Chapter Seventeen #2
Within minutes, the car slowed and pulled up in front of the house.
Declan thanked the driver and the two of them paused outside for a moment before heading to the door.
Declan took Charlie’s hand and they walked up together.
The side door popped open before they got there. Charlie’s mom poked her head out.
“Perfect timing, you two.” She grabbed Charlie and gave him a big hug and a kiss. “Happy birthday, Charlie.”
“Thanks, Mom.”
The greeting was interrupted by Gran who called out from the top of the stairs, “Don’t hog him all to yourself, Maggie.”
Charlie ran up to give his grandmother a hug. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see his mother embracing Declan.
“Oh, I have something for you,” Declan said, handing her a bottle of wine.
“Oh, aren’t you a dear. You can definitely come over anytime you want. Now both of you into the living room. Your father and Carrie are waiting for you.”
“Carrie’s here, too?” Charlie asked. “I thought she was out of town.”
Maggie smiled. “That’s what she wanted you to think. Now go say hello.”
When Charlie got to the other room, his father was in his usual chair. Carrie sat opposite him on the love seat.
“Well, it took you long enough to get here,” she said, standing to give him a big hug and a kiss. “Happy birthday.”
“You knew all about this?” he asked her.
She just shrugged.
Charlie held on for a few seconds longer, then turned to his father. “Hey, Dad.”
Ted nodded, then stood, extending his hand. Charlie shook it, remembering a time when he was a kid and his dad would give him a hug. But later, things had changed. Handshakes were always what grown-ups gave other grown-ups.
“Happy birthday, son.”
Declan’s voice interrupted Charlie’s moment with his father. “Thank you for inviting me into your home, Mr Watts. I brought you this.” Declan handed him a bottle of Highland Park Cask Strength Whisky.
Charlie’s father’s eyebrows rose, just a touch. He nodded his approval.
“Thank you,” his father said, staring at the bottle.
Charlie felt that he’d witnessed a strange ritual—the modern-day gay version of a dowry payment.
And his father’s reaction seemed to suggest that payment had been accepted.
Either his mother, the passage of time, or a combination of the two seemed to have had a positive effect on Ted Watts’ opinion of Charlie’s relationship with Declan Hunt.
Charlie’s mother poked her head into the living room. “Dinner’s ready.”
Carrie and Ted headed off, arm-in-arm. Charlie looked at Declan, smiled and took a deep breath before following. They walked into the dining room. Charlie saw the sideboard mounded high with food. He leaned toward Declan and whispered, “Prepare to be stuffed.”
The meal went smoothly and conversation flowed as Carrie and Gran told countless embarrassing stories about things Charlie had done when he was younger.
After dinner, everyone except Charlie and his mother retired to the living room. Charlie insisted on helping her tidy up.
“Thank you so much for tonight. It was perfect,” he said.
“Believe it or not, it was as much your father’s idea as it was mine.”
“You’re kidding?”
“He’ll never admit it, but he’s been moping around here like a schoolboy who’s lost his best friend.”
Don’t cry. Just don’t cry.
“He and Declan…they seem to be getting along. Don’t they?” Charlie commented.
Maggie nodded. “Oh, yes.” She lowered her voice to a whisper.
“Don’t tell him I told you this, but I caught your father looking that man of yours up online.
He seemed quite impressed. Your dad came into the kitchen this morning and said that I should be proud of my son, winding up with a real hero like him.
Then he said ‘and to think they drummed him out of the police service for being different.’”
“Dad said that?” Charlie asked.
Maggie laughed. “Well, I may be paraphrasing a bit.”
“So, he’s okay with the fact I’m gay?”
Charlie’s grandmother came into the room.
“Well, I don’t think he’s quite there yet,” she said.
“Your dad’s a dear man, Charlie, but I can tell there’s still a bit of a jump between being open to the idea that his son is in a relationship with a man, and accepting that his son is gay.
For now, he can accept that you’re living with a male friend.
At least that’s what he says when people ask about you. ”
All three burst out laughing.
“Now, I think it’s time to join us grown-ups in the living room,” Gran said.
Charlie found Declan and Ted sitting on the couch, deep in discussion about what seemed to be the impossibility of the Toronto Maple Leaf’s NHL franchise ever winning the Stanley Cup again.
“It’s a fact,” Ted said, “that in Canada, East hates West. The English don’t get the French—and vice versa on both of those. The only thing that unites the country is that everyone hates Toronto. The NHL is rigged so that there is no way they’ll ever be allowed to win!”
Charlie glanced at the bottle of Scotch and saw that a good dent had been put in it since supper.
“Well, as long as the Flames get the cup,” Declan said, with vigour. “To hell with the rest of them!”
“Charlie, come sit with me,” Carrie said, patting the space next to her on the loveseat. “We need to readjust the balance of the masculine energy in the room.”
“What? Don’t forget I used to be a pretty good hockey player myself,” Charlie defended.
“Yes, you did. But you weren’t so loud about it.”
Charlie glanced at Declan, who winked at him.
Gran and Maggie entered the room with presents.
There was a hand-knit sweater from his gran, and an engraved pen to use at work, from his parents.
Carrie gave him a copy of a popular gay hockey romance novel, and promised to take him out for dinner later.
The gifts were simple and he couldn’t have asked for anything more. They were given with love.
After a few more drinks, Charlie glanced at the watch Declan had given him, and said, “We really should be heading out.”
Charlie’s mother and Gran both gave him hugs and kisses as he prepared to leave. His dad held back. Charlie went to him and held out his hand. His dad took it and smiled. “You’re welcome back anytime. Just drop on by. And that goes for you, too,” he said to Declan.
Declan shook Ted’s hand warmly, and they made their way out to the waiting Uber.
Charlie snuggled into Declan in the back of the car.
“That was the best birthday ever!” Charlie slurred out.
“It was, wasn’t it,” Declan replied.
“Sorry I was a bit of a dick earlier. I was just scared about seeing my dad again.”
“I know.”
“An’ it was so nice to have Carrie there, wasn’t it?”
Declan nodded. “It was.”
“And the presents? Oh, my god, that new sweater Gran knit for me…I better not put on any weight ’til winter or it won’t fit.”
“It’s nice and you’ll be fine,” Declan said.
“Oh, and the way you got along with Dad. It was perfect!”
“It was, wasn’t it?”
“The best birthday present of all,” Charlie said as he snuggled more deeply into Declan.
He stared up at him and said, “I love you.”
Declan kissed him and said, “I love you more.”
Charlie held onto Declan tightly. He never wanted this moment to end.