Chapter Forty Eight
*unedited
Christmas Day at Robin's was always a day full of laughter, love and joy. After going to church early in the morning, the first church outing Robin's family had made since the move to Boston, they went out for breakfast at a local diner. Then it was home for gift opening and dinner prep. Usually they had a Christmas ham and other side dishes and everyone pitched in. But once the ham was finally cooking and everyone was getting started on mashed potatoes, collard greens and more, Robin got a chance to sneak out of the heated, bustling kitchen and into her room, the only place she could be alone.
"You sure you can make it over here?" Robin whispered into the phone, still looking around cautiously to make sure no one was coming up the stairs. She leaned towards her door and closed it with her fingertips, straining to lock it. "All of you?"
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Dinner was going to be ready in less than an hour, meaning while Robin's dad double checked everything and made last minute preparations, everyone else was getting dressed in their Christmas best. Ariella's mom and Robin's mom were yapping girlishly at each other about outfit choices in Robin's parents' room, like teenage girls talking about their prom dresses. Meanwhile, Ariella, Jesus, and Robin were sandwiched in the bathroom, side by side as they each tried to gussy up in the big horizontal mirror in front of them. Robin's elbow kept bumping into Jesus' neck as she used the curling iron, twisting big loose curls in her hair.
"Ow," Jesus grunted, shuffling away a bit only to bump into Ariella, who happened to be applying mascara.
She lurched to the front, poking herself in the eye and swinging her hand up to her eye to recover, shouting out a string of curses that could no doubt be heard by Robin's mom and Ariella's mom too.
"Okay, this maybe wasn't the best idea," Robin said, sighing and stepping back from the mirror, using her hands to puff up her curls.
"Agreed," Jesus rolled his eyes, scoffing. He was met with a nasty look from both of the girls.
"Why are you even in here? You're already dressed up, you gotta do your makeup or something too? Que estupido," Ariella muttered, straying away from Jesus as she rolled her eyes.
He paused, then turned to Ariella in one smooth motion,
"Si tu dices otra cosa, voy a golpearte en la boca." (olivia says hi in bad spanish)
Ariella turned her head with a wounded expression on her face, one that morphed into distaste, and she began going off,
"Adelante, no te poderlo."
"De veras? Recuerdas la vez que-"
They began overlapping each other and getting louder, Robin only able to understand fragments of their speech. Robin tried to ignore them but was given something to distract herself with when the doorbell rang.
"Guys, shh shh!" she exclaimed, knowing exactly who was at the door and not wanting her guests' first welcomes to be two cousins arguing in another language.
They ceased the yelling but continued to argue with each other in sniping whispers.
"Who's at the door?" Robin's mother called out, and Robin heard the bed springs creak as she got up off of them in the other room.
"I'll get it!" Robin volunteered enthusiastically, propelling out of the doorway and down the stairs.
Her father was still slaving away in the kitchen and wouldn't see anything, so Robin opened the door, swinging it wide open and greeting her guests with a delighted smile on her face.
"Hello," Robin said, focusing in on her guest of honor.
River smiled and shook his head, the ringleader of his posse- his family, whom Robin had invited over for dinner.
"Merry Christmas," he sang, holding a plate in one hand and a box, presumably full of gifts, in the other.
"Hello..." Robin's mother greeted everyone hesitantly, just coming down the staircase and gently taking off from the banister.
Her eyes roamed around the crowd- eight people, all of them looking like strangers eager to barge in to her house and dive into traditions they hadn't been invited to. She was confused, the look on her face said it all as she stared at Robin searching for context, but all she got in return was a bleary eyed smirk.
"We brought food, don't worry," said Rain to Robin's mother.
Robin turned to her mom, the victorious smirk still on her face,
"So, can they come in? I mean, they did bring food and, it is Christmas. It would be such a Grinch move if you didn't let them."
Robin's mother stared down Robin dangerously, a look that said "we'll deal with this later." She then turned to the Phoenix family, a less vile expression on her tired face, and asked,
"What exactly did you all bring?"
"Everything's vegan, ma'am, but it's delicious," claimed River's father.
River's mother nodded,
"Mm-hm! We have bean casserole, butternut squash soup, roast potatoes, cauliflower, vegan gravy, and pear spice upside down cake."
Robin's mother looked impressed. While she was burning livid on the inside, she couldn't resist a well-cooked meal. With raised brows and a reflective hum she asked, peering further out of the door with her nose above the box River was holding,
"You made this all yourself?"
"Every last drop. Oh, and Rain and River made vegan chocolate chip cookies. It's their personal favorite."
Robin's mother seemed to debate internally, folding her arms and tapping her feet.
"Well, it is Christmas. And you did bring food. And Hugh is going to kill you," she turned to Robin with a pointed expression. "It's chilly out, though! Come on in."
River seemed to let out a noticeable sigh of relief and he and the others came marching in, hanging up coats and taking off shoes (a new custom in the Phoenix house; feng shui), and putting dinner plates on the table. Robin's father, alerted to the ruckus, stepped out of the kitchen in his apron to see what was going on.
"What's all this?" he asked, more confused than angry, staring down River's family who were helping Robin's mother set up the table and add extra chairs, even though some would have to dine in the kitchen.
"It's a family Christmas dinner!" Robin exclaimed, clinging to River who looked nervous but tried to smile anyway.
"Leslie-" her father started, but she cut him off, holding up a hand,
"Uh uh. Your daughter thought it would be a good idea to invite her little boyfriend and her family over for dinner, and I'll be damned if we don't let them in when they brought perfectly good food."
That was probably the only reason Robin's mother was allowing this. Robin was noticing that her mother had been quite neutral during this whole time. Of course she was upset, but she was a bit more accepting of Robin's choices. Her instincts told her to be protective, but understanding. Meanwhile, Robin's father's instincts told him to be protective, yes, but hardened, and less accepting of the situation.
"And who would we be to turn these wonderful people away on Christmas?" Robin frowned exaggeratedly.
"They live next door," her father said through grit teeth. "Robin, I swear to almighty God-"
"Uhp uhp uhp," Robin's mother scolded him like a preschool teacher, her hand going up again. She raised a pointed brow and put a hand on her hip. "I hope you wasn't about to use the Lord's name in vain, Hugh Harold Skye."
"No ma'am," he retreated, holding his hands behind his back.
Robin's mom smiled a sickly sweet smile,
"Good. Now let's get this ham out the oven, hmm?"
As they disappeared into the kitchen, River turned to Robin and cracked a joke,
"You look like that sometimes."
"Like what, my mom?"
He put his hand on his hip and raised a brow, exactly like Robin's mom,
"Exactly like your mom."
Robin gave him the middle finger but all that made him do was pull her into him and hug her, feeling the fabric of her dress on the back. He pulled away but his hands remained on her hips, his eyes glimmering,
"You look gorgeous."
Robin chuckled,
"And you look cold."
He was, too. His nose was red and his face was flushed, although he hadn't been outside for long and had now been inside for a few minutes, but his face didn't clear. He sniffled and Robin cooed,
"Aww, you look so cute. Look at your nose."
She booped his nose with her finger and he scrunched it up intuitively, looking like a bunny rabbit.
"Stooop, I'm so white," he said in dismay, looking down at the ground.
"You are so white," she laughed. She paused and then continued the teasing. "But look at you, you look like a little bunny rabbit, you're so cute."
"Oh. My. God, look at you two, I mean holy-" Ariella screeched, only for her mouth to get covered by Jesus.
Cringing at the notice of how publicly affectionate they were being, River and Robin squirmed out of the other's touch.
"That's great, Ariella," Robin sighed, giving her a stink-eye.
Ariella ripped Jesus' hand away from her mouth, and egged Robin on with vicious fervor,
"Get that white chocolate, Robin! Remember that issue from Cosmo in the seventh grade? Always, always-"
"This is where you pretend not to hear her," Robin smiled to River, speaking so only he could hear.
He nodded pensively, shutting out all of Ariella's salacious advice.
"Ahh. Makes sense."
Robin turned to Jesus who was approaching her, and she bit at her lip. He wouldn't be upset, would he? They already had a conversation. She just prayed he wouldn't-
"Hey man," he said, offering a hand to River.
River, thinking this was a casual handshake, was enveloped in confusion when Jesus tried to dap him up, a concept River had never seen nor heard of.
Jesus gave him a look but knew what the problem was,
"You don't know how to dap up?"
"I guess not..."
"You have a black girlfriend and you don't know how to dap up."
River hesitated, then turned to Robin, looking like a cluless puppy,
"Robin... should I know how to-"
"How about we don't involve me in this?" she gave them both a sweet smile. "Enjoy your bro time," she said, and hurried out of that situation as soon as possible.
But when she watched from afar, in conversation with Ariella, who was going on and on about how cute Robin's relationship was, she saw that River and Jesus were laughing and smiling with each other. And soon enough, Christmas dinner commenced.
While a majority of River's sisters besides Rain sat together with Leaf, the others all sat at the dining room table after all of them said grace in the living room. Everyone was passing around bowls and plates and loading their own plates. It was like Robin's Christmas dinner at home with family, R&B playing on the TV in the background and the sound of glasses clattering and plates being filled and chatter being chattered filling the room. It felt like a real family. All Robin hoped was that her father felt the same way too.
"You look beautiful, Mrs. Skye," said River, while digging into his own food. "And congratulations on your pregnancy."
"Why thank you," Robin's mother beamed. "It's nice to hear that a few months along."
"Giving birth to River was such an... adventure," his mother, Heart, said, and River groaned.
"Here we go again," he muttered to Robin, who chuckled under her breath.
"He took so long, he came out to a round of applause," Heart chuckled with a scoff.
"Wow. I can only hope the same for Noah," Robin's mother said, and then she paused, choking on her food a bit.
Robin's eyes widened,
"You already found out the gender?"
Robin's dad patted her on the back while her mother took a sip of water.
"I wasn't supposed to say anything," she said, finally clearing her throat.
"Well, congratulations again. Boys are a bouncing addition to any family," Heart said warmly.
"So, River. When did you and my daughter start dating?" Robin's father asked, settling in his chair and folding his muscly hands together. River cleared his throat and scooched forward in his chair.
"Uh, well, not officially until around November. We both were um... too shy."
"I was scared to date him. Can you believe that, dad?" Robin pressed, challenging him.
"What is it that you like about my daughter?"
"Oh God..." River leaned back in his chair and smiled, shaking his head. All the attention was on him, everyone's eyes seeming to bore into his soul, eager to know the answer to this question. He chuckled and turned to face her, his eyes swimming with romance and anticipation. His voice was bouncy and jovial as he spoke directly to her. "She's so many things. I guess what I love most about her, you know, she isn't just one thing. She's so much... larger than that."
River's family stayed behind to help wash dirty dishes and clean up, but after that it was time to leave, it was nearly midnight. They had spent the rest of the night eating, playing games, and opening gifts from River. He'd brought Robin and her family gifts. Her mother got a handmade scarf, her father got a kitchen cooking set, and Robin got a sachet of crystals- rose quartz, pure quartz, amethyst, emerald- "they're all love crystals," he had explained. But after that, everyone started to clear out. Ariella, Jesus, and both Ariella and Robin's mothers got ready for bed. The only people left were River, Robin, and her father.
But just as River was getting ready to leave, Robin's dad advised him to stay, and they all moved to the living room, River and Robin on one couch, her father on his chair.
"Dad, it's getting late," Robin yawned. She was snuggled up in a pillow on the couch in her onesie pajamas (gifted by Ariella's mom), no makeup, hair in a frizzy bun. "I think River should go home, he'll be tired tomorrow."
"That's fine," River excused her, and she shrugged.
Robin's dad leaned forward in his chair, his hands grasped together, elbows resting on his knees.
"I thought I should have a conversation with you guys."
"You think?" Robin huffed, but River placed a gentle finger on her wet lips, and she rolled her eyes.
"We're listening," River managed an understanding smile.
"What do you plan on doing with your future, son?" her father asked, nodding towards River, eyebrows drawn in inquiry.
"Well... I know I'm interested in environmental studies and activism. Not sure what I'd do as a long term career. I just know I want to make a difference," River said with a self assured nod.
"And... you think you'd be able to take care of my daughter if it came down to it?"
"Ugh, dad, we're not getting married or anything," Robin groaned, sucking her teeth. "I like him, he likes me. What's the fuss?"
"Robin, I don't want you getting hurt again. I just hope you're being smart."
"Sir, if I may. Robin told me what happened, last time she... she told me what happened. And it sounds cliche but know that I would never do anything like that. I would never even come close to hurting her. Your daughter- Robin is amazing. She's funny, she's sweet, she's talented. She's so much more than what she lets strangers see. And when you get to see that, get to see the personality she doesn't just show everyone, that's the best part. I would never violate her trust, because I know how important it is to her that I gain it."
A long silence filled the room as Robin's father thought over River's words in his head.
"You really like her, don't you?"
"I do."
"Robin?" her father asked.
"Yeah?"
"What's your word?"
"Dad, River treats me well. Better than I treat him. No one else can dictate how we feel about each other."
"River... you seem like a good kid," her father said, turning back to River.
"Thanks," River smiled, becoming more self aware and straightening up on the couch as he smiled.
"But I'm still feeling you out. You really wanna date my daughter?"
"More than anything," River said, a bit too eagerly.
Robin snorted,
"Damn."
He nudged her gently, not enough for her father to notice.
"I want you to spend a day with me. Just you and me, sometime this week. When are you available?"
"Everyday."
"So the 30th will work?"
"Of course," River complied.
"Great. You decide what we do. Make a good choice."
"Of course I will, sir."
"Great. You can leave now."
Once River left, Robin's dad moved to the couch where Robin was, wrapping an arm around her.
"You know I love you, Birdy, right?"
Robin let her head fall into the crook of her dad's shoulder. She sighed,
"Yeah. I love you too."
"And if he ever hurts you..."
"You will castrate him, I know. But you won't have to because River loves me."
"Wait, huh? He loves you? Didn't y'all just start dating?"
"He loves me. I know he does. When someone loves you, you can feel it. He hasn't said it yet. And neither have I, but I know he does. And when you love someone you would do everything and nothing at all to hurt him. He hasn't hurt me though, and I think he never will. He's like, defying the definition of love."
It was then that Robin knew exactly what she was going to write about.
we're gonna start jumping ahead in this book!!!
hope u guys enjoyed this chapter!
also if you caught the OMB reference i luv u and the "Her" reference hahaha