Your Eyes Shine Like The Stars At Night

Reluctantly, I rang the doorbell with my right hand, holding Jack’s hand in my left. The house was enormous; three stories, not including the attic and basement. It was painted a light yellow, with white shutters, white trim, and a white picket fence. Typical home of a lawyer living on upper-middle-class wages.

“Calm down, your hand is shaking,” Jack whispered.

“I know, I’m just nervous. I haven’t seen Sandra in years-“

I was cut off when the door swung open, revealing my sister. She looked so much different than I remembered her. Wavy, shoulder-length sandy blond hair; bright, white, perfect teeth; and pale green eyes. She actually seemed happy to see me. She had to have been faking it.

“Scarlett, honey! I haven’t seen you in years!” she shrieked, pulling me into a bone-cracking hug, causing me to drop Jack’s hand.

“I know,” I muttered in shock at her behavior. Why was she acting like we were best friends? She wouldn’t even talk to me, and now, here she was, inviting me over for Christmas dinner and hugging me, telling me she missed me?

Jack’s expression said he was just as surprised as I was, but he smiled at Sandra nonetheless. “Hi, my name’s Sandra Delaney,” she introduced kindly, using her new last name.

“Jack Barakat,” my boyfriend greeted, shaking her hand.

“Where are my manners?” Sandra chuckled, opening the door more to allow us inside. “Welcome to my home.”

As soon as I stepped in, I smelled the turkey she was cooking coming from the kitchen. The walls were white, and all the furniture looked too expensive to sit on, let alone actually be in a house instead of a catalogue.

“It’s not much, but hey, it keeps the rain out,” she laughed. I had to fight not to roll my eyes. Not much? Our parents’ house was “not much”; this was too much.

“Yeah, I guess so,” I muttered in response.

Jack grasped my hand reassuringly and kissed my temple. “Just wait until your brother gets here.”

I nodded, knowing the worst was over. Seeing her for the first time in years was the scary part. At least she wasn’t being a total bitch. But I could see through her bullshit – it was all fake, just because she didn’t want her husband and son to see how horrible she was to her own sister.

“Stan, Parker, come downstairs!” she yelled up the marble staircase. Stan was her stuck-up Republican husband, and Parker was their annoyingly rambunctious five year-old who was sure to be a first-string quarterback and bed-hopper. Just like his father had been.

Stan scurried down the steps, fixing his blue tie as he did so. “Merry Christmas, Scarlett,” he said with obviously fake glee, hugging me and kissing my cheek. What the fuck? I’d only met this guy once.

“Merry Christmas to you, too, Stan,” I smiled, reluctantly hugging him back. If he was going to fake it, so was I.

Stan shook Jack’s hand, grinning at him. “I’m Stan Delaney,” he nodded.

“Jack Barakat, sir,” he said nervously.

“Sir? Nonsense! We’re all adults here.” He just looked around at us, a huge smile on his square face. Ick.

We heard creaking on the stairwell, and sure enough, Parker was running down the steps at full-speed, skipping every few. “Hi, Mommy!” he squealed.

“Honey, don’t run in the house,” she scolded, then proceeded to smile at us as if she was
apologizing for her son’s behavior. He was five, of course he was going to act like that. But Sandra didn’t see it that way. Everything she had needed to be perfect, even her son, who, in her eyes, was an extension of herself. Only perfection and nothing less would be accepted.

“He’s fine,” I assured, smiling at Parker.

“Hello, Scarlett,” he said.

“Hey kid.” I ruffled his brown hair, and he ran into the kitchen, already seating himself at the table.

“I’m hungry!” he yelled from the table.

“Wait, honey. Everyone else hasn’t arrived yet,” Sandra said.

Jack and Stan were being quiet, not sure how to handle the awkward situation. “Let’s all go sit in the living room until the rest of the family gets here,” Sandra suggested.

The four of us sat on the leather couches in an uncomfortable silence. “Oh!” I exclaimed, pulling out a bag I’d brought in, “I brought this for Parker.” I pulled out a gift card from my purse and handed it to Sandra. “For his Christmas present. I really didn’t know what to get him…” And I really didn’t. I didn’t know what a five year-old boy would want for a gift, so I just decided on the gift card.

“Thanks…” she replied, looking at it almost in disgust. I just shrugged. After all, I did get him something; I’d made an effort.

Jack squeezed my shoulder, kissing my ear. “Aww, how adorable,” Sandra cooed, clasping her hands together.

I blushed and smiled. “Thanks.”

“How long have you two been together?” Stan inquired, finally speaking.

“Two weeks. But we’ve known each other for a little over four months,” Jack answered.

“Ah,” Sandra nodded in understanding. We all turned our heads towards the door when we heard the doorbell ring. Sandra popped up, and eagerly opened the door. Lucas and Alison walked in, and I felt so relieved. Finally! People who actually liked me.

“Sandra!” he exclaimed, hugging our sister. “Scarlett!” He hugged me as well.

“Hi, come on in,” Sandra welcomed. Minutes later, our parents arrived, and we made our way to the kitchen, seeing Parker had set the table himself. Sandra trained him well – she was like a fucking drill sergeant. I couldn’t stand it.

Jack sat next to me, and Lucas sat on my other side, Alison beside him. Sandra, Stan, Parker and my parents were across from us. Light talk filled the room for most of the dinner, until conversation landed on the subject of Jack and I’s relationship. Oh fuck.

“So, honey, has he said ‘I love you’ yet?” my mother asked me with a smirk. My eyes popped out of my head, and I immediately dropped my fork on the fancy China plate, which landed with a deafening crack sound.

“Uh, um…” I stuttered. Jack seemed just as taken aback as I was.

“They haven’t been dating long, Mom,” Luke cut in, saving us. Thank the dear lord for older brothers.

I sighed in relief, and Luke evidently noticed, because he chuckled a little as he cut into his turkey. The rest of the evening seemed to flow smoothly, albeit a tad awkward, since it was the first time Sandra and I had seen each other in who knows how long. The tension was tolerable, but not welcome.

When everyone finished their meals, Sandra volunteered her and myself to help put the dishes away. Of course, it was just the two of us. Just what I wanted.

The rest of the family retired to the living room, leaving me and the devil sister in the kitchen.

“I wanted to talk to you, Scarlett,” Sandra spoke seriously.

“Shoot,” I replied dully.

“I miss you, sis. I mean, you’re family. We haven’t spoken in years! I don’t even know you anymore. I don’t know what you’ve been doing, we haven’t been in touch…I just want to be able to talk to you, you know?” The look in her pleading eyes meant she was being sincere. I couldn’t believe it.

I just stared at my floor, concentrating on the design of the tiles. She breathed a heavy sigh, starting in on washing the dishes.

Finally, I looked up at her, facing her back since she was at the sink. “I’m sorry,” I whispered, almost inaudibly. There were tears in her eyes as she turned to me.

“So am I, Scarlett. So am I.”