The Families in Rossford

THE CHRISTMAS PARTY

CONCLUSION

“I think this is the worst idea you’ve had yet,” a very pregnant Meredith Affren told her stepmother.

“We couldn’t just leave him,” Nell told her stepdaughter. “Ruthven is my nephew.”

“Ruthven should be babysitting,” Meredith said.

“Thank, you, family,” the tall young man said, “for talking like I’m not here.”

Ruthven Meradan looked a lot like a taller version of Bill with very defined cheekbones and fine features, but Meredith reminded him, “Actually, we’re not related at all. And I’m going to go into the kitchen and see if Fenn is here.”

Nell nodded, “I’ll go find Adele. You take this one,” Nell gestured to Ruthven, “and keep him out of trouble.”

Meredith shrugged and said, to Maia, “Am I going to have to use my big old belly to push you out of the way? Com’on Matthew, move aside? Elias, where’s your other half. Eh? Nevermind. Kids!”

Entering the kitchen, Meredith exclaimed “Merry Christmas every—oh, shit!”

As her tone changed she noticed that in the kitchen were Laurel Houghton, Dylan Mesda and Lance Bishop. They had initially stopped talking because she entered, but now they stopped because behind her came Ruthven.

Ruthven tried to put a good face on it, held out his hands and said, “Hey, guys, what’s crackin’?”

But Laurel got up, took her glass of punch in one hand and her cookies in the other and said, “What’s cracking is me getting the fuck up out of here.”

Meredith took a deep breath and, turning around to head back into the dining room said, “Amen!”

When the women had left, the three young men stood in the kitchen looking at each other.

Dylan thought it was his responsibility to speak. After all this was his house, and he was the link between these two.

“Did you just get in?” he said.

“Yup,” said Ruthven. “I got in this afternoon. Meredith and her husband got me in Chicago.”

“Yeah,” Dylan said. “I was always sorry Meredith didn’t stay with Mathan.”

“It was too bad,” said Lance. “But then, when something’s over, it’s best if everyone involved knows it.”

“Except with some people you can’t tell when its over,” Ruthven said, dipping his ladle into the punch bowl on the table.”

“But usually you can,” said Lance.

Ruthven looked at him.

“You’re that Lance Bishop guy.”

“You know who Lance is,” Dylan said, trying to keep his voice even.

“Yeah,” Lance said, “that’s who I am.”

“You played a little football in high school, didn’t you?”

“Lance plays at Union State now,” Dylan said.

“Well, that is something.”

“Lance is on a football scholarship,” Dylan said.

Ruthven chuckled and bit into a cookie.

“Scholarship is the poor man’s friend,” Ruthven noted.

Lance opened his mouth, but Ruthven continued, “I remember you when you were younger. All ears and hands and feet. And big forehead. Man, you had a forehead! You’ve grown up now.”

“That’s right, I have,” Lance said, stepping forward, but just then the kitchen door swung open and Fenn walked in, followed by Adele.

“Well?” Adele Davis said.

“Sis, can you take the chicken out?”

“Gotcha, Chief.” She took oven mitts and picked up the roast chicken on the stove. Walking out she noted, “The most interesting people meet at your Christmas parties, Brother.”

When the door swung shut, Fenn stood looking from Ruthven to Dylan to Lance, and then back to Dylan.

“What?” his son said, somewhat irritably.

“Nothing,” Fenn said with a slightly vicious smile. “I was just thinking what this scene needs is a giant sign reading ‘AWKWARD’ painted over it.”

And then he picked up the punch bowl and headed back into the dining room.

Brian went upstairs into Fenn’s bedroom where he was getting dressed before the mirror and he cried, “Wow, Fenn!”

“If you’ve come to say something stupid, you can turn around and leave.”

“I was just going to say,” Brian said, stepping forward, “that when you bother to make an effort, you’re really something.”

“And now you can turn around and leave.”

“Oh, stop,” Brian said, “Now, you turn around.”

Fenn turned around.

“And let me get your tie.”

As Brian began to undo and redo Fenn’s tie, he said, “You are the classiest man I know, and that’s a fact. But I can do a much better Windsor knot. Ah, see. There!”

“You’re right, Brian. Did you come up here to do my Windsor knot?”

“Not so much. No pun intended.”

“Why would there be a pun—Oh,” Fenn said. “Yeah.”

“My sister’s in town.”

“Shelley’s mother.”

“Yes,” Brian said. “And she doesn’t know anything about me and Sean. She is thrilled.”

“About what?”

“Oh, I didn’t tell you.”

Blowing out his cheeks and sticking his fingers in the hair oil, Fenn said, “Must you always be like this? Can’t you start something from the beginning?”

“Shelley invited Sean over for Christmas and he’s in town.”

“Seriously?”

“Yes,” Brian said.

“Why?”

“She never knew the truth, either,” Brian explained. “She thought it was a tiff or… something, and bringing him back would be good for us. The last time I saw him was when Uncle Frank died.”

Brian suddenly looked very sad.

“I miss him so much.”

Fenn knew he meant Frank Slaughter, the old priest at Saint Agatha’s downtown, not Sean Babcock.

“I don’t think I’ve ever met your brother.”

“Yes you have,” Brian said.

“Well, then I don’t remember him.”

Brian smiled and said, “That sort of makes me feel good.”

“I thought it would.”

“Well, if you want to meet him, he’s downstairs.”

“Really?”

“I didn’t know what else to do with him.”

“Good God—” Fenn began. But just then Dylan came to the door.

Fenn sighed and then said, “Brian, will you excuse me?”

“Sure,” Brian said, and heading out he added, “Merry Christmas, Dylan.”

“Christmas, Uncle Brian.”

“When did Brian make it to honorary Uncle stage?” Fenn wondered while Dylan said, “Nevermind. Not the point.”

“Well, what is the point?”

“I don’t know what to do with Ruthven and Lance.”

“Hah!” Fenn barked out a laugh and began brushing his short hair.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“What it’s supposed to mean,” Fenn said, “is that you chose to have exes and business when you were too young for either, and greyed my hair in the process. I learned to live with it. I also learned to deal with all of my exes and handle my business, and now I suggest you do the same.”

“That’s your advice?”

“That’s my advice,” Fenn said, walking into the bathroom and washing his hands.

“You’re not going to help me… At all?”

Fenn came out of the bathroom with a towel in his hand and said, at last: “Downstairs are Todd, your father, and a man they’ve both slept with, and the one he’s sleeping with now. Before Christmas who knows who else will show up who’s shone up in this bed you’re so glibly sitting on? My advice? Be courteous to everyone, but let them all know who’s the one you’re with. And… Keep everyone’s glass full.”

Dylan frowned at his father.

“That’s my advice, Dyl. And it’s a hell of lot better than what Tom would give you. Off with you. I need to finish dressing.

And so Dylan blew out his cheeks and headed downstairs.

Dylan went to his room to regroup, but Lance was sitting on his bed.

“Lance.”

“You should go talk to him,” Lance said. “He came here to see you.”

Dylan didn’t say anything.

“I haven’t been to see my parents, not really. I need to go hang out with them for a while.”

“I thought you were going to Midnight Mass with me.”

“You know I’m not religious.”

“And I’m not Catholic. I have a Krishna altar under the window. What’s your point?”

“My point is,” Lance said, standing up, “You should go talk to Ruthven, and I’m going to go.”

“I thought you were going to stay the night.”

“I could come back. If you want me to.”

“I do want you to,” Dylan said earnestly.

“Now go,” Lance said to him. “The reason he’s hear is because you decided to love him. Remember?”

“I made my bed. Is that what you’re saying?”

Lance reached for his jacket, and then stooped down and kissed Dylan on his forehead.

“Something like that,” he told him.

And then he left.

“Kenneth, have you met…?”

“I’m Sean,” Sean Babcock said when Chad North seemed at a loss for what to call him.

“Brian’s brother?” Kenny said.

“That’s right.”

“I don’t know Brian very well,” Kenny said.

“But me and Kenny are old friends,” Chad touched his shoulder.

“I’m going to get some punch,” Sean told them. “They just brought the bowl out. Do you two want anything?”

“I’m good,” Chad said.

“I’m thirsty,” said Kenny. “I’ll take a glass.”

While Sean went off, Kenny said, “So that’s the one?”

“Yeah,” Chad said, rubbing the back of his neck.

“He looks a lot like Brian. Or like Brian a long time ago.”

Chad nodded.

“So, what’s he doing here?”

“Shelley brought him as a surprise for Christmas. She doesn’t know anything about me and Sean.”

“But how are you?”

“Whaddo you mean?”

“I think I meant do you feel awkward around him? But now I think I mean are you still in love with him?”

Chad looked after the approaching Sean, and said, “No. Not anymore. After me and Brian broke up that first time, Sean and I… didn’t split up right away. We had five years to work through what we had. And what we had—” Sean was close now, and so Chad whispered, “wasn’t that much.”

“Here you go,” Sean handed Kenny the glass of punch.

“Thank you, sir.”

“So how do you know Chad?”

“We’ve been friends a long time,” Kenny said. “It’s kind of hard figuring how we don’t know each other.”

“That’s the truth,” Chad told him.

“Are you attached?” Sean said.

“Are you talking to me?” Kenny said.

“He’s with that guy over there. The blond one with the glasses.”

“Oh,” Sean looked over. “Well, he is sort of competition. I bet you make one hell of a couple on a gay cruise.”

Chad snorted and while Sean said, “What’s so funny about that?” Chad said:

“What’s funny is how cheesy that line is added to how unlikely the idea of Kenny and Brendan on a gay cruise is.”

Kenny shrugged. “It’s pretty damn unlikely.”

“How long have you guys been together?”

“They’ve been together about eighteen years,” Chad said. “So, pull your fangs in.”

“We were together eighteen years,” Kenny clarified.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Chad raised an eyebrow.

“And it was on again off again,” Kenny added. “And now it’s pretty much off. For good.”

“What?”

“It’s been off for a while. Now it’s official. So,” Kenny shrugged, “if you want to keep hitting on me, go right on ahead.”

 Maia tapped Laurel on the shoulder and Laurel turned from her boyfriend to look at her cousin.

“Have you seen Bennett?”

Laurel looked around before answering, “No. I haven’t seen him the whole night.”

“I don’t think he’s here,” Alex said. He saw Elias and called to him.

“He’s not here,” Elias told them. “Bennett went to a party tonight.”

“But this is the party he’s supposed to be at tonight,” Maia insisted.

“Well,” Elias shrugged, not knowing what else to say.

“Elias?” Maia demanded. “Where is the party?”

“Why?”

“Cause I’m going there.”

“Uh,” Elias definitely looked uncertain about telling her anything else, but now Matthew, a year younger showed up beside Elias and said, “What is it?”

“I want to know where the party is that Bennett went to.”

“But why?” Elias said.

“So I can bring him back.”

“And how are you going to do that? You don’t drive.”

“But Laurel does—”

“What?” Laurel began.

“And she’ll be glad to take me.”

Matthew told his older brother, “You might as well let her know. She’ll find out in the end.”

“You might as well,” Maia agreed.

“It’s on Woodmeadow. Out in Edgefield. 4981 Woodmeadow.”

“Laurel?” Maia turned to her cousin.

“Do we really have to go out there and bring Bennett back?”

“Bennett belongs here, and really,” Maia said, “Who the hell knows what type of trouble he’ll get into?”

“Hold on, hold on!” Alex raised a lazy hand. “I’ll drive you guys.”

“I’m not going,” Elias said, stalwartly.

“I almost want to,” Matthew differed.

“Then come on,” Maia said.

“What I said,” Matthew clarified, “is that I almost want to go.”

Maia and Laurel went for their coats, and as they were putting them on, Tara said, “Young lady, where are you going?”

“We’re just going to get Bennett.”

“So is he your boyfriend yet or not?” Tara asked her.

“Mother,” Maia forced all the derision she could into the first syllable of the word.

“Hey, I told you a long time ago that everyone can’t be a lesbian, and I accept you just the way you are.”

Maia sighed, looked at Laurel and then said, “And on that, I’m out of here.”