by Shea Balik
Nick shook his head. “I’m here to buy some toys for the toy drive you have going. Tim told me you’re determined to give every child in the children’s hospital a toy since they are stuck there for the holidays.”
Mr. Sullivan’s face brightened even more than usual. “Did Tim also tell you I’m playing Santa when I give them out next Sunday?”
“No, he didn’t.” Nick glanced over at his boyfriend who hadn’t yet noticed Nick as he set up the latest window display.
“Tim,” Mr. Sullivan called out. “Why don’t you help Nick here pick out some toys he can donate to the toy drive?”
Tim’s head popped up. When his eyes landed on Nick he expected to see a smile, but what he got instead was a scowl. “I won’t be able to finish this if I do that, Mr. Sullivan,” Tim said. “I’m sure Nick is perfectly capable of picking out toys himself.”
When Mr. Sullivan let out a heavy sigh, Nick knew something was up. He just wasn’t sure what it was.
That morning everything had been fine. Tim had been in a good mood as Nick dropped him off at the toy store. Which meant something happened between then and now.
When he glanced Mr. Sullivan’s way, the older man sighed again. “His mother stopped by and belittled every display in the store, telling Tim he was wasting my time and money pretending to be good at something.”
Shaking his head, Mr. Sullivan looked sadly over at Tim. “As soon as I heard her, I kicked her out of the store and told her she wasn’t allowed back in, but the damage has been done. I don’t like to speak ill of anyone, but that woman is a bitch.”
Nick nearly choked on his laughter at Mr. Sullivan’s candid, yet accurate, remark. Tim’s mom had called a few times since they’d started dating and every time, she managed to make Tim feel like an unworthy human being. It took Nick days, sometimes weeks, to get him out of his funk. But to have to face her as she belittled him, Nick feared he’d wouldn’t get Tim out of his funk before Christmas.
As he shopped for the toy drive, an idea come to Nick that he really hoped would work. Mr. Sullivan rang up his purchases and placed the toys in the box for the hospital. “I wonder if you would mind if Tim and I joined you at the hospital next Sunday?” Nick asked. “We could be your elves and help pass out gifts.”
Excited at the prospect of having help, Mr. Sullivan agreed whole heartedly.
Nick wasn’t sure if it was a good idea, but he figured it couldn’t hurt. It was time that Tim understood that even though he’d had a sucky childhood, there were those who had it so much worse.
CHAPTER 23
“Excuse me, young man, can you help me?” An older woman asked politely, causing Tim to shudder in dread.
It wasn’t as if he could tell her no when she’d asked so nicely. Plus, with it being the last weekend before Christmas, Klassic Toys was busier than ever. Mr. Sullivan literally had every employee there and it still wasn’t enough to deal with the demand of customers picking out last minute gifts.
With a fake smile on his face, Tim lied. “Sure. What can I do for you?”
In case Tim had any thoughts he had been doing a good job at Klassic Toys, his mom had come in last week to disabuse him of that notion. She not only laughed at his pathetic attempts at putting up displays, she mocked his knowledge of anything related to toys or learning aids for children.
As much as he wished he had the spine to throw it in her face that people loved his displays, the fact was, Tim had never been sure if they were just being nice. She also had a point about not knowing the first thing about toys, although, that was more on her than Tim, but he hadn’t dared mention that.
So, even though it was doubtful he’d be able to help this woman, Tim owed it to Mr. Sullivan to try. The man had given him a job when Tim had needed it the most and he’d agreed to work around the hectic schedule of his other two jobs.
“My grandchildren will be here tomorrow and are staying for a week,” the woman said. She nodded toward the basket already filled with various toys. “I’ve gotten everything on their lists, but, to be honest, they’re all electronic games that make it hard for me to interact with them. I was hoping you could recommend something that we could all do together.”
Fuck me.
Why couldn’t she just have asked him to find all those toys she had in the basket instead? At least he could look them up on the computer and know where they were in the store. But to come up with something that a grandmother and her grandchildren could play? Yeah, no.
His only hope was to ask her enough questions in order to keep her talking long enough for one of the other sales people to help when they were done waiting on their own customers.
“How old are you grandchildren?” Tim asked.
“Thirteen, twelve, ten, nine, and eight.” The woman beamed as she gave their ages. “They’re all smart as whips, too.”
“Other than electronic games, is there anything else they like to do?” Tim asked as he scanned the store praying someone would be free to help him. No such luck.
The older woman put a finger to her lips and tapped them for a moment before saying, “Well, Joey and Eddie love sports, but between it being cold out and me not being as agile as I once was, I think that is out. Nancy loves puzzles and Amy likes to do word puzzles on that phone of hers.”
That gave Tim an idea. “How about Bananagrams?”
“Banana-what?” the woman asked.
“It’s kind of like Scrabble, but since each player does his or her own words without linking with the others, it allows the kids to play at their own level.” Tim led her over to where yellow banana-shaped cloth bags were hung.
He unzipped the bag and pulled out the little instruction sheet and showed it to her. “Normally, the winner is the first one to run out of tiles, but you can always just play and not have a winner. Make it more about socializing with your grandchildren while playing a game.”
The woman’s face lit up like one of the many Christmas trees they had in the store. “That is perfect. Thank you so much.”
Tim felt good about himself for being able to help, especially when he heard the woman telling Mr. Sullivan what a great help he had been, and she was sure this Christmas she would finally be able to have some fun with her grandchildren without their eyes always being focused on their phones or tablets.
Maybe it was time for him to start considering that full-time position Mr. Sullivan had offered him. If only he was sure he could do it. For all he knew, this was a one off and Tim wouldn’t be able to do it again.
****
“Thank you, boys, for agreeing to help,” Mr. Sullivan said, again, as they pulled up to the hospital.
Tim never thought he’d have to wear an elf costume again. At least this time it was for a good cause. Still, he really wished Nick hadn’t offered their assistance. Not because Tim didn’t want to help, but they only got a half-day, once a week to spend together, and Tim didn’t want to do that in a stupid elf costume.
“We’re happy to do it, sir,” Nick assured the man.
Tim made a noise to confirm that, even if he didn’t say the actual words. Lying to his boss, even for a good reason, still wasn’t something Tim was willing to do.
They carried several bags filled with wrapped toys, each with a child’s name on it, up the elevator to the children’s wing. Tim had been shocked to find out how many children were in the hospital over the holiday. It was sad enough that many of them had diseases they had to live with for the rest of their lives, but to have to spend Christmas in the hospital didn’t seem fair.
Then again, when had life ever been fair?
The elevator dinged and the doors opened. Mr. Sullivan gave his best, “Ho, ho, ho,” as they exited. Cheers echoed down the hallway as they made their way to the main play area where the children who weren’t confined to bed were waiting.
Even Tim couldn’t stop the smile as he heard their excitement. But those cheers had been nothing to the sheer joy on those kids faces as Santa entered the
playroom with two overfilled bags of toys for them.
Nick and Tim had even more bags that they surreptitiously slid behind the chair that was set up for Santa to use as he patiently spoke to each child, took pictures with them, and handed out a gift, specially picked out for each of them.
How Mr. Sullivan had found the time to find out which toy each kid would want then wrap and make out a tag for them, Tim had no idea, but he had a new respect for his boss for doing it. He also had a better attitude about putting on the elf suit and being there.
These kids deserved this small bit of joy. Even with them in the playroom, many had oxygen tanks by their sides and IVs attached. The longer the three of them were there, the more tired the children were getting, barely able to stay awake even though it had only been just over an hour. These kids were sick.
Tim might have had a shitty childhood, but at least he hadn’t had to spend it in a hospital. He spent too much time sulking about the way he’d grown up. He should be grateful that he’d at least been able to do so without the worry of possibly dying, which, as they went to the rooms of those children who hadn’t been well enough to join them in the playroom, Tim found out, too many of them did.
As they headed down the elevator with their bags now empty, Tim had decided it was up to him to find the life he’d always wanted growing up. If he didn’t want to continue to work three jobs without ever getting a day off, then he needed to do something about it.
“Mr. Sullivan,” he said. “If that offer is still available for the full-time position, I’d like to take it.”
Both Nick and Mr. Sullivan were grinning from ear to ear.
“It’s about time,” they both said in unison, causing all three of them to laugh.
“Tell you what,” Mr. Sullivan said. “You can start the day after Christmas. I’ll need you from eight until five Monday through Friday.”
“It’s a deal.” Tim shook the man’s hand happy to have made that step to improve his life. He just hoped things went this well when he suggested that he and Nick move in together.
****
“Hey, love. It’s nearly midnight,” Nick said as he pulled Tim into his arms so Tim’s back was pressed against Nick’s chest. “Why don’t you come to bed?”
It was Christmas Eve and Tim hadn’t managed to get the nerve up to ask Nick if they could move in together. It was the reason he hadn’t been able to sleep. Well, that, and for the first time in his life, he was actually excited for Christmas morning.
The gifts were under the tree and there were several of their friends who didn’t have families to visit, that would be coming by around noon for drinks and Christmas dinner. It had been his idea when he’d discovered a few of his coworkers had no place to go for the holiday.
But that was tomorrow. Tonight, he wanted to soak up Nick’s strength and ask for what he really wanted this Christmas. It was just so hard. For too much of his life, Tim didn’t believe that good things could happen to him.
With Nick that was changing, but Tim still found it challenging to accept. Still, if he had any hope of living the life he really wanted, he would have to go for it.
“I… uhm… can…” Tim let out a huff as he struggled to get the words out.
Nick held him a little tighter and placed his chin on Tim’s shoulder. “Look,” Nick said in awe. “It’s snowing.”
Tim glanced out the window he’d been standing at for the last hour and gasped. There had been no indication it was supposed to snow, yet there it was. Soft flakes floating across the sky.
“It never snows on Christmas.” That probably wasn’t exactly true but it wasn’t often.
Nick kissed his neck. “Just goes to show that miracles do happen.”
Just like that, Tim found that courage he’d been lacking. “I was hoping that you might…” he paused thinking he needed to be a bit more romantic about the whole thing. Tim just wasn’t the romantic type. “We’ve been dating for a while now and I thought, maybe, we could live together.”
Tim didn’t even have time to take a breath before Nick spun him around so they were facing each other. “Really?” Nick asked, clearly stunned. “Do you mean it? You’d move in with me?”
The smile that appeared on Nick’s face told its own story. So did the hard, passionate kiss that Nick gave him. “Please, tell me you really want this because I don’t know if I could stand it if you took it back,” Nick said when he ended the kiss.
Their foreheads were touching as Nick brushed another kiss across Tim’s lips. “What can I say?” Tim breathed out. “You’ve made me a believer.”
Nick smiled. “A believer in what?”
Tim’s gaze caught the bright lights of the Christmas tree as he said, “Christmas Magic.”