Contract Marriage 2 (Sample)

The New Year

"It's not back yet, omg, I totally forgot about it. Why don't you try that pink one?" My mother suggested as she decorates the cake while the whole kitchen had the thick aroma air with all the turkey and other things Mrs. Adam's were working on.

Yes, I wished to be around my loved ones this Christmas but this is not what I asked for. Making a salad while my mother is making a load of dishes with her friend Mrs. Adam's.

".... Thank God, Elle, Our kids turned out to be so great." Mrs. Adam's replied to my mom on something they were talking about I wasn't paying attention to. But our kids include me and my siblings as Mrs. Adams, our neighbor who lives across the street never had a kid. And did I mention that Mrs. Adams is a cousin to my ex-mother in law? No? Well, yes, she is. But for her, our family always comes first. She might be a cousin to my ex-mother in law, Mrs. Anderson but she was never close to her as much as she was to my mom.

When my brother informed about my father getting hospitalized because of a heart attack I cursed myself for never talking to my dad much. And, came praying all the way to my hometown. But now just after two days, this house doesn't look like that it had a person who just suffered a minor heart attack.

My mother was quick to decorate our house and invite our neighbors. It was nothing new and out of place as our neighbors were always more than welcome in this house. And yes, talking about my father who was conversing with his old mates Uncle Adam and Jones in the living room looks quite healthy while sharing his trip to some wild outskirts when he was young. Or, a research paper on which he and Uncle Jones worked together.

Mr. and Mrs. Adams always lived across the street and never had a child. Besides them, there was my dad's old childhood friend Uncle Jones. His wife passed away in an accident and children were married and happy but lived in another state and never bothered to visit much. So, these three were more than a must than our Christmas tree in the holidays. As for my parents' neighborhood always came first.

Still sitting on the kitchen table I tried to get along with my mother and aunt, Adams. If silently sitting on the chair and helping them in cutting vegetables considered getting along. They were so deep in their conversation and the 21-year-old Sarah was the topic who was expecting out of wedlock. The thing that irked me most was that Sarah was the daughter of Nicholas, a family who was close to Andersons. And the last thing I want right now was to listen to anything about Andersons from my mothers' or aunts' mouth because I know I will lose it.

My sister can't stop screaming for something she can't find again while my brother was out with a friend of his who he always brought along with him because Ryan doesn't have his own family. So, the same Christmas with the same old people.

I couldn't help and wonder why this nexus hasn't asked me about anything about my stay in L.A. Because this is not their usual self. They will always be annoying and asks a lot of questions. I could sense that all of them were trying hard to not annoy me but I will see for how long they can put on their masks.

Soon, my brother Jake along with his friend Ryan came after strolling around with their other friends. My brother with his friend Ryan had left the town to pursue their degree in Law and my dad can't stop talking about it on the dining table even after six months. Ryan was always a family. My parents used to pay his school fee whenever his aunt wasn't paying and after his aunt passing away, he was practically a family.

With my family and three old neighbors on the dining table cheering, I couldn't help but recall the day before my wedding. All of us were excited and having the last dinner together. At start my parents never supported me getting married. They were shocked knowing that I never wanted to pursue my Ph.D. like they always decided for me. My mother is a professor in a university who always wanted me to pursue my master's and Ph.D. after but I couldn't wait to start my family with Paul and that too never happened.