First Christmas by Trevor McCall

Author:Trevor McCall [McCall, Trevor]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-12-05T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter Ten

Aubrey and Kyle rode along in silence. One of the best indicators of compatibility between people is their ability to enjoy the other person’s quiet. In this metric as well, Aubrey and Kyle exceeded the results of ordinary couples. Even if they weren’t yet, and might not ever be again, an actual couple.

It occurred to Aubrey there was one other thing she and Kyle hadn’t talked about. The time had come to remedy that, “I’ve got something for you, Kyle.”

“Fire away.” Kyle said with more confidence than he would have shown had he known what Aubrey was about to ask.

“Name one thing you’re doing for yourself this Christmas?” Aubrey fished for introspection on Kyle’s part.

Kyle deflected by acting like he didn’t understand. “What do you mean?”

Aubrey frowned. She knew he knew what she meant. “Which word was it in the sentence you didn’t understand.”

Kyle nodded. It was time to come up with something to throw her off the scent. His mind drew an epic blank. “Oh Aubrey, I do some things for myself.” Ambiguous denial was the best card he had to play.

Aubrey wouldn’t take ambiguity for an answer. “Okay. I’m asking you to name one of them.”

Silence spilled from Kyle in gallons. Since she put him on the spot, he couldn’t think of a single thing. “I mean… I don’t know…there’s a football game on this Sunday I’ll probably watch.”

“I knew it.” Aubrey gloated.

“Knew what?”

“You haven’t changed. You still do everything for everyone else and you never take time for yourself.”

Kyle processed the criticism. “I don’t think that’s true.”

“Really? You couldn’t even name one thing you were doing for yourself this Christmas.” Aubrey felt like she had scored the point that gave her the game, the set, and the match.

Of course, Kyle had this obnoxious way of being so likeable, that hard-won victory was short lived. “I like to make other people happy. That is the thing I do for myself.”

Aubrey wouldn’t cede ground on this issue. It was time he admitted this problem he had dealing with people before his entire life passed him by. “You know what my dad would say to that?” When Kyle didn’t answer, Aubrey ploughed ahead. “You can’t make anyone else happy if you aren’t happy yourself.”

Kyle admitted it was sound advice. The fact that combining the source, with the advice, led to a flood of irony wasn’t lost on Kyle. However, it wasn’t time for that discussion, so Kyle offered meek acceptance instead. “I wouldn’t argue with that.”

“Kyle?” Aubrey felt the urge to penetrate his armor if it was the last thing she did.

“What?”

Aubrey cut through all the usual pleasantries and served Kyle a dish of scalding truth. “You’re shutting down, closing up, hiding away inside yourself. Whatever name you want to give it I’ll grant you, as long as you realize your obsessive caring for others is just another way to keep anyone from caring for you.”

“Ouch, Aubrey.” Kyle meant it. That was painful.

Aubrey was firm in her righteousness. “The truth hurts.

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