Nadine Cross - Life Unknown

Chapter Nine - Family Ties

 Chapter Nine

Family Ties

Nadine had taken the children to New York to spend Christmas at Michelle’s request (more like insistence).  They left Michelle’s townhouse in New York the day before Christmas Eve in a chauffer driven stretch Hummer to spend the rest of the Christmas Holiday at Michelle’s home in Pennsylvania.  The children were ecstatic.  They had never been in a Hummer before so the stretch Hummer was almost more than their little minds could handle.  Much to Nadine’s surprise her oldest sister Maria had also come to New York with her daughter Marie (after their mom).  Each of the three children wanted to sit next to a window and thank goodness there were many.  Each of the seats accommodated a DVD Player with head sets and remote controls so there would be no fighting over who would watch what on the drive up.  The drive would take at least three hours during which time the adults enjoyed cocktails and humorous banter. 

Nadine noticed how quiet Monique was and went back to talk to the young woman.  Nadine sometimes forgot that the girl was eighteen years old.  She still considered the sweet girl her baby and therefore a child.  As it turned out, Monique had fallen for someone at her school and was feeling melancholy about leaving him behind.  Nadine new exactly where the girl was coming from as she would have loved to have spent Christmas with her new found friend Rudy and told the girl as much.  They talked quietly among themselves about the two men and Nadine felt their bond strengthen even more.

Nadine’s sister Maria was the oldest of the clan of which there were 5 siblings.  She had been married for 12 years before she realized that she was a lesbian.  She recently divorced her husband and moved to Atlanta with her 11 year-old daughter to be with her lover.  When Maria made the announcement one day at a family gathering, Michelle and Nadine just looked at each other knowingly.  Later, Michelle would say to Nadine “See…what I tell you?”  Michelle and Nadine had always had their suspicions, not because of any way that Maria would act, but how much time she spent with her husband’s female cousin Sharon.  Needless to say Gordon Maria’s husband at the time was not pleased to find out.  

Nadine’s brother Ray was expected to meet them in Pennsylvania, but that was neither here nor there.  Ray was the youngest and most spoiled sibling.  Ray lived his life in the fast lane.  He was always in one country or another.  He had built his own company (very successfully) when he was a young man.  He was always tinkering with things and taking them apart as a child.  As an adult it all paid off.  If there was adventure to be found, Ray would find it.  If Ray did manage to fit them into his very busy jet-setting schedule, then only one family member would be missing, their sister Angela.

Angela was Nadine’s second oldest sister.  Angela, growing up, always thought she was better than the rest of the sisters and made no attempt to hide it.  She was also the world’s biggest “drama queen”.  Fortunately for Angela, being a drama queen paid off as she became quite a movie star abroad where she lived most of the year.  Unless Marie died or something drastic like that happened, Angela would not step foot in the States.  The last time anyone had seen her was when Marie had the heart attack, and even then she did not stay long.  Nadine always thought that the bitch was running away from her past.  Angela had been involved in some very shady, (to say the least) dealings when she became “of age”.  “She should remember where her ass came from.” Michelle had always said of Angela.  Nadine would get over it if she did not show up.  They never got along anyway.  Now that Angela was married to some up and coming movie producer she might forget she had family all together.  Se la vie.

The Pocono Mountains in winter were always beautiful, but at Christmas it was truly a winter wonderland!  The snow covered mountains.  The gorgeous homes well decorated and brilliantly lit.  It was picture perfect. 

The holidays were better than Nadine could have expected.  Her brother Ray did show up with his new wife in tow.  A gorgeous little blonde he met in Rio, Carla.  Who knew?!!  Angela however did not make an appearance but called Marie on Christmas Day.  There were lavish gifts to be opened, exquisite food to be eaten and a good time was had by all.  The holiday ended with everyone promising to keep in touch and a renewed sense of family.