Note from the author: Total Words: 30,001. I DID IT!!!!! [insert victory dance here]
10 years later…
We’re all gathered around the tree: Me, Harvey, Matty, Jack, Buttons, Gus, and Amy. We’ll I guess Buttons is technically passed out under the tree. She’s an old dog now. She spends most of her time sleeping. This year Christmas is at my house in San Diego since last year it was at Amy and Gus’.
“Unca Jack,” Harvey coos. It’s his first Christmas. He’s about to turn one. Matt and I named him after a guy we met in the Caribbean during our honeymoon. “Unca Jack?” Harvey repeats.
“Right here, buddy. Come to Uncle Jack,” Jack encourages. Harvey tries to wobble to the couch where Uncle Jack is sitting, but he doesn’t quite make it all the way. He settles for crawling.
“Still not dating anyone, Jack?” Amy asks. A diamond ring sparkles on her left hand. She and Gus tied the knot a couple years back.
“Nope, it’s hard to meet girls when you’re studying hard in med school,” Jack responds, picking up Harvey and setting him on his lap. Jack’s been living with us while he tries to get his degree. Harvey and him have a special bond.
“Right, studying,” Matt says, putting air quotes around the word studying.
“I am,” Jack insists.
“Suuuuuure,” Matt replies sarcastically, winking.
“Be nice, Matty,” I say, lightly punching Matt in the upper arm. Hard to believe that we’ve been married for 6 years now. Time flies.
“Grampa!” Harvey demands. Jack passes the baby to Gus.
“And what have you been up to Charlie?” Amy asks.
“Not much,” I reply. Jack, Matt, and I released an album and it went double platinum. Jack’s using the money to go to college. Matt and I are using the money to be stay at home parents. We’re planning for our next single to be dropped any day now. I want it to be a surprise so I haven’t told Amy yet.
“Momma!” Harvey cries impatiently. Jack passes the baby to me; it’s like hot potato. Harvey loves to be in constant motion. He doesn’t want to miss a thing.
“Charles, are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Matty asks.
“I think so. Jack, are you thinking what we’re thinking?” I continue.
“Definitely. Are you thinking what the rest of us are thinking, Amy?” Jack asks.
“Yep. It’s time for-” she starts.
“PIE!” The rest of us shout in unison.
“Calm down, I’m coming, I’m coming,” Gus says, exiting the kitchen with his arms full of pies. He sets them down on the kitchen table and starts naming them off: “Okay, we have Coconut Cream, S’mores Delight, Marrionberry, and Key Lime.”
We all dig in eagerly. “Yum” is the anonymous consensus. Harvey especially loves his pie. He gets it all over himself.
“Okay, Gus, I desperately need the recipe for this S’mores pie,” I say, knowing that mine will never turn out as good as his, even with the same recipe.
“Char, why don’t you ever make us pie?” Jack whines.
“Why don’t you ever make me pie?” I shoot back.
“People, people, there’s enough pie to go around,” Gus says.
After dessert, I get Harvey all cleaned up and put him to bed. “Night-Night, baby,” I whisper, turning off the light and closing the door.
I head back into the family room and re-enter the conversation. I sit next to Matt and rest my head on his lap. He plays with my hair idly. I look at the other set of couches. Amy and Gus are holding hands and deep in conversation. Jack seems to be in a pie-induced coma. I glance up at Matt and he grins down at me. I feel perfectly content in this moment.
Who would have thought that my maid would become my Aunt (and practically my mother), my cook would become my uncle (and practically my dad), my best friend’s annoying buddy would become my good friend (and band mate), and my friend would become my hubby? Well maybe I could’ve guessed that last one. It’s funny how everything comes together.
“Everything works out in the end. if it hasn't worked out yet, then it's not the end.”
―
Tracy McMillan
