Valentine's Day 2023
As Isabelle was happily agreeing to her brother-in-law's request, Thad was preparing himself for the onslaught of Valentine's Day at Dalton. Now, as in his time, the day was pretty much just like all the rest; in the absence of girls, the majority of the school did its best not to notice that it was the day most of the world celebrated love. It had not always been that way; Principal Carmichael could recall the days when the girls from Crawford County had been invited over on that evening for a cotillion, all very chaste and old fashioned… That had fallen out of favour however after an incident in the 1980s when a group of senior girls from Crawford, who had managed to see the Chippendales perform in Columbus the previous weekend thanks to fake ID, had after a few illicit drinks, began to jump on any Dalton boy they could find and attempt to rip his uniform off…
Relations between the two schools had been strained for some time after that, with the headmistress of Crawford being adamant that her girls would never do such a thing unless they had been provoked by a group of delinquent boys that had spiked their drinks; even when the girls in question had admitted that it was all true, she had refused to countenance them or herself making any sort of apology for their horrific behaviour.
Dalton Academy was therefore not bedecked with hearts and flowers that morning, and receiving a card, or not, was nowhere near as important as it was in other high schools. Those that did receive them got them from girls back home or outside the walls, or indeed from fellow pupils, no harm at all if both were that way inclined. As Thad strolled towards the refectory that morning to supervise breakfast, he bumped into Peter Smythe; as the boy spoke, he noticed he was clutching a card…
"Uncle Bazzy has a son! That is a good thing, because deep down I think that both he and Dave wanted a boy. It will be nice to have a boy cousin as well, even if he is much younger than me."
"Your uncle does look very happy in the photos," admitted Thad, then he looked pointedly at the card in Peter's hand.
He noticed the gaze, and said, "It is from one of the girls at Crawford, Mr Harwood. We talked at the Christmas dance, and swapped phone numbers. She was brought up in L.A. like me, so we have that in common; she is really nice, and I might have sent her a card and some flowers too. We are going to go out for something to eat on Friday night, just the two of us…"
"I am very pleased for you, Peter; just be careful and respectful to her at all times. That is the way to guarantee that you will have a great evening."
Peter smiled, and then added quietly, "We all know that today is hard for you, sir. I like to think that Wes is watching over all of us, just like he does in Uncle Jeff's drawing; if not all of us, then certainly you. Angels do exist, I think, despite what some people say. I mean, I must have had a guardian angel that made sure I was in the right place when the quake happened in L.A., then made sure that I was saved."
"I think you might be right," said Thad with a wistful smile. "Now, go and eat; and don't worry about me being alone today. I have all of you, my Warbler brothers, and of course, my memories…" Thad stopped as his phone began to buzz, and with a smile and a nod he dismissed Peter, who ran off to get his meal…
He stepped into a classroom, and pulled out his phone, smiling as he saw it was his brother. He was probably responding to his message of last night; glad he had moved out of the corridor, he accepted the call. "Hey Ollie, how are you? Before you say anything, I hope that my bluntness yesterday didn't cause anyone too much offence…"
"You were rather blunt, little bro. Made me blush a little, but Michelle just laughed for a moment when I showed her the message, and as it happens, she did so for a very good reason. The simple truth is that we don't need you to come to New York this weekend; your services are no longer required…"
Thad was shocked into silence for a moment, then replied anxiously, "Please tell me that your marriage isn't heading for the rocks again, Ollie. Or have you changed your mind, although after all of this I will struggle to understand your reasons why…"
"I haven't changed my mind, and our marriage is stronger than ever; we simply do not need you. You are lucky I am not the jealous type though; some men would get very upset by the fact that their little brother is so fertile that he managed to get knock up their wife on the first attempt…"
"That's a rather crude way for a doctor to say… Wait, are you saying…"
"She is pregnant Thad. She took a test yesterday morning, went to her doctor yesterday afternoon for a confirmation, and yeah… It is still very, very early days, but all being well, we should be parents towards the end of September. As I think I said at the time, you have given us the best Christmas present EVER!"
Thad was very nearly late in arriving to teach his first class that morning, his mind awhirl with his brother's news. He was going to be an uncle for real. He loved the kids of his Warbler brethren, but this was much, much better. He had been sworn to complete secrecy, as things could still go wrong at such an early stage; he wanted to tell at least David, but he would resist…
There was of course an exception to the rule, and when his first period class left, he felt the familiar draught, and looked up to see Wes standing in front of him, grinning from ear to ear. "What can I say, Thaddie… Michelle is literally jumping for joy, which might not be all that advisable in her condition, and your brother is more excited that I have ever seen him. I love you so much, for all that you are to me, and for all you have done for my family."
"I love you more, Wessie," retorted Thad, with a grin.
"Now that quite simply is not possible… Happy Valentine's Day, my little one," replied Wes, before he leant in and kissed him on the cheek…
As Thad kept his secret, an angel was struggling not to blurt out his own feelings lest they should be construed as inappropriate. Finn had been in England for only four weeks when Valentine's day arrived, and had spent every day searching through box after box of old papers. He was still no closer to finding the documentation that he required that would prove the story was true. He had found the files on the two people that were alleged to be involved in the collection records, their dates being some 23 years apart, but there was nothing in them that alluded to the change of status that the story said had taken place, nor any hint of another record to cross reference with.
To make matters all the more frustrating, neither of the angels involved was still in the England section now, having been returned to earth as they had another two lifetimes each left; presumably they were soulmates again now, but there was no way of tracing them, and they would be unlikely to remember anything anyway. The only option was to trawl back through all the paperwork for those 23 years for the entire England section, looking for a reference to them. Emily was of course a great help to him in that; she was able to work through what Finn saw as British foibles in the records. For a start, in his eyes, they wrote the dates wrong; he had no idea why they wrote the day before the month, but from the look that she gave him when he queried it, he suspected that she though the American was of placing the month first was just as wrong…
The job could have been frustrating and repetitive, but Finn found the presence of Emily a great compensation. She would usually arrive after him in the morning, and for him, the moment she arrived was like a light being switched on in the room. The world was instantly brighter and happier. He had begun to make tea ready for her arrival, so precisely to the minute did she arrive; he used loose leaves as she preferred, not bags, and he always used freshly drawn boiling water. He had begun to drink it with her, and she in turn had broadened his palate to all the variations. He had come to relish a cup of Darjeeling, although he was a lot less keen on Earl Grey, with its added bergamot. They chatted as they drank, and her conversation fascinated him; she in turn did not mind when he rambled on about subjects close to his own heart. It was things like that that made him all the more certain that he had fallen for her…
He was however pretty certain that she could never feel the same way. He was still an oaf in so many ways, a bumbling fool, whilst she was a quiet, well spoken and educated young lady that had studied at Oxford; that had been many years ago, but she refused to say just how many. If at some point in the day their eyes did seem to linger on each other for too long, she would break off the eye contact and delve back in to the tome she was studying, searching for those elusive names, and if he was honest, he did the same…
So as the big day for love and romance dawned, all that Finn could think was that he had to stay detached and professional at all times; he had a job to perform and that was all that mattered. Love had obviously passed him by before he was brought to the angelic realm, and that was that. Still, he was glad when he entered the offices that morning to see that there was no evidence of hearts and flowers in the corridors, nor in the people that he passed by. He was ten minutes later than usual in entering his room, but he was still the first one there. He filled the kettle, and set it on to boil, then decided to check the mail in his in-tray…
He was thrown to find a red envelope amongst the other items, the initials S.W.A.L.K written across the seal. Someone had sent him a Valentine's card… He opened it with care and read the message; it made him smile and even laugh a little. It was basically a set of song lyrics, ending with the line 'Will you be my American boy?' He sat down, wondering who on earth could have sent it to him. He had been given approving looks by several of the women that worked in the department in which he was based - and yes, from a few of the men too, which did not bother him these days. The message was of course written in block capitals, which meant that there was no handwriting for him to recognise. He did know one thing; if by the end of the day he had failed to work out exactly who had sent the card to him, then he was in trouble; they might easily take offence at the fact that he had ignored their overtures…
He realised then that the kettle was boiling away, and he jumped up to switch it off. Time was getting on, and he was running late if it was to be ready for Emily's arrival. Nonetheless, he warmed the pot before he added the requisite number of spoons of tea to the pot - one per person and one for the pot - and then poured on the boiling water. He placed the lid on the pot, then assembled the morning tea tray with two cups and saucers, and the tea strainer. He was just pouring the milk into the jug when Emily walked in, smiling at him.
"I have you so well trained for an American boy," she remarked, setting down the pile of new books that they would be examining that morning. "I have to admit that you seem to be a little bit behind today."
"Yes, I'm afraid that I got distracted by something in the mail," Finn replied. "Someone had sent me a card…"
"Have they?"
"Yes, and it does seem to be a little bit, well, out of line to do so, particularly as it must be someone that works here. Not exactly professional."
Emily stared at him, and then nodded, before announcing that she had forgotten something, and would be right back, and heading out of the office without looking at him. Finn was startled, but let her go, just hoping that the tea would not be over brewed by the time that she returned. Then the door opened again, and in walked the mail clerk. He came over and placed a small pile of correspondence on Finn's desk.
"Did you forget them earlier?" said Finn with a chuckle.
"No, this is the first delivery of the day, Mr Hudson," came his reply, before the clerk walked out. That left Finn puzzled; if that was the first delivery of mail, then who had delivered the card to his in-tray, and more importantly, how? After all, only he, Emily and the mail clerk had a key for the office door… Then suddenly, he could have sworn that he heard Kurt's voice in his head. 'Well, if that is the case, Finn, then the card came either from the mail clerk, a married man in his fifties, or from Emily. Given that she ran out of the room when you said it was out of line to have sent one, and she called you American Boy, I'd say it was the latter…'
Finn groaned, and put his head in his hands. By the looks of the evidence, the girl that he had a major crush on had one on him too, and had tried to be romantic; he had stuffed it all up by trying to be mature and professional! Shaking his head and cursing under his breath, he got up and poured himself a cup of tea; he found himself pouring one for Emily too, even although she wasn't there, and was probably even now asking to be transferred to a different position, probably with the New Zealand section… "You can be such an idiot, Finn Hudson!" he sighed, and realised too late that the door had just opened, and Emily had walked back in, looking from her red rimmed eyes as if she had been crying…
"We can all be idiots from time to time," she said quietly. "It's not confined to Americans, although there is that contemporary song, and they did manage to elect Donald Trump…"
"True; your lot voted for Brexit and Boris Johnson after all," replied Finn, glad to see her smile a little at his retort. Still, I bet that you've never almost accused an elderly mail clerk of sending you a Valentine's card…"
"A mail… You didn't accuse Mr Turner of sending you that card? If you did, then you really might be a complete…"
"…idiot who couldn't see that it had to be the only other person with a key?" said Finn, finishing her sentence for her. "I wanted to send you one too, but I was trying so hard to be mature and professional, so I didn't. And now, into the bargain, I have upset you, which has upset me, and probably ended this whatever it was before it could even start!"
Emily looked at him, a smile in her eyes. "You might just have saved the whatever it is with that admission. You were going to send me a card too? So we both feel the same thing, that there might be some kind of spark between us?"
"I guess. The moment that I met you, and realised that you were going to be my contact here, I knew that the task I was sent here for had just got that much harder. I look at you, and I get goosebumps; I want to take you into my arms and hold you. I want to take care of you for the rest of eternity…"
"I would have no objection to that," she replied.
"But some people might. I am only here for a few months, then I have to go back to the Ohio section. It is so far away that I have to live here, so how could we work? It would only be possible if one of us transferred to another country, and ended up miles away from friends and family."
"It would be hard unless we did that, that much is true. Do you have friends and family back in Ohio then?"
"Yeah; my step-brother Kurt and his husband; the guy that murdered me killed them too…"
Emily was quiet for a moment, then said, "You were murdered? I had no idea - and for them to then go on and kill your family… That has to be really hard to cope with."
"It was; all the harder given that my boss is my step-brother's mother. You accept it though like we all do; it is part of the great plan. Still, watching the girl you thought was your soulmate marrying one of your best friends is just as hard."
"It must be," consoled Emily. "To be honest, I do know how hard it is. When I died, my boyfriend moved on fairly quickly and married someone else - my younger sister as it happens…"
"Now that is much worse than a friend!" exclaimed Finn.
"It hurt a lot at the time, and it still rankles now, even though it was nearly 50 years ago," sighed Emily, her eyes closed. She took a breath, then went on, "I still remember it all so vividly, the day I died. For once in my life, I was actually running early for work, and as it turns out, that was the worst thing ever. I arrived on the platform at the tube just as the train pulled in, and took a seat in the front coach. We left Highbury and Islington, made the two usual stops, and then pulled into Moorgate, the terminus… Only the train didn't slow down or stop, it ran straight through the station and crashed into a dead end wall… It was all over so fast, there was no time to worry or panic. So yes, the 28th of February 1975 was the worst day of my life; the worst day of my death was five months later when my boyfriend married my sister."
"That's awful… I am so sorry… I died in what everyone though was an accident at first. I was driving on the freeway, and my killer cut me up at speed; I swerved, and hit the brakes, but he had cut the cables, so they didn't work. My car slammed into a bridge support at 60 miles per hour. There was nothing I could do, it was all out of my control…"
"How we ended up here is all in the past though, and it is best if we forget about it, and start again. So, shall we start this day over, pretend none of this mess ever happened?" said Emily.
"We could," replied Finn, "but then I would have to forget about the beautiful angel that gave me a Valentine's card, and that would never do…" Emily blushed, and Finn got up. "I can however make fresh tea; this lot will be well and truly stewed. And, even if I didn't get you a card, happy Valentine's day to you too…"
Emily smiled, and as Finn prepared the fresh tea, she set out the volumes that they needed to check that day. She took a packet of chocolate chip cookies out of her bag and opened them, then began to check through the hand written book in front of her. She realised with a start that the volume she had in front of her began on the 1st of March, 1975, which meant that Finn had the one for the month before, and would quite probably find her name in its pages… She said nothing as Finn set her tea down, and began to study the book in front of him…
It would be early afternoon, and several cups of tea later that Emily would look at a page, recheck it, then squeal, "Got them! They are mentioned here, going back at their own consent to be reborn as children that will marry each other. Even more importantly, just look at this next line…" Finn came over and looked at what she was pointing at. It was the first confirmation, but they needed more. At least now they had a clue as to where to look next. He grabbed at Emily's hand, and as their fingers joined, they both felt the sparks. Finn realise that this was much stronger than the sparks he had felt when he first held Rachel's hand, all those years ago. Emily really was his true soulmate…
They looked into each other's eyes for a moment, startled by the static. Then Emily spoke. "The last time that I felt something similar to that was when I met my boyfriend at Oxford at an event for new students. I thought then that it meant he was my soulmate, the man that I was to send the rest of my life with. Ironically, of course, I did…"
"It was the same for me with the girl I went out with in high school… Maybe we are like my mom and Kurt's dad; they both think that they are second chance soulmates, people that are fortunate enough to have found someone else to love with the same strength of feeling all over again. Maybe this is our second chance at happiness, the attraction that we felt from the moment we met part of that - or maybe the first people were not our soulmates at all…"
"I have heard about second chance soulmates, but until now I never believed that they could actually exist. I thought that I was just destined to be alone, so I just threw myself into my work, volunteering for extra duties and giving up my holiday time so I would feel something…"
"I am the same; collection after collection. When the earthquake hit L.A., I didn't take a break for a week, not even to rest. They all try and get me to cut down, to do less, but the work fills the void that should be filled by love."
"It is rather ironic that when we are searching for evidence for on of the greatest loves in angelic history that we come across it for ourselves. Typical of course that it can never work out…"
Finn looked at the sadness on Emily's face, and he knew what he had to say, what he wanted to do. "Why can't it work? If this is real, if we are soulmates, then I will happily stay here with you. Yeah, I would miss Kurt and Blaine, Elizabeth and Wes; I would miss being able to visit my mom and Burt, but I would have you, and that would be more than enough. I could do collections here I suppose, with a few lessons in the geography of England…"
"You would be willing to do that for me, a girl that you barely even know?"
"I know enough. If I have the chance of an eternal love, then I will grab for it. I mean, Wes is on his own, and he is good company, but he'll have his boyfriend with him one day, and even when everyone is around, it feels so lonely at times. I know that we really need to get back to work just now, but would you let me take you out for dinner tonight? We can talk properly, and start to fill in the gaps…"
"Dinner would be lovely," said Emily, and went to peck him on the cheek. At the last second though, Finn moved, and the kiss grazed his lips, starting the sparks all over again, even more powerful this time. As they hit her, Emily suddenly saw herself in her mind's eye, standing beside Finn, looking out across a city from a high vantage point. That city seemed to be New York…
Back in the real New York, Elliott had arrived home from the Spotlight after finishing his early shift, and had begun almost at once to make a start on the special dinner that he had planned for his husband; less than 12 weeks on, the word still made him feel just a little giddy with excitement. Dante was going to be out that evening, taking Lachlan for a Valentine's meal. They had chosen to go for Chinese; Lachlan was not overly fond of pizza, and they all knew that a number of the Italian places put their prices up in advance, anticipating that they would end up with a full house regardless of the cost.
The fact that he had a teenage adopted son was quite something to for Elliott; in some respects, it was more like he had adopted a brother, given the age gap. He began to prepare the bouillabaisse for the starter, using the Girard family recipe, given to him by Sebastian, but was disturbed by his phone ringing. He was going to ignore it, but then saw that it was his brother, so picked it up. "Hey Josh, how are you on this the big day of love?" he asked jokingly.
"I am scared and excited and confused and everything in between if I am being honest," Josh replied. I had a little bit of news about an hour ago, and now that Scott and I have calmed down, I had to tell you right away. We are pregnant - well, you know, our surrogate is; the baby is 14 weeks, so I should be a dad in August…"
"That is the most fantastic news!" said Elliott, overjoyed for his brother. "I am so pleased for the pair of you!"
"It is wonderful, but it is so scary! A little life, depending on the two of us… I am so worried that I will get it wrong, and end up harming them…"
"I think that is something that all new parents feel," said Elliott calmly. "The two of you will do all of the reading, go to the classes, make all the preparations, but in the end, it all comes down to inbuilt natural instincts. You will want to protect your child, keep them safe and happy; you will know what you need to do the second they are here. And if you do get stuck, there are plenty of people you can ask. Scott's mom for a start off, and even me…"
"I guess," replied Josh, then he carried on, "Then again, maybe you had the right idea in adopting an older kid."
"Oh I don't know; that had its issues too; a court case and puberty…" said Elliott wryly. Josh laughed at the other end of the line, and Elliott knew then in his heart that despite all of his concerns, his brother and Scott would be okay; they would be good parents.
A few hours later, having packed Dante off on his date carrying a bunch of red carnations - Lachlan had told him at the wedding that his buttonhole was probably his favourite flower in the world - Elliott and Beats sat down to enjoy the French feast that the former had prepared. The soup was followed by Coq au Vin, with a Tarte Tatin for dessert. A nice bottle of Beaujolais completed the meal, which had been made without one quintessential ingredient by Elliott. Garlic was a no no for romance, and given that Dante would be absent for a few hours, their meal would be followed by a long, hot shared bath. They ignored the events of the day in their conversation that night too. Sebastian and his growing family were a subject for another day; just now they wanted to use their time for more adult pursuits…
There was no romance for Sebastian and Dave that Valentine's night. The former was exhausted, with only a couple of hours sleep since a 6am start the previous day, but he was still attempting to remain at his son's bedside. Dave had watched as the newborn's half sister, his daughter Elise, had inspected him, but she had shown very little interest, and quickly returned to playing with the toys that her Uncle Julian had brought to keep her entertained. Eventually he had taken her home, promising to his brother and his husband that he would remain at their place until one of them got back. Dave could understand why Sebastian did not wish to leave his son, as he had felt the same when Elise had been born; the bond between father and child formed the moment that they saw them after all. He knew that his husband did need to get some rest, or he would be a total wreck the following day, when they would be taking Francis home.
"I think that it is time that we got you home, fed and tucked up in bed, Sebby," said Dave gently.
"No, I am okay; I want to stay here and keep an eye on him. You should go though and let Jules get home," replied Sebastian, stifling a yawn.
"Nah uh! We are both going home. To be honest, you look far from your best, and you need a wash…"
That attracted his husband's attention. "Are you implying that I smell?" came his reply in hurt tones.
"No, you just look a little bit grubby is all; however, if you are still here tomorrow then there is every chance that you will smell, your hair will be more greasy than it is already, and well, I will not be kissing you in case of halitosis. Sebby, he is in a hospital, with plenty of nurses. His birth mother is still here as well, and if anything does happen then they will call us so we can come straight back."
"I know, Dave, but…"
"No buts! Might I also remind you that we have a photoshoot for Vogue in the morning, and you do not want social media going haywire over your appearance, making comments comparing you to a down and out, or a hobo. You know that it is true; they troll anyone in the public eye that goes out of the house not looking a million dollars these days."
"I know you are right, but its just that…"
"…he is so small, and you love him, and he is the total focus of your existence right now. I felt exactly the same way with Elise, trust me. However, you will not be able to be around 24/7, not in a world where both of us have to work. Now come on, say your goodbyes - and if you are quick, we can stop off at Taco Bell on the way home…"
"Using my favourite takeaway joint was a low blow, but okay, you win. Not because of the tacos, but because you are right." Dave nodded, and as he headed off to find a nurse to tell that they were heading home, Sebastian leant over the crib in which his boy was now fast asleep. "Daddy is going home now to get some rest; he doesn't want to though. I would rather sit here and cradle you all night, as you are the greatest thing that I have ever achieved. Everything else fades in comparison to you; no amount of Tonys or royal acclaim can ever equal the joy of fatherhood…." He stopped as he heard the door open, and as a nurse walked over to the crib, he walked over to Dave, as a wave of exhaustion hit him. He hugged him as he watched the nurse push his son towards the nursery, and then allowed himself to be lead to the parking lot, Taco Bell, and home…
Sebastian woke later than he had planned the following morning and cursed, as he realised that he was the one that had not set his alarm. Dave was up already, and he could hear the sound of Elise and her nanny heading up the stairs. He slipped on his robe and went out to greet them; he discovered that Dave was on his way to the airport to pick up his father, who had arrived on the first flight from Ohio that morning.
"Mr Smythe called to say that he would be arriving at lunchtime, but he said he would take a cab from the airport, just in case you were at the hospital. He did not want to put you out. There is coffee made and waiting for you downstairs…"
Sebastian headed down and as he poured himself a cup of coffee, and put on some toast, he shook his head a little, wondering if he would ever be able to pinpoint the moment that his father had ceased to be a pain and had become the man he now was. He had his suspicions that all that had happened when Peter was in L.A. at the time of the earthquake had been a big factor. As he buttered his toast, he wondered too when his maman would arrive, and if Peter's request to his father that he be allowed to come home for the weekend had also been granted….
By the time that Paul Karofsky arrived, Sebastian had eaten, taken a shower, and was looking much more like his normal self; a glance in the mirror last night had made him agree with Dave that he looked like a hobo. Dave's father was full of joy, happy that his name had been used for his new grandson's middle one. He smiled happily too when the nanny appeared and stopped to have a chat with him as she fetched him a coffee; she always did, Paul reminding her of her late husband in so many ways. When it was time to head to the hospital, he declined to go with Sebastian and Dave, stating instead that he would spend some time with Elise, and meet his new grandson later…
He did not have all that long to wait; everything at the hospital was ready when the two fathers arrived. They went to see their surrogate, thanking her profusely again, then after thanking the staff, they drove home, Sebastian in the back alongside his son. The moment that they pulled into the driveway they saw that Paul had been joined by Mr Smythe, and to the delight of the new father, his maman. It transpired that their flights had arrived at Newark almost at the same time; they had bumped into each other as they headed out of the terminal to the taxi rank, and had shared one.
As soon as he stepped inside the house, Sebastian found himself surrounded by three grandparents, all of them smiling broadly at a sleepy Francis. They all spoke, but the only words that Sebastian heard were his maman's; "You looked like that at his age; exactly like that…" A few minutes later and Sebastian had relinquished his hold on his son so that he could be held by his new grandparents; he watched in quiet disbelief the moment that his maman and his father had sat there on his sofa, side by side, with their grandson. A few years ago, something like that would have been unimaginable… All that he could feel though at that moment was joy; the birth of his son had made the world so much brighter, and the jigsaw that was his life had seen another piece added successfully…
