Page 9 of Her Brother's Keeper

Nox: I get u. U doing okay?

Me: Yes and no. The people are coming the day after tomorrow to take the hospice stuff out of here. I think that is going to be hard for me. I think then it will be real.

Nox: U call me if you need anything, okay?

Me: Okay.

The rest of the day was fairly uneventful for both me and Sage. He went up to nap and play games on his console while I did my best to make a real Christmas dinner, which is a lot harder than it sounds when your cooking skills were still starting out. Tradition in our house always called for a Christmas ham; that was something I wasn’t entirely familiar with cooking, but I read the label and managed.

Nox: We’re watching Christmas movies here at the club, think u and Sage would want to join?

Me: What movies?

Nox: Die Hard and Die Hard 2

Me: I thought you said you were watching Christmas movies.

Nox: What? Those are Christmas movies!

I laughed.

Me: LOL no they aren’t! It’s a Wonderful Life, Elf, A Christmas Story… THOSE are Christmas movies.

Nox: Die Hard, Die Hard 2, THOSE are Christmas movies too!

Me: I think we’re going to have to agree to disagree on that one, and while I wish we could, I just put dinner in the oven so we’re going to have to pass. Plus, I think it’s snowing again, and I don’t want to kill us trying to get there.

Nox: LOL, easy girl. U don’t have to make excuses, I get it. It’s Christmas, and time for family. Sage is yours, the club is mine. It’s cool.

Me: I’m sorry! I didn’t mean for it to come out sounding like a bunch of excuses, I really would if I could.

Nox: It’s okay, Maren. Ur good. Text me if you get bored, k?

Me: I will, I promise. :)

I smiled and finished dinner, feeling a little lighter than I had in… god… since I could remember. It was a good day.

Chapter 5

Nox

“Is that Jailbait?” Rush asked looking over my shoulder.

“Fuck you, man and yeah, it was Maren saying thank you to everybody for her and Sage’s gifts.”

“Aww!” Sunshine smiled from Trigger’s lap and I smiled back at her. We were all in the media room, about to start Die Hard.

“You invite her and the boy over for this?” Dragon asked, taking a pull off his beer from one of the recliners.

“Yeah, she said naw. She’s got their dinner in the oven.”

“Shit, she’s all growed up way too fast, ain’t she?” Dragon muttered and shook his head.

“You ain’t lyin’.” Dray muttered, hugging Everett closer. She dozed against him where they lay on the media room’s extra-long couch.

I sighed unhappily and restlessly. I wanted to see her again, wanted to wave a magic wand and dispel the hurt clouding her eyes every time I looked at her, and it was a bit of a bitch to stay put.

We watched the Die Hard movies because let’s face it, it wasn’t Christmas until you watched Hans Gruber take a swan dive off of Nakatomi Plaza. Then, after the four hours or so romp with Bruce Willis, I was pretty much over it and ready for a nap, so I took myself off to my room.

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