face glowing with happiness at my favourite. There was still lots of chocolate left, so he would be fine... but, "Make sure you get one of those brownies. They are really good this year." I pointed at the plate at the end that my uncle had brought with him.

"Okay, I will grab one." He smiled at me and I gulped before following him back to the living room with our plates full of food. It was quieter now that everyone was eating. Only a murmur of conversation between everyone between bites. I had to try not to stare. I forgot how good looking my best... Nathan, how good looking Nathan was.

He looked amazing in a dark green sweater over a black button down shirt, rolled up slightly at the cuffs. His dark brown trousers, and a pair holiday print socks were slightly casual and yet added to the sexiness of the outfit. Man I think I had it bad if candy cane print socks were sexy now. I blushed at the thoughts that were floating through my head.

"Okay everyone, listen up! Clean up duty is..." My dad reached in the jar and started pulling out names of the attendees one by one. A few people groaned when their name was called but reluctantly went to the kitchen to help out. Fortunately, neither of us were called.