Dennis stumbled through the front door first face already rosey from wine.
"Ma? Ma what's wrong?" Dennis asked as he half stumbled to her.
"Get everyone in the kitchen now!" Sue yelled angry tears rolling down her wrinkled face.
Sue waddled back to the kitchen dragging a chair from the dining room to sit in front of her fridge. The remaining four adults slowly came to cram into the small kitchen fighting the food on the counters for personal space.
I'm done. I don't like this. Secrets?! Shanna? All of you just telling me to mind my business and get through the holiday? I'm old, not stupid! Stop treating me like I didn't raise or support all of you! On Christmas of all days! Do you all hate me?! Sue thought wallowing in her confusion and anger she brought her hand up to her mouth as she exhaled.
"Whoa Mom.." Jenna rushed to her mother's side. "What in the world has gotten into you?" She asked holding her hands to her chest.
Sue shook a little and wiped her face as she tried to steady her anger. Sue waved Jenna away and told them all to set the table. Giving up hope. Depression slowly bled through her, replacing most of her fear and anger.

She walked to her table dragging the chair to sit at the head, knowing this would be the last time she saw her family together in one place. Worry filled her as she doubted it would be worth looking back on while she drifted to her eternal life. I should of died last Christmas. Nothing is how it should be. My life's ending chapter is demeaning, pitiful even... Why am I being punished?
It seemed like forever for her family to organize themselves with the food around the table and Sue was grateful for the window to breath lost in thought.
Everyone eventually sat, sparsely speaking. All except Lyra and Shanna we're accounted for.
Sue reached across the table from her chair and strained to get to her bottle of wine. She poured a large glass and sipped it. Slowly Jenna, Dennis, and Lorren found their voices again.
"Momma? ….Why does Shanna look so scary now?" Lorren asked turning towards her mother. Feet swinging slowly in front of her. Jenna paused then cleared her throat. "Oh honey... well…"
Jenna trailed off as Lyra rounded the hallway into the dining room, looking slightly less than a perfect realtor. Frazzled hair and anger sharp in her gaze calmly announced that Shanna would join them shortly.
Lyra made her way to the seat across from Dennis and sat, nervous picking hair and lint off her blazer.

"Too good to sit with your loving husband my dear?" Said Dennis who had been watching Lyra with drunken disdain in his eyes.

Lyra brissled and pursed her lips as she aggressively flicked her cloth napkin at him. Twice.
Before dropping it softly over her lap never looking up to meet his gaze.

Shanna finally rounded the corner her spiky hair bouncing with her strides.
"Dinner before presents? We just got here!" Shanna complained.
"Young lady you will not winge and you will do as your told. Now sit down!" Lyra barked.
"Ugh! Mom you are the…"

"Hey!" Sue yelled.
Everyone fell silent and looked at her.
Sue guzzled the last of her glass and let the alcohol warm her achy bones.
"You know what let's do presents first." Sue declared.
"Why in the world not." Scoffed Dennis as he got up finishing his wine and leaving the dining room.
He came back bags in hands and threw them on the ground aggressively before going back for more.
"Man can't help but make a scene." Lyra said under her breath.

"Oww stop!" Lorren whined as Shanna cackled still pinching the back of Lorren's arm. Jenna's head snapped around towards the two girls and braced to stand but Lyra was quicker. With the back side of her hand Lyra struck Shanna across the cheek. Lorren stiffened in shock but Shanna laughed.
"Your getting weak in your old age Mother."
Dennis had been coming back with the second load of presents as Lyra stood up, brought her hand fully back palm up to strike Shanna again when Nick grabbed her hand.
"I don't know if this is normal in your house, but you will not traumatize both of our kids on Christmas!"
"Pretty high and mighty statement for someone who can't satisfy his own wife's needs."
Lyra spat venomously back.
Jenna stood grabbing both the children's hands and walked them out of the kitchen and into Sue's bedroom.
"Lyra!" Dennis yelled "what the actual FUCK."
Jenna came back out of the bedroom and stood in front of her shocked husband.
"How dare you ask for us to plea on your behalf in a custody battle AGAINST my own BROTHER then behave this way. Insult MY husband? Slapping your child at the dinner table on CHRISTMAS! Are you on drugs? DON'T YOU THINK FOR ONE SECOND WE WOULD EVER BACK YOUR CLAIM TO THAT POOR GIRL. YOU ARE A SORRY EXCUSE OF A MOTHER AND WIFE. YOU FILTHY FUCKING HARLET!" Jenna yelled, fully enraged.

"STOP IT!" Sue screamed

"This doesn't concern you Sue!" Lyra yelled
"You would never lift a finger for our family always turning a blind eye and pretending that you have the perfect family. Your son's an alcoholic, your daughter is a bipolar mess and you don't even have pictures up of your daughter who killed herself 16 years ago! You know what I just found out Sue? Your dirty little secret? She called you for help and you told her to do it! You told her if Hell is where she wants to be then to go! You helped her swallow those pills! She didn't fit your perfect family image so you helped push her over the edge. She was my best friend! I felt like I basically lived here too in highschool and you never gave her a fighting chance! You killed her! I hate all of you! Everyone of you are sick and twisted people who deserve a lifetime of misery!"

"Don't you DARE bring Tessa into this!" Jenna said then lunged for Lyra.

Dennis found his back against a wall and slowly slumped down to the floor bags still in hand as he watched Nick try and hold his sister back from killing his wife.

Sue cries loudly into her hands feeling helpless at the scene in front of her. I just want to die. Sue thought as Shanna came running from the bedroom and jumped on top of the table sending plates of food to the floor. An open letter in her hands.
"TO MY DEAREST CHILDREN THIS IS A FORMAL GOODBYE!" Shanna shouted.
The adults all stopped and watched her.
" By the time you are reading this I will have passed into the arms of the Lord. I didn't want to ruin Christmas by telling you that I won't be joining you for New Year's. The truth is I haven't been fully truthful with any of you. I have nothing more to give you but the memories and love we shared over the years. It's to much regret that I am leaving both of your families with my debt. But I know how strong and successful both of you are and I hope you can weather it during your grieving hour. Just know that I love you, will always love you and hope that you stay on the path of the light to meet me and your father in heaven. The gifts I have given this Christmas is all the money I had and I hope you cherish them because they are the love I have for you.
Don't forget me.
All my love, your mother Sue." Shanna finished reading the letter and looked up to her parents and aunt and uncle. "See? You guys don't need to fight anymore. There never was money in the will! No one gets money! So now we can go back to being a family again!"

"No money…" Jenna softly stated.
"What happened to Tess's life insurance?! You told us you put it in a trust for us! When you went we would split it! Mom is this true?!" Jenna turned to Sue with wild haunted eyes.

Sue's ears begin to ring her heart strains. She cannot hear any more. The pitch in her ears gets higher and higher and her vision begins to blur. This is the end, Sue knew. The blurrs of colors that she knows as her family collide and blend together as her eyes begin to shut. Sue could hear a collaboration of voices but could not make out any of the words. She gasps for air and falls out of her chair to the ground. She doesn't feel the impact just the coolness of the tile below her. The high pitch ringing in her ears climbing in intensity, with each passing second. She inhales deep as she fails to inflate her lungs fully.
What did I do to deserve this horrible end…
Sue thought as she faded. Looking for her way to the pearly gates.

Sue held her breath in pursuit of anything white.
Screaming silently, for her late husband to come show her the way.

Sue exhaled.



……..............


@PeightonMakany
© PeightonMakany