Secrets 2: Looking Through Different Eyes - 11. Chapter 11 S2

Chapter 11 – Going Home for Christmas

Now that we’d returned to the house after our trip to the hospital, we changed out of our outfits and freshened up a bit before we sat down in the living room to relax for a bit. I was already receiving alerts that I had emails with attachments, so I started opening them so we could see how they turned out.

“Wow, these are great!” Gramps stated as we all looked at them. “And there are so many too.”

“Even more than last year,” Devin added.

“And we’ll have to choose which ones we want to share with the Campus Newspaper,” I pointed out.

“They’re all great, so it won’t make much difference which ones you give them,” Gramps followed. “Will you send some to the local newspaper as well?”

“No, we didn’t do that last year, so someone from the hospital must have done it.”

“Then how did they get your names for the article?”

“I had to give the hospital our names when we made arrangements to be able to do this, so they must have shared that information with the newspaper. The photo merely said ‘Santa and his elf’, but when you showed us the article I saw they’d used our names in the article and gave us credit for arranging everything. The article even stated that we currently attended CSU.”

“Did you also have to give them my name this year?”

“No, I merely told them my grandfather would be playing Santa again, but I didn’t give them a name.”

“Ok, that’s probably for the best.”

We continued looking at the rest of the photos and videos I’d received so far, and as soon as we finished, Gramps offered to take us out to eat.

“What do you think about going to the steakhouse tonight?”

“That would be great,” we agreed, and then we went out to get into Gramps’ rental vehicle.

We had another wonderful supper together, and then we returned to the house to get some rest. Devin and I were just about ready to head upstairs so we could go through our nightly ritual when Gramps stopped us.

“Before you go to bed, I think you boys should help me give the nosy neighbor a little present.”

“What do you mean?” Devin asked.

“I think we should all transition into cats and sing her a feline lullaby to help her forget about the dogs she’s seen in our yard previously.”

A grin spread across Devin’s face as he turned toward me and spoke. “What do you think about doing this? Do you want to go outside with us to do this?”

“Hell yes! I think it’s a wonderful idea, but how are we going to get out of the house and then back inside if we’re all cats?”

“That’s easy,” Gramps responded. “There’s an enclosed area just outside the backdoor, so one of us can transition out there after he lets the other two outside and closes the door behind us. Then later, that person can transition back in the same area long enough to open the door after we’re done so we can all go inside and the other two can transition in the house.”

“Ok, then I’ll volunteer to do those things, since I’m the smallest and least likely to be noticed,” Devin offered.

“And we’ll turn off the lights at the back of the house as well,” I suggested, “so if she looks out her bedroom window, she won’t see any lights on over here.”

“Good idea,” Gramps agreed.

After we’d turned off all of the lights at the back of the house, we undressed, but only Gramps and I transition into cats. I chose to transition into a black cat so I would blend in with the night, while Gramps chose to transition into a cat that was charcoal gray. Devin then unlocked and opened the door, and after he shut it behind us, he transitioned into a black cat as well.

We then followed Gramps across the yard and moved close to the fence that separated the two properties so the neighbor lady wouldn’t be able to see us. It would also prevent her from being able to tell which side of the fence we were on, so she might think we were in her yard, not this one. When we were ready, we began making the old tomcat challenges to one another and it must have sounded as if we were actually fighting, so we knew she had to hear us.

We did our very best to annoy her as we performed the feline version of a kid throwing a temper tantrum. Finally, she reacted as only an unhappy parent might do when dealing with an unruly child, by trying to supply us with something else that would distract us. She opened her window and shouted at us.

“Scat! Get out of here.” When we didn’t respond, she tried again. “Shoo, go somewhere else to make that hubbub.”

When we still didn’t respond, she tried a new approach. She must have gone to the bathroom and filled a container with water, but when she attempted to throw the water out the window at us, the container must have slipped out of her hand and ended up either splattering against the bedroom wall or pooling on the floor.

“Damn it,” we heard her scream totally frustrated.

We were all enjoying the thought of what had just happened, and a short time later she tried another approach. This time she threw some old shoes out the window, in the area where she thought we were, but those items didn’t come near us. Instead, we heard them smack against the other side of the fence, so we howled even louder to make her believe we were on her side of the fence and she’d hit us. She then must have refilled the container with water, and this time she held onto it more tightly so the water actually went out the window, and we gave one final long howl before we left. Even though her efforts had been totally ineffective, we stopped since we felt we’d harassed her sufficiently for one evening.

We then stayed in the shadows as we headed back to the house, and Devin transitioned outside so he could let us enter the backdoor. As soon as Gramps and I had transitioned as well, we smiled at each other as we tried to container our laughter. We certainly didn’t want her to hear our jocularity over what had just happened, because we didn’t want her to figure out that we had anything to do with it. We merely made our way to the living room so we could talk about what we’d just done.

“That was fucking awesome,” Devin said with a huge grin plastered across his face as he pumped his fist like he was pulling the cord on an air horn in a semi-truck. “I think we woke her up when we started, because her bedroom light came on just after that.”

“It doesn’t really mean anything,” I countered, “because she was standing in the dark that one time when we were running around the backyard as a couple of stray mutts.”

“Yes, you’re probably right about that, but I wish I could have seen what happened the first time she tried to throw water out her window at us,” Gramps said before laughing. “I assume she made a mess and it totally upset her, judging by her outburst, but I just wish I’d been able to see how bad the mess was.”

“She was only trying to throw water out the window, so it couldn’t have been too bad,” I responded.

“I suppose you’re right, but it’s a good thing the container slipped out of her hand early, because if that had happened even a split second later than she intended then the container might have gone right through the window.” He laughed even harder after saying this.

“At least she can blame us this time,” I added. “There weren’t any dogs in our yard chasing the cats and causing them to make that terrible noise, and she did mention that animal control had told her they’d been having a problem with cats in this area.”

“And now she has a problem with cats too,” Devin stated as he gave me and Gramps a fist-bump.

“Did she really think the cats would go away just because she was hollering at them?”

“Who knows,” Gramps replied, “but this was the most fun I’ve ever had while trying to get even with her. I can’t wait until I tell my dad about tonight.”

Now that we were done with our little prank, we all agreed it was time to get ready for bed. Gramps followed us as we went up the stairs, and then he let us use the bathroom first. After we finished brushing our teeth and using the toilet, we returned to our room and climbed into bed.

“Would you rather make love with Santa or an elf tonight?” Devin asked.

“I’d rather make love to you.”

“Ok, we can do that too.”

I was glad he agreed, because it was one of the most emotion-filled sessions we had since we’d returned after Thanksgiving. We hadn’t made love very often since then, because most days we were too tired from working on our projects, studying for finals, or taking the exams, but two things had changed. We’d received an adrenaline boost after our visit to the hospital and we all felt the joy of getting even with the bitch next door.

There was even more than just those things that factored into this, though. It was also because of how much we love each other. We would do anything within our power to make the other one happy or to protect him from any threats or potential danger, and I believe we both see the bitch next door as a threat. We’re totally committed to one another and have completely given our hearts to each other, and isn’t that what love is all about?

As soon as we finished sharing our love in the most intimate and physical way possible, we headed back to the bathroom to take a quick shower, and then we returned to bed, cuddled, and fell asleep.

When we woke up the next morning, we had a feeling that Gramps had awakened before us, so we got dressed and headed downstairs to see what he wanted to do. He was sitting in the living room, just as we suspected.

“Good morning, Gramps,” we both greeted him.

“And good morning to you two as well,” he responded. “I wasn’t sure how early you’d be getting up, since it sounded as if you two didn’t go to sleep right away.”

“Yeah, we were celebrating about what we did to the bitch next door by sharing our love,” Devin replied. I think he realized that Gramps knowing what we’d done would probably embarrass me, but this time it didn’t affect me at all. “So, do you want to eat before we leave or would you prefer to stop somewhere on the way back?”

“I’ve been thinking about that and I’ve decided that I’d really like to stop and eat at the diner where Devin prevented the guy from taking the girl with him against her will. I want to see if anyone recognizes you or if they’re still talking about what happened that day.”

“I doubt it, since that all took place a year and a half ago.”

“Even so, I’d still like to eat there just so I can check out these things, if you boys think you can wait that long to eat.”

“Yeah, we can do that,” we both agreed.

“Just give us a couple of minutes to grab the things we’re taking back with us,” Devin continued.

“Ok and I’ll do the same and then we’ll head out.”

As soon as we’d all grabbed our belongings, we started our journey on the road heading home. Gramps was following us, so Devin kept glancing in the rearview mirror to make sure we hadn’t lost him, and when we reached the diner, we found parking spaces and prepared to go inside. I was only mildly surprised to see that Gramps had transitioned back into himself already.

The waitress who’d previously taken care of us was there, but she apparently wasn’t assigned to the booth we were sitting in today. She walked by our booth several times, however, but she didn’t speak or even act as if she recognized us. That might have been due to the fact that we were dressed in heavier clothes for winter and the other incident had happened during the summer. Gramps was also with us this time, which could have thrown her off, so we ended up ordering and eating our meal without any notoriety.

When we finished our meal, we left the diner, but Gramps stopped us before we got to our SUV. He wanted us to tell him everything that had happened that day, starting with where we were parked, the exact location of where the encounter had taken place, and how Devin had transformed without being seen. After Devin explained everything, Gramps made a comment.

“I’m glad you were careful when you did it, but I’m still surprised that no one saw you transition. Even if you were between two vehicles at the time, it still left two directions from which someone could have observed what you were doing.”

“I know, but I was very careful. I had a hat on and kept my head bowed forward, like my dad taught me, and when I first transitioned the other people were watching the guy and girl arguing and they weren’t paying any attention to me. Afterward, I changed back and returned to the SUV before we went inside, so it appeared that we’d just gotten out of the SUV and entered the diner.”

“Some people in the diner questioned if he knew the guy, since they were both wearing the same type of shirt and shorts,” I added, “but Devin merely said he had no idea who the guy was. He then pointed out that those items are common among CSU students, and he told them he wasn’t big enough to have done any of the things the other guy did. That seemed to remove all suspicion from him, so we ate and then left.”

“And that happened during orientation week,” Devin followed, “and the waitress recognized us when we stopped there on our way back to campus a few weeks later, before classes started. She didn’t wait on us this time, though, but she passed by our table several times and didn’t act as if she recognized us.”

“I’m glad to hear that, so now we’ll continue our journey to Mac’s house.”

Devin let me drive the rest of the way and I made sure Gramps was behind us the entire time. When we arrived at the house, I noticed my parents weren’t home yet, but that wasn’t a problem. I merely grabbed my belongings out of the SUV and invited Devin and Gramps inside.

“Where are your parents?” Gramps asked.

“They’re not home from work yet, but they should be here shortly. Would you like something to drink while you’re waiting?”

“No thank you, I’m fine.”

“Then let me give you a quick tour of the house, and I’m sure my mom and dad will be home by the time we’re done.”

I wasn’t concerned about doing this, because I knew my mom would have made certain the various rooms were all in good shape, since she knew Devin and his parents would be joining us for Christmas. I led him around the house, and as we made our way through the various rooms, I noticed my parents had also put up the Christmas tree and other decorations, so the house looked quite festive.

“You have a lovely place and your parents obviously take good care of it.”

“Yes, they can both be a bit obsessive-compulsive at times.”

As I said that, I heard their SUV pull in the driveway, so I led Gramps and Devin outside to greet them. Gramps had parked behind Devin’s SUV and left the other side of the driveway for my parents, and we waited for them as they were getting out of the SUV.

“I recognize Devin’s vehicle, but who owns the other one?” my mom asked.

“It belongs to Devin’s grandfather. Gramps, this is my mom, Cindy, and my dad, Mike. Mom and Dad, this is Devin’s grandfather.”

“It’s nice to meet you and you can call me Jacob.”

“He was at Fort Collins,” I added after they finished saying hello, “and I invited him to follow us back to the house so he could meet both of you. When they’re ready to leave, he will follow Devin the rest of the way home.”

“That’s very nice of you, Jacob, and I’m glad Devin won’t be making that trip alone. I worry about him when he drives back as it’s getting late.”

“Yes, this will definitely take care of that problem.”

“Let’s go inside where we can be more comfortable while we’re getting to know each other better,” my mom offered.

As soon as we entered, we sat at the dining room table to chat after Mom made a quick trip to the kitchen to make a pot of coffee. As soon as it finished, she, dad, and Gramps each had a cup, while Devin and I opted to have a cold drink instead. She also brought out a platter of Christmas cookies that she’d made, so as we drank we ate the cookies and Gramps got to know my parents better.

“Have you known Mickey for very long?” Dad asked Gramps.

“Yes, I met him the first time he stayed at the cabin with Devin, and I’ve seen him there every year since. He’s part of the family now.”

“And Devin’s part of our family as well,” Dad offered.

“It was very nice of you to take him with you on your vacation this year,” Gramps said.

“The boys have been friends since they started school together,” Mom stated, “and Devin has spent a lot of time with us during that period since his family also lived right next door. Mike and I have been friends with Doris and Aaron as well, so it just made sense for us to invite him to go with us. I’m not sure why we didn’t think of doing it sooner, but it might have been due to the fact Mickey’s older siblings were with us during most of that time.”

“And we normally only visited Cindy’s family or mine,” my dad stated, “but I’m sure he will go with us from now on, no matter where we go. We’re planning on taking a trip every summer from now on, at least while the boys are still in college. We might even do it after they graduate and get jobs, and Devin is invited to join us then as well.”

“I’m sure they’ll both enjoy that.”

“And I understand that you and your brother are taking the boys on a fishing trip over spring break.”

“Yes, we realized the boys like to fish when they’re at the cabin, so we thought they’d like to try something a little different. There’s a lovely lake we go to fish and it’s just north of Fort Collins.”

“I’m sure they’re both looking forward to doing that,” my dad stated so my mom wouldn’t say anything inappropriate.

“I’m sure they will,” Gramps agreed, “and I hope this doesn’t sound rude, but we still have a long way to go, so we should probably be leaving now. The trip gets more difficult once the sun goes down, because the animals tend to cross the roads during that time, so I hope you’ll excuse us. And thank you for the coffee and cookies, and it was a pleasure to finally meet both of you.”

“And it was a pleasure to meet you as well, and please have a safe trip home. We’re so glad that Devin won’t be doing it alone this time.”

We walked outside with them and said goodbye, and Devin gave me a hug and confirmed he’d be returning with his parents the following day. We then waved at them as they backed out of the driveway and headed down the road.

“Devin’s grandfather seems like a really nice guy,” my mom said as soon as we’d entered the house again.

“He is, and he’s a lot of fun to be around.”

“How did he happen to be in Fort Collins?” my dad wanted to know.

“You remember that I told you that Devin and I organized a toy drive for the children at the hospital last year. Well, Gramps had things to do in the area and offered to play Santa for us. He had such a good time doing it that he’s offered to do the same thing the next two years while we’re in college.”

“Wow, that’s really nice of him,” my mom agreed.

Shortly after that, my parents decided we would go out to eat tonight, rather than having my mom rush around to fix something instead. It made the evening more relaxed and gave us a chance to chat.

“So, how do you think you did on your finals?” my mom asked during the ride to the restaurant.

“This semester was definitely harder than the previous semesters, but I think I did ok.”

“I’m glad to hear that and it’s nice to have you home for a couple of weeks. How does Devin think he did on his finals?”

“He agreed that this semester was more difficult for him as well, but he believes that he also did ok on his finals.”

“I’m sure his parents will be glad to hear that as well. Did Devin say when they would get here?”

“Yes, he’s just going to spend the night with his parents at home and then they’ll drive here tomorrow. That way we’ll all be able to wake up here together on Christmas morning.”

“That sounds lovely. I just hope you boys aren’t planning on getting up as early as you did when you were younger.”

“No, I doubt that will happen.”

When we got to the restaurant, we went inside and ordered first, and then we chatted some more while we waited for our meals to be delivered.

“Did Devin say what time they’d be arriving tomorrow?”

“Yes, he said they’ll probably get here tomorrow afternoon so we can have supper together on Christmas Eve. He also said they’d be going home the day after Christmas, because his parents are taking that day off from work so they won’t have to drive back on Christmas night.”

“Terrific and it will work out nicely, because your father and I did the same thing. I also bought plenty of food when I went shopping this week, but I’ll still need to run out and pick up a few additional items in the morning. That way we’ll have everything we need when they arrive.”

We continued chatting while we ate, and then my mom made a suggestion to me when we got back to the house. “I want you to make sure you don’t clutter up your room with the things you brought home with you. I straightened up and cleaned your bedroom and the guest room before you arrived so they’d be all set when Devin and his parents arrive.”

“Don’t worry, everything will be fine. Devin’s used to sharing a room with me.”

“Yes, I’m sure he is.”

My parents went to bed after this, because they were tired from working all day and they wanted to be well rested when Devin and his parents arrived. After they went upstairs to their room, I got the presents that I’d purchased for my family and Devin’s family out of my luggage and placed them under the tree with the others packages.

While I was doing this, I glanced at the names on the tags on some of the other packages, and that’s when I realized something. My mom and Ma had bought so much when they went shopping together on Black Friday because they were buying presents for all of us, not just their own family. Of course, Devin and I had done the same thing, so now that my presents were under the tree, I was ready for Devin and his parents to arrive for the holiday.