A Break from the Routine
The weekend after the 4th of July saw the start of a week's holiday for Nick, and so he headed out of town with his family to take advantage of the beach house at Port Jeff for that weekend. Joining them on that excursion was Evie; Ethan and Drew had holiday time of their own at the start of the following month, but would be obligated to head to Ohio to see both sets of parents. When Jeff suggested that Evie could come with them for the weekend, they had been delighted, as it meant that she would be able to see the ocean and the beach, something that most of her friends would be doing. She was very pleased with the arrangement too, as was young Wes, who was looking forward to having someone of his own age to play with on the secluded beach that the house was attached to.
They would be the first of the street's residents to head out to Port Jeff that summer, but not the last; Jeff had agreed to keep the beach house for them all to share, and they were all happy to hold him to that. He had particular plans of his own for the weekend, including making a series of new sketches of the area around their holiday home, and finishing off his latest illustration work. As for Nick, he was just looking forward to being able to kick back and relax, unless there was the most severe and dire of global emergencies; he had a couple of books to read, and he had some new recipes he wanted to try out…
There was of course one final member of their party; he had sat in his travelling box on the table of the LIRR train out towards Port Jeff, staring out of the window, then as they had been picking up their hire car at the station, he had sniffed the air cautiously. The air here had a strong salty tang on his delicate nose;; he picked that up a little at times at home, but it was much more apparent here. When they reached the house, he was more than content to stay inside and explore; one look at the pool outside had been enough to persuade him it was much safer for him. He had found good sunny spots to nap in, there was plenty of food, and as much attention as he desired. It was all that a cat could wish for, and more….
Meanwhile back in the city, Mason was finding that being a father and a Broadway actor were not all that compatible. He was trying to do his best to help Jane, but he found that the show was taking up most of his time, and that wasn't going to alter soon. He started to feel guilty, and his wife noticed that at once; at her behest, Cooper took his younger co-star to one side on the first Monday afternoon in July, and spoke to him.
"I felt much the same way that you did when my kids first came along; I was at work pretty much all the time whilst Grace was pregnant, and nearly missed their birth. Yes, I took some time out, but that is not something you could do, and trust me, when you do have to come back it is just as bad, and I still have guilty moments even now, and that is with Nils at home taking good care of them. The fact is that all parents in all lines of work feel what you are feeling right now from time to time, but the fact is that you have to work to provide the best for your child. Trust me on this, once the show starts, it will get a little easier, as there won't be day long rehearsals. The hours will be shorter, more regular, and much more useful too; you will be home every morning and for most of the afternoon except for matinee days. As for the future, now is the time to start the search for a reliable helper. It isn't an easy task, trust me, but Grace has contacts now, and Nils has hinted that he has friends that are here already who might be looking for a new young charge to take care of. Just don't ever think that you are a bad parent because you cannot be there 24/7. That is a luxury that only a privileged few are able to afford these days…"
"I know that, I mean I do…" began Mason, then sighed. "It's just that I look at him, and I feel like I want to be with him all the time. I guess I worry that I will miss all of the important milestones if I am at work all day long."
"The hard and fast fact I that you will definitely miss stuff, but the truth is that nearly every father does throughout the world, and they have done since the beginning of recorded time. Yes, you might miss that first word, that first crawl and step, but there will be many other moments in their life when you will be there to support them, trust me. One thing I can reassure you on, you will not miss the time when their first teeth are coming through, that much is for sure! It does get easier to deal with as you get older, and they begin to grow up. The two of us are in the kind of job where we cannot be there for bedtime stories each night, but that just serves to make a Monday night really special… Wait until next month, and you will be finding it all easier; you will be at home more once we are open, which will help Jane. Grace used to catch up on her sleep in the mornings when she knew I would be around…"
Cooper smiled at the thought, then went on, "Jane understands that you cannot be there all of the time just now, and that is more than some men in our profession have. You and I have both heard the stories of people in our line of work, couples that have ended up splitting because of the pressure, but I know that is not going to be you and Jane. She loves you too much to leave you for a start…"
"I can't imagine my life without her in it; I am just so lucky that she puts up with me. She has given me so much support in everything that I do… You are right about one thing and that is that we need to sort out a nanny of some sort. Start someone now for just a few hours a week, with more when Jane is ready to go back to work, although she can do so much from home these days."
"I have also been thinking about the show, and I think that we could have a weekend off before we start the run. A break will do us all good, and give you the perfect opportunity to bond with your boy and have family time with Jane. I will have a quiet word with the director."
"You can't do that, not for my sake! He might not like the idea one bit!"
"Well, we can't do the show without a good, talented, convincing Bert, so I will just point out that you might have a breakdown without a short break, and that would mean delaying the opening with all of the associated costs. Trust me, we will get the time off rather than him taking the risk of that coming true…"
Cooper did as he promised, and that Friday saw the cast of Mary Poppins disperse from their rehearsals at 4pm, with no return until 9am on Monday for the first time since they had begun in earnest. The director had agreed to the suggestion without even batting an eyelid, which lead Cooper to believe that he might have been contemplating the same idea himself. Mason headed for home with a spring in his step, and headed on a whim to the florist on East 34th at Lexington Avenue to buy her a bunch of flowers; he knew that she would smile, but also roll her eyes at the cliché. He arrived home to find she was not alone, but was in the sitting room with Roderick. "It would seem that Cooper has spoken to our mutual friend here," announced Jane, after she had taken the flowers, shaking her head as she did so. "As a result, we have a reservation at 6pm at the little bistro we used to frequent back when we were in college for an intimate dinner. I wasn't convinced, but we can be back here in no time if we need to be…"
"And before you think of any arguments, you two need a spot of alone time; date nights are important in any relationship," interjected Roderick. "Which is why, once the show has started, I will be here every Monday night that my shifts allow, so that you two can go out on a date. I regard it as one of the duties of a potential godfather."
Jane laughed as Mason shook his head, and said, "We haven't got as far as thinking about that yet, but you are definitely high on the list of potential candidates for the role. So, husband of mine, let's go and get changed, then run away before Roderick sees sense and changes his mind…"
"I won't; not even the world's worst diaper could put me off my stated task given the things that I have seen at work," joked Roderick. "Go and enjoy yourselves…"
That weekend would turn out to be one of happiness for everyone. Those staying in Port Jeff were blessed with sunshine and warmth, the gentle breeze coming onshore from the sea helping to cool them just enough to be comfortable. Nick was able to sit and read his book, unworried about the welfare of the two children playing on the sand in front of him, as behind him his husband drew the scene. This was all observed from the doorstep by a city cat who had decided that sand was not a surface suitable for his padded paws.
Mason and Jane were able to bond with their son together, the young Bertram behaving very well, and they began to make tentative plans for a christening in the very near future. There was no debate that Roderick was indeed the prime candidate for godfather, if not the only one, but their selection for a godmother would be much harder. Madison had already informed them that being an aunt was more than enough, so they could leave her out; however, that left so many other worthy candidates vying for the role, and they hard to try and work out how not to upset anyone. As they might have been told by everyone else in the world, such a task was easier said than done. In some ways, it would have been more helpful if Mason's twin had accepted the job…
In Ohio, Seth was also able to enjoy a great weekend, the sweet tea having all but eliminated his dry mouth problems, and allowing him to eat almost normally for the first time in months. His happiness also made Julia and Skylar happy…
At Dalton, however, Thad found himself with an issue that Sunday. He had been as delighted as everyone else by the news about Seth from Mrs Carmichael, but that all ended when he felt a draught that afternoon. He looked up, expecting to see his husband naturally; when he did, one look at the expression on his face told him all that he needed to know, and his mood fell. Although Wes said nothing, Thad knew that he had now been given a date for when he would have to collect Seth; he also knew how long in advance his husband received the list of names…
"Please, don't ask me," said Wes quietly. "In fact, don't even mention his name tonight."
"I won't, my love, because I know that you can't tell me, and in any case, there is nothing that either of us can do to stop it. All I do know now is that something is coming soon, and I will alter my plans accordingly. I can cancel my trip to Auckland at the end of the month; the Sky Tower will still be there another time. Just now, I suggest though that you and I just snuggle up and hold onto each other for a while…"
"That sounds like an excellent plan. I will need to come back and do the same soon after it happens as well. I have decided that I will be the one that does the collection, because he deserves it…"
"I thought that we weren't going to talk about him tonight Wessie? Sit down and I will put on some music. I have recently started listening to a station that broadcasts on line from England; it plays classical music of the kind that you will have heard of and recognise. It was recommended to me…" Thad stopped himself then, before he said that it was Seth that had told him about it.
"That actually sounds like an excellent idea, my little one. The two of us are turning into a very civilised old couple," said Wes, a small hint of a smile appearing on his face.
Thad nodded, then went on line, tuned in, and sat next to his husband as the sound of orchestral music filled the room, a piece of Brahms as it happened. They would sit there in silence, holding each other, for just under three hours, apart from the moment that a Strauss waltz came on; then Wes leapt to his feet, pulling Thad with him, and proceeded to dance him round the tiny sitting room of Thad's apartment, much to the increasing amusement of them both.
"I want to take you to Vienna now, my little one, and dance waltz after waltz with you there, until we are too exhausted to carry on," said Wes when the tune stopped, holding Thad in his arms.
"I shall remind you of that promise when I am Mr Montgomery," said Thad in reply, which made Wes kiss him gently on the forehead, as he hoped that would be a long way away.
They would eventually part just before midnight, with Wes much happier than he had been. Alone, Thad proceeded to sit quietly for a while and let the tears he had been holding in flow out. From the way Wes had acted, and the fact that he was going to do the collection himself, he had an inkling that the event was not as far away as they normally were, and that Seth could be going in a matter of days. That fact made him feel just a little guilty over his comments on graduation day at Dalton…
Thad would make several visits to see Seth in the next week, and each time found him feeling well; his appetite had been restored as he could eat properly again, and he had a little hope in his heart once more. The fact that he was eating again meant that his strength was also returning, and he could wheel himself around the place again with ease. Skylar's mood was also much better as a result; in fact, with his best friend being so much improved, he had even asked Thad what he felt Seth might like this year for a Christmas gift. Thad had been horrified, but had played along, keeping a poker face, even though he knew that Seth being around for that holiday was a fantasy.
To that end, he left the two friends out on the terrace, and sought out Julia for a private chat. Before he could even say a word, she spoke. "I know what you are thinking, but I didn't have the heart to break it to him that this period of remission if you like, will not last; that Mrs Carmichael's magic tea will eventually cease to work, and then, of course, there is the fact that we both know…"
"That a patient rallies strongly in these sort of cases just before the end," said Thad quietly. "I hope that it isn't that; I hope that he has had a recovery of some kind. However, I am a realist, and I know that the latter scenario is the much more likely one…"
"As do I, but Skylar does not want to accept that truth…"
"So I see, and I am not entirely convinced that is a healthy attitude for him to have in the long term. Maybe he and I should have a little private chat about it…"
"Thank you, but he will not listen to reason, trust me. Edith tried to talk to him yesterday, and he just walked away, hands over his ears, like a petulant three year old. All that was missing was the chorus of la, la, la!"
"Maybe there is someone that he would listen to. Perhaps if the words came to him from Seth himself then he would not be able to dismiss them and ignore the bigger picture quite as much. He would be compelled to listen to his friend…"
"He would, but is there any guarantee that Seth would be willing to have that sort of conversation?" asked Julia. Thad shrugged, and knew that there was only one way to find out…
It was the following night, the second Friday after Independence Day, that Seth asked Julia to leave him alone with Skylar for a while. She nodded, aware that he and Thad had had a conversation the night before, and that, albeit with a degree of reluctance, Seth had seen the Head Warbler's point…
As soon as she left, Skylar started to speak. "I thought that we might take a drive up to the Mohican Memorial State Forest next weekend; you used to love it there when we were at Dalton…"
"I don't think that is a good idea, Skylar. As I recall, the terrain on the pathways wasn't exactly suitable for those of us in a chair, and it's not much fun sitting in a parking lot… In any case, you know that we can't really make plans like that in advance anymore, because…"
"Don't say it Seth! Just don't!"
"Because I might be sick, or worse," continued Seth, ignoring Skylar's pleading. "I know that you don't want to hear that said, but the fact is, you have to listen. I might not be here much longer. All of the other times that I have felt better, that I have been at my happiest…"
"Not this time! Not this time! This time you will not…"
"But I could, in fact, probably will, and you know it as well as I do! We both know that any day…" Seth stopped as he realised that Skylar was sobbing, his body shaking. He took a breath, and carried on. "I'm sorry to be so blunt, but you need to face the truth now, or it will be worse when the time comes. I am going to die, Skylar. I don't want to, but I am, and you need to accept that fact. I also have to know that you do, because if you can't, then I can't stay here. I can't bear to see you hurt, but that is going to happen, regardless of what we say or do…"
Seth made no attempt to move and comfort his friend, not out of nastiness or anger, but because he had been overcome with a wave of exhaustion, and the idea of wheeling himself even that short distance was too much. Standing just outside the door in the shadows, Julia had been listening, but she also made no attempt to intervene; her heart was torn by that, her urge being to go and comfort her husband, but she knew that would be counterproductive in the extreme. What Seth was doing was tough, but necessary and fair. She decided the best thing she could do was walk away and leave them to deal with the situation themselves…
She had barely moved out of earshot when her husband broke his silence. "I would swap places with you if I could. You are the last person on earth that deserves to be going through this…"
"And you are?" asked Seth. "Truth is, neither of us deserves this, but it would kill me every bit as much if we were in the opposite place. We have to accept this all for what it is, and just take each day as and when it comes. Plans for the future are no longer an option when you are in my position; they can't be. I could die in months, or tomorrow, and no-one knows exactly when apart from those in the high echelons of heaven, way above Wes. So let's just agree that we could go to the forest, if I am well. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad just to sit in the car in the parking lot and breathe in the smells of the forest, listen to the sounds…"
"It is supposed to be a nice day tomorrow, so maybe we could do it then, if you are well enough," suggested Skylar, swiping at his eyes.
"That could be good…" replied Seth. "However, there is one more thing I need to say; I do not want you to take any more time off work on my behalf. I will only agree to that if they have given me a definite prognosis. If Hayden says that I only have days left, then you can take time out, because I would rather not die without my sunshine being around. I need you to be that sunshine in my life, Skylar, and yes, I know it is hard for you to be cheerful around me right now, but it makes me feel so much better to see you smiling…"
"Then I promise I will try to, because that is what best friends do for each other."
"It's what brothers do; what family does for each other. Fact is, you are my brother, the only family I have needed for so long. My only goal these days is your happiness, so we need to try and forget what is hanging over me…"
"That will be harder than you could imagine," began Skylar, "but for you, I promise that I will try. Right, so I believe that there is a new pint of mint choc chip ice cream in the freezer - would that be something that you might manage to eat?"
"I think so, and I would certainly be willing to try; the cold ice cream would feel nice slipping down my sore throat too…"
"Right, one small bowl of ice cream coming up!" said Skylar, swiping the last tears from his eyes and painting on a smile before heading out. Alone, Seth closed his eyes and prayed that when the end did come, he would have a swift and painless death - and that contrary to what he had just said, Skylar would not be there to witness it…
As promised, the following day saw Seth and Skylar head out to the forest, and made the discovery that there was now a special trail constructed for those like Seth who were in a chair. It took them deep into the heart of the woods, and a spot amongst the trees that was private and tranquil. The only sounds that they could hear were the birds singing, along with the occasional rustling of leaves as a small creature moved through the undergrowth or trees. They did not need to sit and talk, just sit companionably side by side, drinking in the scenery and breathing in the pure, sweet air, lightly scented with woodland flowers. For a while they could forget their problems.
Seth closed his eyes, almost wishing that his breathing could stop there and then, and he could pass away in that beautiful spot, surrounded by nature. A sudden gust of wind made his eyes shoot open, thinking for a moment that it was the draught of a set of angel wings, and that what he had been wishing for was about to come true. He turned to Skylar, to see that he too was sitting there with his eyes closed. "When this is all over," his friend said suddenly, "I am going to come back to this very spot, to remember you and be alone."
"You won't be alone though; I will be here, flying on my angelic wings…"
"I shall hold you to that… This will be our private spot, reserved for just the two of us…"
Skylar would return to his work on Monday morning, ready for the start of what would be a hectic week. He had increased his workload at the moment so that he would be able to take more time off when he became a father. It meant working long days at the moment, but the sacrifice would be worth it in the end. Julia also had a few things of her own to do that week, and to that end, it had been arranged that Mrs Carmichael would come in on those three afternoons to take care of the patient. Seth's reaction to that was that they were all making too much of a fuss, and that he was still capable of being left on his own for a few hours without any kind of issue, but he no longer had a choice in the matter. It was a fait accompli, already done.
He had woken up on that Monday morning in a little pain, but it was nowhere near as bad as it had been the previous week. That had started to concern him a little, as the relief he was feeling could not be entirely down to the hot, over sweetened tea, and he had been put on no change of medication. He felt in the back of his mind that something was coming, probably one final attack that would bring his pain and suffering to an end. He knew better than to express such thought to anyone though, and was content enough with the idea himself. He was getting tired of everything, and if he was honest, he hated the idea of becoming an even bigger burden to his best friend and his wife. He considered asking an angel for a clue, but then realised that they could not say a word about whether he would be collected soon…
As Seth sat in Ohio and contemplated his future, in New York Flint found his day was concerned with events that were due in his own immediate future. Izzy was fast approaching the due date for the birth of their second child, and he was anxious, not just for the welfare of his wife and child, but also that the new arrival came whilst his parents were still enjoying their cruise on the sun drenched waves of the Caribbean Sea. The prospect of his mother being present for the birth was not one that he even wished to contemplate, as there would be no way that his wife would share the gas and air with him this time in those circumstances; nor would she permit him to obtain chloroform to use on the mad woman in the room, or himself. Sometimes he wished that Izzy did not have such strong medical ethics…
She had only stopped going to work on a daily basis the previous week, and was now sat at home, growing increasingly impatient, not helped by the fact that her son, who obviously at his young age did not comprehend the concept of pregnancy, had a new favourite phrase - namely, "Mommy fat!" He repeated this all day long, particularly whenever they had company. He of course was still going to work, which made fielding the two daily calls from the cruise ship a little quicker, although he still was of the belief that whoever invented the system for satellite calling that allowed her to interrupt his work needed shot. Admittedly, he then spent the rest of the day on tenterhooks, expecting each call that arrived to be either his wife, or their au pair Maribel, telling him that labour had begun. At least this time the whole process should be easier for him, as he was now less inclined to panic, having done it all before…
Across town at the UN, Nick was also back at his work that Monday morning, nicely tanned after a week relaxing in Port Jefferson. Much as he loved the unpredictable and often hectic nature of his job at the UN, it had been nice to forget the cares of the world for a little while. It had also given him time to think, particularly about an anniversary that was coming up the following month. It would be a decade in just a few weeks time since a drunk driver had taken the earthly Wes from his boys; that meant that it was also a decade since the day he had married his lovely Jeff, and become a Sterling-Duval…
They had never marked the date of that ceremony, the idea being too painful given what had happened the following day, but this year however was different; they had reached a landmark of a sort, and maybe the time had come to acknowledge the date now that the pain and shock of losing their leader was less raw… There was also the fact that Wes and Thad had now been married for a year in the most unusual of events, which had soothed the hurt a lot. He had begun to make some checks the previous week, and he had discovered that the official gift was tin; this was supposedly because the metal in question was both durable but flexible, as a good marriage should be. He had seen a decorated artists box online, fashioned from tin, and of course, sets of cake and cookie tins, which could be personalised….
He had decided by the end of their week's vacation that it was a subject that he needed to broach with Jeff, and see how he felt about them marking the significant anniversaries as they came along; not with any great fanfare or huge parties, but just between the two of them and Wes, and possibly their immediate family. If nothing else this year, it would give them something that would take their minds off what was happening with Seth. He knew that it was all preying heavily on his sensitive husband and making him a little moody some days. Worse, Nick had spoken to Thad the previous evening, and from the way the Head Warbler had spoken, and his tone, Nick was expecting to hear sad news coming from Westerville sooner rather than later. A celebration of their ten years of matrimonial bliss might be just the panacea that they needed if sadness was threatening to overwhelm the summer…