“It’stotally fine,Mom.Ifit was a problem,Iwouldn’t have answered.Youknow you can call anytime.”
“You’rea good son, you know?Okay, so today is the last day that your dad andIcan cancel our cruise reservations without penalty and—”
“Don’tcancel,Mom.Thisis your thirtieth anniversary.Youguys deserve to go live it up to celebrate.”
“Iknow.It’sjust that it’s overChristmas.”
“Youlove having your anniversary onChristmasEve, and you should get to go on your anniversary trip during your anniversary.”
Truthfully,Parkerwas going to miss them.ChristmasEveat home always consisted of celebrating his parents’ anniversary with a feast, followed by making gingerbread dream homes, then bundling up and going caroling as a family.Itwas going to feel wrong to not do that.
Untilthis year,Christmaswas one holiday that he looked forward to as an adult every bit as much as he had when he was a kid.Butever sinceStephaniebroke off their engagement, he’d lost all desire to celebrateChristmasat all.Themagic it held was just gone.Still, though, he was going to miss it this year.Butit wasn’t like he was going to have his parents skip the trip they had been planning practically his whole life.
“Idon’t know if it’s right to leave.”
Parkertwirled his pen, which now had a little eraser pushed on the top—like they used in elementary school—in the shape of a cat.Ofcourse, it did. “Ethanis fine to spendChristmaswith theGarlandsat their cabin?”
Parker’sbossAdamwalked over to his desk, some of the sketches from their meeting in his hand.Parkerheld up a finger, motioning for him to wait a moment.
“He’sthrilled about it.It’son a lake, so he’ll be in heaven the whole time and we’ll be lucky if he even stops to think about us once.”
“Thenit’s right for you two to go.”
”It’syouI’mworried about, honey.”
“Ifyour fourteen-year-old son is fine with it,Ithink it’s safe to assume that your twenty-seven-year-old son is okay with it, too.”
“Inever would’ve planned it ifIhadn’t truly believed you’d be spendingChristmashoneymooning it up on your own cruise.”
Hetried not to feel the stab of pain at her mention of how different his life should be right now. “Ireally will be fine if you go.Iwill find a way to celebrateChristmason my own.”
Itwas a lie—he hadn’t planned on celebrating at all.Buthe didn’t lie to his mom, and the guilt hit him instantly.Hevowed to listen to aChristmassong, or get a foot-and-a-half tallChristmastree likeKellihad on her desk and put it up in his apartment.Somelittle thing that could be considered “celebratingChristmas” so it wasn’t a lie.
“Youwill?”
“Iwill.”
“Okay, then, we’ll keep our trip.Butif you change your mind, even last minute, you let me know and we’ll cancel and take the penalty.”
“Iwill.Butdon’t worry—I’mnot going to change my mind.”
“Ilove you, son.”
“Ilove you, too,Mom.”
Parkerhung up the phone and turned toAdam, motioning at the papers in his hand. “Morethoughts?”
“Oh, yeah.”Adamlooked down at the papers for a moment, like he’d forgotten he was holding them. “Iwas thinking about this section here, where it says, ‘higher,’ the display should physically go higher.”Thenhe turned his attention from the papers back toParker. “Youdon’t have anywhere to go forChristmas?”
Parkershook his head. “Notreally, but who knows?Imight spend the holiday with friends.”Nota lie, because he didn’t say he was—just that hemight.Ifall his friends weren’t either married or going home to their parents forChristmas, or both, which he was pretty sure they all were. “Howmuch higher are you thinking?Subtle, or aim-for-the-ceiling?”
Adamdropped the hand holding the plans to his side. “Cometo my house forChristmas.Erinand the kids would love it.Youcan have aChristmasEvefeast with us, and watchLukeandHollybeMaryandJoseph, withHollyholding her baby doll, and a bunch of their stuffed animals playing the part of the stable animals.It’llbe unpredictable in the way only a two-year-old and a four-year-old can make it.
“We’vegot a guest room.We’llopen presents onChristmasmorning, you can see how great it is to experience the magic ofChristmasthrough the eyes of little kids, and we’ll eat warm cinnamon rolls for breakfast.It’llbe great.Whatdo you say?”
Itwould be great.Itwas exactly whatParkerwanted.Hisbreakup withStephaniehad been difficult all along but especially right now, since they were supposed to get married the week ofChristmas.Thelast thing he needed was to hang out with a guy who had everythingParkerwanted, at a time when he was acutely aware of how much he didn’t have it.Especiallywhen it was just a pity ask.Hisboss didn’t really want him there.
“I’llthink about it and let you know.Showme what you were thinking about that display.”
