Chris Evans: The Collection (Imagines and Short Stories)

25 Days of CHRISmas (Day 5): (Not So) Alone for Christmas

On the third day of Christmas, Katarwyn presents a story about Chris going to Connecticut for the holiday with his married friends, Sebastian and Brea Stan. He ends up falling in love with a feisty Scottish- American Bed and Breakfast owner and manager trying to maintain her family's legacy named Eleanor, a week before Christrmas. Will they get together in the end?

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Here we go again, Chris thinks to himself, groaning to elevate upward from his mattress. Despite usually loving to talk to the person whose term of endearment lit up and made his phone rang loudly. He is well aware of what will ensue with the following conversation if he slid finger across the screen. There are two things on his mind: one, his mom seems to have forgotten once again that it is three am in LA-- hours before he's due to wake for an appointment much later in the morning-- and two, he would have to reassure her that he'd be fine spending Christmas with Sebastian and his wife, Brea, in Connecticut.

He decides to just return the call and remind his mom that he lives in a time zone with an eight-hour difference compared to her currently-- which has been the case for nearly four months. 

"Hi, Mom," Chris says, unable to hide the grogginess in his tone. "You do realize three am for me here."

"I'm so sorry, Sweetheart," she tells him with complete sincerity. "I forgot and I really wanted to talk to my son."

He tries to make her feel less terrible about calling him at this time, "What do I owe the pleasure then, Mother Dear?"

"I just wanted to offer again to come home to Boston for two days or so," She is doing what she would if she were around-- being his mom. It's not something that changed with the mileage or his years in adulthood. It's something she signed up for forty years ago and no Christmas without her would change that. No matter how much she wished she could. However, that would hardly change a thing given the circumstances.

Chris sighs, giving Dodger a stroke and scratch on the head with his free hand since his doggy child wants to be a part of the commotion, "Mom, we discussed this...Since you're coming back from London the first week of January, there's no point for you to jump back and forth in such a short amount of time. Not to mention, I don't want you feeling two sucky days of jetlag for me."

She is reluctant to say, "You're right. I just can't help but feel guilty. It's just so uncool your dad decided to go to Hawaii for Christmas with his new girlfriend rather than spend it with his one child who's alone on the most important holiday for family time of the year."

"Stop," he's not annoyed, just has to remind her of something. "You don't mean any of that. Dad and Grace planned a holiday prior to the pandemic and the hotel offered a much cheaper price and promised only vaccinated visitors were coming..."

"They did ask you first, right?" Lisa asks.

Chris nods, "Yes. I told them to go. Plus you have no problem with Grace."

"She's a wonderful woman. I just think family comes before an intimate vacation," she's caught up in complaining rather than the relatively balanced reality she and Robert share as an amicably divorced couple. She goes on as Chris expected: "Then tell me Scott's excuse again?"

Chris teases, "Have you not spoken to your youngest son? He's so ecstatic and nervous all at once."

"Oh right," her memory is jogged. "Puerto Vallarta."

"He's planning on proposing, so more family for next Christmas," he smiles.

She says gleefully, "I hope so! I would love to be Steve's in-law."

"Me too."

"Did your sisters even invite you to join their extended families?"

"Mom," Chris is getting frustrated. "They did, but I don't want to intrude. Besides, I barely know any of the in-laws from Graham's or Carly's husband's side."