Effortless

Thirty

"I have been going out with this man for three months and it's been going really well." My aunt announced as she paced back and forth in front of us. "You three will not ruin it."

The three of us were sitting on the couch next to each other and we were supposed to be giving our undivided attention to Macy. She insisted that we sit quietly and listen to her lecture. This happened every year so it was nothing new.

"You are going to keep that mouth of yours shut at all times." She pointed an accusatory finger in Easton's face. "I don't want to hear you utter not one word unless you are spoken to, understand?"

Easton tended to ramble to our guests. I think it was his way of dealing with not wanting to be there in the first place. He would often take up the entire conversation, not even leaving my aunt enough time to speak herself. It was quite funny, actually. He talked about nonsense and it made the dinner a little more enjoyable.

"Aye aye captain." Easton mimicked a pirate's voice, saluted, and then laughed at himself afterward.

My aunt took a deep breath and tried to ignore his antics. She was trying to keep calm. She then pointed at Emerson. "You are going to lose the attitude that I can already see brewing. I can't have him thinking I raised a brat."

"But you didn't raise me." Emerson said with the same attitude that my aunt had just mentioned.

"See? That's what I'm talking about." Macy spat. "If any of your bitchiness comes out tonight you will regret it. Understand?."

Emerson shrugged carelessly. My sister always had an attitude when it came to these dinners because she hated them and wanted to make it known that she hated them. She hated being forced to pretend like we were a happy family who ate dinner together every night and spent time with each other. I also believed she upped the attitude because she wanted to run away our aunt's new boyfriends.

"And you." Aunt Macy was now glaring at me. "Quit looking like your dog just got run over by a car. The sulking pisses me off and it will give Dan the wrong impression. He'll think I abuse you or something, that's how damn miserable you always look."

Being in the house in general made me feel miserable, but having to act like a normal and happy family made it even worse. Not looking as if I had just lost my best friend was a difficult task, but if I wanted the night to go smoothly, I'd have to try.

"And finish all of your food." She added. "We don't waste in this house."

The couple times that she would cook for all of us she would normally cook the same dish; chicken pot pie. To say it tasted gross was an understatement. I had never had the meal from anyone else so I couldn't tell if I didn't like the way she cooked it or if I just didn't like it in general. The twins also thought it tasted it bad but they tolerated it better than I ever could.

"Why do you keep making the same dish that you know he hates?" Emerson asked. "You've seen before that he won't eat it and then you act shocked and get upset when he once again doesn't eat it."

"Because that's all she can fucking cook." Easton muttered.

My aunt was about to lash out at the three of us but she caught herself. She shut her eyes and took multiple deep breaths. "Just a couple more months."

Emerson spoke coolly. "A couple more months until this new guy leaves you?"

Emerson's comment made Easton and I chuckle, but it obviously did not have the same effect on my aunt. She was almost seething at the offensive comments that were being thrown at her. I could practically see the veins popping out of her forehead as she clenched her jaw and squeezed her hands into fists.