Frosty the Snowman – Zee Avi

Year 25

I am SO sorry this is being posted so late tonight. I wanted to fix a couple things in the story and ran out of time. Apologies!

Graycin

The window was open and the noises of New York City were evident. The cold fall air was blowing into his room and the sun was already peaking over the clouds. It seemed like the late October morning had started without them.

"We have to get up," Natasha sighed, trying not to giggle at the way Graycin's lips were attached to her neck and the way his hands were grabbing her behind. She was already about to be late for class but knowing that wasn't making her get up any quicker.

"Why? Let's just stay here, all day." He groaned, holding himself up on top of her and playfully blocking her into her space below him on the bed.

She sighed, trying to convince herself that they needed to get up. "But you have rounds," she poked his chiseled chest before losing her attention at the way his hand slid up her stomach and cupped her breast.

"What were you saying?" He grinned, loving the way she was so easily distractible. She huffed at him.

"I was saying," she paused, "that you have rounds in an hour and I should be getting to the station. I'm not even close to ready and…." Graycin placed his lips over hers, effectively stopping the rant she was on.

She gave in and ended up being late to work. Her partner called her out on it right away too.

Erin

"The easy way to tell your parents would be to just let me come home with you for Christmas," Erin's girlfriend Alyson tried reasoning with her. Erin wasn't convinced. Alyson's parents knew she was gay, but Erin's had no idea. The last time she was home she had a boyfriend.

"You don't think that's a little… sudden?" She asked, completely unsure of how to bring up the whole thing. Over three years ago she realized she wasn't only interested in men but hadn't "come out" to her parents yet. Both of her brothers knew and neither one of them cared. She didn't think her dad would care but she was unsure about her mom.

Alyson pulled their hands together, latching them at the fingers. They were sitting on a bench in the middle of the Sarah Lawrence College courtyard, watching the leaves fall off the mature golden trees around them. "They deserve to know."

Erin's eyes filled up with tears and she nodded. Coming out to her parents was the scariest thing she ever thought about doing. Scarier than singing in front of hundreds of people and scarier than moving across the country for college. She just wanted her parents to still love her.

Colin

Colin and Jackson were relaxed on the couch, watching the game that just started. Jackson was off work for the night and Colin was… Colin. If there was a game on, he was watching it. He had gotten into Northwestern, NYU and Dartmouth pre-med programs. Instead he wanted to be a teacher. He just didn't know how his parents would take it. Graycin was in med school and Erin was off at Sarah Lawrence studying pre-med. He was supposed to be the other doctor in the family. Their last hope.

"When's mom coming home?" He asked his father, sticking his hand into the popcorn bowl between them for another handful.

"You know your mother." Jackson answered, which while not an answer to his question also answered it completely. It meant he knew she was a trauma surgeon and even though she was a department head these days, her hours were still completely unpredictable.

"What's for dinner?" He asked next, hungry and anxious. He didn't know how his parents were going to take the news.

Jackson shook his head. "Really? We just went to lunch two hours ago and now we're eating popcorn. How are you still hungry?"

April walked in just in time, hands full and struggling. Jackson jumped up to help her with her bag from work and a few other things she brought in from the car. He leaned down to give her a kiss. "I missed you today babe."

She smiled, wrapping her arms around him tightly. They were in their own bubble. "You didn't say goodbye this morning." He frowned, rubbing his hands up and down her side and feeling her cold skin underneath her clothes, trying to warm her up from the outside.

"I know, but you were knocked out and I didn't want to wake you." She smiled, remembering what she did to him the night before that made him so tired. The way she licked her lips after she said that made him want her to do it again.

Colin interrupted. "Can you guys stop? Please? It's bad enough being the only one left here with you two. I don't want to have to see it." He complained, waving his hands behind him at his parents PDA.

"Well bud, you're free to move out at any time." Jackson reminded him, kissing his bride one more time and giving her behind a quick smack. She yelped and Colin fake gagged.

"Actually, that's what I wanted to speak to you guys about." Colin announced, walking nervously into the kitchen while looking down nervously at his hands, doing a 180 from the conversation just seconds ago. "I don't want to go into pre-med. I want to be a teacher."

April and Jackson stared back at him, shocked. They had always just assumed he wanted to be a doctor. "A teacher?" April asked him, trying to understand what he was saying.

He nodded. "What kind of teacher?" She asked, wondering if he had thought it through. Or if he just thought he was out of options.

"A high school history teacher. I think I'll be really good at it." The silence after that was frightening.

Jackson and April looked at each other, shrugged and looked back at their youngest son. "Sounds good sweetie, but I want you in school for winter semester. Got it?" April ordered, giving him the mom face.

"Yes, mom." He smiled, breathing out a sigh of relief.

Jackson laughed, "Have fun telling Grandma Catherine."

Later at Christmas

"I just can't believe my kids are all coming home," April smiled while she finished putting together the last apple pie. The house was perfect, the tree was up and she was excited.

Jackson sat on the couch, flipping through channels. "Do you think Graycin is actually going to make it home this year?" He asked, truthfully curious. The kid had skipped the last couple of Christmases last minute in favor of staying around with friends at school or staying with someone he was dating or whatever other shenanigans he was in at the time.

April's face answered his question. He had to come home. "I invited Natasha for Christmas. They're both coming."

They had good timing because Graycin, Colin and Natasha arrived from the airport shortly after. April and Jackson pulled Graycin in for a hug and April cried. She kissed his forehead, and then his cheeks and had a hard time letting him go. "You're home!"

"I'm home mom." He laughed, wiping whatever could-be lipstick off his face that he could. He knew that was going to happen.

"This," he beamed and pulled the tall, dark haired woman into his arms, "Is Natasha. My fiancé."

All three of their jaws dropped. "Fiancé?" He nodded. "Since yesterday."

April was shocked, Jackson was worried about April and Colin was amused. The bombshell was big. They had so many questions.

Luckily for Graycin, Erin's plane was early and she broke up the tension by walking into a wide open front entry way. "I'm home!"

They all turned to face her in silence. She didn't quite know what was going on, so she wrapped her arms around her mother who seemed to be having a moment of complete and utter shock. "Mom! Hug me!"

April turned to look at her finally. "Baby, you're home!" She forced a smile and noticed the woman standing awkwardly behind her daughter. Erin snuck into her dad's arms too. "I missed you daddy." He smirked and sighed as his little girl was in his arms again. It was short lived though.

"Oh, you brought a friend. Hi. I'm April. This is-," she started introducing everyone when Erin cut her off.

"She's my girlfriend, not my friend friend. I'm bisexual. Just thought you should know."

The silence was near inevitable until Colin couldn't take it anymore.

"I'm not going to med school!" He exclaimed, thrusting his fist into the air like his news was new too. The annoyed look he got from his parents was priceless.

"Merry Christmas." He mumbled to himself and walked away.

I know this story was a little wild. But I feel like it's all stuff we can relate to. Please let me know what you thought and thank you again for reading!