How to Love

Chapter 1

I made my way up the granite steps to the green oak door of my father's house. Ever since I moved out and went away to University, things changed; for the worse.

My mother and father split up. My younger brother was still a hermit living in his tiny bedroom awaiting some fairytale princess that would never come. Let's face it: love is overrated. Everyone always expects to fall in love. Well I know first hand that love doesn't last. Love only stays until you have two kids and the first goes off to college. It is only then that you realize you want to cheat on your husband because you 'fell out of love'. That was my mother six months ago.

My take on all this is that she never even fell in love in the first place.

I knocked twice on the door feeling out of place already. I know its Christmas holidays, we are supposed to come together as one big, happy family. It will probably just be me, my dad, and Charlie; my younger brother.

My father opened the door with a shocked expression.

"Hey Claire, what a suprise!" he said with a big grin on his wrinkled face."Come on in sweetheart."

"Hey dad, where's Charlie?" I asked him.

I don't blame my dad for my mom leaving him. My mom never cared about him at all or any of us for that matter. She's probably off screwing that dick of a boyfriend of hers named Henry. Well one thing's for sure, I sure as hell am never going to see her or her 'significant others' ever again.

"Charlie's up in his room acting like a hermit, as per usual." he chuckled quietly.

"I am worried about him." I told him.

"You and me both sweetheart, but we can't force him to break out of his shell he grew over the years." he said with a sorrowed expression written on his face. "Let's not make this a sad Christmas, let's make it a one for the books!" he smiled wiping all hints of sadness off his face.

I smiled back at him then set my coat and purse down on the arm of the couch, sitting down on the couch. My dad quickly ran upstairs to get Charlie as I waited in the empty, gloomy room once occupied by my mother's knick knacks and trinkets.

How is my dad supposed to take this kind of torture. Charlie and I are taking it a whole lot better then he is. For him, it is sort of like a self-imposed torture; like he is putting this image in his head that my mother will come back. I feel sorry for him knowing that she most definitely will not come back.

I saw my brother walking into the room and I stood up to greet him.

"Sis! How's it going? God, I have't seen your face around here in a while!" he said while pulling me into a tight embrace.

"Charlie, I've missed you so much, but look at you! You've grown a head taller then me in only six months! My little brother is growing up!" I told him pulling away from the hug.

"I've missed you too, and now, I'm finally taller then you!" he laughed and together, me and my dad laughed along with him. This was a good feeling to have; knowing I'm not alone. If love were even real, this would be its definition. That true love shit isn't real at all.

"Alright guys, let's open some presents!" my dad said. This is probably the happiest I have seen him in six months.

"Okay dad, so I know it's not much but here you go!" I told him bringing out a blue gift bag and holding it up to him.

He took it from my grasp and tore through all the tissue paper until he reached the gift.

"This isn't much?" he mocked me. "This is the greatest gift anyone has ever given me!" He says while pulling out a bottle of Blossom Hill white wine.