is since eleven this morning.
Hunter walks me to the dining room, which houses a large table, a side table, and a kids table—enough for the twenty-four people in attendance. Surprisingly enough, the room fits everyone.
He pulls out my chair, making sure I’m situated before sitting himself. Randy stands next to the huge ham at the head of the table, and Nancy joins him at his side.
“Let us pray,” Randy says as he wraps his arm around Nancy, and they both bow their heads.
Hunter reaches down to my lap and takes my hand in his. We eye each other through our bowed heads, and I grin at how cute he looks right now.
“Love brought Jesus to this table, and love brings us here together. Thank you for giving us another year of joy and immense gratitude for life.” He makes a sniffling sound, so I look up and see he’s staring at Nancy. “We give thanks for this food at our table and the souls in the seats. With joy, we pray. Amen.”
We all join in, “Amen.”
“Dig in!” Ella sings.
Randy grabs the carver and starts cutting into the ham while we all pass around the dishes full of food that look and smell absolutely amazing.
I’m only a few bites in when Uncle Gerry starts up, “So, Katie, let me ask you, what’s the difference between Tiger Woods and Santa?”
“Oh dear.” Nancy covers her eyes with her hand and drops her head.
Hunter laughs under his breath as I reply to his uncle, “I don’t know. What?”
Gerry leans forward and holds his arms out, as if he’s about to deliver the best punch line in history. “Santa was smart enough to stop at three hos!”
Hunter chuckles while Nancy hits him with one of the mistletoe napkins she put at everyone’s place setting.
The room is overcome with joyous laughter and chatter.
My family has always gotten along, but with just my parents and my brother, it’s pretty quiet. My grandparents on either side only visit us on occasion, and we’ve never been close enough to cousins to all get together like this. Still, it has me missing them.
“You okay?” Hunter nudges my shoulder.
When I look at him, I realize I’m not sad about not having my family even though I wish they could be here. But if I have to be anywhere else than with my family, this feels like a good place to be.
“I’m great,” I say honestly.
Hunter’s cousin Samantha hits his shoulder. “Ha! I won. Grandma’s already fading, and she isn’t going to make it to finish her plate.”
We all turn to see Grandma’s head slowly bobbing with closed eyes. Nancy reaches over to move Grandma’s dinner plate, so she doesn’t land in the mashed potatoes.
Hunter’s head falls back in laughter. “Damn it. I swore she’d make it until dessert. I’m losing my touch.” He reaches for his wallet and hands Samantha a twenty.
“Pleasure doing business with you.” She takes it with a cheerful pop to her words.
“You did not place a bet on your grandmother?” I ask in disbelief, trying to hide my smile that wants to break through.
Samantha leans over him to talk to me. “We do every year. This is the first time I’ve won!” She does a little shimmy in her seat. “Money, money, money.” She turns to her sister, sitting across the table, and points.
On cue, her sister, Carlie, sings, “Mon-ey!”
They all break out in laughter with even Melissa joining in. “How did you guys not let me in on the bet this year?”
“You were upstairs with Thomas. Sorry, sis,” Hunter says, and she narrows her eyes.
“Okay, well, I go first on the worst present.” She searches the room before rubbing her hands together.
“Worst present?” I ask with a raised brow.
He grins. “Every year, each of us buys a gag gift. You roll the dice, and depending on the number you get, you either open it, pass it, or swap it. You play until they’re all opened, and at that point, the gift in your hands is the one you take home. It’s fun to guess who brought them.”
“Oh, what did you bring?” I ask, cozying up to him.
“Nuh-uh, no cheating.” Samantha playfully shakes her finger at me.
I purse my lips. “I’m not playing. I didn’t bring anything.”
“I saw seven gifts in our pile,” Samantha states, puzzled, as if she counted wrong.
Hunter rubs my leg under the table. “I brought one for you, so you could play along.”
“Aw! Look at you, being all cutesy.” Samantha places her hands