After the Climb (River Rain 0.50)

A theme, but not an issue.

“Can we please stop talking about this and eat trifle?” Matt begged.

“Yes, let’s finish the Christmas Eve food fest so we can introduce Bowie and Sully and Gage and Ruthy to our next Christmas Eve tradition after trifle. Christmas song lip sync!” Sasha announced.

“I’m in!” Gage said.

“Totally out,” Sully said.

“I don’t even sing in the shower, and I love you, honey,” Duncan started, gaze on Sasha, “but that is not happening.”

“Phooey! You and Matt and Dad. Killjoys. Hale sings!” Sasha returned.

“I was twelve lords a’ leaping in one rendition of that song and you girls sang all the other parts,” Hale reminded Sasha.

“I cannot even begin to imagine why singing emasculates men,” Chloe drawled. “Mick Jagger sings, and my understanding is, he did not go wanting for pussy.”

I dropped my head.

“Chloe! For God’s sake,” Tom bit out.

“Am I wrong?” Chloe asked her father.

“No, but your language in this company is not right,” Tom returned.

“If you mean me, I always liked a girl who spoke her mind,” Ruthy chimed in. “Should have done more of that myself in my time.”

One could say that was the understatement of the year.

“More to say, mon père?” Chloe asked.

I looked to Tom to see him fuming, but not opening his mouth.

“Pretty sure ole Mick didn’t sing ‘Deck the Halls,’” Sul remarked.

“Whatever, Coco and I are starting it off with ‘Christmas Wrapping’ by the Waitresses,” Sasha declared, jumping to her feet with her head bent to her phone, likely cueing up music.

Every family member was now hooked to Duncan’s Sonos system, something that was connected to built-in speakers around the house. So you never knew what you’d get depending on which room you were in.

My favorite so far?

Duncan played Native American flute music throughout his entire home on Sunday mornings.

Peaceful.

Perfect.

Everyone loved that.

Even Chloe.

“I’m getting the trifle,” Matt said, getting up from Duncan’s couch. “The sooner this is over, the better. And for those uninitiated, eventually they get drunk and don’t hand over the fake microphone and forget anyone else is even in the room so we can go about the rest of our night however we want. Though, we have to do it over them wailing out Mariah Carey.”

“I am so very glad I do not have a penis,” Chloe purred.

“Me too!” Sasha stated.

“Me too,” Ruthy said.

“I’m glad you don’t have a penis,” Duncan whispered to me.

I looked in his beautiful, laughing hazel eyes.

And answered, “I am too.”

Duncan

* * *

“What’s on your mind?”

Gen looked at him like he was crazy.

“Outside what’s obviously on your mind,” he added.

It was Christmas evening.

Post the unwrapping frenzy.

Post naptime (for Sasha and his mom), some board games and a communal watching of The Christmas Chronicles on Netflix.

Pre-late dinner, that was late because they wanted Sul and Gage to be there, and the boys were having a late Christmas lunch with their mom.

It was dark, they’d be home soon.

Tom and Hale were on the back porch, drinking hot buttered rum that Sasha had made.

And Gen and Duncan were heading out there with Corey’s letter.

“Well, outside Christmas going well, and thank you for that, you just being you, and your mom being all grandmothery made it all seem really natural,” Genny began.

He stopped them at the back door. “Grandmothery?”

“You know what I mean. Ruthy acted like a grandmother even when she was a mom.”

He grinned.

“Corroborating evidence, she gave up her suite of rooms for the girls,” she told him something he knew.

“Now, baby, you know no way my mom would take the good room when two kids not only could have it but wanted it.”

“Yes, grandmothery.”

He grinned at her.

She showed openly she enjoyed it.

Then she got serious. “Sullivan looked like he was headed to the execution chamber when he and Gage took off to spend some time with their mom.”

With this comment, Duncan was thrown.

“Sorry?”

She studied him and asked, “You didn’t notice?”

“They were having a good time here and didn’t want to leave. But more, they’re careful with their mom. She demonstrated for a long time she was fragile, and they handle her that way, even now, when she’s got her shit together. It’ll pass, the more time they have under their belt with her having her shit together.”

“All right,” she said, not meaning it.

“You think it’s more?” he pushed.

“I think it’s just that with Gage, and I think it’s something else with Sully.”

It was an understatement to say this did not make him happy.

“I’ll talk to him,” he said.

“I’m glad.”

For now, they had something else they had to take care of.

He looked out the window. “Let’s get this done.”

She nodded, and she looked even less happy than he was about that news about Sully.

Both men outside were wearing fleeces, Hale’s sportier and more casual than the smart one Tom was wearing.

But standing on his porch, with the moon shining on the lake behind them, they looked like a marketing picture from his website.