Page 19 of A Different Kind Of December
“Georgia could burn the sun,” she responds, and for a little while, we drink tea, eat scrambled eggs on toast, and talk shit. Paige continues to deny that RJ had anything to do with her injuries, and Jim and I continue not believing her.
Eventually, I bring up the subject of Christmas.
“Nina, Conner, and the kids are coming to ours for Christmas this year.”
I watch as Jimmie’s eyes slide to Paige, and I know I’ve said something wrong.
“Really? Why’s that? I thought they usually spent it with his family.”
Jimmie plasters on a smile as she speaks, but it’s as fake as a politician’s promise.
“Yeah, they do, but his dad’s going on a cruise and one of his brothers is doing something or another, so they all just decided to do their own thing this year. Ash mentioned that they were coming to ours, then asked me if they could come, so I called her and invited them.”
Paige puts her fork down, her food unfinished. Jimmie does the same.
“What you doing, d’ya know yet?” I aim my question at Paige. When I asked her last, she said she didn’t know if she would be in the country due to work commitments. Because she’s just told me that she’s had to cancel all of her work for the next six weeks, I’m assuming that’s no longer the case.
“Can I bring RJ and his mum?” The tone she uses to ask the question tells me she already knows what I’ll say, but I almost choke as I answer.
“No.” I don’t hesitate with my response. I feel like I’ve been stabbed in the heart. “Absolutely not. Never in a million years would I have that oxygen thief in my home or around my family. I can’t believe you’d even ask me.”
She shrugs.
She fucking shrugs as if what she just asked for is another cup of tea or for me to pass her a pen.
“Don’t ask, don’t get.”
“But you must’ve known what my answer would be. Have you any concept of what that woman did to me?”
“Its ancient history and she’s dying.”
“Well, she best hurry the fuck up and get dead. The world’ll be a much better place when she does.”
“She’s a human being, Georgia, one that happens to be my boyfriend’s mum.”
“She also happens to be the cunt who falsified a rape claim against my husband and brother and then stole four years of my life.”
I stand and push back the stool I’ve been sitting on. I don’t know where I’m going or what I’m doing. I can’t fucking think straight.
“Well, then the answers no, I won’t be there.”
I nod. I’m wounded to the core and can’t believe she’d choose her over me. I feel an ache of betrayal bloom in my belly and the burn of tears in my eyes.
“I need to go Jim. I can’t be around her right now.”
Jimmie follows me as I head towards the front door.
“Now do you see what I’m dealing with, George? I stayed quiet so you could see. I don’t know my own daughter.”
I stop at the front door and turn and face my best friend, my sister.
“I love you, Jim. I love all of you, and I totally understand if you want to have Christmas here so that you can spend it with Paige, but there is absolutely no fucking way I’m having that woman anywhere near me and mine.”
Jimmie shakes her head. “I’m not generally a violent person, but you’ve no idea how hard it was in there not to slap my own kid. I don’t want him or his mother here, and right now, I don’t want to be around Paige, either.” I pull her in for a cuddle. “I’m so sorry,” she says into my ear.
“Don’t be, none of this is your fault.”
“Yeah, I keep trying to remind myself of that. Dry your eyes, I don’t want you driving like that. You won’t be able to see properly.”
