Chapter 13: Chocolate is Your Friend During Easter and Finals
I’m sitting on the couch in Sam’s apartment, listening to music with my headphones because Sam is napping next to me. I’ve been crashing at Sam’s place since Thursday night because, with the end of the semester being right there in our faces, we barely have time to see each other anymore. In all of my classes, I have oral presentations to create, I have to write reflections about articles that I haven’t read and I still need to get my notes in order because the finals are approaching faster than I want them to. I feel like the beginning of the semester was ages ago, and that we did nothing back then. It’s like the teachers decided to keep 100% of their evaluations for the last 3 weeks of class, like some kind of sick joke. I remember January, when I had nothing to do and, since it was cold outside, I spent my days indoors, watching Netflix and reading.
Finley jumps on the couch. I took him with me to Sam’s place because I didn’t want to leave him 4 days alone in my apartment. My roommate left for her parent’s house since it’s Easter, and since I haven’t found a new roommate yet, Finley would’ve been all alone. I watch him walking on the couch, making his way to Sam. Thinking he’s just going to cuddle with her, I don’t stop him. But what I didn’t notice is the little speck of light, from the reflection of the sun on the TV, that dances on Sam’s shoulder. Finley takes a second to evaluate his next move, and he jumps on the light, ready to catch that light and make it regret it was ever there. But, of course, the light slips through his tiny paws and Sam wakes up with a cat on her back. I burst out laughing!
-What the heck? She says, all sleepy, staring at Finley.
Since he couldn’t catch the light, but is now on Sam, he decided to lay down. He stares at her like he doesn’t understand her confusion, like he’s always been sleeping there.
-This cat! She says, picking him up and holding him like a baby in her arms.
-He’s the best! I say, petting his little head.
Sam looks at me, smiling.
-What time is it?
-Around 11, I answer. You didn’t sleep long.
-Really? Felt like hours.
She lets go of the cat and sits closer to me on the couch. She lays down on my chest, her head resting on my shoulder.
-Do we have to study all day again or can we do something for today? Sam asks.
-What would you like to do?
-I don’t know. It’s Easter, so I know my mom will want us to come over for dinner tonight. But other than that, we have no other obligations. We could go walk around on Mont-Royal. I’m sick of being cooped up inside.
I pull away a little and look at Sam.
-Your mom invited me to your Easter dinner? I ask.
-Well yea! She knows we’re together, so she said you should come. She probably bought you a chocolate egg too.
I smile. I try to imagine her mom, their house. But I’ve never met her, I don’t even know in which neighborhood their house is, so my mind is blank.
-What is she like, your mom? I ask.
-She’s really nice, and easy going. Both my parents are really cool, they are open to anything. They both work in science, but neither of them minded that I wanted to go in music and that my brother wanted to be a firefighter. They always said that our lives didn’t belong to them, but were our own, and our choices were our own too. They would’ve been cool with us being and doing anything. When I came out, they just smiled. They didn’t need to tell me it was ok, or that they would always love me, I already knew that. So they just smiled.
-That’s nice. I wish everybody’s parents would react like that when they come out.
-I wish no one had to come out and that it was just a given that anyone can love anyone.
-I think we’ll get there. A world where people can be who they want, can love who they want, without feeling out of place. Our generation, we pretty much see the world like that. So if we raise our kids with the same ideas, in a few decades, you’ll have that world you imagine right now.
-Do you want kids? She asks.
-Not right now! I say, laughing.
-No, I know! But later in life?
-Yeah, I do. You?
-I don’t know. Maybe a dog first!
-Sure, I’ll buy you a dog!
She laughs and leans in to kiss me. It really doesn’t take much to be happy: a comfy couch, a cute cat and the perfect girl, it’s more than enough!
* * *
In my family, we never really celebrated Easter. But Sam’s family…Oh, they celebrate Easter! Their Easter is twice as intense as my Christmas, so I would love to see what their Christmas looks like! The table is covered with food! From the turkey to salads, to a bowl of chili and mashed sweet potatoes! The ridiculous amount of food is making my head turn!
-You haven’t seen the desert yet! Sam whispers in my ear, laughing to herself.
I stare at her with big eyes, not sure if she’s kidding or not. Sam’s mom is wearing an apron with the drawing of a bunny eating a carrot on the front. There are colorful little Easter eggs hidden all over the house and, since I thought they were just decoration, I was really surprised to find little chocolates inside when I open one.
-You don’t celebrate Easter, Elliot? Asks Jane, Sam’s mom.
-We use to when my brother and I were little. It was fun back then because we would all go to my grandma’s house, we would see our cousins, have an Easter egg hunt. But, now that we’re all grown up, most of my cousins have moved away, some have kids of their own, so they do their own Easter egg hunt and we don’t really see each other anymore.
-I get that, she answers. When your uncles and aunts become grandparents, that one big Easter splits into smaller ones, and it’s their turn to host Easter. Neither I nor Andrew (Sam’s father) have brothers and sisters, so Easter has always been just this.
This much food for only four people, my brain just can’t compute this! We start eating, and when I see the amount of food Jerome, Sam’s brother, eats, I understand why the big table. Maybe it’s because he’s a 19-year-old boy, or maybe it’s because he’s a firefighter, but he must have eaten more than half of the food on the table by himself. I stopped counting after 3 plates. Even his girlfriend looks at him like she has no idea what’s happening. And then the table is cleared and dessert is served. This huge cake is placed in front of us, with mini eggs and Cadbury eggs on the top. I feel like I’m getting type 2 diabetes just by looking at this cake!
-What is this thing! I ask Sam.
-Don’t worry, she says. My brother will finish what’s left!
We all burst out laughing! The house smells of chocolate, the mood is light, my girlfriend is holding my hand: I could get used to this!
Happy Easter everyone :)
Recipe for the cake: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/easter-nest-cake
Images obtained from:
http://www.panoramicohotel.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/pasqua-panoram…
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/69/f4/a2/69f4a226c6cb97e995924fe204dd4ef9…
https://www.futurefitnesscenters.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2016/1…
https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/sites/default/files/styles/recipe/public/rec…