by Ian Finn
Wes laughs, but jokes back, “Okay, I’ll let her know. But I’m going to tell her that you will be our designated limo driver.”
I adore my new friends, and the lighthearted fun we share with one another. And Zach really seems to be opening up and enjoying himself a lot more. I hope it has something to do with me, and the fact that we’re quasi-dating again. Although I don’t know if he’s looking at it that way.
As the kids begin to return to the room, Wes announces, “Well guys, we have a couple more stops around town, so we’re going to head out.”
I decide to walk out with them, while Zach goes back to directing the kids. We say our goodnights to one another, and I rejoin the choir for the second half of their rehearsal.
A deep, warm feeling of satisfaction overcomes me as I take turns staring at my son, and then Zach. I already have a mental image in my brain of how I want the three of us to be together.
I picture us at our new home, and sending Eli off to school. I think about all the holidays, and how I want to have parties at our home with all our friends. All the ways I can decorate at the holidays, and make ours a home filled with love, and happiness.
I become so wrapped up in my daydreaming, that I don’t even realize that Zach is calling my name.
“Ryan,” he says, for what sounds like the third time or so, and when I nod to recognize that I hear him and see that the practice is over, he asks, “Do you want to help me with these chairs?”
Zach gives me a suspicious yet playful look as I get up and begin stacking the chairs. At one point, we’re in the storage closet together and he comes up to me.
“You sure looked like you were in deep thought back there,” he says, smiling.
“Busted!” I say, but I don’t elaborate.
Zach then moves in to kiss me, and before you know it, things get heated. Heated enough to where, if we weren’t in a church storage room with a room full of kids nearby, we’d probably be doing more than kissing.
However, we’re both fully aware we are here, and refrain. But just then, I feel a presence in the room, and when I turn, I see that it’s Eli. When our eyes meet, he puts his head down, and begins to sob.
I turn back to Zach, letting him know I have to go.
“We’ll be back tomorrow,” I tell him, whereby I pick up Eli and exit the room.
Maybe this isn’t going to be as simple as I thought it would be.
Chapter Eleven
Ryan – Four days later
I do a double take at the address and my phone GPS, and for a moment, I wonder if I have the wrong address.
When Wes told me the Marshall family Christmas party would be at his parent’s cabin, he must have been joking –– or I really am at the wrong place. This place looks more like a mansion than a cabin.
It has logs on the outside of it, along with large, full-length windows, and it’s on a lot of land, but that’s about the extent of the similarities. It’s so big it looks like it could fit five families. Or like it could be a hotel.
As I pull up to the circular driveway, one of three valets quickly race to greet me at my car, opening the door for me. I decide to leave my coat in the car, as I’m only a few yards away from the entrance of the home.
“Good evening, Sir,” the tall, handsome boy says to me, handing me a ticket.
“Is this the Marshall residence?” I ask, still thinking I might be at the wrong place.
The boy nods.
“Yes, it definitely is, Sir.” Then, before he gets in my car and drives away, he tells me, “Enjoy your evening.”
I stand outside before going in, and I’m in awe of the architecturally stunning home.
He calls this a cabin? I think to myself, shaking my head.
Not only is the house covered with row upon row of glistening Christmas lights, but a forty-foot nearby Pine evergreen is illuminated from top to bottom with what looks like a million twinkling lights. It looks so much like the tree at Rockefeller Center in New York that I think all that’s missing might be the ice-skating rink below.
As I survey the rest of the property, I can see a wide-open area that has to be a lake. There appears to be a thin layer of ice forming on the surface of the water, which casts an icy glow from the moonlight.
One of the valets holds open the front door for me, and when I walk in the home, I’m equally in awe. Besides the sound of a lot of boisterous ruckus, I think I can hear Brent and Tyler singing in the background.
The first person to greet me is Candy, and what a greeting it is.
“Hiiiiii, Ryaannnn!”
She’s saying this as she makes a somewhat feeble and awkward attempt at running in her six-inch heels towards me.
“Hey, everybody! Look who’s here!” she cries out.
Candy takes me by the arm and walks with me the rest of the way in to the main area of the home, where at least a hundred or so people are laughing, drinking and celebrating.
An attractive, well-dressed older woman hears Candy’s voice above the noise, and is the second person to greet me with a warm welcome.
“Hello, Ryan, it’s so nice to meet you. I’m Darla, Wes’s grandmother. But don’t you dare call me a grandmother. I’m Darla!” she laughs.
I really like this family so far!
Candy turns to Darla, saying excitedly, “Ryan’s our newest gay to join our ever-growing family! Pretty soon we’ll have a harem of gays.”
I can’t help but burst out in laughter upon hearing this.
Darla laughs too.
“Oh, there can never be too many gays! Come in, and meet my son, and his wife.”
Now I have both women on either side of me, and suddenly feel as if I’m a VIP. All that’s missing is the red carpet!
But the more I look around, the more I start to wonder if I underdressed. It’s not as if I dressed sloppily or anything, but my clothes don’t look as expensive or as well put together as everyone else’s in the room. And to think I was actually worried I might have over dressed, as I did think I was going to a cabin in the woods.
I soon notice that Eli is busy running around the house with the other boys. He begged me to let him ride in the limousine with them, and I couldn’t say no to him.
“Dad, dad!” he screeches when he sees me, then begins running towards me. “Dad, look what I got!”
He hands me the set of long-distance Walkie Talkies he must have already received as a Christmas present. I grunt my approval and hand them back to him, at which point he runs off with another young boy.
After the slight interruption from Eli, we continue until we reach a circle of middle-aged couples. Darla introduces me to Wes’s mom.
“How do you do Ryan? I’ve heard a lot about you from my son. I’m Cissy, and this is my husband, Frank.”
Just like Candy and Darla, Wes’s mom is so elegant, cheerful and welcoming that I just want to hug all of them and take them with me back to Madison. I shake hands with the good-looking older gentleman who is Wes’s father.
They’re standing with another couple who introduce themselves to me as Brad and Marsha.
Cissy then takes my arm, saying, “Why don’t I show you to the bar, and you can get yourself a drink?”
“That sounds like a fabulous idea,” I agree.
On our way there, Wes, Flynn and Zach are the next to spot me in the crowd and come to greet me. Also with them are Elijah with his husband Alex, and Duncan and Will.
“You made it. Welcome! What do you want to drink?” Flynn asks.
We all hug one another, while Zach and I kiss.
“Always the bartender, this one,” Zach, says, motioning to Flynn.
“How about anything with Vodka? Surprise me,” I tell Flynn.
Zach looks so good tonight that I can’t seem to take my eyes off him. He’s sharply dressed in a tailored suit with a crisp seasonal tie, and has his hair parted on the side and slicked back.
“So, did you get your limousine ride? Or should I say, did you get to
drive the limo?” I ask Zach, half joking.
And he quickly fires off, “No way in hell I was going to chauffer these spoiled rich gay guys around tonight. I’m here to have fun!”
He then takes a drink of his cocktail and smiles warmly at me.
Suddenly I hear a loud screech. It’s Candy calling out to the crowd, trying to get everyone’s attention. When the crowd quiets down considerably, but not completely, Candy disappears for several seconds, before returning with another wom…
Betty?
Huh?
Yes, that Betty… my next-door neighbor and Eli’s babysitter Betty. But why is Candy announcing her presence to everyone? And why is she summoning Flynn now?
Oh, my God!
I can’t even believe this is happening!
Flynn is Betty’s long-lost son? I’m standing here, dumbstruck. But my mind immediately goes back to that walk with Candy. How weird I thought she was acting when I was questioning her about Betty and her purpose for being there.
A lot of whispering is happening, and most everyone’s eyes are directed at Flynn and Betty. They’re standing there talking to one another for a good five minutes, with Candy standing in between the two of them.
And then suddenly, Betty and Flynn begin to hug. It’s a long hug, and it’s clear that everyone in the room has finally realized who Betty is. They all begin to clap, and the clapping and cheering continues for several more minutes.
When they release their embrace, both Flynn and Betty are in tears. And most everyone in the crowd is, as well. I can’t help but feel my own eyes tear up, grateful that Betty looks to be earning the forgiveness I believe she deserves.
Just then, I feel a hand on my shoulder and a presence behind me. I see that it’s Zach, and he moves in even closer to me and rests his head on my shoulder.
I take a hold of his hand, and now both of us are in tears, witnessing this Christmas reunion of mother and son. A miracle of sorts.
I still can’t believe it and I feel so honored to have witnessed this reunion. And to think that these are my friends. My neighbor, and my new friend Flynn! I finally decide to make my way over to them, and when Betty recognizes me, she begins to cry even more.
“I’m so happy for you,” I tell her, hugging and sobbing at the same time.
“Did you know, Ryan?” she asks me.
I shake my head.
“I had no idea. I thought something was a little strange with Candy, but she didn’t let on to me what she was doing. I have just met Flynn and some other friends, so I had no idea he was your son.”
Then I go to hug Flynn, and he’s still bawling his eyes out.
“Thank you,” he says to me, then turns to Candy. “Thank you. You have no idea how much this means to me.”
Candy looks extremely happy that her little plan succeeded.
“I was a bit worried this would backfire and you wouldn’t be happy to see your mom. But I had a feeling things would turn out okay. Your mom has really worked hard on earning this moment. And, it’s Christmastime, after all. Alright everyone, let’s celebrate!” she shouts out.
Candy then takes me aside, and reveals, “Flynn just told me that his only regret was that his mother wasn’t there for his wedding to Wes. But I reminded him that he has his mother back. She finally got her life together and that’s all that matters.”
I smile warmly at her.
“I can’t thank you enough, Candy, for doing this for him. I so wanted this for Betty too, and would have arranged it if I could have, but I didn’t have that kind of power. But you did! And now that I know that Flynn is Betty’s son, it’s even better than expected!” I tell her, then joke, “You know that night I walked you to your car, I thought something was up. I hope you know you’re not a great liar.”
She lets out a vociferous laugh, then says, “I was about to tell you to shut the fuck up with all those questions you were throwing at me. But that would have made it all the more obvious that something was up. You’re right, I suck at lying on the spot!”
We laugh together, then Zach comes to join us.
“What’s so funny?” he asks.
“We just decided that Candy can’t lie for shit!” I say, and he gives me a confused look.
“Huh?” he asks, but I decide not to explain the details. It will give me something to fill him in on later.
Instead, I focus on something I’ve been wanting to ask Candy something since I arrived.
“Candy, is it okay if Zach and I take a tour of the house?” I ask.
“Oh, of course,” she says, then pauses briefly, before brazenly saying, “But if you get cum on the sheets, just be sure to take them off when you’re done so the maid can wash them!”
I turn to Zach in amazement, and he just shakes his head. We both laugh.
“Welcome to the Marshall family. Candy is the queen of one-liners,” he says in a deriding, but playful manner.
She retorts, “Hey, someone’s gotta get this party started! And it’s not a party without some crass jokes. Nor is it a party without plenty of alcohol, and I’m behind in drinking mine, so I need to rectify that situation.”
Then she takes a sip of her drink and begins to walk away. But before she gets a few steps in, she turns to me and says, “Oh, Ryan, that red shirt you’re wearing.”
She pauses, and I look down.
“Yeah?” I ask.
“It’s now the same color as your face!” she says, then turns around and struts her way to the bar, presumably to refill her near-empty glass.
I can only look at Zach and shake my head after that.
“C’mon,” I say, as I grab Zach’s arm. “Let’s do a little exploring.”
On our tour of the house, we decide to begin with the downstairs floor. The home is massive, and as we move from room to room, I begin to lose count of the amount of bedrooms and bathrooms I see.
After we head upstairs, we find a quiet room where we can be alone for a few moments. Zach takes me in his arms, and we begin to kiss.
“Should we?” he asks, staring at the dark, empty bedroom.
“Only if there’s a lock on the door,” I tell him. “I don’t want to take the risk of being known as the guest who fucked during the Marshall Christmas party.”
Zach laughs. “Uh, yeah neither would I.”
I check for a lock, and there is none, so we decide that our make out session will have to do for now. But a few minutes into our kiss, we’re interrupted when we see Eli standing in the doorway.
He has a heated look on his face and directs his anger to Ryan.
Now pointing to me, he shouts, “I’m sick of this. He’s going to keep my dad from coming back!”
Stunned, Zach and I look at one another. But before you know it, Eli and his new best friend Nick begin to run off.
“Eli!” I call out, then say to Zach, “I’d better try to get him.”
Except the boys are too quick, and before you know it, they leave the house and begin running towards the wooded area of the property.
“Eli, Come back!” I yell, and Zach follows behind me, also calling out Eli and Nick’s names.
“Fuck! They’re going to get lost in there,” I cry out.
It’s freezing cold outside, so we decide to run in and get our coats. Inside, most of the party revelers are unaware of what happened, but we organize a small search party of Wes, Flynn, Brent and Will.
I ask Wes to get a flashlight from the house, and Zach and I wait for him to return. Meanwhile, Brent, Will and Flynn trek out and disappear into the forest.
I really hope we can find them quickly. My pulse is racing and I’m berating myself for letting my son get so upset with me that he would run off into the cold and dark woods. If anything happens to him, I’d never be able to forgive myself.
Chapter Twelve
Zach
I try my hardest to assure Ryan.
“We’ll find him, try not to worry,” I say, in comforting voice.
But he s
eems inconsolable, so I decide to back off a bit.
“How could I be so careless, so many times? I’m an idiot! Maybe this was a mistake after all,” he says, with a combination of an absent and agonized look on his face.
After hearing him say this to me, it’s clear that he means us. But I try to put things in perspective and tell myself that right now he’s in a precarious situation and not thinking clearly.
This isn’t the time or place to question Ryan what he means by mistake, or whether he’s being serious. It’s obvious and understandable that Eli will always be the number one person in his life, and right now I’m the one that’s causing the friction between them.
Whether or not things will improve, or Eli will come to accept me, really isn’t my concern right now. We need to find him.
Realizing my reassurance is not helping, I tell Ryan, “I’m going to go and join the other search party.”
I try to comfort him once again before I make my trek through the woods.
“He couldn’t have gone far yet. He’ll be back, Ryan.”
I then take off in the other direction, but my mind is still shaken by what Ryan said. On the one hand, I can hardly believe that after all that’s happened between us this past week, he’d now consider breaking it off with me. But now that I think about it, perhaps it’s the best possible scenario for me. For both of us.
I haven’t, after all, given Ryan an answer about a commitment and haven’t allowed myself to get too close to him yet. Thank God! Maybe I saw this coming and have been doing the right thing after all. Protecting myself. Having this happen only lends credence to my fears and suspicions about getting too involved with Ryan.
The woods are cold and snowy tonight, and under normal circumstances, I’d be relishing both. I love Christmas, and to see snow on the ground is always an added bonus. But now I’m getting more upset with each passing second that Eli hasn’t been found. And the further away I get from the house and the lake, the darker the woods are getting. If something happened to Eli, am I going to be blamed?
