August 2027: The Coronation Part VI.
Hester Frobisher had lived a pretty pedestrian life for decades, working away at a job she loved and not noticed by many. Then a boy called Wes Sterling-Duval had been enrolled at her kindergarten. Since then, she had met royalty, received an OBE, and had taken the trip of a lifetime to New York. However, to be invited to join the congregation in the Abbey for the Coronation of King Charles III was on another level. The fact that it would be a front row seat at the event, one which she might never see again in her lifetime, was even more unbelievable. In fact, she had to have misheard what Nick had just said…
"I'm sorry, could you repeat what you just said? I thought that you just said that I could be a member of the congregation in Westminster Abbey when the King is crowned…"
"That is exactly what daddy said," answered Wes, before his father could open his mouth. "They are giving papa a different place to sit, and well, I think that given how many people there will be present, it would be nice to sit beside someone that I know; you would be my first choice…"
He said those words with such a smile and puppy dog eyes that Miss Frobisher could hardly refuse him… "I really don't know what to say to this invitation, apart from yes. Of course, I would like to join you, if it really is possible."
She looked up to see that Nick was busily tapping away at his phone. "Sorry, I am letting Jeff know what you have said. He is at the Palace right now so he can pass it on to the relevant people; that will ensure that your official invitation can be hand delivered to you as soon as possible…"
Miss Frobisher nodded, still overcome with a mixture of emotions at what had just transpired. "This is still so unbelievable… I guess that I might need to find time to go and buy a suitable hat as well…" was all that she could say in reply.
As Miss Frobisher's thoughts were consumed with millinery, across town Sam Evans was strolling through the busy streets with Adam and Lawrence. There would be no filming for the sitcom until the following day, and whereas Ms Kudrow had to meet the crew that they would be using, she had told her two stars and Lawrence to go out and explore. She wanted them all to get the feeling of a city that was preparing for a Coronation. They had not been booked into a hotel close to the Palace and Abbey like the others, but instead into an aparthotel on the eastern edge of Covent Garden; they were sharing a well-appointed, two-bedroom apartment, with a sitting room, dining area and fully equipped kitchen. The windows of those public rooms looked out over the busy Kingsway; on it they had Holborn tube station withing a five minute walk, along with a decent sized supermarket, a pharmacy and a number of other useful stores. They had been to the former already to pick up breakfast essentials for the next few days. Conveniently, there was also a pub right across the street, handy if they decided not to cook a meal in the evening…
It had become Adam's responsibility to act like his character Clive would and show Sam a few of the main sights of the city; as Nick and Jeff had done with Pam the previous day, he took his co-star to St Paul's, and then walked him down to the Millennium Bridge, with it views up towards Big Ben in one direction, and down towards Tower Bridge in the other. Photos had to be taken there as they had been at St Paul's of Sam with the landmark in the background, and as he was dressed much as his character would be, the handful that Adam took when Sam was not wearing his dark glasses to help hide his identity could even be used for the show.
With that done, Lawrence suggested that they appeal to Sam's more geeky side, and so they headed in the direction of Kings Cross Station, and the famous Platform 9¾. Numerous photos and a large bag of purchases from the inevitable gift shop later, they headed back on foot through Bloomsbury in the direction of their apartment. They had to stop three times for fans who recognised the two actors even with their dark glasses on; Lawrence obliged them all by being the one to take photos of those fans with the stars of their favourite show…
They decided to head to the pub across the street for dinner, the long time since they had left New York with little sleep starting to catch up with them. It was an historic one, with an excellent reputation. They found a booth in a quiet corner and took a seat, waiting for one of the staff to come and take their order. Their waitress recognised them at once, including Lawrence, which made the young man smile, and immediately set about ensuring that they were both safe from marauding fans and given privacy to eat for no more than a few autographs.
As they waited for their food to arrive, Sam sipped on a pint of British beer, as did Adam; as for Lawrence, he was no great fan of alcohol, so he was satisfied with a lemonade. After such a long day, however, the alcohol in the beer had a swift effect on the two actors, so much so that by the time the food arrived, both of the actors were a little drunk. When it was placed in front of him, Sam stared at his meal of Fish and Chips in awe, as it looked far superior to any that he had seen back home, even in Irish pubs. "It's huge!" he gasped, then cut through the crispy beer batter to let the perfectly cooked flaky white fish appear. He loaded his fork with a portion of fish and a chip, then ate, his smile growing as he did so.
Adam meanwhile had opted for a very traditional Steak and Kidney Pudding, which he was also enjoying immensely, still laughing at the way that Sam had been confused at how a pudding could contain meat, when it should surely be a dessert…
Lawrence had chosen to have a chicken burger, although it was actually just a butterfly cut grilled chicken breast served in a brioche bun, and it was done perfectly. The chips that were served with it were crispy outside and fluffy in the middle, which he knew from Nick was as close to perfect as you could get in the cooking of the chunky English version of the French Fry…
They did not stay for a dessert; Sam had seen that there was Bread and Butter Pudding on the menu, and he was even more confused. Adam smiled, and explained to him as best as he could what the dish was; simply sliced of buttered bread with the crusts removed, sprinkled with raisins and lightly spiced with nutmeg, before being drenched with an egg custard. It sounded wonderful, but the blond man was full after his mammoth portion of fish. As they walked back across the street, Adam started to describe Jam Roly Poly, then much to Sam's amusement, began to wax lyrical about something called Spotted Dick…
Once they were back in the apartment, Lawrence let the other two go and shower first, as they had an early call the following morning, and he would be a gentleman of leisure that could have a longer lie. True, Adam's grandmother, the formidable Joan, would be coming into town to meet him around 11am; he had strict instructions to be in London Bridge station for that time to meet her. She had told him he should wait by the pipe organ, which confused him no end until Adam showed him a video on Youtube of the musical instrument in question. He had seen pianos in railway stations before, but an old church organ was another level altogether. From there, they would set out on the first of their tours to the less visited attractions of the capital city…
With the other two washing, he decided to make a quick video call to his brother. Dex was glad to hear from him, even if he had caught him as he was walking home from his work. He had managed to get a good job now he had graduated; not quite the dream one, but it was a relief to have secured a position straight out of school when so many could not. He wished his little brother all the best for the next few days, then signed off. Lawrence wondered if he had plans with Miriam that evening, and hoped that he did…
His call made, he made sure that all was ready for breakfast for them all in the morning before heading to the now empty bathroom to shower himself. His ablutions done, he headed for bed like the other two had done. It was still fairly early in the evening in London, but his body was now starting to protest the fact that it had been awake more or less constantly now for around 35 hours. He climbed into bed alongside Adam, who was still awake, but dozing off…
"I'm sorry that we won't get much time together tomorrow," he said to Lawrence as he pulled him closer. "The thing is that if we get all the studio stuff done now, we can spend a lot more quality time together later…"
Lawrence smiled as Adam yawned loudly, then replied, "It's okay, I knew what this would be like, but I just wanted to be here with you. I just hope that I don't exhaust your grandmother tomorrow…"
Adam smiled, and as his eyes closed, he was thinking that if anything, the exact opposite would probably be the case…
Across town, Nick was finally able to relax after what had turned out to be a busy day. Having broken the news to Miss Frobisher that she was now to be a guest at the Coronation, he, Wes and Carole had headed back to their hotel on the tube. They had turned the corner onto the street on which it was located just as Burt's guests were leaving, so they held back for a moment to let them get clear before heading in. Carole went straight up to her room to check on Burt, but Nick stopped to check with reception if there had been any messages for him; his boss at the UN, Miss Worthington, still believed in communicating with her staff via their hotel whilst they were on holiday, so as not to immediately ruin a day. There were none, but meanwhile Wes had attracted the attentions of Lady Alice, and it took him a further five minutes to separate the pair…
With Wes sent to fill in his holiday diary – Nick knew that an essay on what you did in your holidays was a staple of every child's classwork when they returned after the summer vacation after all – he sat down to look over all of the tasks that he had to perform himself the following day. He had to make time to go to the tailors and collect his family's formal clothing for the Coronation; that would also involve a last-minute fitting for his son, as he kept growing at an alarming rate. He had also promised to make time to pop in and see his old UN colleagues in their office near Holborn; that would not be much fun for Wes, so he had arranged at trip to one of his favourite places in the city after that, the Transport Museum in Covent Garden. He had done his research and he knew there was a new interactive exhibit for a start, and that would entertain his boy no end…
They would then go as a family to see a play in the evening, one which was deemed as suitable for children of all ages; it would not be the first time that Wes had been in a London theatre, but this was the first non-musical play they had booked to see. He hoped that his son would not be disappointed by it.
Jeff ended up arriving home earlier than Nick had expected him to, but that was largely because the blond was excited to finally tell his husband exactly where he would be doing his sketches from in the Abbey on Saturday. At first Nick was concerned about how safe it would be for his husband, but the blond had merely laughed.
"I did think about that too when they first suggested it, so I had it checked out by a convenient angel. According to Blaine, the ledge is two feet wide, and has high walls on either side, so there is no chance of me falling off mid crowning. It is accessed by a set of stairs; yes, they are steep, but there is a handrail. It isn't a ladder that I could slip on. However, I will need to be up there by 10am at the latest, and that will be where I have to remain until the whole of the royal party has processed towards the exit. I checked on that, and I can come down once they have headed into the main nave of the Abbey. All attention will be focused on them, so I will be able to climb down and into the aisle behind the choir undetected. I actually have Pam to thank for being given that spot; she saw a technician at work up there when she visited the Abbey this morning, and she thought it would be ideal for me. I will need to thank her properly tonight."
Jeff made good on that promise at dinner, when the lady in question had joined the Sterling-Duvals in meeting with Burt and Carole. They had all chatted together happily at the start of the meal, the most mundane subjects the topic of conversation, but then Nick and Burt had moved onto more political matters. As dessert had been enjoyed, and sensing where the chat was heading, Jeff asked if he and Wes could be excused to go and see Lady Alice in reception; Nick had blushed at that, but Burt had laughed, and said that he couldn't blame the blond for wanting to get away from the necessary but boring conversation.
All that left Pam and Carole to talk together, and the subject moved on to the former's day quickly. Carole had been wondering quite how she was going to broach the subject of angels with the other woman, but to her relief it was Pam that brought it up in a quiet voice; she proceeded to tell her old friend everything that had happened in the last two days, as Carole sat silently and listened.
Only when Pam had finished did she reply. "I am not all that surprised that you have been hearing Blaine actually; between us, I have been able to hear Finn from time to time since the year he passed away. I firmly believe that he is up there in heaven, and if he is, then Kurt, Blaine and all of the other boys that we have lost over time will be up there with him. Yes, the first time I heard him it was frightening, and I thought I was losing my mind, but now I have accepted it, and it is a great comfort. I know that he is happy, and that he is okay…"
Pam was quiet for a moment, staring at Carole, then replied, "You are luckier than me… I guess that at the time he passed, Blaine did not think that I was worthwhile to attempt to speak to, and I guess he would be right. To be honest, if he had done so then, it would not have been pleasant for either of us in any way…"
She stopped, and then laughed out loud, which made her friend stare in concern. "I don't know if you have ever heard about how 'Blaine' haunted myself and Jonathan when we landed ourselves on Cooper not long after he had moved into his house in Murray Hill – all my ex-husband's idea, I might add… I know now that it was actually Sebastian Smythe's old friend from Paris, François Girard. I know that you met him at Sebastian's wedding, and will have seen his uncanny resemblance to my son. I guess what he did on Cooper's behalf was more or less what Blaine would have done to us himself had he been able. All that happened made me realise that I needed to change; get sober and get a divorce from the man that was dragging me down. Now my life is completely different, and I have progressed to the stage where I am working with royalty. Maybe being able to hear my boy is my reward for it all…"
Carole nodded and smiled, then let Pam go on. "It scared me at first, then I decided that it was because I was in old religious buildings… So, when I heard him in the back seat of a Bentley, it was terrifying. However, when we arrived at the Palace, and his commentary started, and he sounded so thrilled and excited by it all, I realised that I loved having him back… My fear now is that this is not a permanent thing; that when I get back to the day to day in Manhattan, he will be gone again. I have always missed him, but this makes me realise how much I do. I would give up everything I have to have him walk in right now… I'm sorry to go on, and well, it must be worse for you and Burt. I can't even imagine how devastating it must be to lose two sons…"
Carole nodded, and wondered how far Pam would progress along the path. Was she destined to only ever hear Blaine, or would he suddenly be visible again to her one day? She sincerely hoped that the latter would be the case.
They did not stay up for long after dinner, an early night on the cards for them all. The first of the major events in the run up to the Coronation itself was taking place the following afternoon, a garden party in the grounds of Buckingham Palace. Pam would be there to ensure that the Queen Consort looked at her best and had also agreed to attend to the other ladies in the family that would be in attendance as well. Jeff would also be at the gathering, firstly to sketch the King in the throne room, as the new monarch was having a final fitting for the robes that he would be wearing on Saturday, and then would move on to the garden party, to sketch the guests, the gardens and the Palace as well. He would not be alone in attending as an artist, the photographers there as well and the blond fully expected that he would end up pictured in a few of those as well. He had every intention of sketching the photographers at their work too in any case. As for his husband, he already had all of his errands to run and a son to keep busy…
As for Burt, he and Carole would spend the morning with the ambassador and his staff at the US Embassy, before attending a reception at 10 Downing Street with the Prime Minister and other key UK politicians. As Burt and those others talked shop, Carole would be joining the other bored spouses and partners at the National Gallery for a private viewing of some of the lesser-known works by the great artists that were in the collection, but not on public display.
That revelation had made Jeff a little jealous, but Nick had reminded him that he would be able to wander through Buckingham Palace the next day and would be able to view equally great works in the corridors and apartments. He was quite sure that the Princess of Wales would not let him down in that respect, and he wondered if he should send her a message to check that his husband would be able to see some otherwise private pieces. All in all, it was the start of a hectic few days for them all, and Nick realised that they probably wouldn't see much of each other until they were all gathered in the Abbey, waiting for the King to arrive, on Saturday…
Over in New York, Thad had spent most of the day with his 'nephew' and namesake. He had taken the bold step of offering to take care of the boy for the day on his own; Michelle had been a little concerned about it, but his brother had not been. He knew that his brother could be trusted to take excellent care of his son and that he would never reveal the truth to the boy.
It had been a day that Thad had ended up enjoying no end, the little boy that he had helped to create now nearly 4 years old and interested in everything around him. He had taken him to the Children's Museum of Manhattan in the Upper West Side, a simple subway journey uptown from the West Village, something that the boy had enjoyed every moment of. At the museum, Thad had not stood out amongst the other uncles and fathers that were there with their children, although he guessed he was probably the only one that had an angel watching carefully over him from a distance. Wes did not speak, nor was he there constantly, but his presence was felt by his husband. Thad knew that it was a precaution on his husband's part, just in case in a moment of madness his resolve cracked, and he decided to tell the boy that he wasn't actually his uncle, but his father…
Thad knew that some men would have found such an assumption a betrayal of the trust between spouses, or a lack of faith in him, but he saw it as a safeguard, and possibly a wise one. This was the closest that he had ever been to acting like a father would with his own son. Indeed, as they headed back to the West Village a wave of sadness washed over the Head Warbler, as he knew that his time alone with the boy that shared his name was almost over, and that he would soon have to hand him back to his mother…
He did not get a chance to check his phone after their subway ride until he was actually back at Nick and Jeff's house, and when he did, he found a message from Michelle saying that she would be later than planned, as a crisis had blown up at the Spotlight Diner. It was being resolved though, and with both Elliott and Dani there to help, she would be on her way shortly. Thad tried not to smile as he thought of the extra time he now had with little Thad, as he escorted the lad down to the kitchen, explaining that his mom had been held up. He fetched the boy a glass of milk and some cookies, Caleb appearing as soon as he heard the fridge door open. Thad had not believed it when Nick told him that the animal was immediately awake and in attendance the second that he opened the fridge door when he had told him, but now he concurred with the younger man…
The cat ate the food that Thad obliging placed in his dish, and then went across to the sofa where little Thad was sitting to allow the boy to pet him. After a couple of minutes, he moved again, back to his basket and to sleep again. That action made the boy sigh, and as a good uncle, Thad asked why…
"I wish that I had a pet of my own; I have asked if I can have one, but mom and dad said no. It isn't fair; most of the other kids I know have one. They all have things I don't, like two sets of grandparents. I have only ever met my mom's parents… Are you and daddy's mom and dad dead?"
Thad stared at the boy before him, shocked at the question, but he smiled back as he thought of how best to answer him. In the end, he decided that the truth was the best approach. "No, our mom and dad aren't dead, they just don't like me and your dad very much. Grown-ups can be so silly, and they fall out all the time over little things. We fell out with them, and so they stopped talking to us, even though they are our parents…"
Little Thad processed that for a moment, then asked, "Did you and daddy do something really naughty?"
"No, we didn't, not really. I wouldn't do something that they told me I had to do, wouldn't agree to live my life the way they wanted me to, and so they stopped speaking to me at all; they pretend I don't exist anymore. Your daddy agreed with me and thought that I shouldn't have to do what they said anymore as I was a grown-up. That made them mad with him and so, when he refused to change his mind, they decided to stop talking to him as well…"
Little Thad was silent again for a moment, then said, "That's silly! I've heard lots of stories at kindergarten about brothers and sisters and they always have to stick together in them; it is usually their mom and dad that tell them they have too as well. You must have done something really bad for the two of them not to like you doing what all brothers should."
"I didn't want to be a doctor like my mom and dad, and your daddy; that was all that I did wrong. Our parents wanted all of their children to be doctors like them, but I knew that I wouldn't be a very good doctor, and anyway, I wanted to be a teacher instead. I don't like the sight of blood at all, and I am very squeamish about a lot of other things. I am also a very emotional person, and my parents are the exact opposite; I sometimes think that they have no feelings at all…"
Thad paused for a moment, then started again. "As for your daddy, he had a choice to make as well as being there for me. When he finished his training to be a doctor, he had a job waiting for him in Ohio, at the hospital that our dad runs; he decided that he wanted to spread his wings and take a job here in New York. With that and talking to me, he became another black sheep and was cut out of their lives too…"
"That is awful… I am so sorry, Uncle Thad…"
"You don't need to be sorry for me. I am able to have a job that I love and live the life that I want, and well, if your daddy hadn't been brave and come here, then he would never have met your mommy and then you wouldn't be here. He is happier now than I have ever known him to be before. I just wish that all five of them could see how happy he is as well…"
"Why did you say all five of them, Uncle Thad? I'm sure that it should be both. I know that and I'm a little boy, and you are a teacher…"
Thad paled at those words, realising what he had just inadvertently done. He could dismiss it, say he was silly, and that the boy was right. But then again, didn't he deserve to know the truth? He felt a draught then, and he couldn't help but chuckle. In a low voice he whispered, "Not that truth Wessie! The other one…" Then he turned back to his 'nephew'…
"I said five because your daddy and me are not our mom and dad's only children. We have a big brother and two sisters as well. They are all still in Ohio, and are all doctors; they do everything that our parents tell them to do, and that includes not speaking to their two disobedient brothers…"
At that moment there was a knock at the front door, and Thad had no choice but to head up and answer it, assuming that it would be sister-in-law. However, he opened it to find Ollie standing there with a grin on his face. "Michelle called me and said that she was dealing with a crisis at the Spotlight; for once, everything at the hospital was calm, so I was able to leave early for I think the first time in my medical career. Did my two Thaddies have a good day?"
"We did, but we might have a problem, because I have said a little too much… He asked me about mom and dad…"
Ollie sighed, his smile fading. "It had to happen one day, and it is probably best it happened when we were both around." Thad nodded, and then they made their way down to the kitchen.
As soon as little Thad saw his daddy, he ran over to hug him, then asked, "Is it true that I have two aunts and an uncle?"
After giving a glare to his now sheepish looking younger brother, Ollie replied, "Yes, you do son. I haven't ever mentioned them before because they are no longer a part of my life, but I guess that you do need to know about them… First of all, your uncle and I have a big brother called Marcus; as he has the same first name as our dad, he is called Junior by almost everyone. He is a cardiologist, a heart doctor, just like our dad, and he has to do a lot of difficult operations."
Thad nodded, then ponder the irony that the two of them did not seem to have a heart themselves when it came to loving their family…
"Our big sister is called Zoë, and she is an orthopaedic surgeon, which means that she operates on broken bones and fixes joints so that people can move around and do things… Then there is my little sister, but your uncle Thad's big sister, Marcia. She is what is known as an ob-gyn doctor, so she looks after ladies when they are going to have a baby. We all used to love each other very much, but then your uncle and I broke mom and dad's rules, so they were made to stop. You also have a few cousins, but they don't even know that you exist I'm afraid. It is very sad, but there are a lot of families like ours in the world…"
The next hour would end up being quite intense; little Thad asked a lot of questions about all of the members of his family that he had never met, and in all likelihood, never would meet. Both Ollie and Thad knew in their hearts that there was no point in seeking a reconciliation with their siblings, at least not whilst their parents were alive; their father was tough, but it was their mom that was perhaps the most pig-headed and single minded of the two of them. By the time they passed away too much water would have passed under the bridge for them to just go back and try and rekindle their sibling relationships as if nothing had happened; their would be great-nieces and nephews that they had never met – in the case of Junior, possibly even great-great-nieces and nephews.
After his brother had taken his boy home, Thad sat alone for a while, lost in thought. Caleb woke and came to sit on his lap, and he stroked him gently as he pondered life. Eventually he felt a draught, and then Wes was next to him on the sofa…
"At least Ollie is still talking to me; I wouldn't have blamed him if he wasn't after I opened up Pandora's Box this afternoon. The good thing is that little Thad will now know that they exist for when we all potentially meet up at a funeral, decades from now. I mean, there is no guarantee that we would even be welcome at our parents' funerals, the two of us. I mean, they have ones now that are by invitation only to limit the size, and it would make things simpler for the other three - no awkward explanations to their own children. It's funny, Wessie, I never miss them on a daily basis, but having spoken about them so much today, I really do now. I wonder how they all are, how many children they have. It's stupid, of course. I doubt that any of them ever spare a thought for their baby brother…"
As Thad's eyes grew moist, Wes wrapped a comforting arm around him, but said nothing. He knew the truth after all; that Marcia at least missed him a lot…