“I get all my news by watching ‘The View’,” said Carmen.
“Ugh, I hate that show,” said Pippa. Everyone at the table except Carmen laughed.
“I just told you it’s my favorite show and your response is to immediately insult it?”
“I’m sorry, I just can’t stand the way they always talk over each other. It’s so unprofessional.”
“Men talk over each other on every other talk show. Why is it only ‘unprofessional’ when women do it?” Carmen knew the exaggerated Valley Girl accent she had used on the word “unprofessional” was a bit over the top, but Pippa had hit a nerve. Especially since Carmen knew if she said the exact same thing about anything Pippa said she liked, she’d be raked over the coals for it. But Pippa acts like a bitch and they all think it’s funny? The double standard was driving her crazy.
Pippa gave Carmen a look from the tops of her eyes while her head was still tilted down. Carmen knew that look meant Pippa recognized Carmen had her cornered.
And yet it didn’t matter, because the men in Carmen’s family were blinded by her goody-two-shoes act. How could they not see it was so clearly an act!
“So, what does everyone want for Christmas?” Dick said in an obvious attempt to change the subject. Dick had been Carmen’s favorite brother until he had brought this fake-ass bitch home.
It was moments like these when Carmen really, really missed her mom. Being the only woman left in the family was bad enough. Then Dick had to go and make it worse by bringing home someone who had no interest in teaming up with Carmen. Her only goal seemed to be to antagonize her. And she was really, really good at it.
That night, Carmen washed the dishes while everyone else left. When the coast was clear, she gathered up her things and started getting ready to leave. Her dad asked her if she needed a ride home.
“No, thanks,” said Carmen, as she leashed up her dog. “Buffy needs her evening walk.”
“OK. Good night.”
“Good night.”
Before turning to go out the front door, Carmen took a minute to gaze on her dad’s Christmas tree. It was massive and it was decked out in every Christmas tree ornament they had collected for the past three decades.
As she took it all in, Carmen thought about all the movies and TV shows she had seen that talked about how powerful a wish could be. She figured it might be time for a Christmas wish.
So she closed her eyes, and she wished really, really hard that Pippa would vanish from her life without a trace.
To be continued…