Ths is write a holiday family gathering in 2nd person...
You walk through the front door with a huge smile on your tired and sand blasted face. You kick the door closed and drop your bag down on the floor by the door. The mindless singing in the kitchen stops. “Hello?” You hear your aunt’s voice ring through the house. You walk towards the kitchen silently waiting for your aunt to see you walk in. As you round the corner to the kitchen you see the dining room set up for one less than is in the house. You enter the kitchen and your aunt is standing with a kitchen knife in her hands and a stern look on her face. When she sees it’s you, her face softens and the knife is dropped to the floor as she begins to jump up and down with happiness that you’re home. You ask where everyone is and she attempts to answer you between the tears. She starts to collapse and you hold her to you as her tears soak your uniform. She looks up at your face as the tears pool in her eyes and causes her expensive mascara to run down her face. You comfort her and lead her to the bar stools you used to spin on as a child. You begin to help her in the kitchen as she wipes the tears from her face. She complains that you made her ruin her makeup. She smiles at you as you fill the pan with chopped vegetables. She doesn’t let you out of her sight and stands close helping you cook, giggling at the pink frilly apron thrown over your uniform. Her blouse is frazzled and you can’t believe she hasn’t fixed it. You listen to her mindless chatter but your head is a thousand miles away think of your colleagues who didn’t make it home for the holidays. Your aunt talks of the black Friday deals your family is out shopping for. You laugh and ask when your cousins will get home. She glances at the clock and claims any minute now. You talk about the weather and anything but how your tour was and you’re thankful. The sound of a key in the front door followed by the shaking of dog collars and your cousins talking and laughing about an inside joke that happened while you were gone. You feel the pain of missing your family but remember what you’re doing over there. You remembering that your bags is in the entryway and just like that your cousins are quiet and the only noise you can hear are the dogs barking as they come running into the kitchen. Your cousins come running around the corner and stop dead when they see you standing in the kitchen with your aunt’s apron on. Your littlest cousin breaks away, yelling your name and hugs your leg. You laugh and pick up the little giggling child pulling her close and swinging her back and forth. Your other cousin smiles and comes running. You’re tackled by your cousins and your aunt stands laughing in the kitchen a wooden spoon in her hand and her makeup completely gone by now except the little bit of mascara clinging to the bags under her eyes. You spend the time talking to your cousins and aunt until your parents walk in the door. Your mom comes running around the corner her arms full of grocery bags that she releases as she runs to you and engulfs you in a hug. Hot tears stream down her face and you have to support her weight as she goes nearly limp in your arms. Your father stands to the side with tears in his eyes but being the strong man he is they won’t fall from his eyes. You look at your parents faces and realize how much they’ve aged in the 13 months you’ve been away. You hug your whole family and you realize amidst the family and the barking dogs the smell of cooking turkey, and the snow on the ground outside the windows you realize nothing beats being home for the holidays.
