ANIMAL INSTINCTS
Maryah
We pulled into Amber and Dylan’s driveway and I saw Nathan’s Mustang sitting in the garage: red with black stripes, so appropriate for Satan’s spawn. Then, another red and silver vehicle caught my attention.
Holy freaking crap. The motorcycle.
The exact motorcycle he rode in my hospital dream. The verdict was in: because of the blow to my head, or my brain surgery, I had acquired some kind of useless psychic power. Get some tape and stick the “freak” sign on my back. I couldn’t even tell April about this one. Absolutely no one would understand—or believe it. Even I had trouble believing it.
“Maryah,” Louise called from the front door. “Are you coming?”
I continued up the walkway, trying to shake away yet another stranger-than-fiction piece of a puzzle that made no sense to me. And honestly, it was a puzzle that scared me.
The moment I stepped inside, Dylan popped his head around a wall and smiled. “Hey, you made it!”
Amber and Dylan’s house looked like a colorful island resort. They decorated the main room like a summery Christmas wonderland. Blue and white lights illuminated a fake palm tree, and a couple of large tiki statues wore Santa hats. It was absolutely nothing like I pictured for a Colorado Christmas.
“Aloha!” Amber called from the top of the stairway. She wore a super cute red and orange outfit, and dark-rimmed glasses that made her look studious. She made it halfway down the steps then suddenly slipped and fell onto her butt.
I lunged forward to help her. “Are you okay?”
Dylan waved his hand. “She’s fine. That happens at least once a day.”
“I've heard being pregnant messes up your balance.” I tried defending Amber so she wouldn’t be embarrassed, but she didn’t seem fazed at all.
“It’s not because I’m pregnant. I begged Dylan to get a ranch style house, but my clumsiness keeps him entertained.”
The more I got to know Amber, the more I liked her. She gave me a tour of the house and when she opened the French doors to the backyard, I gasped. Not at the acres of land, or the view of snow-capped mountains, but at the small white horse sleeping on the deck.
“You have a pony?” I asked in disbelief.
“He’s a class A miniature horse. His name is Baby Hilo.”
“Can I pet him?” He looked like a big white cotton ball. His eyes opened and he sat up.
“Perfect, he’s awake! Sure you can pet him, he loves people.”
His pearly coat felt like satin, and he licked my hand while I petted him. “I love him.”
“Good because he’s fond of you too.”
From the corner of my eye I saw another blur of fur. I almost screamed when an animal the size of a raccoon scurried up to Amber.
“This is Big Kahuna.” She squatted down and gathered him in her arms.
“What is he?”
“A meerkat. A big, fat one,” she teased. He reclined back in her arms and stared at me. “Coco and Nutty are normal-sized.” She nodded at the end of the deck. Two little beige faces peered over the top step.
“Do they bite?”
“No, they’re harmless. Unless you’re a bug,” Amber chuckled. “They aren’t meant to be pets, but I have a permit for these guys because I participate in animal behavior programs. Do you want to hold him? He wants to check you out.”
She passed him to me and he nuzzled into my neck. The two smaller meerkats scurried over and sniffed my shoes. I giggled as Big Kahuna tickled me with his nose. “They’re so cute!”
“They’re spoiled rotten.”
The patio door opened and Carson came outside with a black cat in his arms, Molokai followed behind him.
“There’s Hilo!” Carson set the cat down and petted the miniature horse.
“Our cat’s name is Lulu,” Amber told me.
Big Kahuna and I were still busy rubbing noses. His cuteness outweighed his musty smell. “Do all of the animals get along?”
“Yes, because if they step out of line, they’ll have me to deal with.” Amber acted all tough, but she bent down and lovingly petted Lulu.
“Amber has a gift with animals,” Carson said.
I nodded. “No kidding. I’ve never met anyone with pets like these.”
Amber snorted a laugh. “Compared to the rest of this family, my gift is nothing to brag about.”
Carson pointed at the sky. “Look a meteoroid!”
Amber and I looked up, but the sky was a blank blue canvas. Carson laughed and shook his head. I assumed it was a reference to our meteor conversation from the day I drove Dylan’s Mustang, but I was still clueless about what he meant.
Amber slugged his shoulder then put her arm around me. “Come on, Maryah, let’s get you settled in.”
I followed her through the house and up the stairs. When we reached the top, Amber turned to face me. “I know you don’t like Nathan, and I’m sorry we have to do this to you, but you’ll be staying in his room.”
“Oh.” My own personal nightmare before Christmas. Perfect.
“Just pretend it’s a guest room. It’s pretty generic, so it shouldn’t be difficult,” she said before opening a door.
She was right. Nathan’s room in Sedona looked like the Taj Mahal compared to this one. There was a basic dresser, a nightstand, and a twin bed with a plain green comforter. No pictures or decorations anywhere.
I felt comfortable with Amber, maybe because she was like me, not related to the Lunas by blood. There must have been a point in time when she had to figure out a family different from her own. “Hey, Amber?”
“Yes.”
“Can I ask you something and keep it just between you and me?”
“As long as keeping the secret doesn’t violate any family oaths.”
I had no idea what she meant, but I took it as a yes. “Is Nathan in college?”
“No, he’s a senior.”
Did I misunderstand? I tried to recall if Louise ever actually used the word college , but I couldn’t think of a specific time. “How come he transferred schools right before senior year?”
“He wanted to get away from Sedona. We were happy to have him here, so it seemed like a good choice for everyone.” Amber sat on the bed. “Now, can I ask you something?”
“Sure.”
“Do you think you’ll ever forgive him?”
I leaned against the wall. “Um…” Sure, if he was the great guy from my dreams, but he wasn’t—far from it actually.
“Let me say this,” she began, fiddling with the hair-tie on her wrist. “You are part of this family. Every member loves you and looks out for you—including Nathan. He had a funny way of showing it in Albuquerque, but there’s a lot you don’t understand about him yet.” She looked around his room then pulled her curls back into a ponytail. “I would never ask you to do something you don’t want to do, but please, consider forgiving him. You wouldn’t believe how hard his life has been.”
I didn’t know what to say, so I just stared at her like a mute. Could I really ever forgive him?
She pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose and stood up. “I’ll let you get settled in. There are snacks downstairs to tide you over until dinner. Come down whenever you’re ready.”
I stared at Nathan’s closed closet doors until curiosity got the best of me. Nothing exciting was inside: neatly hung clothes, shoes lined along the floor, and snowboards leaning against the wall. I shut the door and felt guilty for snooping.
Fighting back tears, it hit me that I was about to spend Christmas Eve with a family other than my own. I missed Mikey more than ever. He loved the holidays, and he would’ve loved Amber’s animals. I wondered if he’d be friends with Carson or if—no. It didn’t matter. Mikey was gone. I took a few calming breaths and headed downstairs to join the others.
Dylan had invited the guys downstairs so he could show off his new home theater system. I sat by the fireplace, admiring the ornaments on the tree and drinking hot chocolate. Amber updated Louise on her latest project—whale communications. It reminded me of Christmas Eves I’d spent with my real family, except Krista, Aunt Sandy, and Uncle Dave were missing. I wondered how they were doing in Egypt. I had no idea what time it was there, and I couldn’t call Krista, but I did miss her.
Louise pointed at the glass doors. “Look, it’s snowing!”
“Carson will be excited about having a white Christmas,” Amber said, refilling my hot chocolate.
Baby Hilo peered at us through the flurries. Amber turned to let him in as if she sensed him standing there then he trotted in then curled up by the fireplace. Molokai snuggled up beside him.
“Where are the meerkats?” I asked.
“They came in while you were upstairs. They’re in the basement playing in the tunnels Carson built for them.”
The snowy Christmas Eve made everything feel cozy. It could never be the same as home, but at least I was surrounded by good people and adorable animals. I stared at the flickering fireplace and couldn’t help wondering where in the world Nathan was spending Christmas. And even though I didn’t mean to, I caught myself hoping he wasn’t sad or lonely.
