Dinner had put everyone in a drowsy, lethargic mood. The large amounts of wine that the adults had consumed probably didn't help the matter, either. Even my mom had had some, and she never drinks.
Most of the younger kids had gone upstairs to play video games and the babies had been put to sleep downstairs in the family room. Jaime, Brady and I were the only ones under 21 at the table.
As the adults talked and sipped at their wine, the conversation grew slower and more languid. The fireplace was lit in the living room, making the air comfortably warm. The Hansons had Christmas music playing softly through speakers all through dinner, but I had barely heard it until now when everyone was growing quieter.
No matter how warm and festive the situation might have been, I sat disgruntled at the table with my chin in my hand. I refused to have fun tonight.
Eileen had been saying something to my mother, but she stopped mid-sentence when she caught sight of the Christmas tree. Pensively, her head tilted a bit to the side. "Didn't get much of it done tonight, did we?" she asked, smiling at the irony.
My mother looked over her shoulder and followed Eileen's gaze to the half-decorated tree. "No, I suppose we didn't… We've still got some time, though," my mom pointed out. "It's only about 9 o'clock."
Eileen shrugged. "Don't worry about it. I'll finish the rest tomorrow. Everyone seems exhausted," she said, glancing around the table. Exhausted was an understatement. Just about everyone had a stupid far-away smile on their face as they talked quietly with each other.
"How about the kids, then?" my mother suggested. "Jaime? Want to put some decorations up?"
My brother pretended not to hear her, staring down at his cell phone as he texted.
She sighed, turning to me. "Andrea? How about you?"
I glanced up at my mom to raise an eyebrow, but she was already giving me that "why-not-just-do-it" look. How was it that my brother and I had the same mother, were born only minutes apart, grew up in the same household; yet, he could get away with murder and I always got "the look." I had to learn to just not make eye-contact.
Rolling my eyes, I got to my feet and trudged over to the Christmas tree. There was a small glass coffee-table in the middle of the living room where Eileen had put all of the decorations. As I picked one up and reached out to put it on a branch, I heard the words I had been dreading.
"Brady… Why don't you go help Andy?"
I didn't even have to turn around to know that a smirk had spread across his lips. "Alright, Mom."
I shut my eyes and clenched my jaw together as I heard his footsteps walking over. In order to avoid the urge to tell Brady to "sit his ass back down because I did not need his help," I mumbled angrily under my breath instead.
"Little edgy tonight, Andy?" Brady asked, walking up to the tree to hang a glass snowman decoration. He looked knowingly to the side and smirked at me again before returning to the coffee-table to get another ornament.
I whirled around and crossed my arms, watching him walk back and forth between the Christmas tree and the glass table.
"Well, you gonna do something, or what?"
