about Christmas

It was not a perfect world.

Carson wasn't sure what he was expecting for the holidays. Perhaps a perfect harmony.

"I don't know what your problem is." Gage was serious. Carson thought the holidays were fine. "What were we suppose to do? When you got up and told us Brittany was 5 months pregnant. Do a little dance?"

Carson didn't know why Gage couldn't be happy for him. True, Carson didn't see much of his daughter, he'd fathered, but this time it was for real. And they were having a boy.

"Great." Gage practically yawned when he heard the news. Naturally, he was still in high school. Possibly, he'd never be the smartest tool in the shed, or at least Carson imagined. Of course, Gage hated that his brother was a police officer.

"What?" Maybe Carson did have a little too much to drink at Christmas, and he'd said some things he shouldn't. Of course, he didn't remember any of it.

Somehow, he'd punched Gage in the eye and practically broke a rib of his mother's boyfriend while Easy was trying to break them apart. Luckily, his son Will (who was broader yet leaner) came to the rescue.

Possibly, they should have called the cops, but they didn't. Instead, his mother proclaimed there would be no drinking in this house, holidays included.

So New Years was pretty lame, and he had to listen to his mother say things..like.."I thought you'd changed. You're a lot more like your father, than you know."

"I have changed." Carson promised, still it lingered that she'd said that about him, when all along it haunted him that he was much more like her, than he wanted to be.

Now, he was making an effort to behave. He stayed away when his buddies at work went to the bar.

He knew deep down, he was luckier than most. He didn't have to pay any child support, yet he didn't see Essie's little girl as often as he claimed he would.

Yes, there were a few things he needed to work on this year.

"Well, you better figure out what you're going to do with your life." He informed Gage, who was now taller and much stouter than Carson.

Of course, Gage only smirked back. He seemed to love working at the grocery store, even with a black eye.