David helped me set Lucas in the high chair we brought, the same one that had belonged to David’s grandmother, Eleanor. It was solid wood, worn smooth by generations of children, and it looked oddly out of place among Vanessa’s carefully curated aesthetic. Lucas gurgled happily, reaching for the colorful toys hanging from the chair’s activity bar, completely unaware that he was about to become an unwitting part of his aunt’s content creation.

The meal began with Vanessa’s customary gratitude speech, delivered directly to her camera while the rest of us sat in awkward silence. She talked about family traditions, the importance of coming together, and how blessed she felt to share these moments with her followers. She managed to speak for nearly ten minutes without mentioning David’s deployment, Lucas’s first Christmas, or anything specific about the actual people sitting around the table.

When she finally finished and signaled for the filming to pause, the atmosphere shifted slightly. Patricia immediately began serving, making sure Vanessa’s plate looked perfect before addressing anyone else’s needs. Robert emerged from his phone long enough to carve the turkey, though he kept glancing at the cameras nervously.

David and I exchanged glances as we tried to navigate eating while keeping Lucas entertained and relatively quiet.