68 Days And Counting

Chapter Twenty Six: Ripping His Shirt Off.

"How did you hear that?"

"Good hearing? I don't know. But that is actually so true."

"What?" Sam asked in disbelief.

"It really is." I told him, patting his chest when I turned around.

"Yeah, jheeze your honeymoon phase never stopped before you guys left." Jacob muttered, rolling his eyes.

"Maybe because he doesn't have that immense pressure held down on his shoulders when he's here." Brandon suggested, walking out of the room with his twin brother. I thought about how stressed how Sam actually was when we're at Uni, with school, part time work every once in a while, soccer, expectations and...Peter, he probably felt much freer when he was here. 

"That's true." I said when Andrew followed the other boys out along with Jon Ming.

Caleb and Stevie held their own conversation and I took in Sam's sweater for the millionth time of the night. The theme was ugly Christmas sweaters and my dad, Gigi, Justin and I all wore the same version of a blue sweater where Santa was riding his reindeer around the world on his sleigh.

The funny thing was that the Cahill's almost did the same thing. Just with the same design (A jolly Santa Claus) on all of their sweaters just in various colors. Plus, there was the reindeer ears his mom had forced every single one of them to wear.

I have no idea how she convinced Vincent Cahill to wear it.

"I want to take this off." Sam mumbled, acting like they were glued to his curly hair.

"Then take it off." I deadpanned.

"It's mum. She's going to find out if I take it off either way. I'm not going down the road of Elizabeth Cahill's many lectures."

"What a mommy's boy." I heard Caleb mock.

Sam rolled his eyes. "Shut up. She's practically your mum too."

Caleb smiled then his expression morphed into curiosity. Sam and I exchanged a look. "What?"

"Can Stevie braid your hair?"

"Why?" Sam asked, staring at Caleb.

"Because I want to know what it'll look like." Caleb stared at Sam like he was an idiot just when Natasha came into the kitchen with Liz right behind her.

Caleb grabbed Sam and started pulling him away when Liz stopped them. "What are you doing?"

"We're braiding Sam's hair?"

"Do you mean Stevie is braiding Sam's hair or you are?"

"Stevie."

"Thank God." I heard Liz mumble and she allowed Caleb to pull Sam along with Stevie.

"Wait, what is that supposed to mean?" I heard Caleb try to come back inside the kitchen but Stevie pushed him along.

"It's so hard to believe that Caleb is eighteen." Liz muttered just as waiters filed in and out of the room, filling their trays with little snacks. Leave it to Liz Cahill to throw a Christmas party with the same style of elegance.

"How so?" Natasha asked, sitting with me at the counter.

Liz shook her head. "I'm always going to remember that thirteen year old boy Sam invited to our house. The first thing Caleb did was walk into the house like it was his own and give me a hug like he knew me since he was little. He was so scrawny looking at the time."

"That much change?" Natasha asked.

Liz nodded, leaning against the counter and took the fake elf ears off her head. "So many things have changed in this house at a span of five years. Four-counting Caleb-five of my boys are living outside of the house and soon the nest will be empty. I've never really had time to stop and think about it."