THE RULES OF MISTLETOE

Elisa Muse The ringing in my ears is so annoying that I have no choice but to wake up. I check the time, "Who the f**k calls me at three in the morning?" I grumpily complain, then I stare at the screen and sigh, "Of course, she will be the one calling..." I sighed, and after missing the first call, I got on the first ring, the second. "Hi, Grandma..." I said in a sleepy but cheerful voice. My grandmother is the bomb. "Oh, Elisa... I hope I am not interrupting you in your chores, darling..." she said, and I scrunched my eyebrows. No matter how long I have lived abroad, she never gets the time difference right. I yawned, "No, Grams, I was sleeping. It is three in the morning..." I said, "What are you doing at that hour?" she asked, appalled. "You are young, yes, but you still need your beauty sleep," she advised, making me laugh. Is she for real? She was the one who woke me up with her call... I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, "Well, lucky for you, I am up... so what's new, Grams?" I asked, "Oh, honey... I was calling you about something... but I don't remember what it was... I am sure it will come to me..." she said, and my heart squeezed. My grandmother is entirely functional, but her mind slips sometimes... I love her to pieces, but with her almost ninety years of age, the possibility of not having her around increases every day. That is why I don't complain whenever she calls me at odd hours. "So, tell me... How have you been?" she asked, "I am doing great, Grams. The fashion house I work for is planning a huge runway, and guess whose designs made the cut?" I said in a sing-song voice. "You are very talented. I am sure you got that from me. And your beauty comes from this side of the family..." she said matter-of-factly, despite me being a carbon copy of my mother. "Oh! I remembered..." she said triumphantly, and I waited for her to say whatever she needed. "What is it, Grams?" I asked her after the long pause she held. "Eddie is coming home for Christmas..." She announced proudly, and I almost gasped. Eddie, my brother, is a very famous music producer. He tours the globe most of the year with his band, the Abbotts Red. He hasn't been home for a while, and I managed to see him briefly two years ago when he made a quick pit-stop in Paris... "Wow, Grams, that is nice... He finally made time to pause and return to the mothership..." I joked, and she giggled. "So, here is the plan..." she said, not giving room for any arguments. "Everyone, and I mean that... will be home for the Holidays... I want all my grandkids, kids, and everyone here with me..." She paused, and I froze. I haven't been back home either. It has been five years since my heart got broken, stomped about, chewed, and spat back. I had been avoiding the moment I had to return, and I was about to yell at her that I wouldn't return home or celebrate the Holidays. I stopped celebrating five years ago and see no reason to start now. "Elisa, I am getting old and want one last memory of my family. I am starting to forget things, and I can see it in your dad's face... he is worried about me... Buddy, too..." she sighed, "Would you? Please? For me?" she pleaded, and with a tear escaping my eyes, I took a deep breath and barfed, "Of course, Grams, I will be there for the Holidays..." My voice choked. This was hard for me to do, but she was right. Who knows if this could be her last Christmas, if not physically, mentally, with us? She wants to treasure one more holiday in her heart because her mind is starting to fail. "Excellent... I knew you would say yes..." She sighed, and then she paused. "Hello?" she said, "Grams?" I muttered, "Oh, darling... it is nice that you have called..." she sighed, and I choked... Yes, my Grams were slipping into oblivion more frequently, even if I didn't celebrate Holidays and swore never to return to that place... I will do it for her... for the memories we will create and treasure forever. "I love you, Grams..." I sighed, and she chuckled. "Don't tell the others... but you are my favorite..." she mumbled, making me laugh. I was sure she told that to everyone... and I mean it... I heard her say the same thing to Eddie once, and there is no doubt she has said it to Amanda or Peyton. "I've got to go, Grams. Say hi to Buddy. I love you both!" I sighed, and she said goodbye, finishing the call. "Putain, qui t'appelle à cette heure?" (f*****g hell, who calls you at this hour?) Collette, my best friend and roommate, stood at the threshold of my room. She worked for the same fashion house, and we were each other's rides or dies. "My grandmother..." I replied, and she sighed. "Honey..." she sat beside me, realizing I had tears in my eyes. "Is it that bad?" she asked, and I nodded. "Worse, she was slipping away and asked me to return home for Christmas..." I sighed, and she patted my head, running her fingers in my messy locks. "I think it is time for you to go... five years... you are not the same, and I am sure things have changed..." she sighed, and I nodded. "Maybe... but I don't celebrate anything anymore... but I will pretend for Grams' sake," I added. "It looks like you will need reinforcements..." she sighed, and I nodded with a pout. "Will you?" I asked, and she chuckled. "Are there any hot guys in your little American town? You know I am out of luck with Parisian guys... I am too much for them..." She said confidently, and I shrugged my shoulders. "A couple of jerks, maybe..." I sighed, "Those are enough to get a good laid..." she said enthusiastically. Collette's standards were way below average. Every time we went out, it ended the same way: I came back alone because she had hooked up with some random dude... I wished she could see how amazing and worthy she was. She deserved the world, but she had permanently settled for peanuts. On the other hand, I knew my worth and was traded for peanuts. After that, I never bounced back, never recovered fully, and I knew that the pestering wound would come out bursting as soon as I stepped home. I needed Collette there; she was the only one who could contain the outburst. "Scoot over, let's catch some sleep, and we will talk about it tomorrow..." She made a spot on my bed for herself, and having her around made me feel secure and comfortable. Despite that, sleep never came back. My mind reeled about what had happened five years ago, and my stomach churned with the idea of seeing him again. I never spoke to him. I left and never turned around. Could it be that he will realize what he has lost when he sees it? Is my heart ready to see him? Would he be as handsome as ever? What would I say? What would he say? Suddenly, the promise I made to Grandma seemed like a terrible idea... Would I ever be ready to go back to our town? The most festive city during the Holidays? The townspeople call it 'Mistletoe Town' as a joke. I had no idea if I was ready, but I would return home for her: My Grams.