The Families in Rossford

THE CHRISMAS PARTY

CONTINUED

“Are you sure the camera’s ready?”

“Yes,” Sheridan said. “And I’m sure you’re taking a long ass time.”

“I want this to be right.”

“It’s just going up on the net.”

“Sheridan,” Logan said, “the Net is everything.”

“I’m taping already, I hope you know that.”

“Good. I want you to. I want you to catch everything. So the people can see everything.

“Alright… What the fuck are you doing?”

“I’m three-sixty degree surrounding you.”

Logan shrugged.

“Whatever, but I feel like I might get sick if you keep this shit up.

“Alright, okay, everybody,” Logan coughed into the back of his hand. “This is Logan Banford and I’m here wishing all my friends and fans a Merry Christmas. This is my first webisode. Webbysode. I like that pronounciation, it’s cute isn’t it, Sheridan?”

“Uh, sure.”

Logan took the camera and pointed at Sheridan who looked at the camera like a rain soaked cat.

“This right here is my wingman, best friend, and best lover ever, Sheridan Klasko. If you know me you know him. You’ve seen him. Talk about him all the time. Don’t know what I’d do without him. As you know—”

Sheridan wrested the camera from Logan and Logan continued talking,

“As you know, we’ve downgraded to friend status. But, I actually think it’s an upgrade. This guy gets me better than anyone else, and I hope I get him. I think I do. Say, Sher, how do you feel about our relationship?”

Off camera, Sheridan said, “I find it mutually beneficial.”

“That’s right, folks.  And he doesn’t mean just because were friends with benefits, cause everytime we try that, he ends up being my boyfriend again.”

“You are telling entirely too much.”

“So, anyway, as you can tell, I’m back at Sheridan’s place in Rossford. I’ll be back in Chicago in a few days. I like to come back here. It keeps me grounded. Keeps me rested and all that.”

The doorbell rang.

“I have to get that,” Sheridan said.

Logan took the camera and filmed his own face.

“Yeah, so I hope you enjoyed my first Vlog or webbysode or… whatever we’re calling it, and I hope to hear from you guys soon cause, here’s the plan. I want to be part of your lives. I want to share my real life with you, you know, off screen. And maybe you can share with me and… I’ve gotta go right now, cause Sheridan’s talking to someone in the kitchen. Peace!”

Sheridan was in the kitchen talking to Brendan, who looked more casual than usual in jeans—admittedly well fitting—and a tee shirt, with a day’s growth of facial hair.

“What happened to you?” Logan demanded, rudely. “We’ve got a Christmas party to go to tonight and everything, and are we still supposed to pick up Chay?”

“We were never supposed to pick up Chay,” Sheridan said, “And Brendan’s distraught because of the whole him and Kenny thing.”

“I’m distraught because Kenny’s distraught and that guy is the love of my life,” Brendan said. “When I woke up he was crying this morning. Crying! And you know that doesn’t happen.”

“What’s going on?” Sheridan said as, nodding, Logan went to the refrigerator and pulled out a pitcher of water to pour a glass for Brendan.

“We’re breaking up,” Brendan told them.

“Oh, hell,” Logan said.

“Neither one of us did anything. It’s just… we’re only friends, and that’s the way it’s been for some time. So we’re learning to deal with that.”

“Shit, I think my mom and dad have been only friend for years,” Sheridan said.

“It’s different for straight people,” Brendan said, almost fiercely.

“Hey man, you’re preaching to the choir,” Sheridan said. “We want… we want romance.”

“Is that stupid?” Brendan said, his hands over his face. “Is it the dumbest thing to throw away eighteen years just so I can…” Brendan made quote marks with his fingers, “feel in love?”

“Look, it’s more than that,” Logan said, knowledgably. “Sheridan is the best thing that ever happened to me—”

“Thanks, Loge.”

“Shush, Sher. Anyway, he’s the best thing that ever happened to me. And when we were boyfriends it was great. But when it was time to end it, it was time to end it. And now we’re still great.”

“You make it sound so easy.”

“I know,” Logan admitted. “And it’s not like it was easy. But, the other option is to lose your very best friend.”

“I don’t want to do that. I don’t ever not want to be with Kenny, and I don’t want us to end up in some third rate relationship.”

Brendan, unshaved, ill dressed and in his glasses looked nothing like his usually together self. He wrang his hands, unconsciously, and then said, “Guys, do you promise it gets better?”

Sheridan cleared his throat and then said, “Only if you start bathing again.”

When they entered the large kitchen on Wilbraham Street, they all stopped.

“Well, don’t everyone get up and hug me at once,” Chay said.

“This is ridiculous,” Paul said, looking at Noah and then at James.

“Well, it damn sure is,” Danasia came and embraced Chay and Casey.

“We just got off the Amtrak,” Casey said, “and wait till you see what we brought! Where’s the tree?”

Noah said nothing, but pointed past the kitchen to the living room.

“I’ll help you bring everything in,” Chay said.

“No,” Casey kissed him on the cheek. “You stay right here.”

“I,” Ron said, standing up, “will help.”

“You can go with your father,” Danasia told the tallest of her children, and they filed out behind Casey.

“Hey, Dad,” Chay rounded the table and embraced Noah first, and then came and hugged James.

“Your boyfriend looks ancient,” Noah said while Chay was in James’ embrace.

“My boyfriend is younger than you, Dad,” Chay reminded him.

“He doesn’t look it.”

“Oh, God!” Paul said.

“You and Casey will have to learn to speak to one another again one of these days,” Danasia told him.

“Especially since things turned out alright,” Chay told him.

“Alright?”

“More than alright, Dad,” Chay affirmed. “Things turned out great.”

They heard the door open, and then Casey and Ron came in through the foyer. heading into the living room, and came back around through the end of the kitchen.

“Danny, your kids are going to love what Chay picked up in Cabo.”

“Ca—” Noah started to mimic, but James put a hand on his knee.

“Jamie, you look great,” Casey said. “You haven’t changed a bit. Noah, you’re looking the same.”

Chay’s hair was short now, and now he was given to wearing sports jackets. He was as small as ever, but with a bit of beard, and this had the odd effect of making him look a little older than his father. Noah had cut his hair off once and discovered that, like Tom Mesda, a mop curly hair was something that enhanced him. He, in fact, had not changed, Danasia realized, in the fifteen years she’d known him except for trousers and dress shirts had replaced cargo shorts, tee shirts and ball caps.

Casey had changed. No, Danasia thought, Casey Williams simply looked more and more like the slim, slightly worried businessman in glasses that he always had been, and he always wore those glasses now. He was dressed much like Noah.

“Are we still going to Todd and Fenn’s party, and midnight Mass?” Chay said. “I made Casey hotfoot it over from the train station. I was afraid we’d miss everything.”

“You’ve missed nothing,” James said. “The party isn’t until eight-thirty.”

“Shelley’s having some dinner party, though,” Paul said, standing up.

“Shelley, Brian Babcock’s niece?” Casey said.

“Shelley, my sister-in-law.”

“Everything’s so damn incestuous around here.”

Before Noah could retort, Chay spoke. “Bennett was bigger than me last time I saw him.”

“Bennett’s been bigger than you since he was eight,” Danasia noted.

“You are a harsh Aunt,” Chay said.

“And an Aunt who has to get home,” Danasia said. She turned to Noah and James. “Are you all done with me?”

“We’ll never be done with you,” Noah said. “But it might be time for you to go home.”

As everyone filed out, hugging and kissing, reminding each other that they’d be back together in only a few hours, Chay lugged his bags upstairs, followed by Casey. When the house was emptied, Casey came downstairs while Chay was still unpacking.

Noah came out of the kitchen into the foyer and stood at the base of the stairs, his arms folded over his chest.

“We’re going to have to learn to get along, aren’t we?” Noah said.

“Me and Chay have been gone for almost three years,” Casey said. “But we’re thinking about coming back. And… yeah, Noah. It would be really nice.”

In the living room, James had put on a Chrismas album, and as a carol began, Noah said, “Alright, Casey. I’ll see what I can do.”

Casey nodded, taking off his glasses and polishing them with the edge of his shirt.

“That’s all I’m asking.”

“Should we all sing a Christmas carol or something?” Kirk wondered.

Leaning over her dining room table, Shelley said, “Don’t you all have a Christmas party somewhere else to get to?”

“It’s just at Fenn and Todd’s” he explained. “The house’ll be crowded and they’ll be there till midnight.”

“I have to hand it to you, Sis,” Shelley’s brother, Bertram said, “You put down a good table.”

“Is my wife the best or what?” Matty leaned over and kissed her.

Claire and Paul looked at each other across the table, and Julian flicked her on the thigh.

“Hey!”

“Hey, yourself, Miss,” Julian said to her.

“I’m being nice.”

“Yeah, you just stay that way.”

Aside from Claire and Julian, Kirk and Paul and Shelley and Matt, there were their children, which made nine young somethings walking around the country house where Matt and Shelley lived. Merilee was in the kitchen with Shelley’s mother, and Brian Babcock had just slipped out with a cup of coffee, followed by Chad.

“Not too much or you won’t have any room for the next party,” Chad was telling him.

“Dads,” Bennett stood up, after he and Elias had their heads pressed together, conspiring as usual. Paul and Kirk waited for them to speak.

“I gotta go. Is that alright?”

“Where are you going?” Kirk said. “I mean, where are you walking from here at this time of night.”

“Ralph is outside with his car. We’re going to a Christmas party.”

“What kind of a party?” Kirk said.

“God!” Bennett exhaled. “A fun one. For folks my age.”

“And then are you coming by Fenn’s—?”

Paul put a hand over Kirk’s.

“He’s right,” Paul said. “He should go to a party for kids his age. Kids should be kids, right?”

Kirk surrendered by way of a shrug.

“And do I have to go to Mass?” Bennett pressed.

“Yes!” Kirk began.

“Oh, com’on, it’s not like we’re really Catholic anyway!” Bennett protested.

“Of course we are!”

“Bennett, Kirk,” Paul began. “Can I speak to the both of you?” With his long nose he gestured to the foyer of the old house.

The foyer was dark and drafty away from the light and heat of the family get together, and there Paul said, “Bennett’s almost sixteen. We can’t make him go to church. I mean we shouldn’t. That’s just how I feel.”

Kirk looked like he was going to say something, and then he looked like he was going to say something else. He put a hand to his mouth and finally he said, “Alright. Fine. But here it is: when we get back from Mass you better be in the house and in your PJs. I’m serious.”

Bennett nodded his head.

“Relax, Dad. I got you.”

There was a knock at the door and Bennett frowned. It was more like Ralph to honk, than knock. But just then Shelley came running down the hall to answer the door, and Brian and Chad followed, Chad flipping on a light.

“You’ll trip,” Brian began, but was silent when the door opened.

“That’s not Ralph,” Bennett said, slipping his hands in his pocket.

“No,” Chad North said. “It isn’t.”

“Get in the house,” Shelley said, pulling him in, and now it was her mother who came out, clapping her hands and exclaiming, as she caught Brian’s hand: “Sean!”

She held Sean Babcock on one side and Brian on the other and said, “Finally, my brothers, together again!”

 

“Oh, my God! So England!” Dena exclaimed over the music, as she took Layla’s hand.

“Exactly. The furthest I’ve ever been out of the country was Canada,” Layla said, “And that was just when we crossed the border for a few minutes.”

“Layla?”

“Yes, Paul?”

“Okay, I’ve got a question for you? How much do you know about Sean Babcock?”

“Well, he’s Babcock business,” Layla sat down beside Paul with a drink in her hand. She took a sip. “I don’t wrap myself up too much in them.”

“Well, Shelley brought him back for Christmas.”

“Really?” Layla said, a curious look on her face.

“Yes? And… I don’t think Brian was very happy about it.”

“Or, Chad, I’ll bet.”

“That’s right!” Paul said. “Say, you do know something!”

“Of course I know something,” Layla told him. “I always know something. What I said was that I didn’t care.

“Alright,” Layla put a hand on Paul’s knee. “This is what happened. Do you remember when Chad and Brian split up, and they were split up for years?”

“Yes.”

“Well, that’s because Chad and Sean were having an affair.”

“Oh, my God!”

“Yes. And then it broke off. But they started it up again, only Chad was sleeping with both of them at the same time.”

“The brother and the brother?”

“Exactly,” Layla raised her glass. “And so first Brian learned that Chad was cheating on him, and then he learned who it was with. Well, that shit ended everything. It was years before they—they being Brian and Chad—could get back together.”

“Wow,” Paul said. “What’s wrong with us that this is making us kind of laugh?”

As Layla covered her mouth she said, “My suggestion? A lot. But—oooooh,” she squeezed Paul’s hand.

“What? What?” he said, excitedly.

“I just saw Nell and Meredith Affren walk in here with someone they damn well should have known better than to bring! This is going to be a very special night!”