The End of 2022 Part II
As Jeff was sending an urgent text to Sebastian, Thad found himself sitting with his brother and sister-in-law in the kitchen of their New York apartment. They had all risen late, and had enjoyed a leisurely breakfast, but there was still so much tension in the air, as husband and wife both had worries that they were not sharing with each other. Unable to sit back and let it all unravel, Thad decided to grab the bull by the horns, and force them to discuss their issues.
"Right, I think that we need to have a talk - or rather, the two of you do. The whole set of issues that you both have around children needs to be brought out into the open, before it destroys you both and tears your marriage apart."
"I told you those things in confidence, Thad!" hissed Ollie.
"I know, but then so did Michelle, and I am not going to end up trapped in the middle here. The person that both of you should be talking to is your spouse! Ollie, your wife needs to know what you told me last night, and should have been the first person to be told. In any case, she has worked it out for herself, so a lot of this worry and stress could have been avoided."
"You mean…" said Ollie, turning to Michelle.
"I guessed that there had to be some problem with things, given that we kept on trying and nothing was happening," she said quietly. "I am also certain that you only found out for definite it was you very recently?"
"The start of the month. It scared me, because I know just how much you want a family, and I can't give you that. And before you say it, I also have to be honest about this; I won't adopt, because that will never sit right with me. Thad suggested fostering last night, but honestly, I don't think that would work out for me either. I want kids, every bit as much as you, but selfishly, I only want them if they share some of my DNA. So, if you want to leave me, I will not contest a divorce. We can say that it is all my fault, which it is really. Then I will leave the city, and you need never see me again," replied Ollie, tears starting to form in his eyes.
Michelle looked horrified, and came over to put an arm around him. "Number one, I will never divorce you, because I love you far too much, Oliver Harwood, to let what is really such a small thing destroy our relationship. Yes, I would love for us to have a child, but if we can't, then so be it. Thanks to Wes, I will have enough nieces and nephews to take care of anyways. I want to be with you, for the rest of our lives. I see myself growing old and grey with you. You are not getting rid of me that easily, okay," she finished. Ollie nodded, tears now rolling down his cheeks.
"See, isn't much better now that we have that out in the open," said Thad. "However, I do have something of my own to add. I was lying awake half the night thinking about all of this, and I realised that there might be a solution to the problem that hasn't even been considered yet. Ollie, you say that you want a child, but it has to have a little of your DNA?"
"Well, yes, but that cannot happen, Thaddie," his brother replied.
"Hypothetical question. If Wes hadn't died, and he and I had been together, and had a child of our own, using my donation, and something then happened to both of us, would you have been able to raise that child as your own?"
"What a strange question! Of course I would have done, because they would be family, in more ways than one. After all, you and Wes always intended to use Michelle as your surrogate."
"So it would have been okay, because they would have had my DNA, the Harwood genes in them?"
"Of course!"
"So what if I became your donor to let you have a child? What if I donated the necessary, and then you raised the child as your own? As I see it, it is the best gift that I could ever give to my brother and his wife…" answered Thad. His proposal was met with an absolute silence. Neither his brother or Michelle said a word, although both of them looked at him as if he had gone stark raving mad. For a horrible moment or four, he wondered if he had misjudged the situation entirely, and as a result, had just destroyed his relationship with the last member of his family that acknowledged his existence. Then to his relief, Ollie spoke.
"Wow…. So that is quite a statement to make, and no mistake. You are essentially offering to get my wife pregnant because I can't. That sounds like the plot of a really bad television movie, or worse, something you would hear on one of those chat shows were people go to air their dirty laundry. I mean, really…"
"I'm sorry," said Thad. "If you would like me to go…"
"No, no, of course not," said Ollie, realising how his words must have sounded; like the start of a dismissal. "Your offer is just a bit of a shock, and I think that both of us will need some time to think about it - well, I certainly do. It would of course get round my major objection to the idea of surrogacy, as I would be raising a relative as my own child. The DNA that we both share would be in that child too. However, although Michelle agreed to be her cousin's surrogate many years ago, that was on the understanding that she would hand over the child to him and I guess, you, after it was born. She might not be so happy with the idea of raising another man's child."
"I actually don't have any objection to bringing up our niece or nephew as our own," Michelle interjected at that point. "I would want there to be clear ground rules from the start though. When there is a child involved you cannot have a change of heart a few months down the line. I would like it in writing that Thad will be the uncle, and you will be the father, Ollie. I know that you will say that you are brothers, but so were Cain and Abel, and look how all of that ended."
"That would not be an issue for me," said Thad. "Yes, I always did want children of my own, but that was when I had the prospect of raising them with the love of my life, Wes. Even then, Ohio is still not as tolerant as you would hope, and the idea of a Dalton housemaster being a single gay parent would be just too much for some of the bigots to stand. This way, we all win; you get the family you both want, and I get to be doting Uncle Thad…"
Ollie nodded, and then got up, walked over and pulled Thad up into a tight hug, which his little brother reciprocated at once. "I do need time to think about this, Thaddie, but I know this already; I love you so much for even suggesting that you would do this…"
Nothing more was said then. Michelle went to start on cooking lunch, Ollie headed off to his study to think, and Thad went to make the phone calls he needed to from the privacy of the spare room.
He started of course with David, wishing him, his mother, Mercedes and Simon all the compliments of the season the moment that he said the word hello. Then he realised that there had been something in David's voice… "Okay, so what is going on? You don't sound your usual cheerful Christmas Day self…"
"There is a good reason for that; I have just been given a bit of a shock."
"Nothing bad I trust?"
"Oh God, no, nothing terrible," replied David. "Look, she said that I could tell you if you called; Mercedes is pregnant again. She told me about half an hour ago. Simon is getting a little brother or sister…"
"That is wonderful news, Davie! I am so happy for both of you!"
"It is wonderful, and she is pleased, as am I, but it does kind of stop her touring her new album right now, and doing it afterwards will be very hard for both of us. We will need to hire a full time nanny I think, but once we are back in Boston; she is not due to give birth until then. We would ask Roderick, given how wonderful he is with Simon, but he might not want to move, and he hasn't got all the qualifications that people would expect him to have either. It isn't going to be easy…"
"Wes always said that nothing that was worthwhile doing was easy to do, didn't he, and he was right," said Thad. "Okay, so I have some news for you too, but you need to keep this to yourself, because it isn't definite yet, and you might also think that I have gone a little mad. I might be about to become a sperm donor…" By the time that Thad ended his call, he had told David everything in the strictest of confidences; he was a little shocked, but he could also understand the reasons that lay behind his most generous of offers. He also said that if being with his brother and sister-in-law got too much, he could pop round and visit; his mother would like it…
Thad carried on with his calls; he talked next to an overjoyed Drew, who was loving every single second of his Christmas Day, as it was his first truly happy one in years; on top of that, he was able to enjoy watching his daughter have a whale of a time with her grandparents. He spoke to Beats then, who sounded so calm, and then was handed over to Dante, who proudly informed Thad that he was now officially Mr Harper-Gilbert, his certificate of name change having been given to him as a Christmas gift… Thad was pleased for the young man, and informed him that he would have to call him Uncle Thad from now on, which made Dante laugh out loud. His next call was to Sebastian, who also sounded so happy; glad that he was back home in time for Christmas with his family. "I just missed Dave and Elise so much. Don't get me wrong, London was fun, being up there on a West End Stage, and meeting all those people. It was great for my career, but on a personal level, well, this is home, and I will be staying here for quite some time now. I mean, maybe when my kids are in college I will return to the West End. Just maybe…"
Sebastian meant every word that he said to Thad. After his return home from London, and his day with his old friends in New York, he had hoped for the best Christmas of his married life so far, and he had been given what he had wished for. His maman had come down from Canada, and had even offered to cook the Christmas lunch, something that was welcomed by both Dave and Sebastian. It wasn't that they couldn't manage to roast a chicken or a turkey, but it was the co-ordination of that with all the expected accompaniments that was not an easy task; they had given up on trying to do so the previous year. Julian had heard she was coming from Dave, and had invited himself, Isabelle and the children for the day. His own mother had declined to travel down, having commitments of her own, and as for Mr Smythe senior, he was spending Christmas with some old friends from his school and college days, inspired to reconnect by watching Sebastian's interactions with the Warblers.
The second Mrs Smythe, faced with a crowd, had opted to cook a traditional French meal for them all, which news had made her son all the more expectant for the start of the Christmas feast. He was overjoyed when the first thing he discovered she had made were marron glacé; it was a sign of the greater maturity that he now had that he offered to share them, unlike those he had been given by the others in that far off Christmas in the Bushwick loft. As it happened, his brother, sister-in-law and husband did not like them, and although Peter did, he only ate two, which meant that he had them to himself, more or less, in any case.
To be traditional, his maman had not cooked a turkey, but had roasted a goose, which was a new experience for all of them bar her son; she had also roasted potatoes in the fat from the bird, which made them the most crisp and delicious that any of them had tasted. She had also undertaken another tradition in that she had prepared the thirteen desserts, which would remain out on the side table in the dining room for the next few days, or until they were consumed, whichever came first.
The gifts that Sebastian had brought back with him from London were all warmly welcomed, especially the toys that he had brought for Elise and Sienna his niece. After Jeff's text message arrived, they had all paused to watch the Queen's Message on the Royal Channel online, and they were all quite taken to see Sebastian standing there at Jeff's side as they talked to her, even if it was only for a few seconds. Sebastian smiled, but decided that he didn't want everyone to know about his latest appearance in the media, at least not yet…
In Ohio, Seth had been dreading the prospect of Christmas if he was honest. Mr and Mrs Willetts had been so welcoming, telling him that he was as good as family to them from the moment that he walked in. That had cheered him at first, but then, as Skylar spent time with his father, he had suffered one of his more violent spasms as he was sitting chatting to Mrs Willetts. She had sat in silence as it happened, knowing that there was nothing she could do. When the worst was over, she looked at him sadly, then spoke.
"You are getting much worse, aren't you," she said quietly, and Seth could only nod.
"Please don't tell Skylar though," Seth implored her a moment later. "There is nothing that he can do, so it does not benefit him to know."
"I won't tell him if you don't want him to know yet, you can trust me on that. I know exactly why you are putting on such a brave face, and I think it is so good of you to be so selfless. You suspect that he would refuse to marry Julia if he knew your condition was worsening; I would say that you would be right in that assumption. There will be time enough to tell him after they are married."
"I just need him to be happy; I can bear all of the pain as long as he is happy. Once he is married and back here, my life will be more difficult, that much is true. I will be the only one of the six of us that will be staying on in the city after this summer, and naturally I can't stay in a big, four storey townhouse. I think though that there are already plans afoot from my other friends to accommodate me in a much smaller bachelor pad; an accessible one, for when the inevitable happens, and standing up and walking for long periods of time becomes too much on a day to day basis. I have accepted that it will happen, and I will cope, because I have to…" Seth stopped as Mrs Willetts took his hand and squeezed it, her eyes full of unshed tears…
Seth woke up on Christmas morning on a narrow camp bed in Skylar's old bedroom, his best friend curled up in his old childhood bed. He had offered to swap with Seth, or even share, but he had declined, particularly on the latter idea. It was not the idea of sharing with him that was the issue, far from it; he had held a terrified Skylar in his arms in the same bed at Dalton during the steroid scandal, and in the aftermath. No, it was the worry that he might have one of his big attacks as he lay there at his friends side, and that would scupper everything. Skylar was a sound sleeper, and if Seth suffered one in the camp bed, he would never even stir…
Thus Seth lay alone, listening to the rhythmic breathing from the bed, but then, as he came more awake, the cramps began; his legs began to spasm and his hands clenched tight. He willed them to stop with every part of his brain, praying that they would have passed before his friend awoke. It was a near thing in the end, but when Skylar woke it was to see Seth lying there peacefully. They greeted each other with the appropriate festive words, then headed downstairs for breakfast. Mrs Willetts had already started on her dinner prep; Julia's mother was bringing the desserts, but the starter and the main course fell naturally to the hostess. She did not therefore decline the offers of help from both young men, although she wondered how much use Seth might be. As it turned out, he was of more use than her son, preparing the vegetables quickly, although she noticed that he held the knife so tightly as he did so. Skylar was busy talking up all the family that were coming, and did not seem to notice; or if he did, he did not acknowledge it…
When Mr Willetts came down from his bed, they stopped their work for a while to exchange gifts. Seth was quite shocked to discover that he had a stack of gifts to open. He had expected something small from Skylar, and maybe one from Julia, but to find he had several from the Willetts was a shock, particularly as he had not brought a gift for them. "Nonsense," was all Mr Willetts said when he protested that they should not have bought him gifts. "You protected our son from the worst that Clarington boy could have done to him at Dalton; you helped him adapt to life in the city, and to having to look out for himself. You have been a constant friend, and if it hadn't been for you, I believe that he might have let his future wife slip away."
"I can't take the credit for that," said Seth. "I still should have thought to buy something special."
"You can take the credit for that," Skylar said with a smile. "I would probably have given up on her if you hadn't knocked some sense into me. I thank Dalton every day for putting us together…" Seth smiled, and mouthed the words 'Me too' as Skylar stepped over and pulled him into a deep hug. As he did, Seth felt a shooting pain from a cramp in his left leg, and he grimaced; Skylar saw nothing, but his parents did…
Mrs Willetts shook her head sadly once the two young men had headed upstairs to dress for the day. Life had been so cruel in inflicting such a terrible condition on poor Seth, given that she also knew that his parents had as good as abandoned him the day he was delivered to Dalton's doors. If it was up to her, she would go out, find those two people, and bang their heads together. However, she knew that it would be a difficult, if not impossible task. She had mentioned them the last time she had spoken to Edith Carmichael; she discovered that the school had no idea where they lived now, having left the address they had given a month after Seth arrived. She had then stated that if she did know were they where, she would have been to visit them herself already to give them a piece of her mind. Both women knew though that delightful as the idea might be, it would be of no benefit to Seth; in fact, bringing his parents back into the equation might just make things worse…
Just before noon, Julia and her parents arrived. Seth had returned to the kitchen by then to help his hostess, and as she went to greet her future daughter-in-law and her family, he was left alone. The moment she had gone, he cringed in pain, the mask that he had been wearing gone the second he was left to his own devices. He took a few deep breaths as he heard voices approaching, and put the smile back in place as he was introduced to Julia's family again. She looked at him, and did not buy the act at all. As she hugged him, she took advantage of the noise around them to whisper in his ear, "I am so sorry you're in pain. If there is anything that I can do to help, just ask. I am a nurse, and it is my job to care, even today…" Seth nodded, and whispered his thanks, not that he had any intention of taking up her offer…
As the day wore on, with more arrivals, Seth found that he was being welcomed by everyone. Skylar's grandparents treated him as if he was their own grandson, and it reminded him of his own life before Dalton, when his own grandma had been alive. Yes, she had never been as warm and loving as the grandparents of his friends, but she had loved him in her own way, had made sure that his parents raised him properly in the best way that she could at her advancing age, and at the end of her life, had given him the ultimate gift; Dalton. That had been the turning point in his life, the event that had given him the 'family' that he had always craved. He did not need anyone else once he had his bird brothers and the ever caring Carmichaels, who had tried their best to make the four Christmases that he had spent at Dalton a little less cold and lonely. They had sent a message to him that morning, wishing him the compliments of the season, and he would be going to pay a visit to them in two days time, on the last day that he, Skylar and Julia would be in Ohio, and they were back from their own travels. He had mixed feelings about that; he would enjoy most of it, but he also knew that he would be taken to one side and asked about his health, and that would spoil the day for him a little. He was also certain that Mrs Carmichael would realise how bad he was, given that her own brother had been afflicted with the same condition. He knew they meant well, but it all started to grate on him after a while…
By the time that all the former Warblers had eaten their lunch, wherever they were spending the holiday, it was late afternoon, and that was when another round of phone calls began. A group call on Skype, their usual form of get together, might have made more sense, but not everyone had access where they were, and then the presence of family also made it hard to set a time…
The musketeers did Skype chat though, with Dave, Rory and little Wes all joining in, both Cormac and Elise being asleep. No-one talked about the fact that all going well, there might well be two more children to join the little group…
Beats and Flint talked on Skype too, the latter regaling his best friend with what his mother had said to him on the phone that morning. She was concerned that it was the seventh day of Hanukkah; she hoped they had not been given Aaron presents, and that they still had one candle unlit on the menorah. He had been forced to lie of course, given that he and Izzy had given their son gifts that morning - not for Christmas naturally - and they did not have one candle unlit, because they had not lit any. They were both out of the house most of the day for work after all, and it was a fire hazard to have a naked flame burning in an empty apartment….
Beats had laughed, then told Flint all about how Dante had been that day, now that he was officially their son in document and name. "If anyone asks of course, we are saying that he is Elliott's, given that he has three years on me. I mean, if Dante was actually my son, I would have been a dad at 14, and that isn't okay!" He had then gone on to describe the sounds of laughter that he could hear from downstairs, a little girl's voice mixing with two older men and a couple of parents. He had seen how Ethan had been grinning from ear to ear, so much better than the quiet contemplative man of last year; as for Drew, he had looked like the Cheshire Cat, so happy was he to be back with his best friend, and safe…