The Tradition

Two

•Elizabeth's Point of View•
"Oh, Elizabeth it's so good to see you, we're all so glad that you're home." Mom said hugging me.

"Hello, Matthew it's been a while since we've seen you!" My dad said somewhere from the back of the dining hall.

"Since dinner is almost served why don't we all sit down, I'll get lady Alyssa to set a place for you, Matt," Gran said.

We all sat at the table waiting for grandpa, and when he walked in he came and gave all three of his granddaughters a kiss on top of their heads. "It's so nice having all three of my lovely granddaughters eating dinner with us!" He said smiling.

"Elizabeth, how's Charles doing, is he still treating you well?" Mom asked! "Yes, he is treating me well, like a true gentleman," I said risking a side glance in Matt's direction. "He told me to tell everyone that he will be coming for Christmas." I smiled a wicked smile. 

"Oh so, you're staying for Christmas?" Dad said winking at mom and giving my grandparents a look. Why was this conversation so, what's the word I'm looking for dry, civilized, creepy? Wait a second I know what that wink means, and there's no way in bloody hell I'm ever doing it again. Charlie would be so proud of me for using that term correctly.

Before this conversation continued in the direction I think it's going I blurted out, like word vomit. "No, absolutely not I will not go through this again, we all know what happened last time." "I will not put myself through that again!" I said anger boiling inside me. "I was left heartbroken, it's part of the reason why I moved to another content. The only reason I'm here is to support Katie through her birth of baby Owen." I said getting up, "I'm not hungry, I have some phone calls to make." I stormed out of the dining hall, without a word from anyone else. Damned stupid Tradition, make someone else do it, I didn't even want to do it the first time around, to begin with.

I tried calling Charlie but no such luck, so I decided to get some air and walk the grounds, thinking about last time...

*Four Years Ago*

I was never the type of girl that got all glitz and glamoured up. I have never liked wearing dresses but according to Mom and Katie, I wore them well. I looked like an actual girl for once, the last time I wore a dress it was my favorite yellow sundress and eventually, I grew out of it which at that point I was so over the dress thing.

My plans for a normal Christmas ball was to dress nice, no not in a dress but a nice outfit, and stay under the radar. As much as I loved the Christmas Ball, my favorite part of the night was when I would sneak off with Gran to bake Gingerbread Men. But that wasn't happening this year as Katie finished my make-up and Mom fixed my hair, with Gran strapping the small heels to my feet. They better help me down those stairs or I will bust my butt for sure. "Can't you stay still while I tie this blindfold over your eyes?" Katie said getting antsy.

I rolled my eyes not that she can see me roll them anyway, "You guys owe me for this one." Once the blindfold was on, we were walking and as soon as I felt the room temperature change, I heard gasping at our entrance. We walked on for a bit and then suddenly music began to play and I was left to fend for myself. My only hope was for this to turn out the way I wanted it to, as I was giving very little details as to what is going on. But it felt as if I were living the story Gran used to tell us when we were little.

  I  must have stood here for half the night before someone asked me," May I have this dance?" said a familiar voice, with this blindfold on my other scenes were heightened. 

"Of course you may", I replied with my humor. Just as my mysterious dance partner took my hand my favorite upbeat Christmas song came on, Please Come Home rang through the ballroom.