Envelope
On the first of December Florian woke to find an envelope on his dresser. He
regarded it cautiously as he dressed, wondering what outrageous task Ray had
dreamed up this time.
Florian had been part of the Courland household for several months but he still
wasn't used to it. He'd been raised in a very traditional household and Ray's
unorthodox ways often made Florian's head hurt. The mystery envelope was as
likely to contain an invitation to the theatre as it was to contain a list of
errands to run or a bill for food and lodging.
Sighing, Florian opened the envelope and peered inside, frowning at the generous
sum of money inside. Scrawled on the envelope were the words: For Christmas
shopping.
"He's probably added it to my debt," Florian muttered as he tucked the money
away in his dresser. Still, he couldn't help but smile as one of his many
worries subsided a little. He'd been saving a portion from the allowance that
Ray gave him for pocket money each month, but there wasn't really enough to buy
gifts for Ray, Laila and a few cousins. Hearing the downstairs clock chime,
Florian quickly left his room and hurried downstairs – it wouldn't do to be late
for breakfast.
*****
On Christmas Eve, after a late dinner, Florian followed Ray into the study and
took his usual seat. It had snowed for most of the day and it was pleasant to
sit in front of the fire and read. Ray often selected his reading material by
mood and it wasn't unusual for him to wander the room, scanning the contents of
the bookshelves until he found something to read.
Tonight, however, he immediately settled into his chair and reached into his
jacket pocket. He took out the account book that recorded Florian's rapidly
growing debt and opened it to the marked page. Without a word he turned it
around and handed it to Florian to read. It took Florian a moment to realize
what he was – or actually wasn't – seeing. The money Ray had given him for
Christmas shopping hadn't been added to his debt.
Another tiny bit of heaviness lifted and Florian gave Ray a bright smile of
gratitude.
"I expect to find something nice under the tree tomorrow," Ray commented mildly
as he retrieved the account book and returned it to his pocket. Florian smiled
and went back to reading.
*****
"You don't have to keep doing this," Florian said as he returned the familiar
envelope to the top of his dresser. Ray gave him a smile and slipped his arms
around Florian's waist, pulling the slender man back against his chest.
They didn't speak, but they didn't need to. For seventeen years, on December 1,
an envelope appeared on Florian's dresser. The amount of money varied over the
years but the result was the same; Florian was happy with their private
tradition and Ray received something very nice for Christmas – under the tree
and in his bed.
::end::
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