It was approaching noon when Jake finally reached his childhood home. He parked his truck and smiled at the crooked lights in the window no doubt put up by his brothers, Billy and Josh. If I was here it would have looked a whole lot better, but it was a good first effort he thought. He got out and hurried toward the house, the smell of turkey and his sister's famous biscuits coming from inside made his stomach growl with hunger.
"Jake! Wait." He turned to the sound of his name then froze in surprise.
"Cassie… What are you doing here? I thought you were going home to see your folks."
"Like I said, my parents aren't into celebrating and I'd like to see a real family Christmas, even if you have to pretend a little."
Jake rushed over to her and turned her away from the house.
"How am I going to explain you, huh? What if you go into one of your information overload meltdowns?"
"Well just say…"
"Uncle Jake!" Five children ranging from ages three to thirteen opened the door all rushing to him almost knocking him to the ground.
"Wait, hold on a second." he laughed and gave each of his nephews and one niece his trademark bear hug. Billy and his wife Amy were next to greet him followed by Josh, the youngest, then his sister Libby and her husband Wyatt. She was holding a newborn in her arms, shielding her from the chilly air. Jake hadn't seen her yet and took the tiny baby in his strong arms giving her a peck on her forehead.
"Hi little one, I'm so glad to meet you at last."
"Her name is Elizabeth, after mom." Libby said. Jake smiled in approval and whispered her name reverently.
They noticed the petite red head with big, bright eyes and a smile to match, standing next to him. "So who is this lovely creature?" Josh who always fancied himself a ladies man took her hand and kissed it.
"Cassandra Cillian. I'm a friend of Jake. Just friends. She blinked her eyes repeatedly and looked up. Friend. One attached to another by affection or esteem, from the old English freon, meaning to love and freo meaning free…" Jake squeezed her tightly to make her stop.
The group stared at her for a second then howled with laughter. "Good one, little lady." Billy patted her on the back and led her inside. She looked back at Jake who did a face palm, as he followed her inside.
The kids wasted no time tearing into the gifts he brought them. He missed the little rug rats especially Emma, his brother Billy's youngest, who reminded him so much of himself when he was age eight, always reading books in a corner somewhere.
"I love my book Uncle Jake." She pressed it to her chest then ran off to find the quietest place in the house.
"Books are for sissies." Her older brother Shane said and laughed. "This is so much cooler." He held up a copy of the video game Destiny and headed straight for the Play Station in the other room with his other cousins in tow.
"Missed you brother, how's your new job in Portland?" Josh asked.
Jake had told his family about a job he was offered as a heavy equipment repair specialist at a refinery with a substantial pay increase so they never questioned the move to Oregon.
"Did you two meet at the refinery?" Billy's wife Amy asked as the others looked at Jake's friend with suspicious looks in their eyes. His usual choice in women were of the buxom, fake tan, big hair, brainless variety and this one although very pretty, was clearly out of his league. She had a different, no strange way about her.
"Uh… umm…" Jake stammered, trying to come up with a plausible story that they would believe.
"No, we met in the library." Cassandra jumped in to explain.
"The library? Now why on God's green earth would Jake be in a library?" Billy asked.
Jake swallowed. "Oh he wasn't there by himself." She looked over at a nervous Jake and continued. "He came with my brother Mark who works with him… At the refinery. I work in maintenance at the library and left my lunch in my brother's truck one day and they brought it to me. The rest is history as they say."
"So you two are dating?" Libby asked. She hoped the answer was yes. She always fretted like their mother over him, especially when at 18 he had to take the responsibility for not only caring for her and her brothers, but also shielding them from their father's drunken rages. He never complained, but he also didn't have a life and when he announced he was taking a job in Oregon, she knew he was ready to finally move on with his life.
"Oh no, we just like to hang out… there's a country bar near the refinery and I like to go there with my brother sometimes." Cassandra finished her tale.
"So why are you here instead of with your family?" Libby asked trying to get more out of her.
"Well uh, Mark had to work, my parents are in Michigan and my flight got detoured to Oklahoma due to heavy snow there, I called Jake to ask him about hotels in the area and he invited me here. I'm flying out tomorrow afternoon to join them and Mark will be there in time to celebrate New Year's."
Cassandra's mind was spinning from the whopper of a lie she just told and felt it throbbing. She closed her eyes and began to mumble.
"She ok?" Josh asked.
"She's fine." Jake held her hand whispering to her. "Hold it together Cassie."
"All right then, welcome Cassandra, dinner will be ready in a couple of hours, so make yourself at home." Libby stated as she and Amy headed back to the kitchen to finish the preparations.
"Are you going to be ok?" Jake asked as he got up.
"Sure, where are you going?"
"Gotta see the old man," he said in a low voice as he shuffled towards the den.