Fallin'
“Oh my God!” My mom exclaims.
“Yeah! More family!” Flash yells as Peter slips the ring on my finger.
He hugs me as the women are all exclaiming in glee.
“Oh my gosh!” My mom says as she grabs Peter into an embrace after we pull away from each other.
Flash and I examine the ring.
It’s a nice simple band.
A yellow gold with rose gold trimmings.
It’s beautiful.
“This is the best Christmas present that you have given me!” My mom exclaims as more tears are flowing from her eyes.
She pulls away from him and engulfs me in a tight hug.
“I’m so happy that you found a good man!” She tells me.
I feel guilty, but all I can do is smile and play along.
“I can’t wait to start planning your wedding!” My mom says.
“I agree.” My daddy says. “You really did choose a good one, kiddo.”
He turns to Peter.
“Welcome to the family, son.” He says happily as he hugs Peter. “Take good care of him. I love you both.”
After a few minutes of everyone fawning over us, we finally settle down.
“Ok!” My mommy says happily. “Dinner is at 7, so shower, get ready-” She starts laughing like a school girl overly happy for me. “And do whatever you want.”
We simply nod and everyone leaves the room.
Everyone but Peter and I.
He walks up to me, smiling like an idiot.
“I don’t- That was something!” I exclaim in shock.
He gives me a bigger smile.
Oh, Brown Eyes!
Michelle is a lucky girl.
“I figured that I might as well give them all the bells and whistles.” He says softly. “At least for a couple more hours, right?”
I give him a small smile.
“Thank you, Peter.” I genuinely tell him.
He nods at me.
“I assume you made up the part about my paintings?”
He chuckles.
“About that……I um- I saw your album sticking out of your bag.” He confesses scratching the back of his neck.
“You won’t find the keys in there.” I tell him, smiling like an idiot. “Shame on you for looking through my bag.” I tease.
“No I wasn’t.” He reassures me. “Relax.”
I chuckle.
“So do you just….carry this ring around with you all the time?” I wonder.
“Yeah.” He teases throwing the ring box in the air and catching it.
“Right.” I say in realization.
I give him a sad smile.
“What’s wrong?”
“I just want to apologize about everything.” I tell him trying to keep it together. "I am so, very sorry to put you through all of this mess."
“To tell you the truth, these past few days have been really fun.” Peter tells me. “I feel so free and I can be myself, your parents are the best people ever, your friends are so cool, your grandma is a feisty cookie, and you…..” He sighs. “You shine like the light from the sun.” He finishes with a smile on his face.
Damn!
That was smooth!
“If you can just please hang in there until Christmas dinner tonight, I promise you that I will take you wherever you want to go and help you with whatever you need.” I promise him.
I look at the ring again and exclaim at him sending him a smile.
I walk out of the living room, leaving a smiling Brown Eyes alone.
⁂
There’s about an hour and fifteen minutes left until dinner and I just finished setting the table with my daddy.
“I just want you to know that I am very proud of you.” My daddy says.
“They’re just plates.” I say.
“No.” He chuckles. “I’m talking about your life decisions, talking to me about your fears on running Oscorp, Peter proposing.” He finishes in a soft whisper.
My eyes widen.
“It's not - I mean - How- Wh-”
“He works with Dr. Connors at Columbia and I’ve seen him at Oscorp many, many, many times.”
Right.
How can I forget that?
“Your secret is safe with me.” He tells me.
“Are you mad?” I ask him in a small voice.
“Not anymore really. I am just hoping that your plan doesn’t fail, especially since I approve of him.” He tells me. “ Peter reminds me of myself in so many ways, and I seriously see him in your future. I really have a good feeling about this guy.”
I hug him.
"You know what's funny though? I actually called him by his name, but I don't think he was paying attention."
I chuckle as I bury my face in the crook of his neck.
“I love you, son.” He says kissing my forehead.
“I love you too, daddy.”
“I’m gonna go shower.” He says pulling away from me. “And Harry?”
I look at him.
“Thank you for being honest with me.”
I smile.
He walks away.
I walk towards the kitchen and see my mom putting the Mac & Cheese in the oven.
“Need any help mommy?”
“Oh, yes!” She says. “Put some plastic wrap on the gravy so that it doesn’t develop a skin, and then take out the trash.”
“Got it.”
“Thanks, sweetheart.”
As I enter the garage with the trash bag, I turn on the light and spot a well-dressed Flash sitting in a chair nursing a bottle of beer.
“What are you doing here?” I ask him, clearly startling him.
“Enjoying down time.” He tells me, looking up at me.
“Ah, that sounds good to me.”
“Care to join me?”
“In a sec.”
I step out the garage and put the trash bag in the bin before stepping back inside.
He hands me a beer once I sit next to him.
“Thanks.” I tell him as I twist the cap off.
We take a sip.
“So….you’re engaged.” Flash says after a minute of silence.
“Yeah.”
“I’m so happy for you, Harry.”
“Thank you.” I tell him forcing a smile. “You know-”
“I hope it happens to me someday.” He says.
Something is wrong here.
Well, not really, however, something is up.
“What do you mean?” I ask him. “You’re with Liz. Liz is great!”
“Yeah, about that.” He says. “Liz and I broke up months ago. Seven to be exact.”
“Shut up!” I say in shock.
“I’ve started to see someone else.”
“Shut up!”
“And his name is Ned Leeds.” Flash finishes.
“Oh. My. God!”
Well shit!
Eugene Thompson, aka “Flash”, just made me shake in my boots.
He finally came out.
It took him so long, but he finally came out.
“What?”
“I knew that you were gay.” I say with glee.
“Come on! You didn’t know.” He says. “I didn’t know.”
I simply look at him.
“Ok, I might have known.” He says. “I always knew, but I-”
“Does anyone else know?” I ask him.
He opens his mouth, but he shakes his head.
“I thought about telling everyone at dinner.”
“Are you out of your mind?!” I ask him excitedly.
We both start laughing like loons.
I think this might actually be my best Christmas ever!
As Flash and I are chatting and drinking, we hear a loud crash from outside the cabin.
“What the-”
We open the garage door and rush to the car that’s now backed up into a tree.
“Oh my God!” I exclaim.
“Grams?” Flash calls as he is moving the limbs from the side of her car. “Are you okay, grams?”
“Don’t touch me and don’t call me that!” Delores snaps as I help Peter out of the car.
“Are you alright?” I ask him, completely worried.
“Yeah.” He answered.
“What happened to “I’m not trying to escape anymore”? I ask him. “You could’ve really gotten hurt!”
He looks at me, and smiles again.
I am totally confused.
Am I missing something here?
“I was just making sure that she doesn’t hurt herself or anyone else.”
“Thanks.” I say after a moment. “But what Delores up to?” I ask as Flash helps my grandma back in the house.
“Well, Delores was going back to the city for a decent steak and some strong cognac.”
“Oh, Delores.” I say shaking my head.
I know she hates this place, but to escape for a steak and cognac?
Damn.
“She did!” He tells me, giving me puppy dog eyes.
He’s defending himself and I wasn’t even doubting him?
Brown Eyes is really a good honest man with integrity.
“She was going to ‘blow this rinky-dinky cabin’ while she’s under the influence.” He pleads with me.
Aww, he cares.
Why couldn’t I find a good man like Brown Eyes before? Why did I have to find him by kidnapping him?
“Well, I’m glad that you were there and I am happy that you’re okay.” I tell him.
He takes my hand and smiles wider at me.
I think I’m really starting to fall for him.