I've Always Loved You - 15. Let's Go Home

Waiting until the appointed hour to pick Chet up was…lengthy. Traffic was a factor and we didn’t want to have problems so we just drove around. We did what I hadn’t done in years as we drove through neighborhoods and looked at the various decorations.

Mike finally took my hand. “Are you okay?”

Squeezing his hand. I laughed lightly. “Sure. I should have done the discussion with Susan sooner.”

“You couldn’t admit it to yourself. How could you tell her?” Mike smiled at me. “She moved on. She married and she seemed to forgive you.”

I nodded. “Yep.” My phone beeped so I took it out to see a message from Ray wishing us a Merry Christmas. Smiling I sent him and Frank the same. “Ray sent us a Merry Christmas.”

“Naturally, you sent him the same thing.”

We went back to the Atkins at eleven o’clock on the dot when Wynonna was escorting the three to the door. Chet was all too ready to go. Avi and Eli were right behind him. Wynonna was still trying to get Chet to hug her, but Chet didn’t want to and pulled away from her.

“I don’t see why he can’t stay the night,” Wynonna said to us.

“If he does, we do, too,” Avi said and waggled his eyebrows. “Of course, Eli and I only require one bed.”

Wynonna frowned. “Yes, I know.” She looked at Mike. “You married him.” She pointed to me.

“I didn’t tell them,” Chet said quickly as he got to the SUV and opened a door to quickly get in.

Wynonna pointed at Mike’s left hand. “You both wear matching rings.” She shook her head. “You said you were. You just couldn’t wait.”

“Wait? For what?” Mike asked.

“Sherry had just died,” Wynonna said sadly. “It wasn’t even a few weeks before you ran off with him.” She said bitterly. “Did you even love Sherry?”

“I tried.” Mike defended. “Did she love me?”

She shook her head. “I don’t know.” Tears were forming in her eyes as she waved at Chet who was getting in the SUV to get away. “He’s changed.”

Mike nodded. “Of course, he’s growing up. He couldn’t be innocent forever.”

“He won’t being exposed to your life!” Wynonna said loud. She waved at Avi and Eli. “Exposing him to god knows what.”

“We aren’t...” Mike shook his head and sighed. “This can’t be resolved and it won’t be. We’ll bring him in the morning.”

“We’re losing him.” She said as the tears came. “He was always a loving little boy and…”

“And you still don’t understand why?” Mike asked as he waved at the inside of the house. “My god, your husband shot me…in front of Chet. You don’t think that sort of trauma will change Chet? He couldn’t be that innocent little boy anymore. You don’t see he has a reason not to be that loving little boy because of what you did? You still don’t admit you and Manfred caused this?” He shook his head. “Chet is being given knowledge and will make his own choices. Teaching that is based on evidence. You tried to shield him from the world. We aren’t.”

Eli smiled at her patting Mike on the arm. “Come on.” He looked at Wynonna. “We’ll be back tomorrow at ten.”

Once the car we rode back to the hotel. Mike looked in the rearview mirror at a very sullen little boy. “Come on, Chet. It wasn’t all bad, was it?”

Chet shrugged. “No. Travis and I had a good time.”

“Travis is Ronnie’s little boy,” Mike told me.

“Grandpa kept trying to get me over to him,” Chet said. “I just can’t forget what he did.”

“Your grandparents do love you, Chet,” Mike said again. “That was why he did what he did. He was trying to protect you.”

“From you?” Chet asked. “From you and PopE?” He sighed and shook his head. “I know, you told me. They don’t approve of you and PopE being together. I got that. That is why they were trying to force you to give me to them. I know what you said, but they are wrong, Dad.” He touched Eli. “They didn’t like them either. Why? Because they are married?”

Mike nodded. “That is part of it.”

Eli smiled at Chet. “And there is the Jewish thing, too.”

“Because you’re Jewish they don’t like you!?” Chet said. “Jesus was Jewish!”

“It’s been going on for a long time,” Eli said sadly. “Intolerance is part of life.”

“That’s right, Chet. It is.” Mike nodded smiling. “I’m glad you don’t understand that.”

“They didn’t tell me anything! I wasn’t even told about the Tyrannosaurus Rex! Fossils! Lots of things! It is there!” Chet objected. “I just don’t feel like I can trust them now. They treat me like a little kid.” He folded his arms over his chest that wasn’t so mature and more like the little kid he claimed he wasn’t now.

“Okay.” Mike smiled. “After tomorrow, if you don’t want to come back, you won’t have to.” He sighed. “However, they are a part of you. If they want to see you, they will come to us.”

Avi nodded. “I tell you what.” He started to Mike. “You two stay at the hotel in the morning. We know how to get there, so we’ll bring him tomorrow.”

Eli smiled leaning forward in the backseat. “Sure. You can enjoy your holiday.”

I grinned at Eli. “That would be great. You guys have been good friends.”

Avi chuckled. “Well, at first it was just a job.” He shrugged. “It didn’t take long before it became personal.”

We got back to the hotel and it was Christmas Eve. I saw what Chet had meant about the decoration contest with the many organizations and companies that put up trees as many people were still out strolling the hotel’s wide hallways looking at the many lights and trees as they wound down, enjoying the company of friends and family. There were the garland and wreaths up casting magic to the surroundings. The soft sounds of music began to play adding to the magic as I heard Merry Christmas Charlie Brown’s song that said “Christmas Time is Here. Happiness and cheer. Fun for all as children call their favorite time of year.” In spite of what Chet had said about himself, I did see a little of the little boy as he looked at the displays and sensed the magic himself. Who didn’t? The miniature train set arranged in the lobby that traveled in a large display of a village set back…when? It could have been fifty to a hundred years ago as they had older cars and buggies out. The snow-covered ground as small figures of people walked the village streets, skated on the ice-covered pond as they moved around in slow circles. Carolers in front of homes there. It was magic in the air. All the houses were decorated giving it a Courier and Ives kind of moment if you know those prints. The streets and avenues and it did make you feel good seeing this simpler part of human lives. Things had slowed down and the rushing pace of the world was unknown here and now. A sense of peace.

Avi grinned. “I love this time of year!” He waved at the displays.

“Christmas?” I asked. It wasn’t just us. Our Hebrew friends felt it, too.

“Sure.” Avi nodded. “I love Christmas! It’s great!”

Eli chuckled as Avi pulled Eli closer. “We even have a Christmas tree at home.”

“Really?” Mike asked.

Eli laughed. “Really. It is more than a religion, it’s a time of year we set aside time to enjoy our family and friends having a sense of goodwill and fellowship.” Eli shrugged. “Why not? Jesus was born. He is part of history. Was he the Messiah? I can’t answer that. I will concede there is the possibility. Does there have to be one religion or the other, but just a time to bring the best of humanity?”

“That’s not very orthodox.” I chuckled.

“No.” Eli chuckled again. “A Jewish man who is gay isn’t very orthodox, either.”

The next morning, Mike and I got Chet up early enough to have breakfast, showered and dressed…and one more thing.

“Well,” Mike said shaking his son lightly. “You should check out what Santa brought you.”

“Santa?” Chet grinned rolling over revealing the image of Iron Man on the front of his pajama top. His red hair going everywhere. “They said he wasn’t real.”

“Who is they?” I asked.

“Grandma, grandpa, and Mommy,” Chet replied. “Everybody at church.”

“Oh, really?” Mike asked with a sigh sitting on his bed. “Chet, your mother, and grandparents do love you. They wanted you to see the world one way. Like that village we see every year here we all enjoy. They want an idealistic way of life for you. We’ve talked about this. They took away the fantasy replacing it with another. One of the many ways was to not teach you things that could change your opinion about the world. Like telling you there is no Santa Claus.” He shrugged. “Believing in Santa…” he thought, “is fun. It is a way to encourage good behavior in everyone. He sees you when you’re sleeping, he knows when you’re awake, he knows if you’ve been bad or good, so be good for goodness sake.”

“Adults love to believe in Santa,” I said smiling at Chet. “I do. I know your dad does.”

Chet chuckled. “But we’re in Charleston.”

“So?” Mike nudged Chet and reached in and began tickling him lightly making Chet laugh. “You think he doesn’t know that?” He looked at me. “Maybe he doesn’t want his presents.”

“Presents!?” Chet brightened throwing the covers back. “Where?”

“Under the tree, silly.” Mike thumbed over his shoulder. “Or did you not see that tree in the living area?”

Chet jumped up and raced into the living area of the suite. We heard a squeal as we came in the living area to see Chet had dove into the few presents there wrapped in colorful paper. Avi and Eli came into the living area smiling as Chet began shaking one right after the other before he began tearing quickly. He let out squeal after squeal seeing the video games, the remote-controlled car, books, a telescope, and a picture. He squinted at the picture. “A bike!?”

“Sure, but we couldn’t bring all of that, so it will be at home,” Mike said simply. He waved at the few video games there. “The games will have to wait until we get home.”

He charged Mike hugging him tightly. “Thank you, thank you.”

The moment appreciated the most was when the cart arrived by hotel staff containing our breakfast and coffee. Chet took a shower a got dressed. He took his remote-controlled car to show his cousins as he left with Eli and Avi. We waved to them as they walked down the hall to the elevator.

“Merry Christmas,” Mike said to me. “I love you.”

I nodded. “Merry Christmas. I love you.”

It was about nine in the evening when the three came back to the hotel. Chet looked a little happier than he had been the previous day.

We flew back to Fort Worth after landing in Atlanta and saying goodbye to Avi and Eli making sure they promised to stay in touch.

“And next, we move to California for a month or so.” Mike grinned plopping down on the sofa pulling me with him.

“It will be fun.” Chet nodded. “I can see Mickey?”

“You sort of have to. We’ll be in the same area.” I said logically. “You saw him a few months ago.”

“Does that mean I can’t see him again?” Chet asked. “And Buzz, Goofy and Donald...”

Mike pulled him down with us. “We’ll see them again.” He brought Chet in tickling him again making him laugh and kissed the side of his son's head.