(REWRITING) The Skylar Experiment : Coveting

Chapter Fifty - New Year's

RILEY

ON NEW YEAR'S, Dad took me ice skating and seeing him struggle with his skates did a good job at lightening my mood. He explained that it was good to step out of the comfort zone every once in a while, even if you sucked at it.

"Forges the character," he grunted, clapping my back.

If I had a dollar every time I was taken out of my comfort zone this year...

We came home in the afternoon and began cooking mountains of food.

"We're only two, Dad, why did you buy so many groceries?" Which, by the way, he did himself without me. Impressive?

"That way, we'll have leftovers for the next few days," he answered while heating the oven.

We got fancy with crab appetizers, bruschetta, the classic pigs in a blanket and pork roast. I arranged an elaborate platter of ham slices, cheese, bread and cut fruits at the counter when our bell rang.

"We invited someone?" I asked.

Dad picked a rag and wiped his hands, smiling like he knew something I didn't.

"Dad?"

"Why don't you go see for yourself?" was all he said, that enigmatic grin plastered on his face.

I abandoned the platter and sauntered in the hall. Two blurry figures silhouetted through the glassy part of the door. I swung it open.

"Surprise!" two female voices cried, and I nearly forgot how to stand on two feet.

Mom and her girlfriend stood on the porch, both handling a huge plate of food—I assumed because of the smell—covered in aluminum foil. Mom stepped forward, her nose pink from the cold. 

"Happy New Year's, bunny." She kissed my cheeks, pulling me in a tight hug.

I willed my arms to lift and squeeze back. Her familiar scent of vanilla and coffee wrapped me in a warm embrace. 

"Oh my God, hey." I waved at Suzan. Their presence only meant one thing. "Hey, Suzan. I'm really sorry about your mom."

She waved back. "She was cared for until the last moment. I'm grateful for all of it. But it's good to be home, and back to the people in my life."

Mom broke away and caressed my face. She'd always been a beautiful woman with her long, pin-straight black hair and her pale blue eyes that never seemed to age. Fine, vertical lines had emerged on her cheeks and lips, stretching as she beamed. I couldn't believe it. She was here.

"It's your birthday soon, honey. There was no way we weren't going to celebrate together," she said, and I stared behind.

Dad stilled in the hallway, dishrag in hand. "Hello, Jocelyn. Suzan. My condolences, it must have been hard regardless."

My mother nodded at him. "Long time no see, Harris."

I invited them inside and helped put the coats on hangers. They brought cheesecake and kabobs. I wasn't going to scoff at that.

New Year's had never been a big party in my life with my tiny family. Being homeschooled didn't give me many opportunities to make friends, either. I surfed with kids from the street, but that was it. I always felt like the holidays were mostly for large families, larger than mine, at least. 

We usually waited until midnight for the countdown, and we'd go to bed half an hour later. When my parents divorced, we stopped celebrating it altogether.