This Christmas is going to be a disaster. I lost track of all time when I was preparing the house for guests that I burnt the ham and potatoes. The bread was the only thing that survived the overbearing heat. Looking past the food, I encountered another problem. My crazy one year old cat decided it was a good idea to be climbing around in the tree.
"Milo, get out of there!" I hissed at him angrily.
His orange face peered out from the branches, golden eyes blinking at me lazily. Man, if only I could be a cat. No cares in the world. I couldn't help the sigh that escaped my body. My shoulders slouched in defeat as an ornament fell to the ground, shattering into small, glittery pieces. Milo meowed, almost sounding proud of himself.
"You're lucky you're cute."
I walked over and attempted to remove him from the tree, but he refused. His claws sank deep into the twine wrapped trunk. "Come on, you idiot. Let go," I grumbled, growing increasingly frustrated. Milo hissed at me and held on for dear life. I gave a final yank and got him from the tree.
Big mistake.
The tree began tipping and fear grabbed hold of my lungs, taking all my breath away. I dropped Milo, trusting him to land on his feet as I tried to catch the tree. As I lurched forward, I ran into the chair of my dining set, knocking myself onto my butt. I missed the tree. The floor caught it for me.
Ornaments shattered and rolled off the branches, the gifts crushed beneath it. The tears welled up in my eyes as I stared at the damage. One slipped out, rolling down my cheek. I wiped it off angrily and stood up. Forcing myself to take a few deep breaths, I pushed the tree back up to its standing position. As soon as I was satisfied that it would stay in place, the doorbell rang.
Wait, no. It was too early for guests to arrive!
I glanced at the time, seeing that it was in fact six already. Crap. I forced a smile on my lips and opened the door. Staring back at me was my entire family. My uncle, aunt, grandparents, and mom and dad. "Hey guys!" I greeted them in my most fake, cheerful voice I could muster.
"Merry Christmas, darling!" My mom grabbed my shoulders, kissing both of my cheeks before walking in and gasping at the mess that was my floor. "Oh dear, what happened?"
I sighed in defeat. "Milo. And I burned the food. We have the option of bread... or bread."
My mother clicked her tongue in disapproval toward Milo. He flicked his tail at her, trotting over to get pets. Mom placed her hands on her hips and looked down at the orange fur ball. "You little mischief maker, making a mess in your mom's house. Say you're sorry!"
Milo sat next to her feet, looking up at her face. He meowed sweetly before head butting her leg. I couldn't help a chuckle and shook my head. "You're lucky you're cute..." I muttered to myself for the second time that night.
I grabbed my broom and started sweeping my hardwoods while everyone filed in and made themselves comfy. My mom grabbed the vacuum and plugged it into a socket near the tree. I tilted my head at her. "You don't have to clean. This is my mess, you're my guest."
She scoffed at me. "Please, darling. I'm not letting you clean this by yourself. Besides, we still have to wait for food."
I frowned. "There is no food. It all turned to rock."
My uncle waved his phone toward me and placed it against his ear. "Yes, an extra large pepperoni and medium cheese please." A pause. "Thirty minutes? Fantastic. Thank you." He grinned as he hung up the phone, sliding it back into his pocket. "Pizza will be here soon."
I placed my broom against the wall and covered my face with my sweater covered hands, holding back the tears. My mother wrapped her arms around me and gave me a squeeze. I managed some deep breaths, wiping the stray tears away. "Thank you guys."
My aunt chipped in. "Of course, sweetie. We're your family. You shouldn't have to deal with this on your own."
I sniffed and moved everyone over for a group hug. Maybe this Christmas wouldn't be so bad after all.
Login with Facebook
