by Max Hudson
Evan
The fire crackled rhythmically in the fireplace as Evan set down a plate of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies on the coffee table. He returned to the kitchen to grab two tall glasses of milk, setting them on either side of the plate. When he heard the sound of Harvey's soft footfalls descending the stairs, he fixed his sweater, smoothed his right hand through his hair, and put on his best smile.
“Good morning,” he greeted when Harvey appeared. “How did you sleep?”
“Better than ever. Are those...Are those cookies?”
“I figured we could have them for breakfast.”
Harvey chuckled as he sleepily shuffled up to Evan and planted a kiss on Evan's cheek. Evan beamed.
“And if cookies don't work?” Harvey asked.
“Then, I'll make something else.”
“Well, let's not be too hasty about the cookies not working.”
Evan chuckled. “Can I give you your gift now?”
“I had almost forgotten about gifts.”
“That's what happens when you spend two days in bed with your ex-husband.”
Harvey giggled and lifted a cookie from the plate. He tapped his bottom lip with it as an idea flashed across his eyes.
He focused on Evan as he said, “I've been thinking about that.”
“What about it?”
“What if we weren't divorced anymore?”
Evan cocked his head curiously to the left. “Are you sure about that? We just got together.”
“You might be right. It could be too soon.”
“Oh, I don't know. We still have the new year to look forward to.”
Harvey squinted playfully. “What are you trying to say?”
“I'm saying there might be more than one gift under that tree for you.”
“Well, bring them over.”
Evan laughed as he relaxed into the couch next to Harvey. He wrapped his arm around Harvey's shoulders, burying his face into Harvey's neck. He inhaled the scent of Harvey's cologne that was tinted with hints of oak and sighed as his eyelids fluttered.
“I want to cuddle first,” he said. “Can we cuddle?”
“I don't think we've ever touched this much before.”
“There's always room for change, right?”
Harvey chuckled. “You made such a big deal out of gifts a couple of days ago and now you're stalling.”
“Maybe I'm just waiting for the right moment.”
“All right, while you're stalling, how about you tell me about June's baby?”
Evan sat upright and snatched his phone from the table. He opened the newest pictures of Serenity and held the phone up for Harvey to see.
“Wow, that's...She's so small!” Harvey exclaimed while grabbing the phone from Evan. “How do they even make them that small?”
“Have you ever met an infant?”
“Well, when my brothers had their babies, I didn't meet them for a few months. They were bigger by then, I assume.”
Evan laughed. “Serenity is only a couple of days old.”
“So, she had her baby on Christmas? That's adorable.”
“I think it's sweet. We can go meet her if you want.”
Harvey smiled weakly as he bit into his cookie. He munched on the cookie for a while, staring at the fire dancing in the fireplace. The morning light illuminated his features and filled his eyes with reflection.
He hummed curiously. “Do you think I'd be okay holding a baby?”
“Well, you don't have to hold her if you don't want to.”
“Yeah, that might be best.”
Evan chuckled. “You'll be fine, Harvey. June would love for you to be Serenity’s godfather.”
“I still need to spruce up my mob suit.”
“You're such a dork.”
Harvey laughed, dropping the uneaten half of his cookie back on the plate. He wrapped his arms around Evan and pulled Evan into him, sighing contentedly as Evan rubbed his back.
While buried in Harvey's t-shirt, Evan smiled wide. He listened to Harvey's heartbeat and nuzzled as close as he could get, shivering when he felt Harvey scratch his scalp. His mouth slacked as his eyes closed.
“You're going to put me to sleep,” he said as he quickly sat up. “I can't fall asleep now.”
“Why not? It's still early. It's a Sunday. There's no reason we can't nap on and off throughout the day.”
But then we would miss picking up your gift, Evan thought with a grin. And I don't want to miss that.
“What?” Harvey asked. “What are you staring at?”
“Just you.”
“That's weird.”
Evan laughed. “Then, I'm a weird guy. I don't mind that label at all if it means I get to keep staring at you.”
“I'm hungry for more than cookies. What have we got in the fridge?”
“I can make a full breakfast.”
Harvey grinned. “I would like that. Can I help?”
“You want to help cook? Are you sure that's a good idea?”
“Hey, if I'm going to change things about me, I might as well start with cooking, right?”
Evan inhaled sharply, practically hissing. “I don't know. The last time I tried to teach you how to cook, you almost set the counter on fire.”
“That's because I didn't know grease is flammable.”
“Harvey!”
Harvey cackled and stood up from the couch, wandering lazily toward the tree. He knelt and lifted one of the blue boxes, carrying it back to the couch to Evan.
“Here,” he said. “Open your gift before we set the kitchen on fire.”
“What's with you and setting things on fire?”
“I just like fire. That's all.”
Evan laughed as he unwrapped his gift. His laughter faded as he opened the weathered box and studied the contents.
“Wait, this is...” He shook his head while plucking the floppy disk from the box. “This is ancient. Indigo Cube? The last I heard, these things were gone from the internet. How did you find this? It's a rare PC game and—”
“And I had it stashed away in my closet for the last Christmas we were together.”
“You had this the whole time?”
Harvey blushed as a crooked smirk took his lips. “Well, you served me the divorce papers right around that time. I figured we weren't trading gifts, but I didn't want to get rid of it. I thought...Well, I kind of...”
Evan smiled warmly as he set the gift aside. He cupped Harvey's face, tracing the sleeping bags under Harvey's eyes with his thumbs.
“What did you think?”
Harvey shrugged as his eyes glossed over. “I thought I would save it for a time when we weren't hating each other.”
“I can't believe you saved this for me. I've been looking for it for years.”
“I knew how important it was to you. I mean, I think video games are silly, but I know you treasure them.”
Evan sighed shakily, “I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
“I hate to say it, but I have an overwhelming urge to pop this into my computer upstairs and play it.”
Harvey smiled. “Do you want to go do that?”
“No, I want to make you breakfast first.”
“Are you sure?”
Evan nodded. “You first. Games later.”
“Thank you for doing that.”
“I'm going to start cooking. Why don't you grab your gift?”
Harvey shook his head. “I'm supposed to help you cook.”
“Go get your gift. I insist.”
“All right, fine. But I don't think it'll be better than the gift I got for you.”
Evan winked as he stood up from the couch. He walked into the kitchen and started gathering a few pans. After he set them on the stove, he went to the fridge to grab eggs, cream, and bacon. He heated the pans and started adding the ingredients, listening to the sound of wrapping paper being torn.
“This is a small box. Is it a necklace?” Harvey asked.
&nb
sp; Evan chuckled. “Open the box, silly.”
“I can't imagine what kind of jewelry you would have gotten me. I hardly wear any. I mean...”
As the egg whites turned from clear to white in the pan, Evan cocked his ear in Harvey's direction. The living room was quiet—almost too quiet. He turned curiously to see Harvey standing in front of the island counter with the box held up. Harvey's features were strained to the point that Evan couldn't determine what emotion was trying to surface.
“Harvey? Are you okay?”
Harvey looked at Evan with tears in his eyes. A smile appeared and then turned into a shaky frown. As he attempted to correct his lips, he hiccupped and walked quickly up to Evan's side.
“What's this?”
Evan grinned. “It's your gift.”
“But it's a collar and a tag.”
“I figured it would be the best compromise for our little problem.”
Harvey shook his head. “Evan, are you serious?”
“Yes, I'm more than serious.”
“Buster is the worst name for a dog. Did you choose that name?”
Evan laughed. “That was the name on his paperwork. We can always change it if you think of something better.”
“I can't believe we're getting a dog.”
“I figured it was the best way for me to live out my desire to be a parent and for you to not have to worry so much about raising a tiny human.”
Harvey met Evan's gaze tearfully, finally able to fully smile. He shook his head and dove into Evan's chest, burying his face into Evan's sweater. Evan held Harvey for a while until he noticed the eggs needed mixing and the bacon needed turning. He released Harvey to focus on breakfast, nudging Harvey playfully with his shoulder.
“What do you think?”
“I think it's the best gift I've ever gotten.”
Evan raised his eyebrows. “And you're okay with it? I know it's abrupt and random, but I thought it could work.”
“I think it could work, too.”
“What do you say we pick him up after breakfast?”
Harvey nodded excitedly. “That's a great idea.”
When Evan finished cooking, he piled two plates full of food. He took them to the coffee table and set the plates next to the cookies, being careful to reposition the glasses of milk as well. Harvey brought a couple of forks to the couch and handed one to Evan.
Evan grinned. “Thanks, baby.”
“Merry Christmas, darling.”
“Merry Christmas to you.”
Harvey laughed. “I can't believe you adopted a dog.”
“Who says a family has to be humans? We can get a whole bunch of dogs if you want.”
“You know you've leveled up as a gay couple when you start adopting pets together.”
Evan cackled and shook his head, nearly losing his fork in the process. He lifted his plate and carefully balanced it on his knees.
“I think you're right,” he agreed. “I think we also have three years to catch up on.”
“I bet we could get it all done by the time I move in.”
“I bet so.”
Harvey smiled as he turned his attention to his food. He played with his eggs briefly before diving in, humming contentedly with each bite.
“You have to tell me how you get the eggs this fluffy,” he insisted. “Is it the cream I saw on the counter?”
“Yep, it sure is.”
“I have so much to learn.”
Evan grinned. “And plenty of time to learn it.”
When Evan finished his plate, he sipped his glass of milk. He waited patiently for Harvey to finish and then collected their plates, taking them to the dishwasher. Harvey lingered near the island counter while still clutching the collar in his hand.
“Evan?”
Evan smiled while wiping his hands on a kitchen towel. “Yes, dear?”
“Thank you. For everything.”
“No, thank you.”
Harvey laughed. “What are you thanking me for?”
“For not giving up on a second chance.”
“I think we both deserve it.”
Evan nodded. “I think so, too. Are you ready to go?”
Harvey glanced down at his plaid pajama pants and his stained t-shirt. He laughed as he shook his head, backing away toward the staircase.
“I'll be right back.”
Evan smiled and nodded, walking into the foyer to slip on his boots. He sat on the couch and bent forward to lace his shoes, listening to the sound of the floor creaking above his head. He closed his eyes for a moment and focused on the feeling of warmth around him. The smell of breakfast lingered in the air as well as the sensation that everything had perfectly fallen into place.
“I'm ready.”
As Evan opened his eyes, he rose from the couch and strolled toward Harvey, taking Harvey's hand as if they had never spent any time apart. He grabbed his coat, tugged it on, and led Harvey to his car. Once they were safely tucked inside, he drove to the adoption center.
“So, I hear that Buster is a bit of a troublemaker.”
“That means we'll get along.”
Evan laughed. “Thankfully, Buster doesn't have any thumbs so he can't set anything on fire.”
“That's a shame. I could use a crime buddy.”
“Am I not your crime buddy?”
Harvey chuckled. “You might qualify.”
“And how would I get to qualify more?”
“By sticking around.”
Evan turned and winked. “I think I can manage that.”
He pulled into the parking lot of the adoption center and parked in the space closest to the door. Harvey bounced from the passenger seat like a puppy, darting toward the door and holding it open for Evan.
Evan shook his head. “You're ridiculous.”
“I'm excited. If that's ridiculous, then I'm okay with that.”
“I never said it wasn't okay.”
Harvey grinned and took Evan's hand as the two of them approached the reception desk.
“Hi, Judy,” Evan greeted. “We're here to pick up Buster.”
“Hey, Evan! I bet Buster is excited about his new home,” she said as she lifted a clipboard. “Why don't you two follow me?”
Harvey squeezed Evan's hand. Evan grinned as they walked down the long hallway toward the back where the kennels were kept. Judy led them to a kennel at the far end that hosted a dark brown German Shephard with tan-brown spots. The dog yipped eagerly as Judy unlocked the kennel.
Once the door was open, Buster darted up to Evan and jumped into his arms, causing him to howl with laughter. Harvey tentatively petted Buster's head while Buster continued coating Evan's face with kisses.
Harvey chuckled. “He's got a lot of energy.”
“He's two-years-old and he loves to play,” Judy said. “Do you two have a yard?”
“Oh yes,” Evan replied. “Buster is going to love the yard. And we'll take him on hikes, too.”
Judy nodded. “He enjoys hiking, too.”
“That's excellent,” Harvey said. “So, we'll both get some exercise, huh?”
“Do you have his collar?” Evan asked. “I think I have his leash in my pocket.”
As Harvey applied Buster's collar, Evan procured the leash from his pocket. He waited until Harvey was done and then attached the leash to Buster's collar, smiling as Buster sat and wagged his tail. The dog didn't seem to want to sit still.
And neither did Evan.
Evan nodded toward the exit. “Are we ready?”
“Definitely,” Harvey said with a grin. He turned to Judy and added, “Thank you so much. He's wonderful.”
“We're glad to see Buster going to a good family.”
“A family,” Harvey echoed. “We're a family now, huh?”
“Yes, we are,” Evan agreed. “Thanks, Judy. We might be back next year.”
Judy laughed. “We look forward to it.”
After she led Evan and Harvey back to the front, Evan signed
the paperwork releasing Buster and turned to walk Buster and Harvey to the car. Buster hopped into the backseat and Harvey flew in after him, wrapping the dog in a huge hug.
Evan laughed as he shut the door and rounded the car to climb into the driver's seat. He listened to the happy sounds of Harvey cooing in between Buster barking excitedly. When he pulled into the driveway, Harvey led Buster toward the backyard. The two of them disappeared, leaving Evan chuckling on the path leading to the front door.
He wandered inside and set his keys down, leaving his coat on as he walked into the kitchen to locate Buster's toys. He grabbed a rope toy, a squeaky duck, and a tennis ball that he had picked up the day prior in preparation for Buster's arrival. As he waltzed up to the sliding porch door, he watched Harvey jump around the yard with their new dog, smiling warmly as he recognized the happiness radiating from his boyfriend.
This was a good move, he reflected. It works for us both. We don't have to stay apart just because we don't agree. And we don't have to give ourselves up either.
His smile widened as he popped open the door, the squeal of the door on the track alerting Buster. Buster stood at attention with his ears pointed in the air and his fluffy tail stiffened. When he recognized Evan, he barked and sprinted toward Evan, leaping repeatedly to inspect the toys that Evan was carrying.
Evan handed the tennis ball to Harvey. “Give it a go.”
“All right, boy. Can you fetch it?”
Harvey tossed the ball across the yard and chuckled as Buster darted after it, chomping down hard on the ball and running back to Harvey to drop it at his feet.
“Wow,” he sighed. “I'm impressed!”
Buster barked.
“Do you want to go again?”
Buster whined while focusing on the ball in Harvey's hand. When Harvey tossed it, he chased after it, growling as he shook his head viciously side to side with the ball in his mouth.
“I've got a feeling the furniture will need protecting,” Harvey teased. “What do you think, dear?”
“I think you might be right.”
“Do you think we'll keep agreeing with each other like this?”
Evan turned to Harvey with a look of mischief, the smile from earlier in the morning still sitting on his lips. It seemed the smile had never left.
“I sure hope not,” he replied. “I hope we don't agree on everything because I want us each to have our own opinions. But if we do happen to agree on a lot of things, I'll call that a win.”