Friends: Christmas

Part 8

"What's wrong with your daughter dating my son?" Chris mother asks, frowning severely from her chair as she stares down the table at your mother, challenging her blatantly. "Is he not good enough for her or something?"

Oh shit.

"No, I never said that," your mother shakes her head quickly. "There's nothing wrong with them being together! Why does everyone think I think there is!?"

"It's the way you said it," Sabrina sighs, her fingers tapping nervously against the table. "You could have phrased it better. We know you don't mean anything by it."

Yes she does.

She means it very negatively.

Welp, time to pack up the pasta and call it a day.

You look down at your plate.

How much pasta could fit on one plate? You bet a lot if you really put your mind to it, and you could probably have it all on there and out the door about the time the fighting really got started, too.

You feel Chris suddenly crush your hand, and you raise your head in surprise to look at him, startled.

He was glaring.

Chris was glaring at your mother.

What had you missed during your pasta wonderings?

You glance around, seeing even Sabrina, the most loyal follower of your mother, looks annoyed.

Shit.

Should you have the same expression?

What had happened?

You'd gotten really good at zoning your mother out, so you'd missed it.

"I would never do that to her," Chris barks, his voice harsh. "I'm a musician, not an asshole!"

Do what?

You look at your mother.

"You're going to be away from her for months at a time, on the road with hundreds of younger women throwing themselves at you - how do you expect me to believe you wouldn't be tempted by one of them? Every man has his weak days!"

Younger women?

You were still in your twenties.

You were young.

You frown.

"Obviously that happens to me all the time and I'm not interested in any of them!" Chris snaps, and you feel like he's going to break his hand.

"Sure, not now, but what about when the two of you have a fight?" your mother challenges. "I just don't want my daughter calling me crying because you've broken her heart after she's cared about you all these years!"

Son of a bitch.

Shut the hell up!

And you wouldn't call her crying, you never have.

You stare at her, your eyes widening.

Don't spill the beans.

Don't you fucking do it.

Don't you tell him I'm in love with him!

"Mom -."

"No, baby, listen to me! I just want you happy, okay? I love Chris to death, I do, but - dating amusician? He'll have an off day and he'll stray and when you find out you're gonna be shattered!" your mother looks genuinely upset for you. "I just don't want that to happen."