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Holidays.

This fall has been busy. It's been rainy but I've been getting a lot of work done. The best part about Seattle's winters is that we don't really get snowstorms. We might get a dusting but it's nothing like when I was a kid in Detroit. I remember a little bit of our life there. We would get mountains of snow. However, my family has always enjoyed the perfect balance of weather here. When we want to enjoy the snow, we go to Aspen.

Mia has come home for Thanksgiving and we might actually get to see Christian. He's had to make several trips out to NY. It's a good thing he has an apartment in NY. I haven't been out to see his place there but I'm sure it's another ivory tower. He told me that he had to hire Gia to make some changes to the apartment. I almost went out there to see her but I've been busy. Busy with someone new.

My mom called me over the weekend and asked me to try talk to Christian about Thanksgiving. He finally answered my phone call on Monday.

"Hey bro, how's it hanging?" My brother grunts and I don't know if I'm on speaker or if he's just preoccupied by one of his spreadsheets.

"Mom wants us out in Bellevue by nine Thursday morning. She actually wanted us to come out on Wednesday night and stay the night but I've got plans with Olga."

"I'm surprised you're still with her, Elliot. Is it getting serious or am I going to have to find a new realtor?" I take a deep breath and lean back in my office.

"It's been pretty good. However, I didn't know how much work a relationship would take and I didn't think it would take a shrink to help either." I've been seeing Flynn since my panic attack. Christian bullied me and promised that he would keep it from mom as long as I saw Flynn. He's good but I don't want my life to revolve around the advice of my shrink.

"Honestly, Christian, Olga and I are going out on Wednesday night because she's leaving to spend Thanksgiving with her family. I'm relieved she didn't ask me to go with her." Relieved is putting it mildly. I feel a little panic rise when I think about meeting Olga's parents.

"Okay, I guess I'll tell Andrea to start looking for a new realtor."

"I didn't say that. Just because I'm not ready to meet her parents doesn't mean things are ending."

"Whatever you say, Lelliot." We make a few more brotherly stabs at each other and then hang up. I've got a ton of stuff to do on my latest build. I'm going to have to see Gia pretty soon because she's the lead architect. Things haven't been too tense with her. She's a gold digger so once she got her eyes fixed on someone else then she backed off. Now it's just professional. I've got Olga so she's been respectful of that too.

Thursday morning rolls around and I'm off to Bellevue. I'm still looking for a place and it would be nice to be close to my parents. My mom occasionally stops by my loft in the city but I sure would love more of her cooking more often. Olga has been showing me houses but nothing is just right. Sometimes I wonder if it's because I'm not really able to see myself with Olga. Flynn said that since my goal for where I see myself in the next five years is married and in a house then I should try to find something that will be good for a family. I just don't know if it's with Olga.

On Thursday morning, I pull up to my parents' house and I'm the last one there. Mia's been in since last week and Christian is always early. Early to arrive and early to leave is his motto. I'm greeted by my dad's new dog, Samson. He's a german shepherd and is an awesome dog. I can't wait to get one for myself once I find a place.

"Elliot! I've missed you so much! What's this I hear about a girlfriend! How long have you been dating? Why isn't she here?" That's Mia. Overwhelming but loving. I hug and spin her around before putting her down. She's still jumping like a Chihuahua. Samson looks like he wants to run outside.

"Mia! Let Elliot sit down and then he can tell us all about her." My mom says this and then winks at me. I know she wants to know more. She stopped by a couple weeks ago with dinner trying to get more information about Olga. I walk in and hug my dad and then nod to my brother. He's got his nose in the paper. He's trying not to miss something important or earth shaking I'm sure.

Mia plops down on the couch next to me and hands me a beer.

"So, what's her name? Something German, right?" I take a swig and then realize that both my mom and dad are listening too.

"Her name is Olga. Christian introduced us." Ha! I've put the focus on him.

"Christian?" My mom looks over at him and he shrugs his shoulders.

"Lelliot was lonely." I glare at him and am jolted by Mia's hug.

" Oh, Elliot!" I can't believe he just did that. Now Mia is never going to leave me alone.

"Thanks, Christian, I look forward to playing a little football this afternoon." I send a threatening glare. He better watch out.

"So, Elliot, tell us about Olga." My mom is standing by the kitchen looking calm regardless of the fact that she's cooking the entire meal by herself again. I wonder when Mia's cooking skills will come into play.

"Olga's nice. Her family is from Marlin. She's there for the weekend." Mia looks at me with an inquisitive look.

"How long have you been dating?" I know where she's going with this.

"We started dating in September. She's been helping me look for a house."

"You're looking to buy a house?" My father actually has something to say.

"I thought you enjoyed living in the city, Elliot?" My mom is trying to hold back her enthusiasm.

"I really want to find a house, renovate it, make it green, you know make it mine." I sit peeling back the label on my beer.

"Olga's part of the real estate firm I used to buy Escala." Christian adds trying to bring the conversation back to me.

"So is this serious, Elliot?" My dad has always wanted me to stop my manwhoring days.

"Olga's nice but it's only been a couple months. She works a lot of weekends. She did show me a nice place in Edmonds. It's a real fixer but I'd love to spend my weekends there."

"You want to live all the way in Edmonds by yourself?" My mom looks at me with a concerned look. She can see right through me. She knows something is up.

"It's just one of the houses I've looked at. I've been looking for a couple months. I'm going to need another big job before I can buy right now anyway. My brother looks up at me and I know his business wheels are turning in his head.

I decide to change the subject. "Well, why don't us men head outside and play a little football." I stand up and stretch not really giving my dad and Christian a chance to turn me down. I've had enough talk and I need to get some of my energy out.

My mom's dinner is amazing. She makes the best stuffing. She makes a point to leave the celery out because she knows I hate it. My mom is the best. My grandparents came over just for the meal but got tired and ended up going home before the Lions game was even over. My grandfather spent most of his time talking business with Christian. He's got a lot of great advice. Maybe I should go visit them more often. Maybe he can help me get a little peace and direction in my life.

My phone buzzes as I'm standing in the kitchen. I see that it's Olga so I step outside onto the patio. After a brief hello and goodbye, I sit down and enjoy the peacefulness of my parents' backyard. This is what I want. My dad walks out and hands me a beer. I know we're about to have one of those chats.

"So, a house and a girlfriend, eh?" Well that's straight to the point.

"I didn't think you had it in you, Elliot. I thought you and your brother were enjoying being bachelors in the city." He looks at me encouraging me to share.

"I just need a new direction in my life. Olga gives me stability…" I start to peel the label off my beer.

"But she's not the one." My mom interrupts our conversation. I didn't even hear her walk outside.

"Um, I don't know." I can't look at my mom. She can read my mind without me having to look at her.

"Elliot, if she is the one, she wouldn't be in Marlin by herself. You also wouldn't have only 5 min conversations on the phone. You're not leading her on are you?"

I look up at my mom and wonder if she's right. Have I been leading Olga on? Did I just start dating her because she fit the mold of what I thought I wanted? Shit.

"I don't know what to do, mom." I start running my hands through my hair.

"Son, when you meet the right one, you will know. But, you better let Olga go. Let her find "the one". My mom is right but then I'm going to be alone again. We sit in silence and I start to feel a little panic start to build. Flynn has been helping me notice the early signs of a panic attack so it doesn't lead into the one from two months ago. I get up and walk into the house for some water. As I'm leaning over the sink taking deep breaths, Christian walks in. He looks at me and pauses a bit.

"I'm going soaring tomorrow. " What? My brother is inviting me to go soaring. That never happens. I've always wanted to. I look up at him hoping that he's truly inviting me.

"What time?" He grabs his jacket and starts to walk out of the kitchen, "5 am. Don't be late."