The whole of the extended Franks clan had shown up for Christmas Eve. There were Franks from Denver, Franks from Lincoln and Franks from Kansas City. Ironically there were no Franks from Frankfurt, Connor figured they couldn't make it. Not that it mattered to him, less Franks meant less people to point and whisper.
He wasn't the only one receiving a cold familial reception, just as much frostiness was reserved for the young woman who accompanied him. Rebecca looked the same at twenty-nine as she had at nineteen. Her gingery hair and soft brown eyes were just as striking now as they were ten years ago.
The way she filled out her maroon calico dress made him proud to have her by his side. She looked like some kind of hot farmer's daughter, which he supposed she was.
"Connor and Becky, right?" A plump, red-faced man, who looked to be a few years older than his own thirty-two, grabbed Connor's hand. "I'm your cousin Billy Franks, from your Dad's side."
"Hence the name, Billy Franks," Connor said earning a giggle from Rebecca.
Billy's almond eyes squinted as Connor's quip sailed right over his receding hairline. He faked a shrimp-scented laugh and clapped Connor on the back anyway. "You're the one who moved to Buffalo, right?" Connor nodded. "What about you sweetheart, where are you living now?" His breath was hurled Rebecca's way.
"Buffalo," she said blushing.
"Oh, must be convenient living so close to your big brother." This time Connor's face went scarlet. "How do you like it out there?"
"They have great chicken wings, nice and spicy," Connor said.
"Ooh, I like spicy. I've been eating the heck out of that spicy shrimp your mom set out."
"I can see that," Connor said trying to keep a safe distance.
"Well, nice to talk to you again." Billy smiled and turned, probably on the tail of some more shrimp.
"That's why we can never have children," Connor kidded his sister. "Do you want to see a double dose of those genes getting passed down?"
She looked at the floor and smiled.
Connor saw another of his cousins drag Billy away from the buffet. She whispered something in the fat man's ear. Billy looked at Connor and Rebecca, his mouth hung wide open, ringed with cocktail sauce.
Connor took his sister by the hand and led her to the front door. He didn't think his mother or older sister had ever blabbed about the two of them to anyone, but he couldn't be sure. "I'm going to get some air," he whispered in her ear.
Connor sat on the steps and watched as his breath hovered before him in a steamy fog, then dispersed in the winter air. The old farmhouse and barn stood out amongst the housing editions that were beginning to spring up all around it. Bulldozers and cement trucks sat motionless in the fields. Abandoned and snow-covered, they waited patiently for December 26th. White flight had found it's way to the farthest reaches of Kansas, as Owens Mill was on the cusp of transforming from farm town to suburb.
So much could change in just ten years, he thought. Change could be scary, he imagined what this old place would look like in another ten years and shivered.
"Hi, I'm Lori, this is my brother Ryan." The girl's voice startled Connor, he hopped off the porch step. The boy waved and then stuffed his hands under his arms, it was freezing without a coat. Conner guessed that the boy was around twelve or so and the girl couldn't be any older than ten.
He recognized them, he had met them at his big sister's wedding. "You're Jan's step-kids," Connor said. They both nodded.
"I guess that kind of makes me your Uncle Connor." He rose from the porch stoop and offered his hand to each of them.
"Todd Junior couldn't make it?" he asked.
"No, he's spending Christmas with his real dad," the girl answered.
"He doesn't know what he's missing," Connor snickered.
"You must not be into the whole family thing either," the boy, Ryan, said.
"Given a choice between being around those people and freezing my butt off..." Connor blew warm air on his raw hands. "Let's just say I stand by my choice."
"So what disease do you have?" Ryan asked. Connor wondered what those relatives had been telling the boy. "We have step-child syndrome, to be avoided at all cost."
"Ah that. Don't worry they'll work up an immunity after repeated contact." He sighed. "What I have, time apparently won't heal."
"Connor, honey," it was Rebecca, "come in before you freeze." She saw the kids and bit her bottom lip.
"Coming Beck."
The rest of the night went the same way, other than a brief chat with his newly minted brother-in-law Barry, the rest of the family avoided both he and Rebecca.
Connor was in the kitchen after the party had quieted down. He was drinking a glass of water at the sink when Rebecca came in. "Connor," she wrapped her arms around him. "Look what I swiped from Uncle Sandy's stupid hat." She held a sprig of plastic mistletoe over her head.
That was how this had all began. She had kissed him under the mistletoe that first time. He knew they shouldn't, but could no more stop himself now than he could ten years ago. He bent down and pressed his lips to hers. She closed her eyes as they kissed. A hissing gasp from the kitchen door separated them.
Jan, their older sister averted her eyes as she carried an empty platter to the sink. "You promised you wouldn't do that," she said glaring at Rebecca. "What if mom sees you?"
"What if Mom sees? You think she doesn't know? You think everyone else doesn't know?! The way Connor and I feel about each other isn't going to change, not ever." Connor put his arm around Rebecca's back.
"Fine, if you want to kill mom go right ahead. You can pull up your dress right here on the kitchen table and let your brother put a load in you."
Connor looked at his older sister. "Jan, we're not trying to hurt Mom."
"Like you weren't trying to hurt Dad?" Jan leveled a finger at Connor. "Was it just a coincidence that he had his stroke six months after catching his little girl in bed with his only son?"
