HOME SWEET HOME

“Home sweet home,” Fedora said, collapsing onto the couch.

“Uh, sorry to break it to you, but this is my house,” Harriette said.

Fedora shrugged, “It’ll always feel like mine too.”

Fedora was so glad to finally be back for the wonderfully long winter break, two whole weeks away from homework and classes. Two whole weeks with all of her friends. Sacia was due to arrived home soon, any second now, and Bryan was already over at his house. And AeGuk, who she still counted as one of her friends even though he dumped her, was probably home by now too.

The gang all back together again.

Plus she got a whole two weeks with her other equally wonderful gang, Harriette and Collin. Her gang through thick and thin. And their plans for the weekend were full up, dinner with the fam tonight and tomorrow Christmas shopping at the mall then lunch at Fedora’s favorite diner that sold the best fried chicken and then back home where they will drink hot chocolate and eat cinnabuns while wrapping presents before another dinner with the fam. Sunday was Fedora’s day with the other gang, Sacia, Bryan, AeGuk.

Fedora had to admit she wasn’t nervous about a lot of things, but she was a little unsure how hanging out with AeGuk would go now since they weren’t dating. Fedora still liked AeGuk, she wasn’t hiding that from anyone and she was still a little dazed about the breakup. How had that even happened? She still remembered when AeGuk worshipped her, when she was the one who didn’t care much. How could the tables flip to fast?

But worrying about that was for another day, for today she had dinner with the fam to look forward to. Fedora loved the Brown family, she had always wished that Mrs. Brown would have  been her mother instead of her real mother. Her real mother who she hadn’t even said hi to since arriving in Broad Meadows. Oops.

She had taken the bus right from the airport to Harriette’s house. fedora didn’t hate her mom, she had gotten over that years ago. But her mom was still not one of her favorite people, so she was just gonna wait to see her.

And now apparently the wait was over as Fedora heard her mom’s familiar raspy voice enter the house.

“Ugh, here she is,” Fedora groaned.

“Don’t tell me you didn’t stop by your own house yet?” Harriette said.

“Again?” Collin said.

“If you had her for a mom you wouldn’t either,” Fedora said, standing up, “well, it’s now or never I guess.”

“Fedora,” and there was her mom standing before her with her hands on her hips giving Fedora her best disappointed mom look.

“Mom,” Fedora said, grinning as if she was so happy to see her.

“What did I tell you about not even telling me when you get home?” her mom asked.

“Uhm, that I shouldn’t do it?” Fedora offered.

Her mom shook her head with a huff, “I don’t know what I’m gonna do with you.”

“Good thing you don’t have to worry about that,” Fedora said.

“Welcome back!”

And there was Bentley.

Fedora just casted him a disinterested glance before going up and giving her mom a quick hug.

“I missed you mom,” she said, “but we have some stuff to catch up on, so I’ll talk to you later.”

Fedora looked back at Harriette and Collin and tilted her head in the direction of the stairs. “Let’s go kids!”

“I am not a kid,” Harriette said.

Collin just laughed and took Harriette's hand to lead her up the stairs, behind the now retreating Fedora.

“Hey,” Bentley said to Collin as he passed, “we should catch up later too.”

Collin nodded, “sounds good. See you later.”

Bentley smiled and waved as Collin and Harriette followed Fedora up the stairs.

Fedora, Collin, and Harriette spent the rest of the time until dinner getting caught up. Fedora couldn’t quite believe that Collin finally got a boyfriend, but didn’t stress the fact because Harriette didn’t look to happy about it. Fedora told them about her new high school friends and they couldn’t believe that the friend she finally made weren’t even going to her college. Or any college for that matter.

And then they ate dinner, a nice pot roast for everyone but Grayson who ate some vegan thing that Fedora didn’t care enough to find out the name of.

Oh what a joy to be home for the holidays!