Things I can't forget

Christmas brings family together

It was beginning to get dark and the roads were covered in a thin sheet of snow. Sam and myself were halfway through our four hour drive to get to my fathers house.

"Thank you for coming with me," I said.
I held Sam's free hand whilst he drove. "I know it's Christmas Eve and you probably really don't want to be spending it driving for four hours but I really appreciate it."

"It's a road trip," he grinned squeezing my hand excitedly. "And who could possibly be better to go on a road trip with other than Juliet Manners?"

"No one would," I smiled. "You didn't have to come with me but I'm glad you did because I am so nervous," I said.

"Who would have thought it? Miss confident is nervous?" He asked raising his eyebrows.

I knew Sam was joking but I was really nervous. Extremely nervous. More nervous than the time when I was seven and got my first role in a school play. I had gotten a small part playing one of the orphans in Oliver and I wet myself backstage due to the fact of being so scared.

Back last month my father wanted to meet up with me for dinner. I went and surprisingly, it went good.

I met him in a fancy Italian restaurant a few towns over. He talked about his work and general things and even asked how I was going with everything.

I had told him about Brampton, school and my new friends I had made. I told him about the school play and how I got the part of Wendy. He even told me that he would like to come and see the play on the opening night.

Surprisingly this time there wasn't anything important my father wanted or need to tell me. He genuinely wanted to see me and that made me rather happy knowing that he actually cared.

He even invited me over for christmas to his house. I was nervous because I had never spent Christmas with my father. Nor had I ever been invited to or taken to his house before.

I told Rebecca I was spending Christmas with my father which resulted in yet another argument. Rebecca had other plans. She wanted both of us to spend Christmas with Alex and Caroline instead.

I hadn't seen Alex since I had first met him back when we moved to Brampton. Although I saw Caroline some days passing by in the hall. We would exchange polite hellos but nothing more. Rebecca went around their house often and a few times even stayed the night. So for her, spending Christmas together as one big happy family would be the best thing possible.

Despite Rebecca's bitchy and selfish attitude and behaviour, I stuck to my original plans to spend Christmas with my father and also Sam.

I hadn't yet told my father about Sam. When I had seen him at the restaurant me and Sam had only been together a short while and I didn't want to say anything yet. I know me and Sam have only been together for almost two months now but I feel it's the right time to tell my father. I asked Sam if he would come with me for Christmas and he said he'd love to.

We were driving down Christmas Eve and staying two nights at my fathers house. We were then driving back early Boxing Day. Although my father didn't know Sam was coming. He thought it was only me.

######

"Umm.... Hi?" A guy who looked to be around my age had answered the front door. He was wearing nothing more than a pair of long pyjama bottoms. "Can I help you?" He looked rather confused but I understood why.

"I'm sorry," I apologised my cheeks going red. "I think we're at the wrong house. Sorry for the inconvenience."

Myself and Sam turned away as the boy shut the door and went back inside the house.

"This was defiantly the address your dad had given us," Sam insisted showing me the address on his phone.

"Maybe we're at the wrong number. Lets go check the house next door." I said anxiously.

"Juliet," someone called from behind me. I spun around almost slipping in the snow as I did, to find my father standing in the doorway of the house we had just knocked on.

"I guess we're at the right place after all," I whispered to Sam before we headed towards my father.

"Juliet," my father said shaking my hand in greeting. Just how when I'd seen him at the restaurant he looked older than I was used to him looking.

His once dark brown hair now had a few grey streaks in which almost looked white against his natural colour. I was shocked to see him not wearing his usual grey suits I always saw him wear.

"And whom might you be?" He asked eyeing up Sam who stood next to me.

"Sam Parker, sir," Sam told him shaking fathers extended hand. "It's nice to meet you Mr Manners. Ive head so much about you and it's nice to finally put a face to the description."

"It's nice to meet you Sam," my father said firmly.

"I hope you don't mind but I asked Sam if he would join us for Christmas and he said he'd love too," I said.

"The more he merrier, please come in," he gestured moving back into the house.

The house not what I expected it to be like. When I pictured my fathers house I always thought of big gates, long drive and too many rooms to count size house.

This house was the opposite. It was a big house just not unnecessarily massive. Inside was painted in warm cream colours and looked very modernised.

From the hallway I could see christmas lights decorating some rooms in the house and a large highly decorated Christmas tree in the living room.

"Hey... I didn't realise we were having company," the boy who had first opened the door said walking out into the hallway. Still only wearing his pyjama bottoms.

"Hi, my names Juliet and this is my boyfriend Sam," I introduced.

"Matt," he said shaking both mine and Sam's hand.

Looking over at Sam he seemed unusually tense. Maybe it was too soon for him to meet my father. We should have waited a while longer.

"I told you to get changed into actual clothes," my father scowled at Matt.

"You didn't tell me we were having guests over," Matt said shrugging. "We haven't met before, have we?" Matt asked me.

"No, you haven't," my father answered instead. "You should have met years ago. It was never right to separate you from each other in the first place." He said looking sad.

What was he talking about? What did he mean by separate you from each other?

"Is... Is Matt your son?" I asked shocked. "Is Matt my brother?"

It was possible. Maybe my father did have another child. After all we never saw each other and father never spoke anything of him to me before. Judging by the look on Matts face, he didn't know anything either.

I studied Matt for a moment. His hair was almost the same shade of brown as mine. Likewise were his eyes. On the other hand he was taller than me but not by a lot. I was 5'3 and he looked around 5'7.

"Is Juliet right?" Matt asked examining me. "Is she my sister?"

"Yes but not only are you siblings, your also twins."