Newlyweds and Departures.
Dressed smartly, but casually, Thad soon left his apartment again and headed to the room in which his brother was sleeping. Knocking gently on the door, he then stepped inside without waiting for a reply. "Okay, sleepyhead, it is time to get up. You and I have a party to go to," he said loudly as his brother blinked his eyes, as he tried to wake up. Then he sat up and just stared at him for a moment, which made Thad smile. "Hmm, is there something wrong Ollie? You seem to be staring at me most intently. Have I got my clothes on wrong, or…"
"No, no, you are looking fine!" his brother interrupted. "You don't look as if you are thirty today at all. Thing is, I just had the weirdest dream…"
"Okay…"
"You were in it, and I was your best man; you were marrying Wes. And of course, you can't because he isn't alive. Thing was though, he was an angel, and he had wings, and you did too for a bit… I think I have been overdoing it at work, or I have eaten something bad, and my mind is playing tricks on me…"
"I was marrying an angel?" laughed Thad, then in a more serious tone said, "Well, if it meant that I got to be with Wes, I would take that option. However, we both know that it can't happen though, worse luck. And yes, you do work too hard, and you will need to start cutting back, because my nephew or niece will need a proper father around."
"Don't worry about that; I will not be repeating dad's mistakes. I will be cutting back, and my bosses know that. If my child wants to be a clown in a circus, then they can be, as long as it makes them happy, and they're healthy too. Now, do we not have a celebration to get to? I know that you hate this sort of thing, but…"
"Actually, it was nice of the boys to organise this for me, and to stay here for it, so I think I can live with it. Today is a significant birthday after all. However, I would not want this to happen every year, although if it did, I could cope…"
They headed down the stairs together in the direction of the refectory, passing the now open doors of the auditorium en route. Thad had to stop himself from laughing as Ollie tried to pause discretely to look in, as if checking to see if there were any wedding decorations in there. There were none of course, every last one cleared away. They walked on then to where a lot of noise could be heard already; it could never have been a surprise party really, so they had decided there was no real point in staying quiet. Thad paused nonetheless outside the refectory door to take a breath, then flung it open, walking in to applause and a chorus of the perennial Happy Birthday to You. Thad smiled, his heart light. Things like this were easier to deal with as a married man…
The party had been planned as a celebration of Thad's life so far, a demonstration of how much they all cared about him. It was the way that his fellow Warblers could show him he had their support, a thank you for all that he had done for him, and for what he continued to do for them and those following in their footsteps. They saw themselves as his family, his own now gone apart from Ollie, who had severed his own ties so that he could pursue his own path in life. Some of course had more reason to be grateful to him than others in that closest circle. David knew that he would never have survived the death of Wes had Thad not been there for him every day, even though his own heart had been shattered into a million pieces as well; the trauma of the earthquake would also have been harder to endure had he not known that Thad was thinking of him, doing his best to ensure his friend made it through.
For Seth, he was of course the person that he could confide in; the person he could trust to keep the worst of his condition from Skylar; after all, Thad knew everything now, and any new developments were shared with him at his request to his doctor, who of course was Thad's brother…
Thad was a shoulder to cry on for them all, a source of wisdom on many things; in many ways, he had taken on the mantle of Wes in his absence. Thad was not entirely unhappy about the situation, and he had to admit that he cared for all of them as much as they did for him. He saw it as his role to support each and every one of them on their journey through life.
That was time consuming though, and that was one of the reasons why unbeknownst to most of the people at his party, he had turned down the offer of promotion last week. Principal Lefevre was looking for a new Deputy Principal to replace a retiring member of staff, and in her eyes, Thad was the perfect person for the role. His diligence and dedication to his students was well known, and he always put the needs of Dalton Academy before his own. At first, Thad had been tempted, but as he considered it, he realised all the things that would come with the role. There was a ream of paperwork, legislation, staff liaison, training days and disciplinary roles that came with the title. It would cut into his classroom time, if not end it altogether, and it would be doubtful if he could carry on as much as he currently did with the mentoring of the Warblers.
He decided that losing the last two things, which he enjoyed so much, far outweighed the status of being a Deputy Principal, and so he had declined the job, instead suggesting someone that in his opinion was an even more perfect fit for the role. That person was Jeff's cousin Dylan, who was a little older, had successfully covered the role of department head due to long term sickness last year, and was as popular within the faculty as he was. Principal Lefevre was disappointed, but she knew too that his alternate was as good a fit, and so she had approached him and offered him the post that afternoon. His immediate response had been that Thad was a far better fit, which had made her laugh. Then with a great deal of tact, she had told Dylan that Thad was valued as a teacher, a housemaster and mentor for the Warblers, but was too young for her to give the deputy post to. Dylan had accepted that reasoning, and after a quick chat with his fiancée, had taken the post. Thad was the first person to congratulate him on getting the job…
Dylan was at the party of course, with the woman that would soon be his wife, a teacher from Crawford County Day. They had become engaged the previous year, and they had all welcomed it then; they had however decided to wait to marry once they had a little more cash behind them. With his new role, that reason was over, and they were now looking to marry sooner rather than later, with Thad quite convinced that the happy event would happen before Christmas. As he looked round the room, he couldn't help but smile as he watched them all chatting away. The friendships that had grown in the most unlikely ways gave him the most pleasure, with the way that Santana and Sebastian, once sworn enemies, were now thick as thieves, firm friends and champions of each other. There were all of the happy couples too; relationships from school and college now blossoming in most cases, or born out of a chance encounter, as had been the case with his own brother and Michelle.
Then there were the children, another sign of those growing bonds, ranging from the adopted Dante to the sleeping Francis, the apple of his father's eye. He smiled as he saw Evie and little Wes in deep discussion with each other, as they got to know each other properly, as the two children nearest in age on the street in the West Village. Then again, they, Dante, and Meghan Abrams would soon be getting company if Thad was right. Tina had a certain glow about her, which reminded Thad of the one he had seen on Mercedes and Santana when they were expecting…
The only thing that was spoiling his day was a severe attack of heartburn, which was making him grimace at its worst. He had no doubt that it was due to the spicy foods that had been made in his honour; he had always like the way they tasted, but his body had not always agreed with them, and all the more so recently. He knew that the only thing he could do was cut down on the spices, but that could wait until tomorrow; he could suffer the pain most of the time…
His attention had to return to the room though, as a cake had just been carried in with enough candles upon it to constitute a minor fire hazard. As he blew them out, he knew he was surrounded by love. Better yet, he had cake, and not even the worst case of stomach pain in the world would have stopped him from enjoying a slice of one of Nick's creations…
It turned out that in honour of the occasion, Nick had experimented with a new recipe, and it was a combination of his two favourite cakes; gingerbread and coffee cake. It had pieces of crystallised ginger through it, a coffee buttercream filling and a vanilla frosting. Thus there was a light, moist sponge, a rich filling and frosting; it was all that a birthday cake should be. As he ate, his brother stood up and made a short speech, telling them all how much he loved his little brother, and how much he felt he owed him.
"If it was not for him, then Michelle and I would not be were we are now," he said, and for a moment Thad froze, a piece of cake halfway to his mouth, hoping that his brother was not about to break the agreement and reveal exactly what he had given them at Christmas. "If I had not chosen him over my family, and finally rebelled as he had done all those years before, I would never have met her, and I would not have the challenging job that I enjoy in New York. I would doubtless just be another one of my father's underlings at the Columbus General Hospital, and unable to mention even the name of my brother on this special day. The thing about Thad though is that he doesn't even realise just how special he is to every one of us here today in this room. We will need to keep reminding him of that, and if he thinks that this party was good, wait until he sees the one we will throw for his fortieth…"
There was much amusement at that, and shouts of agreement, but Thad just shook his head. There was no way he was having a fortieth birthday celebration, and that was final. He looked up, and saw that his brother had sat down, but Trent and Sebastian were now on their feet; it was the former that spoke first. "Now, I don't know about anyone else, but I don't think you can have a birthday party without at least one present, and so far they have been absent. When it came to deciding what we should give our illustrious Head Warbler to mark this landmark, it was a nightmare of a decision. Amongst the rejected ideas were hand gliding lessons, our combined weight in chocolate, and a grand piano for your home. Instead, we all agreed that we should book you a trip to Europe."
Thad's mouth dropped open as Sebastian took over. "The itinerary that we have booked you was inspired by our own wanderings a decade ago, and it is a multi-centre holiday, starting in Prague, and taking in Krakow, Berlin, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Edinburgh and Dublin over the course of three weeks. All your travel is paid for, and the best possible hotels have been booked. Now some might be wondering why we have omitted Paris, but it and London are the two places in Europe you have already been, so this broadens your horizons."
Sebastian walked over and handed Thad a folder with all of the necessary paperwork inside. He smiled, and fighting back tears, he said, "I really don't know what to say, apart from thank you. The thing is, I don't know if I am actually free to go…"
"We have arranged all of that too," replied Trent. "All of your commitments here and elsewhere have been covered, so there are no excuses. You leave next weekend." Thad's eyes widened, and a quick glance at the first sheet in the folder confirmed that was indeed the case.
He opened his mouth to speak, but Sebastian, seeing that Ollie was busy talking to his wife, whispered, "From what Blaine has told me, a certain other Mr Harwood will be being given a three week leave of his own at just the same time, and will be able to join you, so see it more as a honeymoon of sorts…" With a wink, Sebastian stepped away, and Thad let his tears roll down, overwhelmed by the sheer generosity of his friends…
That night, after the party had finished and the guests had all dispersed, Thad headed up to his little apartment, grateful for some time alone after being surrounded by people over the last two days. He took a seat on his sofa and smiled. He was married to Wes; he had a husband. They were going on honeymoon in just under a week, a tour of Europe of the sort they might have undertaken had Wes still been alive and well. He had to admit that the idea had grown on him all the more now he had had time to study all of the details of what his friends had planned. He would be travelling from city to city by train in the main, fast journeys through scenery that would inspire, visiting places steeped in history that predated the country he was in, and had witnessed events that had changed the history of the entire world.
He mused that New York had been New Amsterdam at first, and that he had always been told that there was Irish blood in the Harwood lineage; it might prove easier to check if that was the case in the mother country, so to speak… His smile broadened as he felt a draught, and his hand instinctively clutched at the ring on the chain around his neck. He smiled even more broadly as he saw the matching ring on his husband's hand, and the huge smile on his face…
"Europe Thaddie! We are going on honeymoon to some of the most wonderful places in the continent. To think, just last week I never thought…" Thad could only nod in reply; it had been quite a couple of days. "All that history, all the architecture, but they have added things that fit your role here. You saw were you are going on a day trip from Krakow?"
Thad nodded, although the idea of visiting Auschwitz made his blood cool. Then there was the holocaust memorial in Berlin, Anne Frank's House in Amsterdam, all included. It would make teaching about it all the more real he guessed… "We will also be able to spend every night together, and that is what I am looking forward to most. Three weeks of being us, all the time. Husbands at last…"
For the few days after the wedding, as Thad began to pack for his trip away, the wedding remained the sole topic of conversation amongst his closest friends. They had all come to Dalton to celebrate the fact that he had turned 30, and of course, to see Beats and Elliott renew their own wedding vows, but all of that had been overshadowed by the unexpected events of the following day. No-one minded that naturally, all of them so pleased for the two grooms. Of course, things were not so easy to discuss for Michelle, who outwith the confines of the Spotlight Diner could not speak about it all at all, particularly the one thing that she had to admit she was finding a little hard to accept; that her Birdie was now Wes Harwood.
At home, she noticed that her husband did seem much more thoughtful than usual, and that worried her, just in case the dream state had a lasting impact on him after all. In the end, Ollie came home one night, and asked her to sit down whilst he talked about what was bothering him… "I have come to the conclusion that my brother thinks that your cousin Wes is an angel, and that is strange, because as a family we had very little time or thought of religion, and I know that Dalton Academy doesn't go too big on that kind of thing either."
"Well, maybe we are seeing the influence of David in all of that; his mother was and indeed still is very expressive of her belief and faith, and it is bound to have made him a religious man too. I know from Thad that he and Mercedes do attend church, not every week, but fairly often, and that he found his faith a help when it came to dealing with the early death of the man that was his best friend after all. We both know that Thad struggled afterwards with the loss of the man he loved, and maybe he decided to give David's way of coping with it a try too." Michelle paused for a moment, then carried on. "I wasn't brought up in an overly religious home either, but I certainly do believe that there is an afterlife, and yes, I can certainly picture my cousin with wings and a halo, but maybe not a harp. That the wings I imagine him to have are white with red and navy blue stripes at the tips is of course entirely the fault of a certain Jeff Sterling-Duval."
Ollie nodded, then took a breath. "It's just… I had a weird dream when I was at Dalton. Wes was in it, with the exact wings you describe from that drawing, but well… he was marrying Thad, and then my brother had wings too, and well… I must have eaten something bad, or had a drink spiked, because none of it makes any logical sense."
"I grant you that none of what you are saying sounds very realistic."
"The thing is that now I find myself kind of wanting to believe that Wes is indeed an angel. Does that make me a little bit mad?"
"No, I certainly wouldn't say that. All it does is put you in the same club as the majority of the Warblers, and of course, me."
"My dad would never understand how I could be feeling like this; to him, everything is about science, and to him, religion and faith is all just a crutch, convenient mumbo jumbo…"
Michelle nodded, then took her husband's hand gently in her own. "In this life, we all have to decide for ourselves what it is we believe in, and if you choose to believe in a heaven and angels, then I am at your side, 110%. There is plenty of room in this world of ours for science and belief…"
July would pass quickly, with mundane events dominating in the main. As Thad headed off to Europe, Sam was on the brink of starting the filming of his new role in a sitcom that would either make or break his career. He had with the help of the cast and Ms Kudrow turned Darrin into a version of himself, and they all had nothing but praise for the character he had created. Indeed, a new strand had come in; during the read-throughs he had been caught by Ms Kudrow doing his impressions and the next day he noticed that they had become a trait of his characters too in the amendments to the script. Sam was still concerned about how it would go down with the audience, although as his angelic watchers said, if they all loved Sam for being himself, then how could the world not fall for his television alter ego.
In the middle of the month came another moment of change in the West Village; it was time for Luke and Duncan to head home to Vermont. Jeff had begun to feel a whole set of conflicting emotions as the day approached. He and his youngest cousin, once christened mini Jeff by Santana, had seen ups and downs in their relationship, but it had been nice to have some of his family around after being apart from them for so long. It was true that Vermont was not all that far away, but neither was it the house next door….
It was another moment for those that shared that house with them too. Skylar's departure and then Seth's had been emotional, but they knew that the former was leaving to be with his wife, and for work, and the latter had gone to a place which better suited his condition. They all agreed that Seth seemed much happier now he was in an easily accessible home. The departure of Luke and Duncan would leave Colin and Edward alone in the house until the end of the month, when the first of the new blood would arrive. They were still living in their dorm room at NYU right now, and would not move in until they were due to leave it. Emmett McCabe and Dexter Robards could recall the very early days of Thad's tenure at Dalton, and had been junior members of the award winning Warblers of 2019 and 2020; they had heard the beauty of Conrad's countertenor, and relished the vocal wizardry of Todd Pawton. That they would win again, in their senior year, as Head and Deputy Head Warbler respectively had been the icing on the cake of their time in the choir…
Luke and Duncan had wanted to leave quietly, not needing a party like that the one that had been thrown for Skylar when he had headed off to Ohio. Jeff naturally had other ideas; they were not just tenants in one of the properties he happened to own, but his family. Still, he wanted them to part on good terms, and so he abandoned his initial plan for a big gathering at the Spotlight. The problem was that when Luke arrived as planned to hand his uniform back to Michelle, his face actually fell as he saw no-one there; when his uniform was accepted, and he was dismissed with a warm but truncated goodbye as the phone rang in the office and she rushed to answer it. He turned on his heel, back to where Duncan was waiting at the door, and walked out a little despondently. Had he waited, he might have heard Michelle saying, "It felt so cruel to do it, but yes, they are heading back as I speak. The look on his face was just as you predicted…"
As they walked back towards the West Village from the Spotlight, Duncan put his arm in Luke's and tried his best to make his husband smile. There was a part of him that was grateful that for once they had all listened to them, but at the same time he had, like Luke, been expecting that their wishes would be ignored, and that there would have been an all out party for them at the diner. It had seemed so likely when they had watched as everyone had left their houses and headed out of the street just before they did, with the exception of Edward and Colin, who had been having a quiet evening in watching the television. The fact that they were all obviously somewhere else did occur to him, but he had no idea where; something at the synagogue, or an event at the UN…
The street was still silent and every window dark apart from the faint glow of the light from the television coming from their own home. Luke sighed on seeing it, then turned to his husband. "Maybe we should just go now? After all, our bags are packed and ready. We go in, say our goodbyes to Colin and Edward, then head out. We can still catch a train part of the way, and find a cheap hotel to stay in before heading north tomorrow."
"We can't do that, tempting though it is. We said we didn't want a fuss, and they listened! And if we go, Jeff would be so hurt, and might never forgive of us; Nick certainly wouldn't. I still remember the way he growled at us that April Fool's Day. We get an early night, and pretend we are fine," replied Duncan.
Luke nodded, then pulled out his key, and opened the door, the house silent apart from the sound of a comedy on the television. He looked at his husband, and he nodded, and they headed for the sitting room…
They both nearly jumped out of their skin when the yell of "Surprise!" went up as they walked in, the room filled with their neighbours and friends. Luke shook his head, and said loudly, "Do none of you ever listen when people say they don't want a party? Because I am so pleased that you ignored us!" That response brought peals of laughter from every corner of the room, before Luke found his cousin and hugged him long and hard…
The next morning saw them all up early to wave them off on their way to Penn Station for the train that would carry them home, the bulk of their belongings already en route. There were more hugs, a few tears, and then they were off, heading back to the countryside, where they felt most at home. Colin and Edward headed back into a house that now seemed too big and empty; an almost sad place. It would not be like that for long, that much was true. The first of the new tenants would arrive soon enough, and during August they would be joined by four others, all members of the winning Warbler team of 2022, and seniors of the group that had come second in this year's competition….
The street would feel a little empty until they arrived; it would be complete again only once Kyle, Laurence, Hugh and Donal had arrived. Then the newest Warblers on the street would find themselves under the watchful eye of a group of men, a decade older at least, who also had ties to the same illustrious school and choir, and a shared love of music. Kitty had even cheekily suggested that they should start a New York based version of the Warblers, such would be their strength, but the fact was that they all had other commitments that kept them occupied now.
The biggest problem would be in establishing the new equilibrium on the street. The new arrivals were known to those already there through their reputations as provided by Thad; they new little more than the names, and were not close in any way, unlike with the last group. To that end, Jeff had therefore already planned to host a gathering for everyone in the last few days of August, and would invite all the Warbler alumni in the city, so that they could establish a strong support network. It would also be the first chance that they had all had to address the situation with Seth as a group. They all cared for him, but they needed now to plan for his future - and that was going to be a much bigger challenge…
