"So," Chloé opened once the whole family was seated at the dinner table, "You starred in a movie?"
"Yeah." Jay nodded after taking another serving of rice, it was really good if he said so himself.
"That's pretty dope." Chloé admitted while his aunt Marie shook her head.
"Unbelievable. Sorry dear, it's just… your life seems so unreal. You wake up from a six year long coma, go away to Switzerland where you undergo a… physical transformation and make questionable hair decisions, start playing guitar, singing and acting. I bet Hollywood would just looove to turn your story into a major motion picture."
"Questionable hair decisions? Seriously? What's wrong with my hair?" Jay threw his hands up and Lou giggled.
François took a sip of wine and commented, "It would probably look better on me."
His wife let out a laugh before she noticed her daughter checking her phone and frowned.
"Juliette? Put your phone away, will you? We're eating." Marie chided.
"Et donc?" (And so?) the teen dismissively responded.
"And so, it's bad table manners. Put it away." her mother angrily retorted, appalled at her daughter's total show of disrespect.
"Ah ouais? Tu sais quoi d'autre est de mauvaise manière? Parler en putain d'anglais alors qu'on est en France." (Oh yeah? Know what else is bad manners? Speaking in fucking English when we're in France.) she acridly spat out before abruptly standing up.
Well, that escalated quickly.
"Juliette! Non mais ça va pas?!" (What's wrong with you?!) François stood up as well, completely stunned.
"Quoi, papa? Et me dis pas que ça te fait pas chier, pas quand t'en es déjà à ton troisième verre de pinot!" (What, dad? And don't tell me this doesn't bother you either, not when you're on your third glass of Pinot!)
The sound of the slap that ensued resounded through the entire room, and Jay had to say, it was the kind of pleasant ASMR he didn't mind hearing again. On repeat, if possible.
Marie's face turned red and she pointed at the stairs, "You know very well that we use English because Lee isn't completely fluent in French. We also use it because your grandfather is more comfortable with it. Go in your room, and don't come out until you're ready to apologize to everyone for your unbecoming behavior."
Juliette held her stinging cheek and spat out a "Fine!" before hatefully storming away.
"I am so sorry," Marie started but Helen cut her off. "It's not your fault, sis."
Lee nodded in approval, before looking at Jay and adding, "I'm glad we got to skip those years."
Helen kicked him under the table.
***
Jay had been cornered by everyone at the end of the meal, and they insisted he gives them an impromptu concert.
He, of course, wouldn't deny them their wish. He went back to his room and grabbed Shadow before going back to the living room and settling down on the couch's armrest.
"Any requests?" he asked and they just told him to play whatever, and so he did a few of the ones he was more familiar with, all covers.
When he was done, his family cheered and clapped appreciatively, and he gave them a playful bow.
Chloé whistled at him in awe, "Wow, you can sing little cousin." She wasn't just humoring him, she was genuinely impressed.
Lou clung to his arm and proudly declared, "Yep! Jay's the best."
Pauline just kept staring at his guitar, lost in thought, and Marie laughed with her wine glass in hand, "You're gonna be beating girls off with a stick."
Helen rolled her eyes at her sister, "Seriously?"
Marie shrugged, "It's true. Try letting him serenade on or two and you'll see. What, afraid they'll eat your precious baby up?" she teased.
"... As long as it's not those cougars…" Helen inaudibly mumbled.
Jay heard her though, and took note of the comment for future references.
His grandfather chose this moment to storm down the stairs, and it felt like they would crack under his momentum for a second.
"Bloody hell! Ye people let me sleep through dinner?!" the Irish giant exclaimed in disbelief.
"You think we didn't try to wake you up? You big oaf, we even gave shaking you awake a go, but you were sleeping so deeply you didn't even react!" Freja threw back at him in displeasure.
Sean awkwardly scratched his beard, and before he could add anything, his stomach rumbled. Very, very loudly. Jay reckoned a sports car would have nothing on that sound.
"Haha, me love... 'am starvin'..." the giant sheepishly stated, to the laughter of everyone present.
Jay could swear he also heard Juliette let out a snort from where she was peeking above the stairs.
***
December 25th 2010.
After his aunt Marie and her family had settled down yesterday, Freja's bouchées à la reine had earned raving reviews. Jay's sauce had been good too, but it had honestly been overshadowed. He didn't mind, it was true his grandmother's dishes were excellent.
After Sean's arrival, he had been served his meal and had also insisted to hear his grandson play a few songs, which Jay had gladly done.
Next, Pauline had decided she also wanted to showcase her talents as an aspiring ballerina, even though she had never seen any ballet, nor technically ever practiced the craft either.
But it had been fun, and Lou, although shy, had also ended up being coaxed by her two years older cousin into joining her.
Jay thought maybe they should put her up for a few lessons, she had appeared to enjoy herself tremendously when it was just pretend, so giving it a shot shouldn't be a problem. That was food for thoughts.
An hour later, they had been tired after a long day, so they had all retired to their respective rooms for the night.
Yesterday, everyone had woken up late. They had taken breakfast before splitting up in two groups; one had stayed at home to finish decorating, and the last one had taken the cars out for a last-minute shopping.
Jay had gone with Chloé, and they had borrowed Freja's car. They had gone to the shopping mall, which had been completely crowded, but thankfully still opened. Inside, the two of them had gone their own ways with a groceries list each.
Jay had taken that opportunity to buy a few more Christmas gifts with his credit card which worked overseas. Though they'd tax him for it. The things you do for family...
He and Chloé had regrouped after a couple of hours and driven back home where Lee and Sean had been trying to get the lights outside to work. Jay had wondered why they had waited for so long, and his grandpa had told him that it would have been a waste of electricity to have the 'damn lights on all the damn time'.
Chloé had muffled a laugh and dragged him inside to help the others finish decorating the Christmas tree.
François had gone out to shop for who knows what with Juliette. The girl was a typical teenager in her typical teenage phase. She had serious attitude problems, if what Jay had witnessed the day before had been any indication.
When his aunt's family had arrived, he hadn't even noticed her at first because she was huddled in the couch, unmoving. He had wanted to say hi but Chloé had stopped him.
"Don't. You'll be wasting your time." she had warned him.
He had still tried talking to the girl later though, and was rudely barked at. So, there was that. And she used to be so cute when she was a kid. He hoped Lou's phase wouldn't be that bad.
All in all, yesterday had been a very busy day. And today was Christmas.
Jay woke up as usual, did some reps in his room and went for a quick early shower, unhindered since Chloé was still sleeping.
He went back and dressed before taking his wrapped up presents and bringing them upstairs.
He put them under the Christmas tree, making sure the names were all on. He had splurged a little, he had to admit.
Everyone got up and had breakfast, before regrouping under the now fully-lit pine tree.
Lou was the smallest, so she did the honors and opened one first. It was from her mom, a pull-over with Alvin and the Chipmunks' Theodore's face on it.
"So cute!!" the little girl exclaimed before trying it on. It really was adorable.
Pauline was next, and the gift she opened was from Juliette.
"AHHH!" the little girl blanched and threw the box down, which made it easy for everyone to spot the dead cockroach that came out of it.
Pauline started crying, while Juliette just laughed. "What? I heard it's full of vitamins."
Her mother wanted to ground her but then again it didn't seem appropriate since it was Christmas, so the atmosphere quickly turned awkward.
Jay picked one of the gifts he had prepared under the tree and squatted near the sobbing little girl, "Here, this is mine. Merry Christmas, Pau."
Pauline sniffled and hesitated before opening it. It was a huge box and she took sometime unwrapping it, but her eyes widened when she was done.
"Wow!!" she gasped at the Totally Spies' gadgets inside. Jay had gotten the hint from his aunt Marie when he had asked. It was one of the gifts he'd bought yesterday.
François and his wife gratefully smiled at him, "Pau, what do you say?"
"Thank you Jay!!" the little girl came over and kissed her cousin's cheek happily.
He had managed to alleviate Juliette's damage, he hoped that would hold.
Next up where his parents, they both got a watch and a necklace. His grandparents got clothes and other miscellaneous stuff.
Jay got a knitted sweater from his grandma and… a gun from his grandfather. His mom looked about ready to tear into him, before realizing it was only a fake.
Chloé got him an electronic watch, and Pau a drawing. Juliette hadn't gotten him anything, and that was fine with him.
He got a painting with Marvel and DC superheroes from his mom, she had done it herself and it was seriously SICK. He loved it.
His dad had gotten him a Swiss knife with his name carved on it and had promised they would find some time to go camping and put it to good use.
And last but not least…
"Here! Open mine!!" Lou happily exclaimed before handing him a wrapped up small-sized box.
Jay gently nodded and did as he was asked. It was a clay figurine of a man in a hospital gown, and a little girl on his knees. It was clumsily made, but to him, it was priceless.
He turned to the little girl who was nervously waiting for his response. He let out a smile as dazzling as dawn on a summer's day and tightly hugged her. "Thank you, baby, I love it to death."
She giggled joyfully, "Mommy helped me make it!"
"Did she?" Jay turned to his mom and winked at her.
"Uh-uh. Lou did the most, I barely did anything." Helen warmly replied.
The others finished opening their gifts and Jay also gave his to Lou. One was a dog collar for Scamp he had gotten made in L.A, the other was a Minion's plush toy. A gigantic sized one. And it talked.
If her shriek was any indication, she had liked it.
***
Horizon for Homeless Children. On the same day, but at a different hour.
Charmaine and Tracy, another staff member, were startled awake when a huge crate requiring their signatures arrived by truck in the middle of the night.
"We didn't order anything." the women kept insisting but the driver told them that everything had already been paid for and that he was just a hired delivery man.
"Look, if you don't want it, it's going to the trash bin." he said before taking a card from his coat and handing it to them. "I'm supposed to give you that too."
He nodded at the women and tipped his cap, before going back inside his truck. He waited until all his guys were done with the unloading before bidding the ladies goodnight and departing.
Tracy and Charmaine just eyed each other skeptically, before the latter decided to open the letter.
[I'm not Christian, but I read somewhere that the true meaning of Christmas was to share joy with others. Now, I don't have a lot of that to share just yet, but I hope these gifts will compensate for it. Happy holidays to all of you.
With love,
Jay.]