We're still about five days away from Christmas and while everyone wants to talk about Gwen I don't. Nothing we can do, no new leads considering it's been a few days during the holiday season so I focus on what's important to my family around me. More than that I'm woken up by an argument between two of my girls and it's one that nobody wants to get in the middle of.
"Don't tell me you think my Dad isn't good enough for your Mom," Matty barks at Imelda.
"I never said that I just don't want my Mother feeling bad when he doesn't come around to visit her like a man should," Imelda spits back with venom.
"Are you saying MY Dad is some piece of shit one nighter," Matty yells and now everyone who was doing something else is watching as I make my way to the living area.
"Hey your Dad is divorced, for all we know he did something to make your mom leave," Imelda growls, getting as much in Mathilda's face as she can.
"At least my parents were married, what happened when your Dad left? Was there a note or did he just pack up his guitar and ride off like all the deadbeats," Matty says and that's where the fight would start.
As I said it would have started but with Mark Jr. and me there it looks more like a bad Jerry Springer episode. I scoop up Imelda and throw her over my shoulder as she spits curses at Matty while Mark has my Amazon by her waist and ass and follows me.
"Dad, doors," I holler and my dad is quick to get them open.
We're out on the back deck and it's cold but what happens next is worse, it's about a ten foot drop into a giant snow drift and that's where we deposit my girls. I help and watch them both go ass first over the railing and marvel at the depth to which they sink before the scramble to the surface.
"You two cool off," I yell, getting everyone to pause as I take control," Mrs. Ortega and Mr. Amdahl, could you please get a blanket each and something hot to drink while I wait for my fiancés to calm down."
I'm standing outside as they start to scramble to the stairs leading up to the deck and as Mark goes back inside I close the doors and both women look at me shaking
and cold but drastically calmed down. I'm cold too being in no shirt and flannel pajamas but I choose to be here.
"What the hell is this bullshit about," I growl as both girls are desperate to get inside.
"Guys, we're cold," Matty says, shaking.
"So am I but that doesn't answer my fucking question now does it," I state loudly.
"I caught her Dad leaving my mother's room," Imelda stammered.
"Oh my god was she raped," I ask getting a head shake of no," You mean two single consenting adults took a chance at some warm companionship that they probably needed for a couple years now and you decide a fight is the best way to cope with it?"
"Guys we're sorry please let us go inside now we're really cold," Matty says as I grab a handful of snow and drop it down my own pants.
"Fuck the fucking cold! I'll toss both of you over again if you bring it up," I bark, getting both of them to stare at me wide eyed," Now we will go inside and you two will sit while your parents explain to you how this is NOT worth insults and a fist fight."
Imelda and Mathilda dart inside as soon as I get the door open and I follow them in and immediately head to my room to change. Yes my balls are cold as fuck now but I needed to make a damn point. I get back into the living room and see the adults talking with their children. My presence goes unnoticed as I head over to where Loretta and Mom are still working on breakfast. My dad gives me a pat on the back in approval of my handling the situation but it's my other three girls who are waiting in the wings to jump all over their sisters in marriage pending. Mark Jr. sits next to me and Dad and the three of us all have a chuckle at my stopping the fight. It takes about an hour and after breakfast before I get pulled aside by my girls into our room. Rachael, Kori and Katy are guarding the closed door while Matty and Imelda are standing nervously waiting for me.
"Guy we're really sorry, I didn't know how to handle Matty's Dad leaving my Mom's room and I… well I got mad okay," Imelda tells me quietly.
"I am sorry too, I should have kept calm but she started talking shit about my Dad and I got mad too," Matty says very sheepishly.
"I don't need the apology, you do. Both of you couldn't help but cause a giant damn fight with each other and over what? Two parents who might actually have a chance to not be lonely for the rest of their lives. And so what if it doesn't work out long term, at least they had something. I've seen the workaholic mother in action and I've stayed the night at your place and listened to your Dad get drunk and cry a little before passing out," I state as both girls realize where I'm going.
I watch the two apologize and hug it out a little, when they break I give them both a hug and a kiss letting them know it's all done and we move on from the fight. That day the girls decide I need ski lessons and we all head out to go skiing. Now understand the closest I have ever been to skiing before was taking a sled down an icy hill when I was a kid and nearly killing myself while laughing, I'm not laughing now as the very nice man decides to sit me with a bunch of kids in the very beginner class and we spend an hour learning how to stand and walk with the equipment. It's a couple hours before I'm actually moving down a hill on stiff legs and trying not to bust my face, my girls on the other hand are moving faster than I am and having fun as I trudge along trying to keep up. I fall more than my fair share of times and I'm failing to see the fun when I take a turn for the worse and hit a hill out of my level of skill. My breakneck speed descent down the hill is interrupted by my falling flat on my face and then turning into a ball of limbs and flying equipment before finally coming to a stop and realizing that I hurt a lot.
"You did good, you stayed up for about ten seconds longer than I thought you would," my instructor says laughing.
My mood is not a good one as I stagger to my feet and have to retrieve one of my skis and reattach it to my boot. I am back up and the girls are having a laugh but not a mean one, it must have been funny to see me crashing down a hill apparently. I move back to the kids area and try to get my bearings again. I'm trading ski tips with an eleven year old girl named Stephanie as the hours wind down, before we decide to try something just one level up from our ability. We're doing fine and finally I decide I'm done with skiing and remove my rental gear and head inside to return it. I finally get it turned in and say goodbye to Stephanie as she rejoins her parents. I get about half way across the lobby when I hear the conversation from a couple guys by the fire.
"Did you see the babes in the party lodge they converted," one black man asks his three friends.
"Oh yeah, they were out yesterday and again this morning the one with the dyed bangs is so fuckable," A white guy in a sweater states while taking a drink of something.