And this is the last chapter to this story. Could've done more but never mind :)
He managed to see his mom over the next three months leading to Christmas without seeing the Michael guy once. Unfortunately, he saw her less than he hoped because they now lived together much to his disapproval.
On Christmas eve, everyone at Jump Street got together and threw a Christmas party. It was a lot of fun because Sal dressed up as Santa, there were presents and plenty of food and drink. They were allowed to invite their friends and family over so his first choice was his mom. He didn't feel the need to tell her not to bring Michael because he was sure she wouldn't.
But he was wrong.
Through the crowd, he saw his mom was linked together with Michael. Suddenly the eggnog he consumed earlier, churned in his stomach. The copy of his father was wearing a red Christmas jumper with reindeer's on the top and bottom. It was his dad's and he used to wear it every year.
He thought back a memory. He was eight years old and it was Christmas day.
"Not that jumper again dad!" he whined.
His dad looked down at his jumper. "Oh come on, don't you like the little reindeer's?"
"No, it's embarrassing."
His mom walked in the living room just in time to scold him. "Your dad can wear what he wants Tommy."
"Yeah, I can wear what I want," his dad echoed back childishly.
He shook his head and smiled. He liked the jumper really. It was one of the many wear times he seen his dad out of uniform and it suited him.
When he thought back, he realized the true meaning behind the long chain of reindeer's... they were family.
His eyes prickled with bitter tears.
How could she give one of his dad's favorite jumper to him?
How could she be so sick?
He lost sight of them when the crowd merged together, giving him the opportunity to escape into the locker room upstairs. He hid away for a long while until Judy came up.
"What are you doing up here all on your own?" she asked.
"I needed some peace."
She shot him a worried look before proceeding to get something from her locker.
"I went up here to get my presents and since you're here now, you might as well have yours."
He retrieved a present from her. It was slightly heavy and was neatly wrapped in shiny red paper.
"You can open it now if you want."
In silence, he tore at the paper and underneath, it revealed a score book for professional bowlers. He let out a dry chuckle. "Thanks Jude."
She looked disappointed. "I was hoping for a better reaction than that."
"Sorry Jude its just...If you ever wondered what my dad looks like, just look at my mom's boyfriend," he said. "She brought him along at the Christmas party."
She nodded. "Doug told me about that."
"What the hell am I supposed to do Jude? Its like a nightmare I cannot wake up from."
She sat next to him. "Maybe it's possible they love each other?"
"Or they are both taking an advantage of each other," he remarked. "It isn't normal to for her to slip him into one of my dad's favorite Christmas jumper."
"Are you sure its the same one?"
"I know all of my dad's stuff Jude. I've been through his stuff thousands of times before because I miss him so much."
Judy saw he was close to tears so tried to comfort him by putting her arm around his shoulders. "I'm sorry."
She stayed to comfort him until she become restless and bored. "Would you like to return to the party?"
"I'm quite happy sitting up here thanks."
He ended up staying there for a good few hours. He would've gone insane from boredom but thankfully, Judy kept popping in to visit him, slipping him drinks and food. Doug, Sal and Harry visited him as well.
"So, what do you think of my dads's lookalike?" he asked Doug and Harry sarcastically.
They shuffled their feet awkwardly, not knowing how to answer.
"You mom is wondering where you are," Doug said to break the silence.
"Tell her I gone home," he said. "Also, you can tell her I hate her."
"You don't mean that..." said Doug.
"Yes I do."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
He was so mad, he refused to see his mom on Christmas Day. He never spent Christmas alone before because he always spent it with her. He didn't want to see Michael who would most likely be there. And he didn't want to see him wearing his dad's jumper again either.
He didn't do much on Christmas day. He had a pizza, beer and watched bittersweet Christmas movies on his TV set.
After watching the fourth soppy movie, he picked up a framed picture of him and his dad. It was his favorite picture and the only one he had. But one was enough because that particular picture gave off a strong memory. They were in a local park and he was nine years old. His father was in uniform as always and showed him how to play baseball. He hated baseball but he remembered thinking that day was perfect. It was one of the hottest days on record and he remembered getting four ice creams in the park. One other thing his father showed him, was bowling and it stuck with him to this day.
He played bowling every Saturday with his league and was pretty good. But it still didn't stop his partners, particularly Doug from making fun of him.
"When this kid learned his father was a bowler, he was three. He ran away from home... his mother helped him!" He remembered Doug joked.
Suddenly, his first phone call of the day rung. He knew it was his mother but couldn't resist avoiding it.
"Where are you Tommy?" his mom asked.
"Home," he replied icily.
"Aren't you coming over?"
"No mom - I'm mad at you because I saw you and Michael at the Christmas eve party yesterday and he was wearing dad's favorite Christmas jumper!"
"I'm sorry Tommy but Michael didn't have anything festive to wear so I lent it to him."
"And he just accepted it?"
"Well, he was hesitant of course."
"Unbelievable..."
"I just lent it to him!" his mom exasperated. "Can't you just grow up and act your age?"
"What makes you think anyone at any age, understand this? It's crazy, it's - "
"I know it's strange but I swear, I love him for the person he is."
He scoffed. "You still shouldn't have put him into my dad's old jumper!"
"Listen Tommy, the only way you can understand this, is by accepting it. Just try and get to know him. He wants to know you too so I thought you could go bowling together"
"Oh, he's a bowler like dad too?!"
"No, it was me who suggested bowling!"
"Thanks but no thanks."
"Can you just give it a shot, Tommy please?" his mom pleaded. "You can always leave if you feel uncomfortable."
He couldn't imagine spending five minutes with the guy. But his mom kept pleading and persuading him until eventually he gave in.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
His heart palpitated when he saw a familiar face walking towards him from afar. But the closer the face got, the closer he was able to distinguish that the face belonged to a stranger. It was Michael... not his dad.
He couldn't help but wish he could remind that moment. Up to the point where he really thought his father came back. He really thought his dad was going to play a game of bowling with him like many times before.
But then he realized, it was exactly what his mother was doing. Knowing that made him feel shameful.
Michael didn't speak and almost looked afraid. But no wonder because he screamed and cried at him the first time they met. He felt like freaking out again in fact but restrained from doing so because he was a regular at the bowling alley and didn't want to get thrown out.
"Hi."
He noticed Michael's voice sounded much deeper than his fathers. He edged away from discomfort when Michael sat down and looked at him through his deep set eyes.
"I'm sorry our first introduction didn't go very well."
He snapped out of his daze and become angry. "What are you playing at?" he exasperated. "My mom's dating you because you look like her dead husband and you accept that?"
Michael shook his head. "No, you're wrong. We love each other despite the odd coincidence. I admit I couldn't get my head round it at first and neither could she. But we made it work."
"But how could you wear my dad's jumper?"
Michael paused for a few seconds. "I only wore that jumper once and just because I couldn't find anything remotely festive to wear."
"But still, how could you accept it?"
"I'm sorry... she said it was ok."
"And why do you think she suggested bowling?"
"She told me it's one of your favorite things to do."
"It is," he replied. "But did she also tell you my dad used to take me bowling?"
He didn't know whether it was his imagination but he was sure he seen him turn pale.
"I guess that'll be all," he said before he rose to his feet.
"Wait - don't you want to have a game?"
"Why?"
"Why not? I'd like to have a go and it was quite a long drive getting here."
"Just one."
During their game, he couldn't help but take sneaky glances at him now and again. Sometimes he would feel the once burn out flame flicker to life and think, my dad had risen from the grave. Even though his mom feels the same thing, there was no rationality up there that said. it's wrong. There's only one Tom Hanson SR and no one could ever replace him.
"Let me ask you something," he began, before selecting a ball for his third go. "Did my mother ever accidentally called you by my father's name?"
Michael thought for a minute. "Once or twice in the beginning of our relationship. But as I said before, we worked it out."
"Does she talk about my dad a lot?"
"Only sometimes when she gets sad."
He knew about her sad moments all too well. It was grief and sometimes it hit her so hard, she would just lie in bed and cry. It used to be much more frequent and sometimes it got so bad, he almost had to give up everything to look after her. His college classes, his friends...
He aimed the ball towards the pins but to his annoyance, it didn't hit one. But he wasn't alone because Michael was terrible at bowling as well and only succeeded knocking down four pins tops.
"Did your mom tell you how we met?"
"No."
Because I don't care.
Michael told him anyway. "She came into my bookstore to have a browse. I was attracted to her even before she laid eyes on me. When she went up to me to make a purchase, she reacted as though she had seen a ghost."
"I don't blame her because she probably thought you were."
"True... And all the while, I was puzzled and couldn't get her out of my head. She visited my shop the next day and that's when I asked her out for a date," said Michael. "Up to that point, it didn't matter that I happened to look similar to her husband. I love your mother."
What Michael said to him was an eye opener and got him thinking, maybe, just maybe there was real love between there. And maybe the fact that Michael looked like his father didn't really matter to her.
But to him, it was a different story. He didn't think he could ever get over the similarities. Fortunately, he could see himself getting to know the Michael guy in the inside because he could tell he was a good person so far, and to his mother as well.
"Are you going to marry her?" he asked.
"I'm not sure yet," Michael replied. "We're taking it nice and slow. And if you like, we could get to know each other better."
"...okay."
Michael perked up. "That's great. We should have another game then, shouldn't we?"
They had another game and gradually his scores become better because he felt things weren't as bad as it seemed.
And if his mom was happy, then why should the other stuff matter?
