Chapter Three
We arrived back home and took everything inside. We worked together to set the table. I opened the containers and put the food in my mom’s old serving dishes. Todd got out the plates and cutlery. I placed our meal in the middle of the table. We sat down and bowed our heads in silent prayer. As we ate, we each thought about our parents.
“Remember the time mom forgot to take the gut bag out of the turkey?” I asked, and we laughed.
“Remember when you were young, dad took the turkey out of the oven, and after it had cooled for a while, he asked you to do the carving?” Todd said. “And when you pulled out the chicken that he had secretly put in the turkey…” He laughed as he spoke. “You thought the turkey had been pregnant and you refused to eat anything.” Now, he was in hysterics.
“Yeah,” I said, putting green beans on my fork. “I couldn’t eat meat for a few years because of that!”
“Mom had problems with getting you to eat anything.”
“Well, look at me now, I more than made up for it.” I said.
“If people can’t see past your weight and see what a wonderful, intelligent, beautiful person you are, then I feel sorry for them.” Todd smiled at me.
He always knew what to say to make me feel better about myself. He was himself a little overweight, but it never seemed to bother him.
“Thank you, Todd.” I said sincerely. “I appreciate your kind words.”
We finished eating and cleaned up, Todd washing the dishes, and me drying them and putting them back in their proper places.
“What do you say we go see what Santa got us for Christmas?” Todd said, directing me to the living room.
“Should we turn on the radio? Christmas music?” I asked.
“Sure, why not.” Todd said holding one of his gifts to his ear and giving it a gentle shake.
“Who’s going first this year?” I asked.
“I went first last year, so you go ahead. I hope you like what I’ve gotten you.”
He passed me two boxes and a bag with what I was sure was an expensive wine. I looked inside the bag and pulled out a bottle of Bellacosa Cabernet Sauvignon. “Wow, this is amazing, thank you!”
“The man at the wine shop said that this one was a good year. I know you haven’t tried this brand before, but he said it was one of his favorites.”
“We’ll try it tonight.” I said, putting the bottle back in the bag. I set it down next to where I was sitting in the recliner. “Your turn,” I said, as I walked to the Christmas tree, picked up his three presents and turned back to the couch and handed them to him.
Todd picked up a small wrapped box and shook it again. “What’s in here?” He asked.
“No,” I said. “Open that one last.”
“’Kay,” he said. He picked up a bigger box and tore off the paper. “Wow, Mont Blanc Legend cologne!” He held it up to show me, smiling. “I’ve wanted to try this since I first smelled it on Mark while I was working on his house. Okay, your turn.”
I picked up my next present and opened it. I laughed a little. “Perfume?”
“Yeah, it’s supposed to smell like roses and white lilies. When I was shopping for a fragrance, a woman assisted me by spraying different perfumes on these white strips of paper. This is the only one I could tolerate.”
“Thank you, Todd.” I carefully took off the plastic rose lid and brought the bottle to my nose. “Mmm. This smells really nice.” I put the lid back on and set the perfume next to the wine bag.
“Okay, my turn,” he said. He shook the box as usual.
“Don’t shake that too hard,” I said.
“What is it?” He asked.
“Well, unwrap it, silly.”
Todd took off the paper and smiled. “Cuban cigars! How in the world did you manage that?”
“My secret,” I said, conspiratorially.
Todd took the wooden box over to his humidor and placed them in gently. He walked back over to the couch and sat down. “One more to go for each of us.”
I pulled the large box onto my knees. I knew it had to be some type of clothing. I unwrapped it and pulled at the tape keeping the sides closed. I set the box on the floor and bent forward to remove the top lid.
“Oh, Todd.” I stammered. “It’s the dress. The one I’ve been admiring for a long time, but couldn’t afford it.”
“Well, it’s yours now,” he said smiling at me.
“Open your last present,” I said trying to hold back my excitement for what he was about to see.
Once again, he shook it. He ripped off the paper. “Whaa…no fucking way!! An Apple watch! The new one just out!!” He jumped off the couch and threw his fists in the air. “Yes…yes! Oh, Man, this is the best present. Thank you…so much. I can’t believe this. Wow!” He sat back down and opened the lid. He took out the watch and put it on his left wrist. “Wow!” He said again.
“Now don’t you go wearing that to work.” I warned. “It has a warranty, but don’t mess it all up.”
“Oh, I won’t,” He promised.
We picked up all the wrapping paper and took it to the kitchen trash.
“I think I’m going to try on my dress. I can’t wait to see how it fits.” I said, going back into the living room and grabbing the box that held my beautiful dress. It was a blue and green flower print and made of silk.
I walked up the stairs excitedly. Going to my room, I closed the door and set the box on my bed. I re-opened it and held up my dress to my body, looking in my full-length mirror. I spun back and forth, letting the flowing skirt glide across my legs. I set the dress back on my bed gently and took off my pants and top. I gently unzipped the back zipper, and gathered the dress and put it over my head. It went over smoothly, until I tried to get it over my boobs. “Oh,” I said, struggling with it. I managed to get it past my chest, but it wouldn’t fit over my stomach. “Oh, no,” I whispered to myself. I went to the mirror, hoping that would give me an answer to why I was having so much trouble. I yanked on it, and I finally got it on, but I looked like a stuffed sausage with all my fat rolls being held hostage by the material. I reached back and tried to zip it up. I didn’t have any luck, so I opened my bedroom door and yelled for Todd.
He ran up the stairs, yelling “What’s wrong Amanda?” He entered my room and saw me standing there with tears in my eyes.
“Can you please help me with the zipper?”
“Sure.” He came around to my backside and pulled at the bottom of the zipper. He managed to get it halfway up, but it was going no further. “I’m sorry, Man. I can’t…”
“Shit. Fuck!” I yelled at the ceiling.
“I can get you a bigger size if you…”
“This one’s a 4 extra large,” I said crying at this point. “I didn’t realize I was so big that a 4x wouldn’t fit me!”
“What can I do to help?” Todd said, holding his arms apart.
“Just go.” I said tearfully. “I can’t…”
“Okay,” He said, turning and slowly closing the door behind him.
I struggled to get the dress off, and at some point, I heard a ripping sound. “Great,” I thought to myself. “Now I can’t even return it.” I scrunched it up in a ball and threw it in the corner by my closet. I sat down on my bed and put my head in my hands and just cried and cried.