To begin, this holiday was going to be like the rest. There, just past the brick walk, was the door to the house that June would enter to start the period. A wreath was stuck to it. And it was a red door. It was a red door with a wreath stuck to it. Out here it was snowing, cold. Inside it was going to be loud. And it was going to be smelly. It was going to be full of heavy air carrying all the smells of the food being cooked and all the words of all the people inside.
It would be rude to go 'round back. Doing that would bring June through the pantry, right next to the entrance leading to the bottom stair. They called it the bottom stair, not the basement stairs. This was because June's aunt had once watched a show full of weird people from a different country who said "bottom stair" a lot. She liked how that sounded.
If she went 'round back, June could go down the bottom stair to where the dog, Hoose, would be. But that would be rude. You don't greet the animal before the people.
This holiday was going to be like the rest, except for one thing. At this holiday, June was going to make an announcement. "I have decided," she was going to begin. And this is the point where things always got tricky. "I have decided not to return to school for the spring semester."
When, finally, June made up her mind to ring the doorbell she remembered two things: first, that the doorbell didn't work, and second, that it was weird to ring the doorbell to your own home.
So she knocked.
And the red door with the wreath stuck to it opened wide enough to reveal Aunt Bottom-Stair grinning like a lotto winner. "Where have you been girl?!" The holiday was on.
June waded through the hugs and survived the small children until she reached the cusp of the kitchen. There, stirring something in a big red pot was her mother.
"You're late." Of course.
"Yes," she replied. But she felt like blurting it all out: "I'm quitting. I don't want to be here. I don't want to be here with you." But that would be insane. Instead, June watched the pot stirring closely.
