Chapter 17 - the season to be feasting: part 3

44.
Never, in as long as she could remember, had Faye seen so much food all in one place. The Kendrick's kitchen table was laid with a large glazed ham, piles of pigs in blankets, sets of spare ribs, platefuls of roast potatoes, a huge pitcher of gravy, and at the centre of it all an immense, golden brown turkey. Her greedy eyes glittering as she took in the huge buffet displayed before her Faye could hardly help but lick her lips.

Seeing the obvious astonishment on the girl's face Maggie Kendrick smiled.

"See," she said; "didn't I tell you the holidays were going to be right up your alley?"

"Yeah," Faye nodded absently, still spellbound by the mountain of food laid out before her. "Yeah you did."

With the whole household gathered round the table Faye was quick to dig in. Happily loading her plate with a huge pile of food she stuffed herself with reckless abandon. Her lips smeared with gravy as she gobbled her way through plateful after plateful of the Kendrick's rich Christmas fare. So engrossed was she in her feast that she noticed neither Niall smiling as he watched her gorge nor Annie staring at her, a grimace of revulsion on her face, unable to tear her eyes away from the show of gluttony being put on before her.

45.
Annie could hardly believe the way the fiery-haired girl was gorging herself. Already on her third plate Faye showed no sign of slowing her pace. Happily shovelling more food down her throat she'd said not a single word through the entirety of her feast. The only sounds to escape her lips were those of chewing and chomping, accompanied from time to time by the odd groan from her already strained stomach and the occasional pleasured moan as she bit into a particularly delicious treat. Gobbling her way through one overloaded plate after another with little care for her own dignity the once almost inhumanly slender girl seemed to have forgotten all about the world around her.

As she watched her Annie found herself almost envying the obvious pleasure Faye seemed to take in her meal. The thought of simply allowing herself to eat, of simply losing herself in her food, it was all too tempting. Yet one look at Faye was enough to remind her where such indulgence would lead. The fiery-haired girl's round face, thick arms, and pooching gut served as a constant warning of what dire consequences such excessive eating might bring.

Looking around the table Annie could tell she was not the only one who'd noticed Faye's display of shameless gluttony. Her father, quiet and reserved, seemed mostly not to pay any attention to the way the girl was gorging herself. From time to time however he would gaze at her out of the corner of his eye, His expression, though wide eyed and astonished, containing some hint of amusement.

Maggie for her part seemed only too happy to watch the girl make a pig of herself. A cheerful smile on her fleshy face she would, as soon as Faye was close to finishing her plate, load onto it another hefty helping of food.

Throughout her life Annie had watched as her mother had slowly expanded. As the cheerful woman's constant snacking had swaddled her with fat. Had turned her from the pretty, pleasantly plump young mother Annie remembered from when she was a child into the hefty, ponderous matron now seated before her. She'd watched as her mom had slowly slipped into obesity, as her love of sweets had robbed her of her figure, leaving her hopelessly heavy and out of shape. Yet even so she'd never seen anyone gorge herself like Faye. She'd never seen anyone pile on so much weight in such a short few months. Though the fiery-haired girl was still nowhere near as large as Maggie she was a lot closer to her in appearance than she'd been only a short time ago.

Seeming at last to have bitten off more than she could chew Faye let out a satisfied groan and leaned herself back in her chair. Glancing across the table the girl's cheeks grew pink as she noticed the way everybody was looking at her.

"Do I have something on my face?" she asked, nervously furrowing her brow as she put a napkin to her lips.

"Of course not dear," grinned Maggie. "But, well, you sure did enjoy your Christmas dinner, didn't you?"

"Yeah," said Faye, responding with a sluggish nod of her head. "I guess I did."

Glancing idly towards Niall Annie found that, much like her, he was studying Faye. His expression was one she could not quite make sense of. For a moment she couldn't help but think that he seemed almost fascinated, spellbound by the overgorged girl. Almost as if he was admiring her piggish ways.

Turning her attention back towards her own, half-finished, plate Annie shook her head. She had to be imagining things.

46.
Her gaze glassy and dull Faye sat leaned back on the Kendrick's well-cushioned old couch. Her immense meal had left her in a food-addled haze, nearly too full to have room for any of the many sweet Christmas treats gathered about her, but only nearly. Too sluggish and stuffed to move she simply sat there as Maggie, seated next to her on the sofa, and Niall, seated in an armchair only a few feet away from her, plied her with tasty treats, handing her at regular intervals some new little goodie to munch on.

Drowsy though she was Faye couldn't help but perk up when at last the time came to open all the many presents gathered under the Kendrick's tall Christmas tree. Most of the gifts she got turned out to be from Maggie and Oscar, soft packages containing a number of much needed new outfits. Tough not the prettiest of garments they were roomy and warm. A loose fit on the growing girl they obscured the contours of her swelling figure.

Slowly slipping her well-padded torso into a large sweater Faye seemed very happy with her gifts.

"Thanks," she said, shooting Maggie a pleased but sluggish smile.

"No worries dear," answered the hefty woman. "We figured you could use a few more things to wear."

As excited as the drowsy girl had been about her own presents she seemed even more so when, from out under the tree, was brought a small little package addressed to Niall.

"That one's from me," she said, smiling nervously as she handed the little box over to the tall wild-haired man seated beside her.

"Really?" said Niall, a slight smile on his face as he received his gift. "Thank you."

"Go on," said Faye eagerly; "open it."

Having torn the paper off and lifted the lid off the box Niall found within it a small trinket. A pendant shaped like a leaf. Though hung from a silver chain the pendant itself was made of a strange, milky white metal. It gleamed as slowly Niall lifted it out of its box. Turning it over he found inscribed upon it a single cursive rune.

"It's not much, I know," said Faye. "I found it in a store the other day and I just couldn't help but feel that it was special somehow."

Niall did not answer her. He seemed to be studying his new present, slowly taking in the sight of it.

"Don't you like it?" asked Faye, a nervous tinge in her voice.

Looking from the glimmering trinket towards the flabby, fiery-haired girl that'd given it to him Niall's face broke into a broad smile.

"It's beautiful," he said.

"Really?" beamed Faye. "I'm glad you think so."

"Actually," said Niall, getting to his feet and crouching down beside the Christmas tree; "I got you a little something as well. It's not much but..."

Carefully stripping the wrapping paper off her gift Faye found within a small bag of homemade chocolates. A great deal of care obviously put into each individual piece.

"Nothing very impressive," said Niall; "but I hope it'll do."

"I think it will," said Faye, a greedy smile on her face as she swiftly popped a painstakingly carved piece of chocolate in between her lips.

47.
That night, lying alone in bed, absently running his fingers along the smooth, milky surface of his new pendant Niall found his mind occupied entirely with the woman who had given it to him.

He'd liked Faye from the moment he first met her, been fascinated by her ever since he'd first laid eyes on her. But lately, as she'd started to settle into her life at the bakery, as her figure had started to spread, he'd found himself drawn to her more than ever. The thought of her, of her wide blue eyes, her shy smile, and her soft, doughy rolls of fat, would not leave him be.

Her immense appetite, and the thought of what it might do to her figure, had always fascinated him. And now, when at last the results of her gluttony were becoming plain for all to see, that fascination had grown stronger than ever.

He wanted her, wanted to squeeze his fingers into her doughy, drooping flesh. To kiss her soft lips, to stuff between them as much food as her bulging belly could fit. He wanted to keep her happy and full. To stuff her until she was larger, heavier, and more hopelessly out of shape than even Mrs. Kendrick.

It was strange, he knew. Perhaps wrong even. Yet he'd never felt for anybody what he now felt for Faye. He wanted her, he realised. He desired and, yes, loved her, both for who she was and for who she might, if she stayed on her current path, become.