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It was better than noticing that his dad wasn’t looking at either of them. Hayden and Luke could probably hold a least-popular-child competition. It would be a battle. Meanwhile, he’d just sit here, look at Luke’s biceps, and have sexual fantasies. Much better plan.
His mum asked, “Would you pass the beetroot salad, please, Hayden?” He did. There was heaps left. His mum was what you’d call a rigorous dieter.
“So, kids,” Hayden said, rousing himself, because conversation wasn’t exactly sparkling here, “decorating is tomorrow? With cocoa, maybe?”
“Yes,” Casey said. “We have to decorate, because the next day is Christmas, and Nana and Grandad and you are coming to our house for Christmas tea.”
“And we cleaned the house today,” Isaiah said, “so Nana can’t say that the guest toilet is dirty. I vacuumed.” Zora choked a little, and Rhys did some almost-smiling at that one.
“Dad is taking Isaiah and me fishing tomorrow morning, too,” Casey said, “so we can catch fish for our barbecue on Christmas. If we don’t catch any, we’re going to have hamburgers and sausages instead. Hamburgers aren’t very Christmasy, and fish isn’t very Christmasy either, except you eat different things in New Zealand. Decorating makes it more like a party, though, even if you have hamburgers. It makes it so you can wear pretty clothes and give each other presents and be all happy.”
“Including Luke, I hope,” Zora said. “Please, Luke. Please come, if you’ll be here.”
“Your own parents want you to come to them, surely,” Craig said. Ah, yes. The welcome committee was out in force tonight.
Luke looked like he didn’t know how to answer that, so Hayden did. “Luke’s volunteered to spend his Christmas with me, so we’ll take that invitation. Catch another fish for him, will you, Isaiah? Keeps me from going through yet another Christmas tea as the lonely-but-making-the-best-of-it single uncle.”
“But you are the single uncle,” Isaiah said. “That just means you aren’t married, and you’re not married.”
“It means you’re not in a relationship that you’re talking about,” Hayden said. “I’m in a relationship now, and I am talking about it. Luke and I are flying to Paris on Christmas evening, in fact. Announcement. More announcement. That’s my Christmas present. Isn’t it a good one?”
“That’s wonderful,” Zora said. “That’s amazing. Make it an early Christmas tea, then? Call it noon?”
“Well, yeh,” Hayden said, “if you don’t mind.” He could tell he was too tense, was smiling too hard. “This year, I find I’d quite like to come. Astonishing what love will do, hey, Zora.”
“And then Paris,” she said, smiling at him and looking a bit misty-eyed.
“Yes,” Hayden said. “And then Paris.” He sighed. “I love how that sounds. Like a book title. And Then Paris. It won’t be quite Christmas in Paris, but close enough. Spontaneous. Romantic. Of course, I’ll be the only one on holiday, as Luke will go straight in to work again, but never mind. I think I can manage to entertain myself. In Paris.”
“I’ll make time for you,” Luke said. “After training, I’m all yours.” He smiled at Hayden, and Hayden took his hand under the table, because that was some declaration, especially in this crowd.
“It’d be close enough for me, too,” Zora said. “Boxing Day in Paris works.”
“Probably be raining,” Craig said. “Why on earth would you miss out on summer?”
“Because,” Hayden said, “I’m tired of being single, so is Luke, we’ve found each other and it’s pretty special so far, so why not make the most of it? Because I want to go to museums and look at shop-window displays in the Rue Saint-Honoré and eat in fabulous restaurants. Because I want to walk beside the Seine after dinner, being in love and holding Luke’s hand. And, possibly, to know that nobody’s going to think that’s an invitation to bash us.”
“They can think it,” Luke said. “They’re welcome to try it, too.”
“I don’t think they’ll try it, mate.” That was Rhys, of course.
“Why would somebody bash you?” Isaiah asked.
“Because they’d be holding hands,” Craig said.
“Ah,” Hayden said. “Asking for it, you mean.” He was, suddenly, furious, but still trying for Funny Hayden. It probably wouldn’t be wise to alienate both sets of parents in the same week.
“If there are people out there who’ll bash you if you give them a reason,” his father said, “you’d be wise not to give them one.”
“Would I, though?” Hayden asked. “Would I really? I’m not sure. I find myself eager to see.”
“Do people hit you for being gay, you mean?” Isaiah asked. “Why?”
“Yes,” Hayden said. “They do. I don’t know why. Jealous of my fabulousness, maybe. I’ve had a tooth out. Been knocked down and kicked while I’m on the ground, too. That hurt.”
“That isn’t fair,” Casey said. “You can’t help it if you’re gay.”
“I didn’t know that,” Zora said. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
