12. Announcement
Hey all! Sorry this chapter is so long...but I think you'll like it!
"I feel like such a fucking idiot," Jack said to me the next morning at my house, sitting at the kitchen table.
"Jack, they didn't take any offense at al last night! I would have passed out too if I had never seen that shit either! Trust me.."
"They probably hate me,"
"No, they don't hate you! They felt really bad about it. Trust me, they like you,"
"I dunno…"
"Jack stop it. It'll be something to remember. Something that will be funny as time passes," I held his hand and kissed it.
"Oh shit, I never called Bobby last night. Mind if I call him real quick?"
"Go for it," he left the table and went out the front door. My parents came into the kitchen.
"Where's Jack?" My mom asked, sitting down next to me.
"He's outside calling his brother," I replied.
"How's he feeling?" My dad asked, with a chuckle.
"Fine. He just feels really bad about it," I replied, grinning a little.
"Oh, tell him it's no big deal! It'll give us something to joke about tonight! He'll get comfortable real fast with our family," my dad said, laughing. I shook my head, trying not to laugh. My dad was crazy—always joking around.
That evening came very fast. Jack was freaking out because he didn't know what to wear.
"Jack! Wear whatever you're comfortable in! It's gonna be hot in that little apartment with everyone there. Wear something cool that you won't sweat in!"
"How about this?" He held up his black tee with skull and cross bones on it. I paused for a moment.
"How about this?" I pulled out a gray tee-shirt and a black button down shirt to go over it. "This way if you get hot you can take off the black shirt,"
"I like the way you think," he smiled and leaned in and kissed me. As he did, my dad walked into the room.
"Whoa! The hanky-panky can come later tonight—are you guys almost ready?" He asked. Jack turned a bright shade of red.
"Yes dad!" I laughed. He left and Jack just fell over onto my bed, mortified.
"You're dad is going to hate me by the time we leave!" He said, his voice muffled.
"Jack! He doesn't care! He jokes around about everything," I pulled him off the bed. He just stared at me, then finally he smiled.
"You look real nice," he said.
"Thanks," replied. "You get dressed! I'll be in the living room!" I left him in my room.
Before I knew it, we were back in East Boston at my Papa's apartment for Christmas Eve. I introduced Jack to everyone—they all seemed to like him a lot. My cousins really liked him too, since we spent most of our time with them, laughing and watching TV—mostly the South Park Christmas specials. We ate tons of food, had more laughs and finally left my favorite holiday a little after midnight.
The next day, we went to my Aunt's house for Christmas day. There, we ate even more good food—lasagna, salad, bread, meatballs, sausage, prime rib and potatoes. Such a great holiday! My cousin's grandmother, Italina, who was from Italy especially liked Jack. She kept talking to him and commenting on his hair. I could tell from his responses that at times he had no clue what she was saying to him. She spoke English decently, but when she got into a very heated conversation, her English becomes less comprehensible.
Nonetheless, that night after we left my Aunt's, lying in bed with me, Jack told me he had a great time and that he really enjoyed my family.
"I'd never trade mom or my brothers for anything, but seeing a family like yours really makes me wish that sometimes I had that," he said.
"Jack, your brothers love you so much. It doesn't matter whether you have cousins, or aunts or uncles or grandparents. All of those are really great to have, but you have a bond with your brothers that I'll never have—and many people never will have even if they do have siblings,"
"I guess you're right. But still, it just seems nice to have holidays with you're whole family there, you know?"
"Yeah, I do know. But I do also know that once my parents are gone, I'm only gonna have my family—I have no siblings to mourn with—or in your case, hunt after the killer with," He chuckled at that.
"Well, let's combine families, then," he said. "You can share my brothers if I can share your cousins and aunts and uncles,"
"Okay. Sounds good," I smiled and rested my head on his shoulder.
A couple days later…
After the holidays, I took Jack into the city with my friends one night to go to Fire and Ice. We all had a great time essentially making our own entrees, and Jack had a great time meeting and mingling with my friends from high school. He really enjoyed my best friend, Matt, who happened to really be gay. Matt told me later on that he really liked Jack too. Matt's approval was essential to me, since he was, after all, my gay best friend. If he approved, I usually approved, and vice versa. Before we left the city, Matt pulled Jack aside and told him something, but I wasn't sure what it was…and Jack wouldn't tell me either afterwards.
Two days later, Jack and my friends and I all went sledding. We had the time of our lives, laughing, and falling off the sled and rolling down the huge hill. Unfortunately the day was coming to a close. My friend, Hayley, suggested that we all go into the city again—go skating and get some dinner. We agreed that'd be a good time, since Jack and I were going to be leaving for Detroit in a couple of days.
"I didn't bring my skates though," Jack said.
"I have a pair at my house you could use," Matt said, "you can just come back with me. Ange can go with Hayley and we'll meet up in the city. That sound good to you ladies?"
"Sure! We'll meet you in there around…6:30?" Hayley suggested.
"Alright! See you then!" Matt pulled Jack off with him. I didn't have any time to object or anything. The plans were made. Seemed a bit odd that Jack would go with Matt, but I wasn't going to question anything.
"So where we eating for dinner?" I asked on our way back.
"I dunno! Maybe Quincy Market? Let's get dressed up real nice though. You know, celebrate being all together again?" Hayley suggested. I agreed. Sounded nice. We both wore nice dresses and did our hair up nicely.
We drove into the city. We planned on meeting Jack and Matt outside of the Prudential (the "Pru" as we called it). Hayley pulled up next to a parked car.
"Why don't you get out and wait for them while I go park," she said suddenly. I shrugged.
"Alright," I got out of the car and walked up to the sidewalk. I waited there for a moment or so. No Matt or Jack pulling up yet. I began pacing around, waiting for Hayley, or Matt or Jack to show up.
"You wanna go on inside?" I voice asked me from behind. I turned around to see Jack standing there. His hair was combed all the way back and he wore his black jacket with his scarf. I also noticed he was wearing really nice black shoes.
"Jack! You looked fabulous!" I exclaimed.
"As do you," he smiled and kissed me. "Wanna go inside?"
"Oh, we're waiting for Hayley…where's Matt?" I asked looking around. "We're gonna eat at Quincy Market I guess,"
"Actually, we're having dinner here," he said.
"Here? You mean the top of the Hub!" I exclaimed.
"Yeah. And 'we' as in you and me," he said.
"But…what about Matt and Hayley?" I asked, confusedly and astonished at the same time.
"They planned this all out—they're gonna eat somewhere else in Boston, but yeah, they made the reservations for us and everything,"
"Oh my God, Jack, this is incredible!" I exclaimed. "I can't believe you! You kept this from me…since when!"
"Since that night I met Matt for the first time…remember we talked alone for a moment? Well it was about this. I told him I wanted to take you out somewhere, and he told me about this place, and he and Hayley took it from there,"
"Jack, that is so sweet,"
"Well, we could stand out here and gawk at each other all night, or we can go inside and gawk there over dinner," he laughed.
"Let's go in then," I smiled. He held out his arm and we walked arm-in-arm.
The top of the Hub is one of the best restaurants in Boston, located at the top of the Prudential Building. It's a rotating restaurant—it slowly rotates so you get a view of the entire city while you eat, if you have a window seat. Jack and I had a window table. It was the most amazing dinner—and the fact it was spent with Jack made it all the more amazing. I couldn't help but smile every time I looked at him while we talked. He glowed in the candle light and it made me heart melt. I wanted to tell him I loved him, but I wasn't sure if it'd freak him out—moving too fast or anything. I kept it to myself that evening.
After dinner, Jack and I went back out to the chilly streets of Boston, far below the Pru.
"What now, Jackie?" I asked.
"I was thinking, maybe a little round of ice skating," he said.
"I don't have my skates though," I replied. "They're in Hayley's car,"
"Oh contraire," he laughed. "Let's go," we walked all the way to Frog Pond, where, when we got there, Jack told me to wait by the tree. When he came back, he had my skates, and the hockey skates Matt let him borrow.
"But…how?" I asked confusedly.
"It matters not," he replied with a huge grin. I just laughed at him. We sat on a bench and laced up.
"I'll race you to the ice," I said to him once I was finished lacing.
"You're on," he replied. We both got up and ran in our skates, to the ice. I got there before him slightly, but he picked me up and moved me out of the way and stepped onto the ice and set me back down on the ground.
"Beat you!" He snickered as he skated away.
"You jerk! Get back here!" I chased him onto the ice. We chased each other all over the ice, winding in and out and between other skaters until he finally caught me at the other end of the rink.
"Hey Ange," he said.
"What?" I asked. He was silent for a moment until I turned towards him fully. "What is it?" He took a couple breathes before he said anything.
"I would have told you back in North Carolina, but I figured there's no better way to say it than to say it in the city you love most. Ange, I love you," he said, looking me in the eyes. Tears began to form in my eyes.
"Jack, I love you too!" I smiled and wrapped my arms around him. We kissed and just held each other there for some time.
"That's why I couldn't have sex with you, Ange. It didn't feel right not having told you that I love you first. I couldn't tell you that night—it would have seemed like I was just saying it to get in your pants!" I laughed, because I knew it was true.
"Yeah, I know what you mean,"
"But I don't think you know how much I love you, though," he said with a grin.
"Well how much? Enough to have sex with me?" I laughed.
"Yes, enough to have sex with you…but the whole world should know,"
"What?" I raised an eyebrow, not sure I understood what he meant. He turned from me and yelled at the top of his lungs to the entire pond of skaters and anyone else that heard.
"I want everyone here to know that I love this woman—that I'm in love with Ange D'agostino!" He turned back to me. We both laughed and hugged again. It all just felt so right.