Page 73 of Snow Globe Secrets

“Steph …”

“Randall, I need you to understand that if this is some weird … transference of affection, I will have to put a stop to it. Those two men in there, they both love you, and I love them. I will not have either of them hurt. Do you understand?”

I sputtered in shock as I realized how little I had hidden from her, both back in college and since she’d opened her door to me for the holiday.

I understood Stephanie’s fierce protectiveness and wished I didn’t understand what she was saying. “How did you know?” I blurted, not sure what I was asking about.

“How did I know about your crush on my husband, or how do I know about you and Aus?”

I simply nodded because the answer was both.

“I wasn’t sure back then, Randall. You really were good at hiding it. But was I sure you loved him back then? Absolutely. And when you came out to us the other day, I started thinking about … things. Randall, did you go to England because we got married?”

“What are you guys doing in there? Come drink your coffee, or tea, or whatever,” Marty yelled from the other room. We both ignored him.

“I left to start a new life; does it matter why?”

“It does if you think my son is some kind of substitute for his father,” she whispered.

I looked through the opening. Martin was focused on the TV, and Austin was pretending not to be focused on the two of us.

“Look at them, Steph. They are two incredibly different people. Austin is very much his own person. And I’m sorry if this is hard for you, and God, I will be so, so sorry if this devastates Mart, but I think he’s my person.” I put my hand up, surrendering to the truth.

“I know. Too soon, too young, too much my best friend’s son. Give us time, Steph. Please. Time to work things out between us and time enough to convince the two of you that this isn’t the ruination of your family.”

Stephanie shook her head at me. “Martin was going on and on the other night about how we’re your family now. He has no clue.” She smiled softly. “Don’t hurt them, Randy.”

“That’s the last thing I want to do.” I leaned in. “How did you …”

“Know about you and Aus? Well, for starters, the two of you can’t look at each other without little hearts shooting out of your eyes. But also, your underpants, which I found entangled in my son’s jeans on the floor of his room, are in the dryer.” I could feel a zap up the back of my neck and imagined the red mark that people always told me about glowing a crimson red. I shot her a questioning look.

“My son hasn’t worn anything but boxers since he was nine. For an easygoing kid, it was one thing he was absolutely adamant about. He came home this week with clean laundry, for once, so I figured you hadn’t lent him those boxer briefs on purpose. Not too many ways your clothes and his could have gotten mixed up together.”

“Steph …” My voice held an apology.

“Just don’t hurt them,” she insisted, stepping away. I turned and took my mug from the microwave, standing in front of the sink and watching the Lessand family as they watched TV, the twinkling lights of a Christmas tree punctuating the scene.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Austin

My dad was smiling vaguely at the feel-good Christmas Eve news while just beyond him I was fairly sure our world was crumbling. Mom had for sure caught the two of us shooting cupid arrows at each other with our eyes. Pulling away from each other quickly had only made it more obvious. When she gave me the vice-president-in-charge head flick that I’d known for years meant I was supposed to do what Mom wanted, I was willing to brave her wrath. I bored my eyes into the back of Randall’s head while Mom bored her eyes into me. All I could see was that red mark, and I imagined it pulsing in time to my heartbeat. Mom softened her glance and nodded again. I poured more coffee, waiting for Randall to turn around, but he hadn’t by the time I was done, so I joined Dad in the family room, positioning myself to see into the kitchen.

I couldn’t hear what they were saying, but Mom and Randall spoke, and eventually, Mom joined us in front of the TV, a soft, unreadable smile on her face. Randall emerged from the kitchen a few minutes later and mumbled something about getting washed and dressed. Dad followed after him, mumbling himself about getting to the restaurant.

A short while later, croissants and travel mugs in hand, Dad and Randall left for the Three B’s.

The Excuse: I’m sorry.

The Stranger: Nothing to be sorry about. We’ll find time to talk when your dad and I get home, yeah?

The Stranger: Your dad just asked about my mystery man again.

The Excuse: You're sure you’re ok?

Sitting on the couch with pastry crumbs peppering my T-shirt, I was expecting another quick response. Instead …

The Stranger: I meant what I said. I’ve never been happier. Your parents were my friends long ago, and I cherish that, and I’m so grateful that they cared enough about me after all this time to take me in this week. Your Dad says I’m family, and I want that to be true. I’ve got a great job, my dream home, and an SUV that can brave the Upstate New York weather. I thought I had my life right where I wanted it, ensconced in my own private snow globe. Then you burst into that sad little bus station with what I wasn’t sure at the time was a sack full of presents or a bag full of dirty laundry, and with every unique and beautiful snowflake that fell, that snow globe shifted and changed. It became more beautiful even as it took on that bit of chaos that comes from being shaken. It shifted and … flurried to accommodate you. Exploring this thing between us is what I want.