A/N: First off, I'm sorry that I take forever to update. I've been busy doing cool things like graduating from college. But I don't own what you recognize and I hope you enjoy the new chapter.
I hadn't spent Thanksgiving with Mollie's family as I had planned. Lauren and I had to photograph a wedding the day after Thanksgiving. Now, according to Lauren, getting married Thanksgiving weekend is "un-American" and "sacrilegious." And yet she will still book weddings that weekend, so her concerns must not be too deeply rooted. (Also, I'm not sure why it's "sacrilegious" since the wedding wasn't in a religious venue and Lauren isn't religious anyway.)
But I promised Mollie that I'd spend the New Year with her family, and that seemed to placate her-especially when she realized that Chad's older brother would be around for New Year's, so it'd be the perfect time to set me up with Jake.
December tore past us before we even really knew what was happening. I spent Christmas with the Cassidys. Due to a strong sense of obligation, I spent Christmas Eve with the Bertrams, which was sufficiently awkward since the Crawfords were also there.
Holidays with the Bertram family have always been funny. We all show up, most of us ignore each other, we eat a professionally catered meal, and then we try to get away from each other as fast as we can. Gift exchanges are optional. Hugo has some vague recollection that we didn't exchange gifts Christmas 2006, but I'm not too sure about that because I was out the door faster than you could say "turkey dinner" that year. That was the year that Julia and Maggie started fighting over Julia's boyfriend in the middle of dinner.
Christmas 2010 did not disappoint on the drama front. My only relief from the crazy at the Bertram house was the fact that Kate was there with Hugo. It was a huge relief to look away from Nick and Daisy's canoodling and see two friendly faces trying to smile at me.
Maggie's cell phone was never far from her fingers. While Sam sat quietly and blended in with the wallpaper, his wife kept texting someone throughout the evening. Now it was highly unlikely that she was texting him since Maggie just kept getting new messages, reading them, having obvious facial reactions to them, and then responding to them. I had a sneaking suspicion that she was texting Jay, but I wasn't sure about that. Like Nick, I didn't want to be sure about that. I didn't want my cousin to be cheating on her husband. I didn't want my cousin's marriage to end in divorce. But something inside of me told me that I didn't run the universe. Of course, that same something also said that I didn't want to run the universe.
After dinner, Marge Norris decided to take issue with the fact that Hugo and I wouldn't be at diner the next day. Apparently, attending Christmas Eve dinner, "Midnight" Mass, and opening presents with the family was not enough. If we really loved Tom and Elizabeth, we would spend more time with the Bertram family and less time with this "tart's motley gang. You have to realize, Hugo dear, that she's only after you for your money."
Hugo stood up at that comment and looked at his aunt. "That's enough, Aunt Marge. You know, I grew up hearing that if you didn't have anything nice to say you shouldn't say anything. So shut up. Kate isn't interested in my money. She likes me for me. Not everyone is as low and grasping as you. Stop projecting."
Marge gasped and sputtered. But before she could say anything, which I'm sure she intended to do, Hugo continued, "And while I hate to break-up this lovely little party, Kate, Annie, and I will be leaving now. We know better than to wear out our welcome on Christmas Eve of all days."
Nick stood up and hugged me, kissed Kate's cheek, and shook his twin's hand. No one else did anything and we were out of the house in less than five minutes. However, Uncle Tom followed us. "Hugo Thomas, was that absolutely necessary? Did you have to do that?" he was bellowing as he followed us to the car.
"Did I have to do what, Father?" Hugo asked.
"Oh, don't be like that. You know what you did."
"I was honest. Do you have a problem with honesty?"
"Hugo, be respectful of me. I am your father."
Hugo sighed. "Dad, respect is earned, not given. Get over yourself and then we can talk."
"Get out of my sight, you smarmy little bastard. I never want to see you again."
"Your wish is my command," Hugo replied. "And I'll be filing my two weeks notice the first day back after the new year."
"I need you in the office every damn day that you're supposed to be there. You're one of my most important employees."
"I'm sorry, Father. You said you never wanted to see me again. So, I quit. Find someone else to replace me. I can find another job. Maybe I'll get a job for Wentworth Enterprises. I hear they could use someone with my skill set."
"Get out of here, now!" his father fumed.
So we left.
Christmas with the Cassidys was far more comfortable. Everything was more casual than the Bertram family's celebrations. Dinner wasn't catered. The jeans and tunic sweater I was wearing stood in harsh contrast to the dress I'd worn the night before, which had cost over $200 and had been an early Christmas present from Hugo and Nick. (It was almost certainly all that I was getting from Nick. Hugo, I knew, had bought me at least two other presents. I'd caught him burning the receipts so I couldn't take them back to the store.) The dress was dark green and gorgeous and thoroughly impractical for my life. But I owned it. And who knows? Maybe I'll need it again someday-like when Nick and Daisy get married.
But regardless of Christmas Eve, Christmas was perfect. My brother sent me a new camera lens. Kate made me a new sweater and the promise of a matching skirt soon. Kate bought me some loose-leaf tea and a bunch of movies I'd wanted. Dan gave me a set of mugs with quotes from Much Ado About Nothing on them.
Mrs. Cassidy made an amazing dinner and we sat around eating and drinking and talking and laughing until almost midnight. I was totally exhausted when Hugo and I finally went home.
"Did you have a good Christmas, Annabelle?" he asked me as we were walking into the apartment.
I nodded. "It was the best ever. And you know what made it so great?"
"Nick wasn't around to make you uncomfortable or self-conscious?"
I laughed. "I was actually going to say that it was spending the day with people I love and feeling entirely happy all day. But the break from your brother didn't hurt at all."
"Well, I'm glad you had a wonderful Christmas, Annie. You deserve it. And I'm also glad that Dan gave you a kiss under the mistletoe."
"Well, he had to do something to make sure that he and I didn't feel left out considering how you and Milo were treating Katie and Lauren under the mistletoe."
Hugo laughed. "One must keep Christmas in the best possible way especially if being festive allows one to shower his girlfriend with affection."
I shook my head. "You're absolutely ridiculous."
He smiled. "And I'm proud of it."
"As long as you're making Kate happy, I can't really complain."
"I like how you'd never say that to Nick about Daisy."
I shrugged and threw my coat towards the couch. "I want Kate to be happy, and you make her happy. I don't think Daisy is ever really happy."
"Bitch," Hugo replied.
"Good-night," I said as I rolled my eyes.
Three days later, I left to spend a week in Jenison with Mollie, Chad, and their families. It was a much-needed, no make that desperately needed vacation. I didn't need a vacation from Hugo or Kate or Lauren-although a break from work was nice; Dan was working second camera with her for the New Year's Eve wedding she was working. I needed a break from Nick. He had spent most of the days between Christmas and my departure at our apartment debating whether or not he should ask Daisy to marry him. Hugo told him that if it was an issue for debate, than the answer was automatically no. Nick chose to ignore that comment.
Mollie and Chad were deep in the depths of wedding planning. They were planning on getting married on Saturday, May 28, 2011. It was Memorial Day weekend and they were planning a beach wedding. Mollie, of course, wanted me to help with wedding planning and I was actually willing to help her. I loved spending time with my best friend.
"It's a relief to get away from my mom and Chad's mom. I love them, but it's my wedding and it's 2010, almost 2011. We are not planning Princess Diana's wedding. There won't be puffy sleeves or 90 pounds of lace. And I'm not having a blasted train on my wedding dress. I'm getting married on the beach, not in a cathedral."
"Your mom didn't get married in a cathedral," I told her. We were eating lunch after we went bridesmaid dress shopping.
"Yeah, I know. But she got married in a church and even though Pastor Harper will officiate at our wedding, she's still convinced that it's not a real wedding since it's not in a church."
"You want to get married on a beach, so you're getting married on a beach. Tell your mom to get over it."
She laughed. "Have you met my mom recently?"
"I know."
"You're lucky. When you get married, no one will be telling you what to do and how to do it."
I laughed. "I'll just have Hugo."
"How is dear old Hugo?"
"He's great. He and Kate have been together for over two months, which is apparently his longest relationship ever."
Mollie grinned. "That's cool."
"Oh, you don't know the half of it. She's perfect for him, Mollie, absolutely perfect."
"And how's Lauren doing?"
"She's great. Having Dan back is great for her. He's working with her this weekend while I'm out here."
"And how's her boyfriend? I hear he's beyond gorgeous."
"I'm relatively certain that he's the most beautiful man alive. And he worships the ground she walks on. He loves her and he treats her like a princess."
"And you're jealous?"
I shrugged. "Kate has Hugo. Lauren has Milo."
"Hey, isn't Dan single?"
"It's an idea," I said casually. "I could go for that. He's kind of amazing."
"Did he kiss you?"
"Why do you ask that?"
Mollie shrugged. "When you talk about him, you look like a girl besotted."
I grinned. "We kissed under the mistletoe on Christmas. It wasn't a big deal. I think he was just trying to make me feel better after we watched Hugo and Kate and then Milo and Lauren take their turns. But it was a great kiss."
"He's a better guy than Nick."
I looked at her. "You've never met him. How do you know that?"
Lauren laughed. "He's good to you. He wanted to make you happy on Christmas. He doesn't do thing that hurt you."
"Nick doesn't do that shit on purpose."
"I know, but Dan notices the little things and he tries to make you happy."
"Hugo does that too."
Mollie smiled. "I know, and for a long time I wanted you two to end up together."
"I could never marry Nick's brother. And I could never steal my best friend's guy."
"Yeah, I get that. And I also know that he's far more of a brother than anything else to you. But Dan, you don't see Dan as a brother, do you?"
I shook my head. "Nope, he's definitely not a brother."
"And he's a sweet guy, right?"
"He's wonderful."
"And he's good looking?"
"He isn't a Josh Duhamel lookalike the way Hugo is."
Mollie laughed. "Well, that's a once in a lifetime characteristic. But regardless, Dan is attractive, yeah?"
"He's like Jim from The Office without the ears."
She smirked. "His ears don't stick out?"
"Nope," I replied, popping the p for emphasis. "He has lovely ears."
"And what about his eyes, does he have blue eyes?"
"Brown," I replied.
"You can have him. I'm not interested."
"Dork," I replied.
The next few days melted into a blur. They weren't blurry at the time, but later events forced much of the end of 2010 and the beginning of 2011 into an odd haze that I'm not sure I'll ever totally remember.
This is what I know. On New Year's Eve, my car broke down. Chad's dad took it to his mechanic for me, but it wouldn't be ready until a few days after the New Year. I needed to be home on Monday, January 3 because I had to work the next day. So, on Sunday, Hugo drove out to Jenison to pick me up. Since he had just quit his job, we could share a car for a week or so. Or he could rent something; he told me not to worry and just to let him figure it out. Anyway, once my car was fixed, Chad and Mollie would bring it to Mansfield Park on a Friday and spend the weekend with us. And then they'd take Chad's car back to Jenison.
That was our plan. Hugo arrived around noon on Sunday. Kate had been planning on coming with him until someone called in sick last minute at work and she had to cover the shift. This would turn out to be a miracle for her.
Hugo and I left Jenison around five o'clock. We stopped in Lansing for dinner around six-thirty or seven and were back on the road again around eight. A few miles east of Brighton, near Milford I guess, a guy in the left lane started to merge into our lane and didn't check his blind spot. Hugo, the police told Nick, couldn't get out of his way and the guy hit us, pushing us into the path of the car in the next lane. There was a lot of spinning and crunching and light. And then there was black, a lot of black.
I remember the spinning and crunching and the lights and the sudden black. But other than that, I don't remember anything. So I'll let Nick tell you what he knows.
Oh, and if you're wondering, I did kiss Chad's brother, Jake, on New Year's Eve. I don't remember it though, so it must not have been as great as Dan's Christmas-mistletoe kiss.
A/N: Please review! I hope you liked it. And yes, I'm going to try to get the next chapter up ASAP.
