This is a one-off unrelated to my other stories.
I hope to have the Controlling Mom/Sis sequels out in the next couple of weeks.
Enjoy and Happy Holidays!
***
As Cassie navigated through dark, twisting backroads in a rental car that smelled oddly of burnt popcorn, she couldn't help but wonder why she still so religiously had to make the cross-country pilgrimage to her parents' house every year for Christmas. She was twenty-six now, she made a yearly salary that kept her very comfortable, and had a slew of friends and acquaintances who would have been happy to let her spend the holidays with them. As foolish as she knew it was to call it quits at this point, a part of her wanted to just pull a U-turn and head back home. The flight had been horrendous--delayed two times due to inclement weather, and when it finally landed and she waited much longer than she thought she should have to pick up her luggage, she'd nearly gotten into a shouting match with the rental car agency when they misplaced her reservation.
The only plus was that she seemed poised to beat out the worst of the winter weather that had stalked her across the country. But the promise of fog and mist and rain instead of snow didn't do much to lighten her mood. It was Christmas Eve and she had all the Christmas spirit of a pile of dried-up reindeer turds.
But despite it all, when she finally pulled up to her childhood home and saw it all lit up for the holidays, Cassie felt her anxieties simply melt away.
The trip had been hell, but it was genuinely good to be home.
After taking a deep, sustaining breath, she crawled out of the rental and took a second to stretch her arms and legs. She hadn't even gotten the chance to pop the trunk when she heard the house's front door creak open.
"Oh my God Cassie's here!" she heard her father yell into the empty air. "She's back! She's here! It's finally Christmas!"
"Hi, daddy," she said, trying but failing to hide her smile.
He scrambled down off the front porch and very eagerly (and without asking) took her overnight bag from her once she'd pulled it out of the trunk. "Hurry up and get inside so I can take a good look at you!" he said, slamming the trunk shut.
Cassie thought about objecting, but her dad had always been excitable. And, she supposed, she couldn't really blame him for being excited to see her. After all, work had been so hectic lately that she hadn't had the chance to visit since last Christmas. Oh, she Facetimed and spoke on the phone with him and her mother regularly, but that couldn't replace an actual visit.
Once she was inside and had her boots off, she allowed herself to take a deep breath. The house still smelled the same--homey, if a little musty. She looked around, at the garland and lights festooning the banisters and high shelves, the lights strung up in the doorway to the living room, and at the tree, bright and glowing, next to the smoldering fireplace. Three stockings were pinned to the mantle--one for her dad, one for her mom, and one for her.
"What are you doing just standing at the door like that, Cassie?" her dad called out from the kitchen. "Go take a load off! I've got a Christmas movie playing in the living room and tea brewing out here! Just give me a few minutes. Your mom's working late, she should be back in an hour or so."
"OK, daddy," she said, stifling a yawn. She was exhausted but she couldn't possibly begrudge her father his personal time with her. She sank into the couch after poking the logs around in the fire just for the fun of it, and let her attention wander. She tried to avoid thinking about work, but fears of how behind she'd be when she got back to the office after the New Year came unbidden. She'd have to outdo the whole lot if she wanted that promotion. She knew she could do it, she just needed to pace herself. But she was not looking forward to going back to the rat race. If only she--
Suddenly, her father plopped down onto the couch next to her, holding two steaming mugs of tea.
"Shit, daddy," she said, taking the mug he proffered, "that smells amazing."
"You think so? I've been working on my brewing game. Your mother says I still have a long way to go until I can steep it just the way she does..."
Cassie took a long inhale. "It's perfect," she said. They clinked their mugs together and Cassie smiled.
"So..." her father said after blowing on his mug for a couple of seconds. "How was your flight?"
"Ugh," she groaned, "Hell. Can we talk about it later?"
"Of course we can," he said. "We can talk about anything you want."
"Hah," she said, then shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know, daddy. I'm so tired, my brain feels like mush."
"Mush is good," he said, "there's nothing wrong with mush. Let's just sit here, drink our tea, and watch the movie."
Cassie took a sip. She didn't notice, but her father's grin broadened when she did.
She sat watching the movie for around ten minutes, her attention waxing and waning. The mug in her hand had cooled considerably by then, and she started taking sips much more frequently.
"Daddy," she said after a long, jaw-popping yawn, "are you sure this is a Christmas movie? I'm not following it at all."
"Of course it is, pumpkin. We watch this movie every year."
"Wuh--we do?"
"Yep! It's been our tradition since the Christmas you came home from your freshman year in college. You were so worried about your grades, you were crying that they were going to kick you out. Me, you, and your mom all sat here with this movie playing, drank this tea, and we talked until you felt better."
"Uh...I sort of remember that night, I guess. Things did get better after that."
"They sure did. So you know the movie and the tea always help. Relax. Watch. Drink. It'll help make sure the triggers work later."
"Triggers?"
"Of course, triggers. You've been away for so long and I'm afraid they might not work as well as they used to, so I have to slowly and carefully lull you into a trance before I use them."
"Daddy, what the fuck are you talking abou--"
"Shh, Cassie. Take a deep breath. Watch the movie. This is your favorite part."
Cassie did as she was told and her anxieties melted away. "Yes, daddy, this is my favorite part."
"Good girl. Tell me how work is going."
"Oh, it's fine. It's competitive and I'm busy all the time, but I'm making good money."
"Good, good."
They sat in silence for a moment. The Christmas movie was making less and less sense, but she didn't worry about it. In fact, she wasn't really worrying about anything. She'd been obsessing about her job barely ten minutes ago but now so much as thinking about work during Christmas break seemed silly.
"Got a boyfriend?" her father asked, startling her from her reverie.
