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He already had the camera rolling, recording this for an upcoming show, as he started to unpack the boxes.
His mom’s kites were in several of them, and so was a lot of her other artwork. She’d been so creative and talented. It would be amazing to see these things on display.
Her work would be a permanent fixture here, but Maddox would feature all sorts of art from other artists, on a rotating basis.
For instance, another of the first exhibits would be our scavenger hunt contest entries from last year, next to the trophy that I’d spent hours decorating with album art and song lyrics.
We had to hand the trophy off in a few weeks, to the next winning team, but until then it looked great where it was.
Onyx’s phone rang and he stepped away. Work kept him busy, though a lot of the time we were there with him so it all balanced out. His store in Arizona was doing as great as the one here. The fact that Maddox and Adam hyped both on their show helped.
So did one of my apps. It had gotten big—with people buying and selling and trading albums all over the country, and Onyx making full use of its capabilities.
But really, both shops were doing well because Onyx was the best at what he did.
I was so happy for him. For all of three of us. And I was so very glad I got to love both him and Maddox.
Onyx came back a moment later. “I have to run, I’m so sorry.”
That wasn’t good. “Is everything all right?”
“It is.” Onyx’s smile was genuine and warm. “And I promise I’ll explain it all when I’m back.” He kissed me on the cheek and patted my ass, and he was gone.
Maddox
I might not have noticed Onyx leaving if it weren’t for the quick kiss he gave me on his way out. I was engrossed in the project at hand.
This was all so incredible, seeing Mom’s work on display, in a big open space, and being able to share it with everyone.
Thankfully, Alys, Aunt Rosie, and Claire were willing to put up with my non-stop directions for rearranging, as I tried to figure out how it all looked best. I had no idea how long we spent tweaking and adjusting, but it was finally looking right when the front door swung open.
There was still an instinctual clench in my gut whenever I saw my dad, because we’d clashed for so long. We still clashed, but we were friendlier about it, and I’d seen him more in the last year than in the ten years prior.
He even showed up to Christmas dinner at Rosie’s last year. The invitation had always been there for him, but this was the first time he’d accepted.
Once upon a time, the terse nod he gave me would’ve left me questioning, but it was who he was. He wandered through the displays with his jaw clenched, making the occasional grunt.
When he reached me, he wrapped one arm around my shoulders, and squeezed, before letting go.
What the fuck? Dad wasn’t a hugger.
“It looks incredible.” His voice was thick. “Your mother would be… Well, I’ll be honest, she’d probably be a bit embarrassed, but she deserved this. I think few things would make her happier than knowing you were the one making it happen.”
I couldn’t help my smile. “Take a picture with it all?”
“Fuck no.” Dad pulled away again. “This is your thing.”
Kind of a relief to see him back to himself again after those few agonizing seconds of sugar. I was still grinning.
He stayed a little longer before he was on his way, and a short while after that, Aunt Rosie and Claire left as well.
This was one of those days that would stay with me forever. Like the day I walked into a record store in the small town I’d grown up in, looking for help with a scavenger hunt, and met two of the most incredible people ever. The day I told Alys and Onyx I loved them. The day Adam and I hit one million subscribers on our podcast.
Yup, this was a Top Five kind of day, though it wasn’t One or Two.
I heard a door open, but it wasn’t the front entrance. I turned to see Onyx was back, and for some reason he’d come in through the rear. When a second person walked in next to him, Alys let out a tiny eep.
Or maybe that was me. “Holy shit. You’re Jake Etsam.”
