Cottages

Chapter 12

“Are these good, Daddy?” Bree asked. She held out her hand full of brightly colored autumn leaves to her father.

“Add them to the pail, sweetheart, and we’ll go through them when we get back to the house.”

Bree walked over to the pail that Justin had set down and dropped her collection of leaves in with the pine cones and other leaves they had collected. “Why do we need perfect ones?”

“We’re going to lay these out on the table for Thanksgiving along with your cornucopia. The table will look beautiful,” Justin explained.

“For Mrs. Sarah Kingsley?” Bree asked.

Justin turned and looked at his daughter. “What makes you say that?”

“I ‘member when we went to that house and there was a whole lot of ‘Do not touch’, and I was scared ‘cause everything was so perfect. Is Thanksgiving going to be like that?”

Justin shook his head. He wasn’t sure how Bree had come to this conclusion, but he wasn’t going to have her being scared for Thanksgiving. He walked over to his daughter and squatted down in front of her. “Bree, this isn’t like the Brenner house. This is our house and this Thanksgiving will be like all the other Thanksgivings we’ve had here. There’s nothing to be scared about, and I’m not trying to make anything perfect. I just want some nice leaves that will show off your cornucopia to best effect. Okay?”

“But Gamma Debbie won’t be here,” Bree said with a sigh. “She always makes everything all right.”

“Yeah, she does, but I’ll be here with you and Dada and John and Bobby and Patrick. And Grampa Craig will be here too.”

“He will?”

“Yes, and Auntie Molly and Taylor.”

“Oh.”

“Does that make you feel better?”

“I guess.”

“Auntie Emm and Uncle Drew will be here too.”

“Yay! Auntie Emm.”

Justin smiled. “He will make sure everything is all right for you, sweetheart.”

“’Kay, Daddy.” Bree wrapped her arms around her father’s neck and gave him a big hug.

“Are you ready to go home and press some leaves?”

“Are we going to iron them?” Bree asked.

“Nope. I’ll show what we’re going to do with them when we get back to the house.”

“Let’s go,” Bree said. She started in the direction of Edna’s Treasures.

Justin smiled as he picked up the pail of leaves. Bree seemed fine now, and that was the way he wanted to keep it. Thanksgiving might prove to be very interesting this year.

 

*****
 

When Brian came home he found Justin and Bree in the sun porch with a stack of the volumes of his old encyclopedia set rising up beside them.

“What are you doing?” he asked with a frown. “That encyclopedia is so out of date. I hope you’re not looking something up for Bree’s schoolwork.”

Justin laughed. “I told you we should throw these out,” he said as Brian squeezed his shoulders.

“Seems like I was right to keep them. So what are you two doing?”

“Pressing leaves, Dada,” Bree said confidently. “I thought we could iron them, but Daddy said this works better.” She carefully laid a leaf on a page of the volume she had in front of her. She made sure it was flat and then closed the book on it. “See, Dada, all pressed,” she said giving her hands a swipe together to show that she was finished.

“Add it to the pile,” Justin ordered.

Bree picked up the big book and tried to set it atop the pile of books without knocking them over.

“Need some help, Squirt?” Brian asked.

“I can do it,” she said as she managed to shove the book on top of the pile.

Brian straightened it, making sure that the whole tower of books didn’t come tumbling down on his petite daughter. “I guess these books are still good for something,” he observed with his tongue in cheek.

“Invaluable,” Justin said standing up and stretching.

“We should have lots of leaves for the table, Bree. These other ones need to go to the compost heap.” He brushed them off the table and back into the pail they had used to collect them.

“I’ll take them, Daddy,” Bree volunteered, picking up the handle of the pail.

“Did we get all the pine cones out?” Justin asked.

“Yep,” Bree replied as she ran her hand through the leaves in the pail to see if there were any errant pine cones still in there.

“I’ll go with the Squirt. That lid on the composter sticks,” Brian said with a wink at Justin.

Justin smiled as he watched his two favorite people head out the door of the sun porch. It would be dark soon. Justin wondered what John was making for dinner. It was John’s turn tonight. Justin walked over to the door to John’s side of the cottage.

“Hey, John, need any help with dinner?”

“Everything’s in the oven. I’m just making a salad.”

“I can chop.”

“Thanks. Is the big guy home?”

“Yeah, he arrived a few minutes ago. He’s out at the composter with Bree.”

“Is that code for something?” John asked with a grin on his face.

Justin laughed. “That’s not a sentence I use very often, is it?”

“No,” John chuckled shaking his head.

“They’re throwing the rest of the leaves we collected in the compost.”

“Did you get some good ones?”

“We got some beautiful leaves, every color of the fall,” Justin said with that faraway look on his face.

“You want to paint them, don’t you?” John asked.

“There’s a fall scene brewing in my brain,” Justin admitted as he chopped celery.

“Would my brother happen to be part of that scene?”

“Not this time,” Justin said thoughtfully. “I watched Bree walking away from me this afternoon, kicking leaves with her little foot and I knew I had to get that down on canvas.”

“Then what are you doing in here? Go paint.”

“It’ll wait until tomorrow. I like to mull things over sometimes.”

“Okay, if you’re sure.”

“I’m sure,” Justin said decisively. “What about you?”

“Huh?” John asked with a frown.

“Brian tells me you’re going to go for your PhD. Are you sure about that?”

“Don’t you think I can do it?” John asked feeling hurt that Justin seemed to be questioning him and his abilities.

“John, you know me better than that. Of course, I think you can do it. I just wondered about the amount of time it would take away from Bobby and Patrick and your work. Are you prepared for that?”

“I’ve done most of my research. I think I can handle the rest.”

“As long as you know the dangers going in,” Justin warned.

“Dangers?”

“You know how much time you’ve spent holed up in your office. Is it going to be more of the same? Bobby wasn’t happy.”

John sucked his lips in looking so much like Brian. “I think I need to make a schedule. I need to treat my thesis like a job. I need to figure out how many hours a day I can afford to spend on it.”

“Maybe you should let the rest of us take over meals for a while,” Justin suggested.

“You’d do that?”

“Of course, and maybe you should look at working three days a week and taking two for writing your thesis. Would Gordon be able to take up the slack?”

“He might. I need to talk to him.”

“Good, do that. I’ll go set the table,” Justin said as he dumped his chopped vegetables into the salad bowl.

“Justin, thanks,” John said. “This has really helped to clarify things for me.”

“Always glad to help. We love you, you know,” Justin whispered as he hugged John hard.

“Ahem,” Brian said from the doorway. “Am I interrupting something?”

“Yes, we were about to make mad, passionate love in the remnants of the salad,” Justin laughed. “This needs to go to the composter too.” He handed Brian the colander of scraps from the vegetables they had chopped. Then he bumped Brian’s shoulder as he went by him.

“Yes, dear,” Brian said with a grin as he headed back outside.

John and Justin laughed as they watched him go.

 

*****
 

“What’s wrong?” Jamie asked.

“I’m nervous,” Leda replied curtly.

“About...?” Jamie rejoined.

“Meeting your family, wearing these ridiculous clothes, having to be on my best behavior, take your pick!” Leda was in full hostile uber dyke defiant defensive mode, and none of it was going to faze Jamie at all.

“First, you’ve already met my parents at the art show and had lunch with them last week. The only ones you haven’t met are my brother and his wife. James is just like me except he’s a boy and he’s straight...”

“Oh, I can see the resemblance already,” Leda snarked.

Slightly nonplussed, Jamie continued, “Secondly, your outfit is rather dashing. I hesitate from saying it’s sexy, although I find it very becoming.” Leda was dressed in a simple light beige gauzy blouse, belted. It topped a long black skirt. She was also wearing a very classic pair of leather boots. “And I’m very impressed that you chose those boots and not your riding boots.”

“I do have some class,” Leda grumbled.

“Yes, you do.”

“I feel like a pirate in this outfit.”

“And a sexy one at that.” Leda ignored her. “And lastly, when haven’t you been on your best behavior? You were very polite with my folks, Sidney Bloom thought you were the perfect lady and even Lindsay said she couldn’t believe how great you were during the show. So, what’s the problem?”

“I’m not sure. Is this really me? I look at myself in the mirror and I’m not sure who I am anymore.”

“Why? Is it because it’s now the same mirror everyday and not a different hotel mirror every night? Is it that you don’t like waking up with the same person every morning and doing ordinary mundane things like grocery shopping and mowing the lawn? Because if that’s the case then I guess we have made a big mistake and I should check to see if my apartment has been rented already.”

“NO! No. I want those ordinary things with you. It’s just I’m still not used to it and I’m afraid.”

“Afraid of what?”

“That I’ll fuck it all up! That you’ll wake up one morning and realize that I’m too old and I smell bad and that you want someone younger and prettier and...”

“More foolish than you at this moment?” Jamie chuckled.

“Not funny, James. I’m having a meltdown and you’re making fun of me.”

“I’m not making fun of you,” Jamie said as she wrapped her arms around her partner. “And I love it when you call me James. My brother would do that when he was pissed at me too. It’s comforting, in a way.”

“And you’re a nut,” Leda said as she kissed Jamie’s nose. “But I happen to love your brand of lunacy.”

“Good, because it only gets better, especially when my brother’s around. We’re exactly alike...”

“Except he’s a boy and he’s straight,” Leda parroted back.

“Exactly! Now, why don’t you decant the wine while I check on the turkey?”

“So we’re really having Thanksgiving with your family?”

“Yup!”

“And me getting on my bike and riding off somewhere is a no-no today.”

“Yup, again.”

“I suppose me changing into something else wouldn’t be a good idea either?”

“Nope.”

“You drive a hard bargain, James.”

“Yup. The harder the better,” Jamie said as she took out a sweet potato pie from the warming oven to cool on the counter. She waggled her eyebrows suggestively at her lover.

“I love you, Jamie Cunningham,” Leda said with a put upon sigh.

Jamie laughed with delight. “I love you too! Now go open the door, they’re here,” Jamie said checking on the turkey as the doorbell rang.

“Yes, dear,” Leda whispered as she went to greet her in-laws. Jamie smiled.

 

*****
 

“GUUUSSS!” Bree cried out as her big brother sauntered across the sun porch. Bree had been helping her Daddy arrange the leaves and pine cones on the table. Justin couldn’t help notice how much more confident Gus looked as he walked in, how much like his father he was growing up to be.

“Short stuff!” Gus yelled as he closed the gap between them then scooped up his tiny sister as she took a running leap into his arms.

“What is it about a Kinney that makes us Taylors want to jump into their arms?” Justin murmured to himself.

“Haven’t got a clue, Sunshine,” Brian said. He had just come up behind Justin carrying a couple of Emmett’s baskets that were brimming with popovers. “But whatever it is, he doesn’t seem to mind,” Brian said, indicating Gus who was still hugging Bree close. “And I don’t mind either,” Brian murmured into the pale shell of Justin’s ear. He gently kissed Justin then continued to set the table.

“Gus, where’s JR and your moms?” Justin asked.

“Out front with Emmett. Mom baked,” was all Gus said, raising his head briefly from his sister’s neck to answer Justin. His head immediately went back down to continue their hug.

Brother and sister stood there in the middle of the porch, hugging while the family buzzed around them. JR entered the porch and stared at them for a moment. Twinges of envy washed over her for the briefest of seconds until Gus’ long arm reached out for her to pull her into a group hug. The envy immediately vanished as it was replaced by love. The family ignored the threeway hug as they continued to set the table, gossip and enjoy the holiday.

 

*****
 

“So whose idea was it to have all the leaves on the table?” Gus asked.

“Daddy’s,” Bree informed him. She was holding onto Gus’ hand, after he finally set her down from their extended hug.

“It looks great.”

“I made the corn-u-copia, and I helped Daddy find the leaves outside and we pressed them in Dada’s big books. They were really heavy.”

“His encyclopedias?” Gus asked with a grin.

“That would be correct,” Brian said as he set some serving spoons on the table. “And everyone wanted me to get rid of them,” he added with a smirk.

“You never know when you’ll need a heavy book,” Gus chuckled.

“Exactly. And they make a nice display on the bookshelves.”

“Pop, can I talk to you about something?” Gus asked.

“Sure, is it personal?”

Gus nodded. “Maybe we can find some time alone later?”

“I’ll make sure we do,” Brian said squeezing Gus’ shoulder. He walked back towards the kitchen.

“So what would you like to do?” Gus asked Bree.

“You could talk to me, you know,” she said seriously, looking up into her brother’s face.

“I know, short stuff, but sometimes a guy needs to talk to his dad.”

“Oh.”

“So, what do you want to do until the guests arrive?”

“You mean Mrs. Sarah Kingsley?” Bree asked making sure she said the name the way she had heard the adults say it.

“Why did you call her that?”

“Everybody does.”

“They do?”

Bree nodded. “I want you to push me on the swing. I bet JR would like that too.” And so the subject changed just that quickly.

“Let’s find JR,” Gus said shaking his head at his precocious little sister.
 

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