Once they arrived back in the United States, and he got home to Ohio, Sebastian was amazed to find that the guilt he had felt in Paris was now non-existent. It was as if he had left it behind in the departures lounge at Charles de Gaulle Airport, and in some aspects he guessed that was true. He would not be visiting François again in the near future, and hopefully the other party in the whole situation was not feeling any guilt about what had occurred at all. He was starting on a whole new chapter of his life after all; no longer a boyfriend but a husband. The kiss had been one last moment of madness, his way of expressing his love for an old friend…
He soon forgot about it anyway, as he was thrown straight back into his work with the Warblers. Regionals was not all that far away, and there were songs to select, and a whole choreographed routine to devise and learn. On top of that, he had now been co-opted as the director of the Dalton Drama Club's Christmas performance of the Charles Dickens classic, A Christmas Carol. It was one of the author's best known works, and had the distinct advantage that it did not contain too many female characters that needed to be cast; indeed, with a little careful work and a few minor rewrites, they could reduce their requirements to one actress from the girls at Crawford County Day, playing both of the important female roles, Scrooge's niece and of course, Mrs Cratchit.
There was in the club a freshman of short stature, so his casting as Tiny Tim was of course, a foregone conclusion. If they then proceeded to cast the other main characters, particularly Bob Cratchit, on the grounds of their height as well as their acting prowess, then Tim would look even smaller. The Drama Club rehearsed on days that the Warblers did not, thankfully, but nonetheless Sebastian now found himself heading to Dalton every day of the working week. That was something he realised he could get quite used to… That of course was exactly what those that had conspired to get Sebastian to take the job with the Warblers had wanted to happen in the first place. He was happy, the sparkle back in his eyes, his brain firing once more on all cylinders.
His passion for the role only grew as Thanksgiving approached, and with it came the next round of Sectionals that would decide if they progressed to Regionals. He had managed to prepare, along with the boys themselves, a programme that would hopefully satisfy the desires of both the audience and the judges at the competition. He had used the boys' own ideas as his basis, as was his job, but they all appeared to be on his own wavelength. They had chose three songs that were of different genres; one modern, one classic and one standard that they had reworked as only the Warblers could. The choreography, for years the Achilles Heel of the group, had been worked on tirelessly until it was flawless and almost professional looking. It also looked bold and daring; in fact, it was so simple that nobody had had an issue in learning or performing it…
When the results were announced, it was no surprise to anyone that had been in the auditorium that the Warblers had earned themselves the place at Regionals, the next step on their way to Nationals, which were being held in New York for the first time in a while. Those that lived in or near the city had already made a note of the date in their diaries for next year, the boldest of them doing so in pen. They all intended to be there to support the new generation on their road to victory, and of course, to cheer on Sebastian in his first Nationals as coach… Of course, there had been a discussion amongst them all of his new role, and a few of them had seen through what Thad had done for exactly what it was; a ploy to keep Sebastian occupied. Trent had seen through it the moment that he heard, which would have surprised nobody, and Nick had not been all that far behind him. It had quickly dawned on Ethan too, and he had sent Thad a private message, in which he called him a brilliantly devious master of manipulation, then offered him a job with the Mackenzie Trust if he ever got bored of teaching at Dalton. With skills like his, he could obtain a generous donation from even the hardest of people…
The arrival of the holiday season marked the start of the end of another year, one which had come with very few major changes for the majority. Life had continued in the way that it was supposed to, with no huge excitements or dramas. Naturally, all that was about to change…
On the week that would bring Thanksgiving, Mike noticed that Tina seemed to be feeling queasy in the mornings, and had begun to eat dry toast instead of her usual cereal. That did not stop her on that Monday morning from having to race to the bathroom to be sick. When she returned, she said nothing at first, just sipped from a glass of ice water, until the silent stare that Mike was giving her out of concern made her blurt out, "I am fine, really; it is just an upset stomach. That's all it is…"
"Oh…" her husband responded in quite a casual tone. "I seem to recall you had one of those upset stomachs about 6 months or so before Harry came into the world as well…"
Tina sighed, then replied quietly, "I might not be this time, but the thought has crossed my mind as well."
"Have you taken a test to see one way or the other?"
"No, I am pretty sure that…" Tina began, but then her voice faltered. "I'm just not sure that this is the right time for us to be thinking about bringing a second child into the world is all…"
Mike sighed then, and took her hand. "Well, given all of the rumours that are going around, particularly if they turn out to be true, then such misgivings are only to be expected. The truth is that I am not as young as I used to be. There comes a moment in every dancer's life when someone with as much talent but also youth on their side will replace them as principal dancer in the company. That is why I have been putting in the hours helping out with the City Ballet Dance School, and working with the team that does the choreography. I might not be dancing as much, or in such prominent roles soon, but I am showing that I am still valuable within the corps. The head of the City Ballet himself has said as much to my face. And if we do have another child now, and the worst does happen, then I can do a Jeff, and stay at home to raise them and Harry whilst you go back to work. Now, stay there, while I pop to the drugstore and buy a test…"
By the time that Thanksgiving itself came along, they knew for certain. The test had proved positive, and Tina found herself heading to the clinic on Tuesday to see her ob-gyn. Mike was at her side, with young Harry sat on his knee. The conclusion was that she was around 10 weeks pregnant, which gave them a due date in mid June. The couple both agreed to stay quiet about the news until the new year, just in case anything should go wrong in the interim. With their early morning appointment concluded, they parted to head off to their respective jobs, Harry going with his father and the crèche at the Lincoln Center.
The City Ballet was in the last week of rehearsals before their Christmas show opened at the David H Koch Theater. That year they would be dancing Sleeping Beauty, and although Mike had been offered the lead male role, Prince Desire, in the production, he had surprised many in the corps by declining to play the part. When asked to justify his decision, he had replied, "The Sleeping Beauty of the title is to be played by a dancer that is more than a decade my junior, and I believe that it would thus be much more appropriate that a younger man dance the role."
That statement had earned him a visit to the office of the Director of the City Ballet, and there had been some that believed that his speaking out and refusal to play the role would result in an immediate demotion, or even his sacking. Instead, the director had thanked him for being so honest with the producer, and had admitted that he was in agreement with Mike on the matter.
Now, having left Harry in the care of the child minders, he walked in to find that he had been summoned to see the Director as soon as he arrived. Although he had said nothing to Tina about it, the rumour mill had more or less said for the last week that he was going to be called in again and his future would be revealed. He headed to the door of the office, took a deep breath, plastered on a smile, and knocked. Summoned in, he took the offered seat and listened to all of the words that he had been expecting to hear - younger man, supporting new talent, more parts could be considered. And then, as he was waiting for the words regrets and dismissal, he suddenly heard words that he could not have anticipated in a million years…
Mike headed home that evening tired from an active day. He was first home, and having made a light supper for Harry, and then bathed and put his son to bed, he waited for Tina to arrive home. She came in, apologising for being so late, but there had been an emergency to deal with… Mike smiled, and told her to freshen up whilst he cooked for them both. As they ate, he let her talk about her day, about all of the animals that had been brought in, and the idiosyncrasies of their owners. Then she moved on to the antics of her colleagues, a group of people that often had Mike shaking his head in disbelief…
"I think that my boss might have an inkling as to what my visit to the doctor was about this morning," Tina said suddenly out of left field. "She came in and told me how much I was valued at the practice, and that if I needed time away for any medical reason, however big or small, it would not be an issue, and I would always have a job to return to. I didn't say anything to confirm that I might need to do so in reply, but just said that it was a pleasure to work in such a positive and supportive environment."
"That was a good answer, although it still leaves her guessing," replied Mike. Then, with a deep breath, he continued, "I actually got called into the office of the Director of the City Ballet as soon as I got into work today. I've been expecting it, to be honest. We had a conversation about my future with the corps… I was right in thinking that they agreed that I was getting too old to be the principal dancer, and so they are going to transfer that role to another man. He is very good, a prestigious talent, although they say he is not as good as I was in my prime…"
Tina nodded, smiling at Mike's modesty, but then it faded a little as she realised what this could mean. "So, what is going to happen to you now…?"
"Well, that is where the surprise came along, an unexpected twist. It seems that one of the senior non-dancing staff is about to move away to Florida, and has handed in their notice. To cut a long story short, I have been offered their role. I've been offered an associate directorship in the corps…"
"An associate directorship! But that is fantastic!"
Mike smiled at Tina's enthusiasm, then said, "I was quite shocked when he said it, but it transpires that those behind the scenes, the investors and donors, want to see the company moving forward in a more modern way. They seem to think that giving me a role in the background, whilst being hands on with choreographing shows, and still dancing as well, is one of the key ways to achieve that. I think that they feared that if they just demoted me, another corps would come forward with an offer that I would be unable to refuse…"
"Would you have left them if that had happened?" asked Tina, curious of what her loyal husband would do.
"No, I don't think so, because the City Ballet made me into what I am today in so many ways, and as a result, I owe them a degree of loyalty. I would of course never tell them that though. Still, I am now being rewarded for all of my hard work. We haven't discussed the finer points yet, but I see my remit involving the ballet school quite a lot as well, trying to get more boys to join it. Even now, in more enlightened times, it is so hard to get young men involved in dance, and well…"
"You will make an excellent role model, given all that you have achieved over the last few years."
"The best thing about it all is that they are going to announce my appointment as soon as I agree to it. That will give immediate notice that there is an opening for a new male principal dancer, and the person that fills it, well, they don't necessarily have to come from the current compliment of dancers. They are looking for the best, and if there is someone better outwith our ranks, they will be appointed. Thankfully I will have zero involvement in the process; had they asked, I would have declined in any case. I have to be able to work with them all in the future. So, do I say yes, because the moment I do, we will need to tell everyone this bit of big news…"
When Thanksgiving came, things that year were very different for some. Normally, Nick's grandparents and mother would come to the city, alternating between spending the holiday in the West Village or Murray Hill. However, they would not be making the trip this year, as Nick's grandfather had been struck down with an exceptionally nasty viral infection, and was confined to bed. As the news came last minute, there was no possibility of the trip being reversed, as driving would take too long, even if they could find a rental car, and the airlines were naturally booked solid weeks before.
They had all been due to gather in the West Village that year, so that was where Grace, Cooper, the twins and, of course, Nils ended up spending the day, arriving in the morning, with Pam joining the party just before lunch was served. That had left three empty chairs at the table, but they did not remain vacant long; as soon as Jeff discovered that Mike and Tina had no family plans, he hastened along the street to invite them to join the celebrations.
When they tried to decline, the blond stated, "You are family to us in the broadest sense possible. Mike lived with us for so long that he is like our brother, and well, Caleb is always pleased to see all of you. The thing is, if you don't come, Nicky will start to stress about wasted food, and much as I like turkey, I really don't want to still be eating it on Sunday. There is also a very large English trifle for dessert, not to mention the promise of a treacle sponge pudding with custard for those that prefer something warm…"
"Well, it is kind of you to ask us, but…" began Tina.
"We would love to join you," said Mike over her, earning himself a look. "Tina is the kind of person that is too polite in these circumstances, always anxious not to impose herself into what she sees as a family event. However, the whole point of this holiday is to be thankful, and well, I am thankful that we have such generous friends and neighbours who care about us as much as their own families. Now, silly question, but is there any dish we can contribute?"
Jeff declined with a laugh, as Mike knew he would, as Nick would have everything under control. With that, he headed home, leaving Mike to deal with Tina, who was still glaring at him and shaking her head. "I know, but it isn't as if we had anything special bought food wise, and it also gives me the perfect opportunity to share my news with our best friends…"
All the guests were gathered in Niff's home just after midday, greeted at the door by little Wes. He explained that his daddy was in the kitchen, in the throes of the final prep of their dinner, and that they were to go upstairs and join his papa in the drawing room. They all did so, and savoured the smells that were wafting up from the kitchen. Grace eventually decided that she should go and offer to help her little brother, but when she attempted to do so, she found her way blocked by her brother-in-law.
"Trust me, he is on top of it all, and does not wish to be disturbed. Even Caleb has been removed from the room so that there will be no distractions to his carefully organised plan. He will summon me when he needs assistance bringing the food up to the dining room. Until then, we are all to wait here…"
It was not often that the dining room was actually used, even family events usually taking place in the kitchen, but Nick had decided to change that up this year. The table was gleaming, laid out to perfection as if it was in a royal palace, and the table crowned with a centrepiece that Wes had constructed out of carefully folded paper, which would earn him much praise. The only person that managed to escape the drawing room was Mike, and then only so he could pop into the study and see his little furry friend. Caleb greeted him with a mildly protesting miaow, as he had gone to sleep in the kitchen, and had woken up, as Mike came in, in a completely different location. The catnip toy that Mike gave him was of some comfort, but the radiator in the study was not as hot as the one in the kitchen, and whilst he could smell food, there was none here to enjoy…
Mike came out of the study to find that Jeff had now been summoned to the kitchen, and that he and the others were now to take their places around the table. Mike found that he had been placed next to Wes, and the boy chatted to him happily, telling him all about what he had been doing at school; across the table, Tina was chatting away to Cooper about her work. They all felt at home at the table, and thankful for the friendship that they had…
Nick eventually relented in his instruction that nobody was to come into the kitchen when he realised that it would take a while to bring the main course upstairs. It had been simple enough for him and Jeff to bring up the fresh bread rolls, butter and tureen of chicken noodle soup, but the logistics of bringing up the roast turkey, along with all of the traditional sides and a few of Nick's own choosing were a nightmare, and so in the end, he realised a few extra hands were no bad thing.
He brought the turkey up himself though, roasted to perfection. He would normally have left the carving of the bird to his grandfather, but this year he wielded the knife himself, and was delighted at how easily the meat sliced into perfect slices. He had momentarily considered handing the task over to his brother-in-law, as the oldest man at the table, but then Grace had reminded him of the time that he and Jeff had been in their home in Murray Hill for dinner, and the main course had been roast beef. The meat dished up had been in uneven chunks and shreds by turn thanks to her husband's handiwork…
Plates were loaded with the traditional level of excess that accompanies such days of celebration, the very British pigs in blankets disappearing every bit as fast as the candied yams and green beans. All agreed that the chef had surpassed himself that year, with the turkey melting in their mouths, and perfectly moist. Nick accepted their praise humbly, just gratified that the hours he had spent slaving over the stove were appreciated by his guests. The main course done, he did not immediately head to collect the dessert. He had planned for his steamed sponge to be ready an hour after he was serving the main, allowing them all time to start digesting the main before the next course came.
It was at that point that they all declared what they were most thankful for that year. Partners were of course thankful for each other, along with good friends, health and prosperity. Mike took that as his window of opportunity, and after all those things, he announced that he was thankful for his new ob, which would see him moving into a management level position at the City Ballet… The congratulations that immediately came from everyone at the table was heartfelt and genuine. Mike was loved by them all, and they had all heard the rumours that he was going to be replaced by a younger man, even Pam at her counter in Bloomingdales. Of course, none of them had wanted to come out and say anything…
The news that the rumours had in part been true naturally sparked a conversation about age, which was only to be expected in the circumstances. "I'm lucky in some ways to be an actor, and not an actress," said Cooper honestly. "There are still a variety of good roles out there for men as they age, leading men parts still there to be taken. Look at My Fair Lady for example; Henry Higgins is nearly always played by a man in his fifties at least, and Eliza's father is often older still! Then there are all those older men in Shakespeare, like King Lear. Women, however, seem to be omitted once they reach their late thirties, and are suitable only for small roles as mothers and grandmothers after that, with the exception of Rose in Gypsy. That is one reason why we have seen so many plays being produced with an all female cast over the last few years. Then there was Glenda Jackson playing King Lear back in 2019. There are rumours circulating that there is to be a production called Twelve Angry Women in the next year or so…"
"Which is as it should be," said his wife, sagely. "Don't get me wrong, I do not agree with those that want to see iconic characters such as a certain Mr Bond played by a woman though. If there is such a demand for a female spy in thriller films, then surely there is a writer that can go out and create the character to play. What is worse in the case I mention is that those women have overlooked one thing; Bond's boss, M, was portrayed by Dame Judi Dench for a very long time. Was that not enough female power for them?"
Tina suddenly chuckled then, earning herself a look from everyone around the table. "I'm sorry," she said, "I was just imagining that female Bond flirting with Mr Moneypenny, before heading off to be surrounded by a gaggle of handsome hunks in speedos…" That confession made the whole table laugh, with the exception of Wes and his two cousins, who looked at each other and shook their heads, before going back to folding their paper napkins…
"Anyway," said Mike when the laughter stopped, "I am glad that I made the decision to expand my work voluntarily. Had I just danced, and done nothing more for the company, then I doubt I would have been offered the position at all. One of the dancers that was a big noise in ballet when I was still at school, a principal in one of the other big companies, took the attitude that he was a star, and did not need to do anything other than dance. Of course, he was sacked a couple of years ago as he was no longer physically able to perform the parts. He had suffered a number of injuries, and worse, his casting as Romeo alongside a Juliet that was less than half his age had the production being panned as Lolitaesque… He did not have anything else to offer the company, and although he tried to sue them over his dismissal, it was dismissed almost at once. Last I heard, he was working as a barista in Starbucks, and was almost penniless."
"A back up plan is vital in any line of work," said Pam in reply. "Attitudes have changed, and are continuing to do so; maturity and experience are valued now in my line of work, but that wasn't always the case. You have to be adaptable and flexible to new ideas as well. In my youth, beauty counters were staffed by the young and glamorous, but now there has been a realisation that many woman of all ages value the opinion of an older woman, not just those of the same age group. I like to believe that my appointment in Bloomingdales started that trend…"
"I actually think you might be right in that, mom," said Cooper with a smile.
"It will be a challenge, and it will stretch me, but I am looking forward to it immensely," finished Mike. Then, with a smile, he said, "Now, is it just me, or can anyone else hear something that sounds suspiciously like a saucepan lid rattling?" Nick promptly gasped, and hurtled in the direction of the kitchen, hoping that the pan had not boiled dry, and that his warm dessert had not been ruined as they chatted…
Fortunately all was well. Grace had followed her brother to the kitchen, arguing that she was best placed to deal with any emotional fallout from a culinary catastrophe, as Jeff would be too emotional about the loss of one of his favourite desserts. She made a triumphant return carrying a glass bowl that contained the trifle, and showed off the layers of sponge, cold custard, fruit and whipped cream to their best effect. Her brother followed carrying a tray on which there was a steaming pudding, golden with syrup, and a jug of hot yellow custard.
Difficult decisions had to be made then, and those that asked to have a little of each were served with the warm sponge first, with or without a smothering of custard. Pam, Grace and Tina all opted to just have the trifle, and it fell to Grace to spoon the layered dessert into the bowls. She was shocked to discover that there was a layer of jello too, it have been hidden from view by the cream…
After they had all finished, apart from Jeff, who was on his helping of trifle after two servings of sponge and custard, Nick said, "I know that the traditional dessert is pumpkin pie, but I'm afraid that we had that for several days at the start of the month after someone went overboard with his pumpkin lanterns…" There was chuckling around the table as Jeff, mouth full, tried to look innocent. "However, I did still make one, if anyone feels like a slice later."
"I don't think that I will need to eat again for a few months," remarked Tina. "It was all so delicious, as usual, and I think that is down to two things. Firstly, the chef is a perfectionist, and secondly, he adds to whatever recipe he makes a healthy portion of love."
"I would second that," said Grace, as her brother blushed. "Of course, we all have Jeff to thank for that. If he hadn't been around, then chances are my little brother would never have felt the need to cook, and the culinary flair that he possesses would have remained hidden…"
"And the fact that he is an excellent cook is something that I will always be eternally thankful for," remarked Jeff, and around the table, they all burst out laughing…
In Ohio, Thanksgiving would be a small occasion for Sebastian and Dave. The latter had a team to coach, and they had a match scheduled for that day, so their lunch was delayed until later in the day, once he was home. At one point, Peter had been scheduled to join them for the day, but a spare seat had suddenly become available with one of the other boys that was heading towards New York for the holiday; as much as Sebastian would have loved his nephew to be with them, he knew that his brother would need his son present at the table more, so he encouraged him to take the chance and go.
He had therefore spent his Thanksgiving morning in the kitchen with his children and Mrs Carr, baking cookies and fashioning a centrepiece for the table. He was happy to leave the preparation of the meal itself to the older woman, who had opted for a turkey breast crown rather than a whole bird, pointing out that neither of her employers were keen on the dark meat, wings or legs, so this way there would be much less waste. In the early afternoon they were joined by Paul Karofsky, and he chatted away with them all, joining in with a video call to those that were gathered in New Jersey. The huge smile on his brother's face was enough to convince Sebastian that he had done the right thing in sending Peter home.
Dave returned home shortly after that, at exactly the right moment, and then, later than some, they settled down for dinner, which was traditional as it came, and full of joy and merriment. However, when the dessert was finished, neither Dave or Sebastian had predicted that Paul would take the opportunity, when they all stated what they were most thankful for, to get down on one knee and propose to Mrs Carr. They did not have to wait long for a response, and the one that came was no surprise to anyone. She accepted without hesitation, and that prompted Sebastian to find a bottle of champagne with which to toast the engagement…