I'm married

Christmas is a season of love and giving. It is most people's favorite holiday, and Rosemary Bruce happens to be one of those people. She lights up during Christmas, and an unexplained joy fills her up. It is the only time of the year that she gets to talk about her father, whom she loved dearly. Her father, Mr. Bruce, died at war while serving in the military. Every year, Rosemary and her three other siblings—Bridget Bruce, Seth Bruce, and Benjamin Bruce—would always sit around their gigantic dining table, eating while recalling how special their father made Christmas for them and the great man that he was. Each of them will share their personal memory of the father they had. Their mother, Mrs. Bruce, fell ill after the demise of her husband, but during this time she comes to the table too. She suffered a stroke and has difficulties in movement and speech and is unable to share her memories, but she listens and smiles with tears welling up in her eyes. But before all this, they attend a music festival in their little town called Sanville. It is a festival hosted by the town's council leaders every Christmas to bring the people together through music and dance. There is a lot to drink and eat, and people often pack a lot to go to with. Rosemary and her four other siblings are no different. Bridget volunteers to the cooking squad so she can steal foodstuffs and groceries. Rosemary, the prettiest of two sisters, is often selected by the town council leaders to serve. While the celebration is going on, the boys, Seth and Benjamin, come in with large trash bags. Seth goes to the cooking area to collect the food stuff. Bridget has packed, and Benjamin goes to the buffet. They hoard as much food, drinks, and groceries as they can. Tim, their lanky neighbor who is in his fifties, is a part of this mission. He owns an old truck, which he parks outside the city hall waiting for the boys. They give Tim his share of the stolen items after the operation is completed. It's a tradition that has gone on for years, and this year was no different. As the serving started, everyone went around the grand table of the feast, filling their plates with whatever they liked. Rosemary sat by a large ice chest full of different drinks and handed people whichever one they chose with a smile and a "happy holiday." Benjamin joins the queue too. He takes different plates of different dishes, pours them in his trash bag, then joins the queue again. He does this several times, and unknown to him, a young man named Nathaniel Smith has been watching him. Seth returned from the kitchen with a bag full of all that he could get. He takes out his phone and dials a number; after speaking for a minute, he signals Benjamin to meet him at the entrance. Benjamin understood. Pours in his last plate, hangs the heavy trash bag over his shoulder, and heads for the gate. He feels a restraint on the bag only to turn and find Nathaniel pulling the bag from him. He tightens his grip and pulls it towards him. Nathaniel refused to let go of the bag. They were beginning to draw attention, and the siblings needed to act fast. All the siblings had to come together on this one. The girls pulled Nathaniel while Seth helped Benjamin pull the bag from him. It was a 'tug of war' but they succeeded in taking the bag. Benjamin's anger issues could not take it, and he proceeds to give Nathaniel a punch in the face for the stress he's caused him. Nathaniel tries to fight back, but he is held by the girls while Seth drags Benjamin away. Nathaniel was so furious that he yanked the girls so hard that Rosemary's arm brushed against a sharp edge and began bleeding. Nathaniel felt bad but was too furious to speak. He glanced at her, and she saw his eyes and how bad he felt. He tried to help her up, but Bridget pushed him away. He got up and ran out. Rosemary stared at the direction Nathaniel went; a sense of guilt washed over her. Bridget helped Rosemary up and told her to wait for her to bring more stuff before they go. Rosemary stared at the direction Nathaniel went for a while and followed him. She knows him from the neighborhood but hasn't spoken to him much less been this close to him. She found him sitting on a bench outside the gate of the town hall, head down, wiping blood from his nose. She hands him a paper towel. "Take! Use this! and live your head instead. It's helps." He takes the towel but says nothing. Nathaniel pushes the paper towel into his nostrils to suppress the Rosemary tries to start a conversation. "I'm sorry for earlier and your nose," she says softly and nervously. Nathaniel says nothing. After a couple of minutes, the bleeding stops; he muttered a thank you under his breath, and he's packing up his little backpack to leave. Rosemary just sits there anxiously, not knowing what to do. So just out of impulse, she yells, "Wait!" He stops abruptly. both shocked. She turns to him, looking straight into his eyes; for a brief moment, it was like she was electrocuted.She could tell he felt it too because he seemed frantic. He just stared at her. She is drawn to him, and she doesn't know why. She wishes he would stay and talk to her, but she doesn't even know what to say herself. "I'm trying to be nice to you!. Why have you been rude to me?" She spoke softly, almost in tears. "I am sorry if I'm rude to you! Thank you for your kindness, and I'd like to take my leave now," he replied calmly, trying hard not to show any emotions. His voice is so calm and soothing, yet his expression confuses her. He turns to leave. At this point, Rosemary is frustrated. She watched him leave helplessly. Deep down, she wishes she could run after him. Bridget yelled her name, snapping her cloudy mind back to reality. "Look what I got!" lifting a slightly used Philips toaster and some other food items to Rosemary. "Mrs. MacLean wanted to take it, but I beat her to it because I know how much you love toast." Bridget said proudly before letting out a hysterical laughter. Rosemary lets out a dry smile. proudly. Rosemary was lost in her thoughts and heard nothing she said. "Rose! Is everything alright?" she asked, genuinely concerned. "yeah! I'm just tired," Rosemary answered. "Did that punk say anything to upset you?" Bridget asked in total defense mode. "no! I told you I'm just tired," she replied. They get to their house, and as they expected, the boys were waiting, as was Mr. Tim. They spread everything they got from the party on their gigantic dining table and began to share. Bridget, the eldest of the siblings, self-appointed herself to allocate the portions. Seth just watched keenly, prompting her occasionally about the portions that were not equal. This annoyed Bridget so much, causing them to quarrel. Benjamin went on and on about his fight with Nathaniel, and only Mr. Tim listened, or so it seemed. He had no choice; he just wanted it all to be over so he could go to his house. Rosemary just sat, as though she wasn't in the room. The noise was getting too much in her head. She just got up and stomped out. out. The room was silent for a few seconds. "What was that?" Seth asked, "In case you didn't realize it's like a mad house in here! My head hurts for Christ sake!" He picked up his portion of the items and headed out. "It's not complete," Bridget yells out. He waved his hand. "I've been away for long; I need to go feed Christy," he replied as he stepped out. "He has a wife?" "He has a daughter?" Seth and Benjamin asked simultaneously, seeming shocked. Bridget smiled. "That's his dog. but he treats her better than he would have ever treated a wife or daughter. Sometimes I wish I was that dog," Bridget added playfully. "Ewww," Benjamin replied, disgusted. Bridget let out a hysterical laugh. "What the problem with Rose? I noticed she's not herself since you girls came," Seth asked. They both look at Bridget for answers. "I think that punk said something to upset her. but I'm not sure. She didn't want to tell me; you know how she's like," Bridget replied. "That punk has it coming!" Benjamin screamed and stomped out of the house. the rest shouting and running after him, "Nooo, noo, wait! ...."