NEW YORK CITY
Since Thanksgiving, the walls of the house had felt as though they were closing in on Dylan. This afternoon’s phone call from Robert had come with impeccable timing. A night out in the city was just what he needed. The December air had obliged in the countdown to Christmas and in the icy cold air as he headed out to meet his friend, Dylan was glad he’d dug out his warmest winter coat.
He waited near the Washington Square Arch for Robert. Dylan had lived in New York all his life and looking around him he contemplated this city and the memories he’d created over the years. He’d had his first kiss outside Radio City Hall, he’d seen his first ever ball game at Yankee Stadium with his father, sitting high up in the nosebleed section, and his mom had taken him ice skating in Central Park every year until he’d got too old to hang out with his parents. He’d met Prue in this city too. Looking up at the gigantic tree framed by the archway, he remembered their first Christmas together. She’d been pregnant with Ruby, which had made it a Christmas to remember and they’d both loved the season. They’d stood for hours in crowds at the Rockefeller Center, waiting in the bitter cold to see the tree, some twenty-five metres high by his estimation and covered with tens of thousands of LED lights. They’d returned the weekend after to ice skate despite Prue’s hesitation in case she fell and the baby was hurt, and at the time he couldn’t have imagined splitting up, but now, he was content and had found himself again. He wasn’t sure he wanted that to change.
Prue hadn’t mentioned their conversation at Thanksgiving again. She hadn’t shown up unannounced and she’d said nothing of it when he’d dropped the kids round earlier for the sleepover at their grandparents’. Dylan still had no idea what he wanted to do. He’d thought about Prue, he’d thought about Cleo. But his mind had stayed fuggy with no clear solution in sight.
When he met up with Robert they made their way to the nearest bar, not far from the arch. The place was packed with the after work crowds, and after they’d bought a drink, they wove their way through the throngs, beers in hand and found a space at the back.
‘It looks like Christmas threw up in here.’ Robert bashed his head on yet another garland dangling from up above. The entire ceiling was covered in holiday lights with either garlands or poinsettias filling any space that dared show itself.
‘It’s like being inside a Christmas tree,’ Dylan observed. ‘The kids would love it.’
Robert moved his stool away from the side of the table so he didn’t get a mouthful of poinsettia. ‘I keep forgetting we’re all grown up now, with families of our own. It doesn’t seem that long ago we were in college.’
Dylan took a swig of beer. ‘Those were the days, eh. No responsibility.’ They’d strutted around college without a care in the world, Dylan with his green eyes and dark blond hair, Robert with his jet-black hair that was now peppered with grey.
‘I beg to differ. I was always responsible for getting discounts on beer kegs.’
‘That’s right, you were in with Kenny, the local Liquor God.’
‘Hewasa god.’ Robert tapped Dylan’s bottle in a cheers gesture.
They reminisced about life at college, raising their voices above the level of the music. They talked about the good old days when their only responsibility was turning up to lectures and getting their work in on time, or watching the cheerleader training sessions.
‘Bonnie was into you.’ Robert claimed when he returned with a second beer each. ‘She was the hottest girl on the cheerleading team. I saw the way she watched you.’
Dylan pulled a face. ‘On the first day of college, when I knew nobody, I bumped into Bonnie.’
‘You never told me.’
‘That’s because I was mortified.’
‘Why? You didn’t ask her out did you?’
‘No, but I’d seen her walking towards me and couldn’t stop looking at how beautiful she was. I thought she was into me because she’d looked me up and down and then blushed. I thought I had it in the bag when she stopped me after I walked past and she said hi. But all she wanted to tell me was that my fly was undone. My shirt was poking through the hole, thankfully nothing else was.’
Robert’s head tipped back as he laughed. He patted Dylan on the back. ‘How did I never know that? There I was thinking it was my buddy’s irresistible charm that drew her attention.’
‘I think she was a genuinely nice girl,’ said Dylan. ‘She didn’t broadcast it, at least not to my knowledge, and for that I was grateful.’
‘So how’s single fatherhood?’ Robert ventured once they’d finished discussing college days. ‘I mean, it’s hard enough in a marriage, let alone doing it alone.’
‘I’ve got a routine so I’m good. But it was hard at the start, when Prue left.’
‘Does she see much of the kids?’
‘She’s seeing more of them lately.’
‘Oh?’
‘She wants us to try again.’ Dylan would’ve preferred to lower his voice but there was no way he’d be heard in here if he did.
‘And what do you want?’
Dylan shook his head. ‘I don’t know. I want what’s best for my kids, but I’m not sure their mom coming home would be the answer. She rarely took an interest in them when they were tiny and she was the one who walked out in the first place. I couldn’t see them hurt again like that.’
‘Do you think she’s changed?’ Robert had to repeat his question a couple of times over the din.
