Chapter 5: Akwardness
"Well, I guess I should show you around the place." Mark said from where he sat at the other side of the kitchen table. Peter and his brother had sat down to have some coffee and catch up, once Peter had arrived, but so far their conversations hadn't clicked. "Um, yea." Peter said standing up. "It would be good to know where I'll be staying while I'm here." "Good idea." Mark said and joined his brother. Walking from the kitchen they headed down the hallway with Mark pointing out various points of reference to his brother. "My home office is in this room and down that way is the second bathroom." "Kind of big for one person don't you think?" Peter asked as the two walked around. "What can I say - I like space." Mark said and the two continued on. "Well it is a nice place Mark." Peter said seriously. Mark turned his head towards Peter. "You think it's too big don't you?" "I didn't say that." Peter said quickly. "But you are only one person." "I have business associates that come into town. It's better for them to stay with someone in the company then to stay in a hotel. Dad always did it this way." Both stopped moving momentarily thinking of their father. "I didn't mean that..." "It's ok." Peter said trailing off. He cleared his throat. "Dad did want it this way." Pausing for a moment as they continued on, Peter decided to take the opportunity to bring up part of why he was here. "Mark, I want you to know that I didn't just come to visit to see you." "Oh, really? Why else did you come? Are you and Sophie having problems? She's not pregnant is she." Peter felt like he'd ben punched in the stomach. "No no, nothing like that." He said quickly. Sophie had told him last year that she wouldn't be able to have kids and while Peter still loved her, he couldn't help but be a bit dissappointed that no little Peter and Sophie's would be running around. "Actually it's Horizon." Mark turned as if interested in what Peter was about to say, but suddenly his phone rang. "I have to get that." Peter said quickly. "Your room is down the hall on the right. Just make yourself at home." He said hurrying off. "We'll talk later." "Yea." Peter said dissappointed as he watched Mark go. "Later."
Kat rang the doorbell, her luggage in hand. A wreath was on the front door and lights were in the bushes and surrounding the house making her feel better about this trip. If Christmas decorations were already up some, then her parents wouldn't spend the whole time being depressed about Shannon. "Katie!" Her mom squealed opening the door and immediatly pulling the college student into a hug. "Oh honey it's so good to see you. I'm so glad you came home for Christmas." "Me too kid." Her dad said from where he stood behind the two hugging women. "Why don't I take your bags?" Kat all too happily handed them over and then followed her parents into the house. Glancing around the Christmas tree she noticed that on the inside their was no sign of Christmas and a small frown crossed her face. "Don't worry honey, were going to have Christmas. We just thought you'd want to be here to help us decorate so we could do it as a family, like we used to." "Oh, well," Kat wasn't sure what to say. Like they used to? When Shannon was around. "Well that's great." She said deciding not to jump the guns before she was barely even in the door. "Maybe after dinner then?" Her parents exchanged a look and then her mother gave a slight nod. "If you'd like sweetheart." "I think I'll go get a drink." Kat said starting to head towards the kitchen. "I'll get it Kat." Her dad said and stood heading towards the kitchen. "What would you like?" "Soda." Kat answered. "Here let me take your coat." Her mother said after her father left the room. Kat nodded feeling strangely out of place, but gave her mother the coat anyway. It was awkward for everyone this year. They were doing Christmas without Shannon and she wasn't living at home and she was finally out of Horizon so things were different now. Her father came back with a drink for her and the three sat and talked about college and jobs for awhile. Two hours later, dinner completed, the three found themselves knee deep in Christmas ornaments. "I don't think these lights work." Her mother said from where she sat in the corner on the floor. "That's ok." Her dad said. "If we don't find any that work, we'll just go buy more." "How long has it been sense you've been in this stuff?" Kat asked as she wiped dust off of a box and started to open it. "It was before... " A sad look crossed the older woman's face. "It was before you went to Horizon." "Oh." Kat said softly. "So you haven't put up anything for Christmas sense...?" "We didn't see a reason to." Her dad cut in. Seeing the hurt look on Kat's face he cut in, "It's just that you were away." Kat started to speak, but her mother suddenly stood, "You know I'm feeling a bit tired. I think we'll just finish up in the morning." With that she hurried out of the room. "I should go check on her." Her father said and followed her mom out of the room. Kat looked around at the scattered ornaments and boxes that sorrounded her. "Well, this is going to be a nice Christmas."
"Well, I guess I should show you around the place." Mark said from where he sat at the other side of the kitchen table. Peter and his brother had sat down to have some coffee and catch up, once Peter had arrived, but so far their conversations hadn't clicked. "Um, yea." Peter said standing up. "It would be good to know where I'll be staying while I'm here." "Good idea." Mark said and joined his brother. Walking from the kitchen they headed down the hallway with Mark pointing out various points of reference to his brother. "My home office is in this room and down that way is the second bathroom." "Kind of big for one person don't you think?" Peter asked as the two walked around. "What can I say - I like space." Mark said and the two continued on. "Well it is a nice place Mark." Peter said seriously. Mark turned his head towards Peter. "You think it's too big don't you?" "I didn't say that." Peter said quickly. "But you are only one person." "I have business associates that come into town. It's better for them to stay with someone in the company then to stay in a hotel. Dad always did it this way." Both stopped moving momentarily thinking of their father. "I didn't mean that..." "It's ok." Peter said trailing off. He cleared his throat. "Dad did want it this way." Pausing for a moment as they continued on, Peter decided to take the opportunity to bring up part of why he was here. "Mark, I want you to know that I didn't just come to visit to see you." "Oh, really? Why else did you come? Are you and Sophie having problems? She's not pregnant is she." Peter felt like he'd ben punched in the stomach. "No no, nothing like that." He said quickly. Sophie had told him last year that she wouldn't be able to have kids and while Peter still loved her, he couldn't help but be a bit dissappointed that no little Peter and Sophie's would be running around. "Actually it's Horizon." Mark turned as if interested in what Peter was about to say, but suddenly his phone rang. "I have to get that." Peter said quickly. "Your room is down the hall on the right. Just make yourself at home." He said hurrying off. "We'll talk later." "Yea." Peter said dissappointed as he watched Mark go. "Later."
Kat rang the doorbell, her luggage in hand. A wreath was on the front door and lights were in the bushes and surrounding the house making her feel better about this trip. If Christmas decorations were already up some, then her parents wouldn't spend the whole time being depressed about Shannon. "Katie!" Her mom squealed opening the door and immediatly pulling the college student into a hug. "Oh honey it's so good to see you. I'm so glad you came home for Christmas." "Me too kid." Her dad said from where he stood behind the two hugging women. "Why don't I take your bags?" Kat all too happily handed them over and then followed her parents into the house. Glancing around the Christmas tree she noticed that on the inside their was no sign of Christmas and a small frown crossed her face. "Don't worry honey, were going to have Christmas. We just thought you'd want to be here to help us decorate so we could do it as a family, like we used to." "Oh, well," Kat wasn't sure what to say. Like they used to? When Shannon was around. "Well that's great." She said deciding not to jump the guns before she was barely even in the door. "Maybe after dinner then?" Her parents exchanged a look and then her mother gave a slight nod. "If you'd like sweetheart." "I think I'll go get a drink." Kat said starting to head towards the kitchen. "I'll get it Kat." Her dad said and stood heading towards the kitchen. "What would you like?" "Soda." Kat answered. "Here let me take your coat." Her mother said after her father left the room. Kat nodded feeling strangely out of place, but gave her mother the coat anyway. It was awkward for everyone this year. They were doing Christmas without Shannon and she wasn't living at home and she was finally out of Horizon so things were different now. Her father came back with a drink for her and the three sat and talked about college and jobs for awhile. Two hours later, dinner completed, the three found themselves knee deep in Christmas ornaments. "I don't think these lights work." Her mother said from where she sat in the corner on the floor. "That's ok." Her dad said. "If we don't find any that work, we'll just go buy more." "How long has it been sense you've been in this stuff?" Kat asked as she wiped dust off of a box and started to open it. "It was before... " A sad look crossed the older woman's face. "It was before you went to Horizon." "Oh." Kat said softly. "So you haven't put up anything for Christmas sense...?" "We didn't see a reason to." Her dad cut in. Seeing the hurt look on Kat's face he cut in, "It's just that you were away." Kat started to speak, but her mother suddenly stood, "You know I'm feeling a bit tired. I think we'll just finish up in the morning." With that she hurried out of the room. "I should go check on her." Her father said and followed her mom out of the room. Kat looked around at the scattered ornaments and boxes that sorrounded her. "Well, this is going to be a nice Christmas."
