Eh ...

I hate holidays like today.

Patrick and I took my dad and step-mom out to dinner last night. I figured my step-sister and her husband - and their baby - the same one due the same time ours was - would be heading to their house today and I wanted to avoid that at all costs.

My step-mom forayed into a baby story just once. She laughed it up and my only reaction was "hah, that's cute" and then it was head down and back to the menu. My head, though, was thinking how we're having dinner the day before the holiday so we could avoid talk like this and, yet, here it is.

Maybe that's hateful. If it is, it could have been much worse. My usual, instinctual response always wants to be "why do you think we care?". But I never say it. I just say "ah" and leave it at that.

I'm guessing part of me is still bitter about my step-sister getting pregnant at the same time and delivering a healthy baby as scheduled. I think a larger part of me is still angry that my dad and step-mom seem to think it shouldn't bother us and that we'd want to hear stories. They've always failed to realize that it's more like a slap in the face.

But that was the only glitch in the dinner and the baby wasn't brought up again. The rest of it went just fine and I enjoyed it.

Today is Sunday, which means bowling. I'll be doing my best to pretend like it's any other day.