Chapter 18 Grayson
grayson
Whoever is calling my phone right now can go straight to hell.
I reach over to grab my phone, ready to silence it, when I see that it's none other than my father calling.
Lovely.
"Good morning, Dad," I groan, trying to wiggle my way from underneath Kat as to not wake her up. "Merry Christmas Eve."
"Where the hell are you?"
Well, that was just a warm greeting.
"I'm in Tennessee. I told you and Mom I was stuck."
"Still?"
So this is how my morning is going to start. Yay.
"Yes, Father. That's what 'snowed in' means," I say as I step into the bathroom and shut the door behind me.
"Well, don't they have snowplows? What kind of state are you living in?”
I pinch the bridge of my nose. I thought not being with my family today would mean I could avoid the annual Christmas migraine.
"Dad, as I said to you and Mom when I texted a few days ago, unfortunately, I'm stuck here. Tennessee isn’t prepared to handle this kind of snow. It’s been going for three days now nonstop.
It's not like in Connecticut where everybody and their brother owns a snowplow. The roads and the airports are shut down.”
“Well, is it ending anytime soon?”
I love how he thinks I’m suddenly a meteorologist. Though even if I was, I still wouldn’t be a coveted lawyer.
“The earliest I'm getting out of here is likely tomorrow night."
"Well, Christmas will be over by then."
Does he not think I don't own a calendar or know how time works? "Yes, Dad. I understand that that's what it means. I’m sorry I’ll miss the festivities. Plus, who knows how badly backed up the flights will be. It’s probably best that I just stay home this year.
I’ll try to get there in a few months to see everyone. ”
“Oh no, you still need to come home,” he says in a tone that leaves no room for a negotiation.
“Why are you so hell-bent on this?” I ask. “I’m going to miss tonight and all day tomorrow. The earliest I’d make it back is tomorrow night, but the airports are going to be a madhouse. So for all I know I’ll be coming in after midnight. Is me coming home right now really that big of a deal?”
“Ugh!” I feel him rolls his eyes. “You're going to miss it."
"Christmas?" I ask. “I mean, is Santa Claus himself coming? I feel like he knows the weather and will understand why I can’t make it.”
"Why are you being a smartass about this?" he huffs. “You’re going to miss the big announcement.”
“What announcement?”
“We were going to wait until the whole family was together—all of the uncles, aunts, and cousins—and we thought Christmas dinner would be the best place.”
“Well, don’t keep me waiting Dad. I’m on the edge of my seat.”
“Your sister is getting married.”
That’s the announcement? I mean, good for her. But she’s dated the same guy since freshman year of college. If they broke up, that would be bigger news.
“Thanks for letting me know. I’ll call her and congratulate her.”
“But that’s not the exciting news. Her fiancé is leaving his firm in Boston. The two are going to be taking over Ross and Family next year when I retire.”
Of course my father would prioritize the law firm over an engagement.
“Good for them.”
“That’s it?”
Really? He’s surprised by my reaction? “What do you want me to say, Dad?”
“I want to hear some enthusiasm in your voice. You should be proud of your sister and how hard she’s worked.”
“Just like she’s proud of me?” I ask.
“You know it’s not the same.”
“That’s the one thing in this life I do know.”
“It doesn’t have to be this way,” he says.
And here it comes: the yearly guilt treatment of me not being a part of the firm.
It’s like getting socks in my stocking, you can count on it every Christmas.
“How does it feel knowing that you’re the only family member that's not carrying on the tradition?”
“Actually, it feels pretty good,” I say. “I’m happy. I have a job I’m good at. I like the city I live in. And I just started seeing someone. Everything’s coming up Grayson.”
As if on cue, Kat opens the bathroom door. I bite my bottom lip as I stare at her wearing my button-down from last night.
“You’re seeing someone? So you’re actually going to, what, stay in Nashville?” He says it like I’ve decided to live in a third-world country with no indoor plumbing.
“Yeah, Dad. For the foreseeable future, I am,” I say, signaling for Kat to come sit on my lap. “Her name is Kat. Short for Katherine. Not like a cat. That was my first mistake too.”
She smiles as she loops her hands around my neck.
“Dad, I don’t want to be a lawyer. I don’t want to move back to Connecticut so you and the uncles can live out this weird fantasy of everyone in the bloodline working at the law firm.
I’m happy with my life. My career. My choices.
I am successful by anyone’s definition. And if you’re not okay with all that, then maybe I won’t see you for Christmas next year either. ”
“You wouldn’t. What would I tell your mother?”
“Easy. Tell her that her son is going to spend time with people who make him happy and accept his choices. If she, or you, don’t understand that, then we have nothing more to talk about.”
This makes him go silent. And you know what, this conversation is over.
“Dad, I'm sorry that I'm missing the big announcement, and you know, the actual holiday. We’ll talk soon.”
He clears his throat before speaking. “Yes, son. Merry Christmas.”
We both hang up, and I let out the biggest, and most relieved, breath I’ve had in a long time.
“Everything okay? It didn't sound like a pleasant conversation.”
“It wasn’t,” I say. “But at the same time, I feel better than I have in ages.”
"Wanna talk about it?" she asks.
“Not in the least,” I say, pulling her in tighter.
“Well, what do you want to do? Reclaim our table from yesterday and open the laptops? Sit here all day and find twenty-four hours of Christmas movies?”
I shake my head. “No work. Starting right now, we’re both on vacation.”
This makes her smile. “Vacation, huh? What do you have in mind?”
I pretend to think for a second, even though I already have something in mind. “I’m thinking something outside-y.”
She raises an eyebrow. “Not outdoorsy, right?”
I kiss her nose. “Absolutely not.”
“This feels pretty fucking outdoorsy.”
I laugh as Kat scrunches her nose and mumbles random swear words as we walk up the sledding hill on the grounds of the Timberline.
“It’s not that outdoorsy,” I defend.
She stops and points to the sled we’re carrying.
“I’m walking up a hill. In snow. With boots on.
And not cute ones. I’m helping carry a sled.
That I’m going to use to slide down a hill in the cold with snow blowing in my face.
And then I have to climb back up the hill again.
If that's not outdoorsy, I don't know what is.”
She has a point, but I need to hold my ground. “Okay, it’s in the middle. But it’s going to be fun. Plus, it could be worse.”
“How?”
We stop at the top of the hill, and I lean in toward her. “We could be going on a hike.”
“You wouldn’t dare.”
“Never.” I peck a kiss to her lips before arranging the sled on the top of the hill. When I stand back up, I see her looking around, a bit confused.
“Everything okay?” I ask.
“Yeah. Just wondering how this goes.”
I give her a confused stare. “How what goes?”
“How does this work?” Kat points to the sled. “Like, how do we move? How does it go? Is there an engine I missed? I don't understand the mechanics.”
“Kat, have you never gone sledding before?”
“This is actually my first snow.”
That takes me back. “Your first snow?”
She nods, suddenly a little shy. “You have to remember, I'm a born and raised California kid, and not in the area where they do get some snow each year. This is my second Christmas in Tennessee, but the only snow we got last year was when I happened to be away for work. So yeah, all of this is a first for me.”
Wow…I never even thought of that. And now I’m even more glad that I stretched the limits of her outdoorsy and outside-y rule.
When you’re in your thirties, there are less and less firsts to be had.
Sure, marriage and kids are there. Some big life experiences.
But these littles ones? Ones that normally wouldn’t be a big deal, but when you get to watch the person you’re falling for more and more experience them?
Those are the ones you’re going to treasure.
And it being on Christmas Eve? There’s something poetic about that.
“Well then…” I pull her into me, giving her a quick, and family friendly, kiss. “Let me show you how it’s done.”
I make sure the sled is situated perfectly on the hill—flat enough that we can get in it, but not so far away we can’t catch the slope.
“Get in, toward the front,” I instruct, which she does. I move it up a little closer before I situate myself. “Now come here.”
I spread my legs, bringing her back tight into my hold. She turns her head just as I wrap my arms around her.
“If you wanted me to cuddle you like this, we could’ve stayed in the room and done warm, inside-y things.”
I chuckle. “We'll have plenty of time to do that later. Now, when I give the go, we’re both going to push off with our hands. A few shoves and we should be at the hill and then gravity takes us the rest of the way.”
“Just for clarification, when I said outside-y things, I meant being pulled in a sleigh drinking hot chocolate.”
“I’ll remember that for next time. Three…two…one…push!”
Despite her objections, Kat reaches her gloved hands into the snow and we start inching our way to the drop of the hill. Luckily, the hill is pretty steep, so we only need a little bit of momentum before we catch the incline.
“Here we go!”
The word isn’t out of my mouth before we start shrieking in excitement. My hands are back around Kat, making sure she’s secure as our speed kicks up.