by Max Hudson
“Thank you,” he whispered.
“Do you want me to help you put it on?”
Glenn chuckled. “Katelyn, let him do it himself. He's thirty years old.”
“Sorry, I'm just excited.”
Evan huffed with amusement. “I see where I get it from.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Nothing, Mom. I love it. I'm putting it on right now.”
She smiled as Evan fastened the watch to his wrist, holding it up to show it off to his parents. As he studied the chain design of the band and the polished face of the clock, he heard his phone buzz from across the room. He stood to locate it while his parents chatted in the background.
When he found his phone, he noticed he had received a few texts from June. He clicked on them and smiled uncontrollably as he looked through the pictures June had sent from the hospital room.
“June had her baby!” he announced while running to his parents. “Look! She named the baby Serenity. What a beautiful name.”
“Oh, look at that little baby!” Katelyn cried while snatching the phone. “She's so tiny. How much does she weigh? Is she okay? She looks jaundiced.”
“Mom, she was just born like an hour ago. She's not going to be chunky right off the bat.”
“I hope she grows into a chunky baby. Those are always the cutest babies.”
Glenn and Evan shared a laugh. Evan shook his head as his mother continued to spout off her preferences for babies—what they should wear, what they should be fed, and how they should be raised. He relaxed into the recliner and smiled at his parents who were fawning over the pictures that June had sent.
I wish I could tell Harvey, he thought somberly. I wish I could show him the pictures. I wish he were here right now.
He closed his eyes for a moment while focusing on the memory of their argument at the park.
I said some things I regret. And I can't take them back. Why did I let my anger get the best of me?
He perked up when his mother scooted over the floor to hand him his phone. He smiled weakly, holding the screen up to his face so he could look at June's messages again.
“I want you to be the godfather,” she had written. “And I think having a matching godfather would be pretty swell, too.”
Evan allowed his smile to warm his features as he typed, “I think that would be wonderful, June.”
“So, how about it?”
“I fully accept my role as godfather.”
“Anyone else to add to that role?”
His thumbs hovered over the screen, shuddering slightly as he tried to formulate a response. After a pause, he texted, “I think I have someone in mind, but I'm not sure how he feels about it.”
“Just let me know. We're glad to have you as part of our family and anyone else you deem fit.”
“I'm glad to be part of your family.”
When he sent the text, he stared at the screen for a long time. He considered texting Harvey but thought better of it as he realized he had already asked Harvey about being a godfather. And as he glowered in the sullen energy that his thoughts provoked, he received a new text message.
This time, it was from Harvey.
His eyes widened as he clicked on the notification.
“Meet me at the park later,” it read. “I have something for you.”
I can't believe it. Has he gone mad? Am I hallucinating?
Evan stood abruptly from the recliner and paced toward the kitchen, rounding the corner to walk into the hallway leading to the foyer. He stood in front of the door as he studied the screen, blinking repeatedly to clear his vision.
No, it's there, he thought as his heart skipped a beat. Harvey texted me. He wants to meet later.
“When?” he wrote. “What time?”
“7:00 PM. And don't be late, mister.”
Evan chuckled while shaking his head. “I've got a new watch that will keep me from being late.”
“Good. This is important.”
“What is this about? What are you doing?”
“What I should have done a long time ago.”
With a sigh of relief, Evan held his phone to his chest. He closed his eyes and allowed the relief to fill every crevice of his body, inviting him to relax every muscle that had tightened since his argument with Harvey. He returned to the living room wearing a love-drunk expression that his mother immediately pointed out.
“What happened?” she pressed. “Is it the baby?”
“It's Harvey,” he replied. “I think something magical is about to happen.”
Chapter Fourteen
Harvey
Harvey stood next to the sleigh as the wind bit his cheek. He squinted against the unforgiving breeze, watching the horses tied to the sleigh whinny and fill the air with puffs of white condensation. He glanced up at the man sitting at the front of the sleigh. The man held the reins loosely, his top hat and suit appearing to be from another era.
“Just a few more minutes,” Harvey said. “I'm so sorry, Winston.”
“Don't worry about it, Harvey. I'm sure he'll come along.”
“Yeah, it's just strange. Evan is never late to anything.”
Winston chuckled lightly. “Have a little faith.”
“I'm trying.”
Harvey shuddered as the breeze doubled down, causing him to hug his shoulders and whistle. Gusts of white condensation huffed from his trembling lips, reminding him exactly how cold it had gotten. When he glanced at the sky, he noticed the pockets of amorphous black between the fluffy gray clouds. A few droplets of rain landed on his nose which seemed to thicken the air with a foreboding chill.
He shook his head. “All right, I'm calling it.”
“Just a second, Harvey,” Winston advised. “I think I see someone.”
Harvey squinted at the dark figure approaching. He cracked a grin as he recognized Evan. The sight of Evan both put him at ease and made him nauseous, reminding him of the lengthy speech he had prepared.
He took a shaky breath and raised his right hand in greeting.
“Evan, hey,” he spewed quickly. “Hey, I'm glad you came. I'm sorry I didn't call. I mean, I figured you were busy with your family, and I didn't want to bug you, and I know you've been waiting on June, and—”
“Harvey,” Evan intercepted. “Relax. Take a breath. Your lips are blue.”
“Oh, I...” Harvey chuckled as he dropped his gaze to Evan's boots. He couldn't quite make eye contact. But he didn't exactly want to look away. As he forced himself to meet Evan's gaze, his shoulders relaxed and some of his shivering subsided. He smiled and whispered, “Thank you.”
“Of course.”
“So, what do you think?”
Evan regarded Winston with a jolly grin. “Hello, Winston.”
“Good to see you, Santa.”
“Has business been booming?”
Winston nodded. “Ever since the first of the month.”
“That's good to hear.”
“Are you two ready for a ride?”
Evan turned his warm gaze to Harvey, practically melting Harvey on the spot. Harvey bit his lower lip and gestured to the seat on the back of the sleigh.
“After you.”
“Thank you, sir.”
Harvey took Evan's hand, helping Evan up into the sleigh. When Evan was seated, he followed suit, resting on the bench next to Evan. He tapped his fingers against the wood between them nervously as the sleigh jolted forward, the sound of hooves clopping against the cement echoing off the nearby buildings.
“So, how do you know Winston?” Harvey asked while folding his fingers together in his lap. “I mean, other than the fact that you know everyone in Charleston.”
“We had sleigh rides at the festival, remember? Winston would bring Smoke and Thunder along to give rides to the kids.”
“Ah, I guess I missed that detail.”
Evan grinned jovially. “That's okay. You weren't around the festival a whole lot back then.”
“I wasn't around for much at all, really.”
“Well, that's in the past.”
Harvey shook his head. “Evan, about that...”
“You don't have to explain yourself.”
“No, I do. I need to apologize for that. I'm sorry I didn't pay much attention to you. I was running because I didn't know what to do. I didn't know how to handle our disagreement.”
Evan nodded slowly, his gaze falling to the space between them. “I understand that. I think I did the same thing.”
“Yours is justified. It was a response to my actions.”
“I think I played as big a part as you in us parting ways, Harvey. Let me apologize, too.”
Harvey hesitated, studying Evan's serious features. He started to reach for Evan's beard, but thought better of it, retracting his hand and dropping it back into his lap.
“I shouldn't have pressured you the way that I did,” Evan continued. “I should have sat down with you and talked about it instead of assuming it was the end of us.”
“I should have done the same thing.”
“But saying what we should or shouldn't have done won't change what actually happened.”
Harvey nodded glumly. “I know. I can't fix it.”
“You're right. You can't fix it.”
“What?”
Harvey stared at Evan for a few minutes with a mixture of fear and confusion, watching a smile grow on Evan's lips.
“But we can,” Evan whispered.
“What are you saying?”
Evan grinned as he met Harvey's gaze. “I don't need to have children with you to have a fulfilling life with you.”
“But Evan, you've always wanted kids. I've been getting in the way of that. I've been preventing you from that happiness.”
“No, you haven't prevented me from achieving anything. I've prevented it myself by limiting my perspective with you.”
Harvey shook his head. “Don't sacrifice what you want for me. Don't do that.”
“Weren't you just about to do the same?”
“No, I... I was going to try...” Harvey licked his lips nervously before continuing, “I was going to suggest a compromise.”
“Harsh Harvey wants to compromise? Are you drunk?”
Harvey laughed. “Hardly.”
Evan glanced at his shiny watch. “Well, it's still early. We could always grab drinks later.”
“You want to grab a drink with me?”
“Or we can have one at my house. Or we can have one at your apartment. We can have one wherever you like.”
Harvey grinned shyly, daring to reach for Evan's hand. “I'm sorry I accused you of sabotaging us. It wasn't right to say that. I was hurt and angry. I was confused. I was worried about us going right back to the past.”
“We practically did.”
“But then I started thinking that maybe there was a point to that. Maybe we were supposed to have that argument.”
Evan furrowed his brows together with concerned curiosity. “Why would that need to happen?”
“I love you, Evan. And I would do just about anything to be with you. But I won't sacrifice pieces of myself just to be with you. I think I needed to realize that.”
“I feel the same way.”
Harvey smiled warmly. “Which is why I was thinking that—if it was still an option like you said—I would consider being a godfather to June's baby.”
“Are you serious?”
“Yes, I've given it plenty of thought. And I think, well, if the baby isn't around all the time, then I won't make a ton of mistakes around it, right? I mean, I can practice how to act around a baby. I can try to change some behavior. I can cut down my drinking and—”
“Harvey?”
Harvey froze, settling his gaze on Evan. “Yeah?”
“Shut up and kiss me.”
Harvey whimpered as he fell into Evan, accepting the kiss Evan was passionately delivering. His heart lurched in his chest as his hands searched to cup Evan's face, tangling his fingers into the strands of Evan's beard. He sat comfortably in this position for a few minutes while the air around them crackled with energy.
When he drew back from the kiss, he noticed a few flakes of snow sitting on Evan's head. He studied the crystal flakes with heated interest until he noticed the flurry of snow dancing around the sleigh. He gasped as he gripped Evan's shoulders.
“Evan, it's snowing—I can't believe it!”
Evan turned to observe their surroundings, his features a reflection of joy and wonder. Snow decorated his beard and melted almost instantaneously, only to be replaced by more that fell from the sky. Harvey tipped his head back and opened his mouth to catch a few flakes on his tongue. He giggled like a small child and wrapped his arms around Evan, burying his cold nose into Evan's warm scarf.
“This is a miracle,” he whispered. “I can't believe it.”
“I can. It's magic.”
“There's no such thing.”
Evan pulled back from their embrace while holding Harvey's shoulders, his eyes sparkling with delight as he insisted, “Yes, there is. It brought us back together.”
“Communication did that.”
“Call it what you want, but I think it's magic.”
Harvey smirked. “I suppose we can blame Christmas for that, huh?”
“Hey, I thought you were a Christmas grump.”
“Maybe being around you has softened me to the idea that Christmas isn't really that bad.”
Evan grinned. “I'm glad I could do that for you.”
“You know, my best friend reminded me of something.”
“What's that?”
Harvey took a deep breath and sighed it out. “We were happy once. Before we ever worried about having kids or not, we were deeply in love. I want to get back to that. I think we can.”
“I don't think it takes that much work to get back to that, Harvey. I'm willing to sit with you. I'm willing to leave things open-ended.”
“Really? You would do that?”
Evan nodded. “My parents actually had disagreed once on whether they should have kids. My mother never wanted any but my father did. She told me how they compromised.”
“Wow, I guess if they hadn't had kids, I would never have met you.”
“That's true.”
Harvey stroked Evan's cheek. “I just want us to be together without worrying about anything else. I want to make good memories with you. I want to change.”
“Harvey, you don't have to change anything about you.”
“Yes, I do. I want to change my attitude. I felt rotten without you. I felt like I couldn't tackle the day. Now, I feel different. I feel like I could handle more if I just tried.”
Evan smiled warmly. “I want you to take your time and do what you need to do. I don't ever want to force you to do anything or to try to take over when you're trying to do things yourself.”
“Thank you, Evan.”
“I mean it. I'm not meddling in your business.”
Harvey arched his right eyebrow. “So, no interfering when I'm struggling with the front door, right?”
“You won't have to worry about that anymore.”
“Why's that? Are you going to fix my front door?”
Evan smirked. “No. I want you to move back in with me.”
Harvey's eyes widened. Tears danced at the edge of his vision as his smile stretched uncontrollably across his face. The corners of his mouth seemed to poke into his eyes, causing them to brighten as he looked at Evan.
“Are you...Are you sure about that?”
Evan nodded. “I'm positive. When you came over, I realized how much my house—our house—felt empty without you.”
“Oh, Evan...”
“I've been trying to find the missing piece for years. I've been trying to fill that house with video games, collectibles, and even other people. But none of them worked.”
Harvey's lower lip quivered as he whimpered, “I feel the same.”
“B
ut when you were there, I felt complete. I felt warm. I felt right.”
“I would love to move back in.”
Evan blinked, prompting a couple of tears to trickle down his left cheek. He sniffled as Harvey swept his tears away.
“Maybe we can do that before the new year,” he suggested. “What do you say?”
“That's a lot of moving to do in less than a week.”
“All right, how about the end of January?”
Harvey grinned. “That sounds doable to me.”
“And I think I have another idea as far as a compromise.”
“What's that?”
Evan winked. “You'll have to forgive me because it's a late Christmas gift.”
“Evan, what is it?”
“I can't tell you. It's a surprise.”
Harvey laughed as he struggled to exclaim, “Evan!”
“Hey, you can wait! I promise it'll be worth your while.”
“I'll do my best.”
Evan grinned while wrapping Harvey in a hug. He rubbed Harvey's back and chuckled lightly, alerting Harvey of his happiness.
“Thank you for the sleigh ride,” Evan whispered. “This means so much to me.”
“Well, I wanted to show you that I was serious.”
“I believe it.”
Harvey smiled as he drew back to look into Evan's eyes. “I'm glad you do. I believe you. And I forgive you.”
“I forgive you, too.”
“I love you, Evan.”
Evan smiled wide, running his thumb over Harvey's cheek. “I love you, too.”
Harvey dove for another kiss. He didn't mind the jolt of the carriage as it careened through downtown. He didn't care about the people laughing and dancing on the sidewalk to their right. All he cared about was Evan and how he was going to spend his life with Evan.
When he drew back from the kiss, he rested his head on Evan's shoulder and tugged Evan's arm around his shoulders. The rotten feeling in his gut that he had carried for years melted away, chased into the sun by Evan's brilliant love. As the horses drew them back to the park, he sat up and squeezed Evan's hand.
“How about that drink?” he asked. “My house or your house?”
“How about our house?”
Harvey grinned. “I can do that.”
Chapter Fifteen