Profession

Movement

Well, I had done what I could for the family, and the pups and I headed for home. After a couple of shopping detours, that is. I beat Jon home and emptied half the drawers, made room in the closet by shifting seasonal stuff around, and made sure there was half the room in the closet for his shoes and all. Made room in the bathroom too, by getting rid of a bunch of old products I didn't use anymore and consolidating, to free up the medicine cabinet over the sink he preferred to use, hanging fresh towels. He hadn't wanted to choose a home office because his regular one was close enough for him. I went downstairs and started dinner, taking advantage of the time the dough for the rolls needed to rise to go down and chuck film into the developer, check email. Aunt Barbara had sent out a mass family text updating the whole bunch of us on what had happened and Uncle Richard's excellent prognosis. I had just smeared the mushroom paste on the beef and wrapped it in puff pastry from the freezer for a quick-and-dirty Beef Wellington when the gate chimed and I could see a taxi coming up the drive. I hurriedly chucked the pan into the oven, hearing the door open and a few voices. In the entryway, the cabbie was helping Jon and Wally bring in some bags, a couple cartons, and clothes on hangers. The cabbie looked around at the entry hall and whistled soundlessly, making me smile. He nodded at me and the pups as he left, and I went up to Jon for a welcome-home-how's-your-day hug and kiss.

"You staying for dinner, Wally?" I asked after the kiss.

"Love to," he said, and zoomed off. In just a couple of minutes, everything was up in the master bedroom. Bemused, I offered drinks and opened beer bottles.

"Maybe we should get a kegorator," I said. "We'll be having enough people come in to justify it." I smiled, thinking about the increased flow of friends I could expect with Jon. He's very gregarious.

"You'll never get rid of people then," Wally said.

"What are we having for dinner, honey?" Jon asked, sniffing the air. "It smells good."

"Well, because this is a special occasion, Beef Wellington and a big serious salad with rolls. You may not want the rolls because of the pastry wrapper on the beef, but we can always have them in the morning instead."

There were no leftovers. There were no rolls for breakfast. Wally is a bottomless pit of energy needs, and Jon is a big eater too. That was fine, though, it's always nice to see people enjoying the effort you put into things. Conversation was light over dinner, and I told them what had happened to Uncle Richard. They were concerned about him, but glad that he was going to be fine. Everybody liked Richard.

"I know Batman's looking for the Joker; everybody is, around their own responsibilities and enemies," Wally said. After dessert--a pan of brownies was eaten--Wally left, and Jon and I went upstairs to put his things away.

"I really wish you'd choose a home office," I said, laying on the bed and watching him put things away.

"Why is it so important to you?"  he asked curiously.

"Well, work is important. I have an office plus my darkroom. You're a writer, a journalist, you need space of your own, even if it's just to retreat to when you need to think about your work, spread out. And you're moving in here, where I've got everything. I want you to know that it's your home too; you're entitled to your space, plus half input on the public spaces. I have a lot of guestrooms because I didn't have anything else to put in a lot of the rooms, it's not like I actually host a lot of people overnight."

He came over and sat beside me, touching my cheek. "My family will stay with us when they come up, Wally will crash periodically, we still need beds. But I understand what you're saying. Right now I don't need a home office, since I'm tying things up before my research over in London. But when I come back, there will be plenty of time to settle in. I appreciate your offer, honey. You're doing everything to make me feel at home, and I do. I think that anywhere you are, that's my home. This big place is going to take some time to get used to, is all." I nodded. It had taken me time to really get used to, too. Then he got up and finished unpacking his first load of stuff. He had one or two more, and we were going to put his furniture in the attic. Then he'd close out his assignments here and prepare to go over and do his research.