Page 17 2025 Home For The Holidays Lincoln Daily News if she said the wrong thing? What if she made someone mad? What should she talk about? David reached his hand over, placing it on Claire’s knee, snapping her out of it. “I know my family is going to love you. You have nothing to worry about.” Did he know what she was thinking? She had tried so hard to keep her reservations hidden. Ruining the holiday for David was the absolute last thing she wanted. “I-” she hesitated, second guessing herself for just a moment. “I’m just really nervous. You know I never had any family parties growing up. Heck, most of my family didn’t even come to the wedding. I’m just afraid that I am going to screw this up and ruin it for you.” “You can’t screw this up for me, because everything is going to be fine and you’re going to have a great time. I’ll tell you what. How about I tell you about my family, so you know what to expect?” “That might make me feel a bit better,” she said after a moment of consideration. “Okay, so my parents are going to be there, and they really like you. Sarah is also going to be there. You get along really well with her.” It was true, David’s sister became the sister Claire never had when she and David were still dating in college. One of the perks of siblings attending the same college. “Now my grandma is going to be the toughest nut to crack,” David continued. “She’s a really good judge of character and doesn’t mince words. You’ll know instantly if she likes you or not.” Claire tensed up at the thought of the matriarch not liking her. “Oh, but she is going to love you,” David quickly added. “The next toughest person is going to be my Uncle Mike. He’s… a little different. He can sometimes rub people the wrong way but never realizes it. If he does, just write it off as Uncle Mike being Uncle Mike. Now my cousin Natalie is a handful as well. She-” David paused, thinking of the best way to say this, “likes to pre-game before most family holidays. She will be in a great mood, so there's no way you could get on her bad side. “My Aunt Lizzie is also going to be there with her four kids. She got divorced after she and her ex had their last child. Her kids are really rowdy, but grandma keeps them in line pretty well.” David continued describing his family, and Claire started to feel a little better. She was still nervous, but now it felt less like a lion’s den. ---- David had to park half a block down. His family’s cars were lined up and down the street. He grabbed the presents, and Claire grabbed the tray. David felt the excitement surging through his body with every step as they walked up to Grandma’s door. He noticed Claire reaching for the doorbell.
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