For Keeps

20. Chi chi frou frou doo dads.

{Jon}

Bea was the first person to spill out of Cary's truck outside Creekside Gardens, lifting her puffy yellow parka arms as if the encompass the whole snow-covered scene. "Christmas!" she crowed. Cary huffed a laugh, and she took his big arm, skipping to keep up with him. "You can take all the time you want to look at all the doo dads. I don't even mind."

Jon and Kurt followed them into the store, bumping the backs of their hands together and stealing sideways glances.

The vast, glass-ceilinged building had been transformed into a forest of towering evergreens, each sparkling with decorations in a different theme. A life-sized Santa sleigh was tucked in the centre of the twinkling display, and a crooner burbled Christmas tunes above the fragrant space. A crowd of bundled shoppers browsed the aisles, which branched off the display area, or lined up at the little cafe for morning coffee. The whole place smelled like pine and eucalyptus and roasted coffee beans.

"You gotta list, Douglas?" Kurt asked, his eyes bright under his tousled, colourful hair. He'd done something different with his face, Jon thought; his lips were a distractingly luscious shade of pink.

"Yup," Cary said, handing it over. "Gotta stay focused."

Kurt scanned it. "All the chi chi frou frou doo dads for our naked tree." His lips curled in a smile, his eyes touching Jon's for a moment. "Love it."

Reluctantly Jon and Kurt split up, sending Kurt with Cary and Jon with Bea. She took her brother's hand as they walked, swinging it a little and saying in a sing-song voice, "Thank you for inviting me, Jonee."

There had been an entire year when a littler version of Bea had made all her words into little songs for her family. "Thank you for coming Honey Bee," he sang back, softly, a little warmth coming into his cheeks. She giggled. It was zero effort to return her smile; Jon felt as if he carried nothing more than his ordinary body today; light and strong.

"Tabitha May didn't want to come?" Jon asked.

She shook her head, smushing her knitted hat over her hair. "Too early. She needs, like, two hours to get ready." She rolled her eyes. "Plus...I don't know if this would be fun for her. She's been a big grump lately."

Jon gripped her small, cool hand a little more firmly. "How's the week been for you? Any stories?"

Her face became quiet, soft and serious in the winter daylight. Shaking her head, she gave him a small smile. She gripped his hand back tight and Jon was content with that wordless story.

They were comparing the merits of sequins versus glitter in the purple-themed aisle when a holler reached them.

"Bea White!"

Bea's face lit up and she turned to see Jordin bounding towards her, her long dark hair tumbling over her angular shoulders as she ran. "Hey Jordi," she said, hugging her gently.

Jordin glanced past Jon's bemused face, scanning the crowd. "Is your brother here?" she asked.

"Yeah he's--" Bea turned to Jon, her hand on his coat front before catching his wide-eyed warning. "--around here somewhere."

"Why don't you two run and find Cary and Kurt?" Jon nudged Bea's shoulders away from him. It wasn't her fault she couldn't tell a lie to save her life--or his. He rolled out his shoulders as his fingers flew over his phone in a text to Cary.

<jordin & b incoming gay up>

<sorry> He added.

"Hey Jon," a friendly, familiar voice said. Jon glanced up to find Patrick giving him a wave, Dusty bouncing beside him. "I guess everybody's out to see Santa today."