August 10th 2021

Chapter 222
Our Great Christmas With Family

They would lose count of how many times they'd look over and see Marianne poke at her locket… or hold it up so she could see the letter on the front… or let it slide along the chain… or make it spin, or show it to someone, or show it to someone else… Once, they saw her give it a look that made them think she was about to stick it in her mouth like a pacifier or a candy. She didn't do it, but it told them that they might have to implement the same rule with her as had been done with the twins and eventually the other little Hunters. The locket would have to be kept for special occasions, at least until she was older.

For now, it was still one of those special occasions, and it was only just starting. She'd definitely gone around and shown it to everyone she saw as they made their way down to breakfast with the rest of the sleepover crew, both the other little kids and their parents, and everyone else she could find. She even showed it to the dogs. When it was shown to her, Chiara crouched before the small girl and held the golden heart in her palm, asking what the M was for. Never missing a beat, Marianne proclaimed that it was for Annie, and no one would be able to tell her differently. In her head, the two were the same.

It wouldn't be long after breakfast before the others started to clear out, as they all had places to be, families and other friends of their own they were meant to be visiting today. For that reason, and because they all wanted to see one another, the Hunters, the elder Friars, and the Matthews would arrive in mid-morning, probably not too far off from when they'd had their own breakfasts and opened some presents of their own. The Hunters were the first of them to arrive, and Maya had to pick up Marianne to keep her from running out the door. This caused her some distress, and she came this close to pitching a fit, but that only perked up the ears of Grandpa Shawn, and he came bounding up the porch steps toward his little granddaughter.

"Good morning, daughter," he tipped his head to Maya, who was trying not to laugh. He was just someone else when it came to the little blonde. "And good morning, granddaughter. Merry Christmas," he beamed, and Marianne forgot everything except smiling. She reached out her arms and Shawn scooped her up, submitting himself to the strong toddler hugs.

"Gampa, look!" Marianne pointed to her locket when she pulled back. Shawn did as told and he grinned.

"Looks great on you, pumpkin," he nodded, even as the twins came hurrying along.

"Nellie!" Marianne wiggled and wiggled, until she was passed into the twelve-year-old's arms. Here again she showed her locket, to both of her young aunts, and because she knew they had been the ones to get it for her, however that happened, it was very important that they see it, just as important as it was for her to say thank you, as she had been taught to do. When they would all move into the house, and the girls would have their coats off, she would insist on getting to touch their lockets, too, the bigger ones they'd received at their last birthday and the little ones they had swapped between themselves. This was just as it should be.

"Hey, when you get a couple minutes, MJ wants to talk to you and Lucas, in private," Katy quietly informed her eldest as she hung up her youngest two's coats. The way she said it left Maya wondering if this was what she thought it was. Because if it was, then…

"Now might be a good time, before the others show up, yeah?" she asked her mother. It was like they were saying some words but really speaking others. But they understood each other.

"You go on ahead, I'll hold down the fort," Katy nodded.

So, Maya went and found Lucas. He was presently standing before Haley Hunter as the seven-year-old showed him one of her Christmas gifts, a wristwatch just like she'd wanted. Maya asked if she might borrow her husband and, after admiring the watch on her sister's arm, she was permitted to do so. From there, they went to find MJ. The recently turned ten-year-old was looking on to baby Tori, in her Christmas best, in her mother's arms, but he turned and followed his big sister when called to join her. They went upstairs, the three of them, on the pretext that Maya needed MJ's opinion on something. Maya never actually told Lucas that this was not the reason why they were going up to their room, but somehow, he figured it out. When they walked in, he shut the door behind them.

"Mom told me you wanted to talk to us," Maya let her little brother know. MJ nodded. "Alright, then we're listening," Maya promised him, stealing a look to her husband, who matched this statement with a tip of the head.

"I… I wanted to tell you what I told them," he explained.

"Go ahead," Lucas told him, with that big brotherly smile he'd cultivated in the years since his relationship with Maya had granted him all those younger siblings.

He started to tell them a story about something that had happened at school in the last few days going up to the break. Like all the kids at the elementary school, MJ and the rest of his fourth grade class had been addressing what they'd be doing over this break, in compositions in their regular class, or as works in their art class. In his class, MJ also participated in a Secret Santa gift exchange. There was a very reasonable price limit set, and the kids had been encouraged to think about what they would get for the person they'd picked, and then to go and get it with a parent themselves.

MJ had picked out someone from the hat, and not just anyone. He'd picked out the paper with the name of one Duncan McGee. This was perfect, he knew exactly what to get him, too! He'd gone with Katy and bought the present, and when they'd returned home, he had taken the care to wrap it. Finally, the day had come for the gift exchange at school, and as he told it, he'd sat in his classroom, feeling like his heart would beat right out of his chest, waiting for Duncan to open his gift. Their teacher had gone about putting all the parcels on their intended desks during recess, so no one knew who had gotten them their gift yet.

And as he sat at his desk, with his heart all in a frenzy, MJ Hunter had come to realize something, or at least he'd… He'd gotten to a place where he felt he knew for certain something which he and others had suspected for well half of his life.

"I like him," he told his sister and her husband. He may have only been ten years old, but to hear him say the words, they could not fault him on his age. When you knew, you knew. He wasn't telling them that he liked Duncan McGee as a person, or as a friend, though surely, he did as well. He was telling them that he had feelings for this boy, as much of romantic feelings as one could have at this point. "I like him a lot," he added, the feeling swelling in his chest.

"Yeah, I can tell," Maya beamed, reaching to pull her brother into a hug. Her precious star boy… "How did it go? The gift…" she asked when he pulled back to look at her.

"He liked it. He doesn't know it's from me though. I'm not sure if I should tell him. I don't think he likes boys like that."

"Even if he doesn't, you can still show him what a great friend you are," Lucas pointed out.

"Yeah, maybe. But I want to let people know, about who I am. What if he takes it the wrong way?"

He looked so self assured. He had figured out something about himself, and he was… well, he was proud. He wanted to share that with others, and he wasn't worried. Of course, for his sister and brother-in-law – and probably his parents, too – it was difficult not to be concerned, thinking about what might happen to that confidence when people who saw his burgeoning sexuality as a problem found out about it… They hadn't forgotten the incident with the Winger brothers back in first grade. In the last few years, it hadn't been much of an issue if at all, and on the whole the idea that MJ might be gay would have faded into the background, to whispers. What would happen when he decided he wanted to raise the volume?

"I don't think anyone is going to know better than you," Maya told her brother. "Doesn't mean you might not get it wrong, but you have more chances of getting it right. Just… feel it out, you know? Wait and see how it goes, and if you think you can tell him you got that gift for him, then go for it, otherwise…"

"Yeah… I can do that," MJ reflected slowly before turning a smile up to her. Maya held his face in her hands. Her sweet little brother, oh, he was growing up, too, and faster every day.

"You know we're going to back you up, whatever happens, right?" she asked him, even as Lucas showed his own support, squeezing the boy's shoulder.

"I know," MJ smiled. "Mom and Dad said the same thing. Nellie said if anyone messed with me, she'd…" his voice trailed off, like he was about to say something he wasn't meant to say. They would politely pretend like they hadn't heard that part.

"Love you, little brother," Maya squeezed him good, knowing it would make him laugh. It did. "Love you so much," she added, kissing the top of his head.

"Love you, too," he replied, his words muffled for being spoken into her sleeve.

By the time they went back downstairs, the elder Friars had arrived, and oh, if Melinda Friar wasn't in peak Christmas wear… Her outfits every year were impossible to forget. They only had to think of one of them and they would easily recall what year it had been, what Christmas had been like that time. Meanwhile, Marianne was in her grandfather's arms, and she was showing Thomas Friar her new locket. He gave it all the reverence it demanded, much to his little granddaughter's delight. He had to know when something was important, he was her grandfather, and they knew things.

"What do you think? Is it Santa O'Clock?" Maya whispered to Lucas as they stood on the stairs, looking on to their guests. Their friends and the little kids were still here, would be for a little while longer. It would be a shame to let the opportunity go by.

"Well, he did leave a card, and it would be bad manners not to show, wouldn't it?" Lucas reasoned. Maya smiled back at him. "I'm going to need an errand and a distraction."

"Who do you think you're talking to? I've got you covered, Dockleberry, come on," she shook her head at him, and he pulled her close, affording himself a brief kiss. Everything that happened today and the day before, it only added to their mandate for the year, and this would add to it, too. He would make his exit, and before long the Friar house would be visited by the bearded jolly man. One of these days, they would have to notice that Lucas was always unfortunate enough to miss him, right?

TO BE CONTINUED

See you tomorrow! - mooners