Page 56 of Snow Globe Secrets

“Yeah, Dad. I’m not going to do that. Randall is the VP of a tech company. I’m sure he can figure out dating apps if he wants to.”

“A VP,” Randall muttered, humbly.

“And what about you, kiddo? Are you going to see that nice friend of yours from high school, Dalton?” Dad went on to fill Randall in. “Austin was so nervous to bring home his first boyfriend. Mind you, he’d come out to us when he was twelve, but he asked a guy to the prom and …”

And Dad was going to tell Randall all about my first boyfriend, who also happened to be my first time. Seemed like something I should be sharing with Randall. It was something I wanted to share with him.

“Okay, Dad. Embarrassing Austin story number one. Not something Randall wants to hear about.” Dalton and I did generally get together when I was home, as friends, to go out and catch up, often with other members of our graduation class. “I texted Dalton last week, but we don’t have definitive plans.”

I hadn’t thought about it over the past few days, but my usual New Year's Eve party with Dalton and the gang held no appeal for me as I sat there feeling Randall’s eyes on me.

I looked right at him even though I knew my mother was watching me. “I don’t know what my plans are yet for New Year’s Eve. Are you two going to the city?”

“Yeah,” my mom said.

“You know, Mom’s gotta put in an appearance at Rich’s party.” Dad leaned in to talk directly to Randall. “Steph’s boss always throws a big party. You can come with. It’s mostly boring bankers, but some of them must be single!”

Thankfully, there was a knock on the door, and I jumped up to get it. I could hear Randall politely declining as I walked away, and by the time I returned, Dad was talking about the tree in the corner of the room and what a challenge it had been getting it in the house without me.

“Didn’t think I should wait any later when you guys were delayed. I think we still found a good one even though it’s so close to the holiday. Right, hun?”

My mom gave my dad a peck on the cheek. “It’s lovely. Are you two sure you’re going to be up for some decorating? I know it was a long drive.” She was possibly working to change the subject herself because that question—asked and answered.

Randall seemed happy for the change of subject. “That sounds lovely. Thank you, all three of you, for including me.”

Dad slapped one hand to Randall’s knee as he passed him a plate full of pizza with the other. “Thanks for being here, man. It’s really great to have you back.” There may have been a little catch in this throat.

My dad really did wear his heart on his sleeve, and it got me thinking about how close my parents must have been to Randall. I searched my feelings, and there was some guilt there, but it was so outweighed by my other feelings that I tried to ignore it. Their friendship had happened a long time ago. It was a different time, and if their wedding pictures were anything to go by, all three were different people.

We had just spent hours alone in the car and days alone in New York, and all I wanted was to get Randall by himself, to ask him how he was feeling, and to maybe remind him of how I was feeling as well. Because much as I’d told him I’d give him space, that didn’t mean I couldn’t be concerned about him.

He’d just done something almost twenty-five years in the making by coming out to my folks.

I inhaled my pizza and jumped up. “Okay, tree time!”

I didn’t wait for a response, I just pulled one of the boxes to the coffee table, my dad reacting quickly by sliding the pizza boxes out of the way. I popped open the top of the storage bin and got to it, humming along to the holiday music as I went.

Mom left a half-eaten slice to come join me, picking up an ornament that we had gotten during my teen years and holding it up. She explained to Randall, “We usually try to buy a Christmas ornament each time we travel. When Aus was, what, about fifteen, we went to the mountains in Tennessee; it was so peaceful there. Just a week of fishing and hiking and reading books.”

I chimed in. “Yeah, for a kid who grew up at the beach, the mountains were a novelty. I loved it there. Then when we were touring colleges and we made the drive up to Hampstead and passed by where you are now in Pinesboro, I fell in love all over again.”

My face softened at the memories, but Randall’s eyes went wide, so I quickly added, “With the mountains and the climate and all those green, rolling hills on campus. Everything’s so green! Don’t get me wrong,” I rambled on, “I love coming home to the beach, especially in summer, but I really love Hampstead.”

Dad put his plate down and was standing as he chimed in, looking at his old friend, “I always say it’s a good thing there are all those professors and university employees up there who have kids. I fully expect Aus to stay in Upstate New York and open up a practice.”

Dad plucked another ornament from the box. “A less novel vacation.” He swung his ornament around so that we could all see the two anthropomorphized mice smiling back at us.

“But still fun!” I defended.

I noticed that Randall was done eating, his plate in his lap as he took a sip from his beer.

“If you don’t come and help us, Randall, we’ll be here all night, because there’s a story for every one of these.” I didn’t know what was running through his brain as he contemplated it, but I was determined to take matters into my own hands.

I picked up an ornament, one I had bought a few years back with my college’s logo on it, and stood before him. For a second, I thought I saw Randall’s eyes cloud over under those heavy frames as if he were nervous about what I might be up to. I waggled my brows in acknowledgment of the look and caught a quick smile before Randall’s face turned serious again. I took his plate, stacking it on top of my father’s. I reached out a hand for the beer bottle, but Randall took a sip and placed the bottle on the coffee table himself.

“I bought this one my freshman year, I think. The hour before my dad came to pick me up, which was when I realized I was heading home without a single Christmas present.”

Mom laughed. “I didn’t know that. You bought that lovely print of HU’s main entrance that year, with the nice frame.”