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Oh. Game. He checked. Still nothing happening.
So what had happened on Christmas? Not the fireworks he might have been expecting. Fireworks of an entirely different kind.
He’d been startled, despite Casey’s promises about decorations and dressing up, when he’d seen Zora. She was normally more the shorts and T-shirt type, to their mother’s dismay, which meant that just about the second Hayden walked through the door, he was taking her by the upper arms and standing back for a good look. “I think I know who’s been a good girl,” he said, “because Santa so clearly loves her.”
Zora was laughing as Casey said, “That wasn’t Santa. It was my dad. He gave her the earrings for Christmas, and he gave her the pearl necklace before. The earrings are real pearls and real diamonds. They’re really fancy. Even though Auntie Zora usually isn’t fancy, she likes being fancy sometimes.”
“And she already had the dress, of course,” Hayden said. “A wee bit sleeveless, a wee bit ruby-colored, and a wee bit form-fitting. Very nice.”
“Because red is for Christmas,” Casey said happily.
The doorbell rang, and Hayden couldn’t help stiffening. He’d had to think long and hard about coming today. Why should he sign up for this, and more to the point—why should Luke? Neither of them needed any more of it.
Rhys said, calm as ever, “Ah. That’ll be your parents, Zora. Come on, kids. Time for everybody to practice their ‘Merry Christmas.’”
The three of them headed for the stairs, and Zora blew out a breath. Hayden said, trying for casual and funny, since he had come and couldn’t exactly rush for the exit now, bowling over his parents along the way, “I can’t decide on my bet.”
“What bet?” Zora asked.
“Whether she says something first about the unsuitability of diamonds for daytime, or Dad goes straight for Luke. Tell me we’re not having hamburgers, at least. I don’t think I can take this day on hamburgers.”
“We are having,” she said, “fresh-caught kahawai with baby spinach, Thai curry sauce, and lime, on a bed of forbidden rice. Thanks to Rhys.”
Hayden opened his eyes wide. “Very elegant. Oh, wait. I’m not just hearing ‘Mum’s horribly healthy salads arriving’ down there. I’m hearing excitement. Christmas is for children,” he told Luke. “I’m reminding myself of that.”
“You know,” Zora said, “if they say anything, that won’t be all right. Not with me, and not with Rhys. It’s not happening again in our house.”
“You could hold my hand,” Luke said.
“Yeh, right,” Hayden said.
“No,” Luke said. “I mean you could hold my hand.”
“Oh.” Hayden thought that one over a minute. “Maybe I could. Statement, eh.”
“Stand your ground,” Luke said.
Movement on the stairs, and their parents were there. Their mum looked … different. Dressed as beautifully as always, and her hair as perfect as always, so that wasn’t it. Like she’d been crying, or had been emotional, either of which was hard to imagine. She came into the room fast and said, “Hayden. Darling. Merry Christmas,” kissed his cheek, then turned to Luke, kept the smile on her face, and asked, “May I kiss you as well?”
His face worked, and he didn’t say anything for a minute. Finally, though, he said, “Yes.” And smiled. And when Tania kissed his cheek, patted the other one, and said, “Merry Christmas,” Hayden thought, Well done, Mum. And hoped.
His foolish heart.
His dad was there too, then, giving Zora a kiss and Rhys a shake of the hand, then offering Hayden a brief cuddle and pat on the back and putting his hand out to Luke. Luke hesitated for a bare second, then shook it. Craig cleared his throat and said, “Merry Christmas. I think I may not have been … entirely hospitable the other night.”
“You think?” Hayden asked. He wasn’t making a joke about this. He was done making jokes.
“Also,” Craig went on, the words clearly pulled out of him, “I may have sounded … disappointed. I’ve done some, ah, thinking. And I’m proud of you, of course, Hayden.”
He ran down, then glanced at Tania, who said, “I think what your dad’s trying to say, darling, is that we’re both very proud of you. In your work, and in the person you’ve turned out to be. And that what we want most is for you to be happy.”
“Yes,” Craig said. “Of course.”
“Thanks, Mum. And Dad. Uh … Merry Christmas, I guess.” It wasn’t exactly a Hallmark Christmas movie, but it probably passed for “heartfelt emotion” in his family.
His mum must have said something to his dad. Could she actually have enough emotional intelligence to know that Hayden had been a heartbeat away from walking out and not coming back? Not possible, but something had happened. Cautious optimism was the order of the day, he decided, and leave the Hallmark movie scripts for somebody else’s family.
“What happened?” Casey asked. “Is somebody mad?”
