Ford and Jacob from HEART TROUBLE
It was a little white house on a
quiet residential street.
Nothing to strike fear into a man’s
heart.
Christmas lights were strung along
the roof and through the neatly pruned trees, a large wreath with red ribbons
and pine cones hung on the front door, solar candy cane lights lined the cement
walk.
Bad things did not happen in houses
that looked like that. I knew because I had grown up in a house like that. In
fact, I should be walking into a house like that right now. My parent’s house
in Cotati where my sisters and aunts and uncles and cousins and grandparents
would all be sitting down to Christmas dinner any minute.
But instead I was sitting in my car
outside a strange house. A house that belonged to the parents of my…boyfriend.
The boyfriend my parents and all
the rest of my family didn’t know about because I hadn’t told them. And because
I hadn’t told them, instead of going to home to spend Christmas with my own
family, I was spending it with Jacob’s.
No. That wasn’t fair. I was having
Christmas dinner with Jacob’s family because I wanted to spend Christmas with
Jacob. And because it would be hard to do that at the home of my parents until
I came out. So…Jacob’s family.
“We’d trade off anyway, right?”
Jacob had been his usual kind, supportive self, finding excuses for me when he
should have told me to grow a pair. “Next year we’ll go to your parents.”
Right.
A red VW pulled up and parked in
front of the Hoyle house, and Rob, Jacob’s brother, got out and went around to
open the passenger door for a dark-haired girl in a white rabbit fur coat. That
would be Karin, Rob’s new girlfriend. Her family was back east, so this was her
first Christmas with the Hoyles too.
I watched Rob and Karin walk up the
candy cane lined walk. Karin was carrying a bottle of Blue Nun. I glanced at
the bottle of Blue Nun on the seat beside me. They knocked on the front door,
the door opened, and Jacob greeted them with a big, warm smile.
Just that little glimpse of him made
my heart do a happy, little handspring.
It was worth it. Worth anything
because if I didn’t love Jacob, I was closer to it than I'd ever been in my life.
I watched him lean out the doorway
and glance up and down the street before ducking back and closing the door.
I wondered why I was sitting in my
car working myself into an anxiety attack when I could be saying hello to Jacob
right now.
I could be kissing Jacob hello.
I got out of my car.
Awww - I bet they had a good Christmas after all!
ReplyDeleteJacob seems to be the perfect person and incentive to help Ford to come out to his parents.... Maybe quicker than next Christmas :-)
ReplyDeleteWonderful. It made me reread Heart Trouble and that was wonderful too :)
ReplyDeleteThanks! :-)
ReplyDeleteEach one of these has me saying "awww that's my favorite." I don't know if it's just that I'm so hungry for anything new from you, or my fickle heart. But thank you. Thank you. Thank you. You're my favorite. ;-)
ReplyDeleteAwww, thanks so much, Josh, for these wonderful glimses into our favorite characters during the holidays, Denise
ReplyDeleteAwwww, I wouldn't mind a Jacob of m'own... Ford is sooo lucky! ;D
ReplyDeleteSo sweet, Josh. Thank you. Again, I was startled when I realized it had ended. Had already gotten completely pulled in. :)
ReplyDeleteThank you all very much!
ReplyDeleteSusan, as I was writing this one it suddenly occurred to me that it was the start of a short story. So next year we might see the rest of what happens.
:D
DeleteI like that!
DeleteI'm glad!
DeleteGlad folks are still reading along!
Yay! I'm really glad to hear that. 2013 sounds like it's shaping up to be a good year. :)
ReplyDeleteI think so! I'm feeling pretty good about it. ;-)
Deleteyou're killing me with these!!! and I'm enjoying it!
ReplyDelete:-) Whether it's a full length novel or these codas Josh, you always leave me wanting more.....and yet I'm perfectly content with how they end. Happy sigh.
ReplyDeleteGood! That's exactly what I hope!
DeleteYes! A new short. I think you said this was one reason for doing this? Can't wait.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad!
DeleteHa! It was great to read more about Ford and Jacob — Heart Trouble is truly a gem. And you made me laugh out loud with the Blue Nun lines... :)
ReplyDeleteI also love the picture you'd found to fit this coda!
Coming up with the pictures is part of the fun. ;-)
DeleteI'm loving the codas. What an excellent idea!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for writing them and for having the idea!
Ciao
Antonella
I hope so! I hope everyone doesn't get bored with them before the end.
DeleteThese codas always leave me wanting more :)
ReplyDeleteGlad to her this could be just a beginning.
I think so. I had to stop myself from turnign it into an actual short story. There just isn't time for that this year.
DeleteLove it, but kind of a cliffhanger, Josh. I hope you do go with a short story--it'd be nice to sit down to dinner and see what happens here!
ReplyDeleteBTW, love Blue Nun. :~D
Kelly
Do they still make Blue Nun? I remembered how at that age that was the wine I took everywhere. :-)
DeleteYour comment got me curious. Soo...
Deletehttp://www.bluenunwines.com/
::fist pump:: Next time at the liquor store, I intend to search it out.
Oh neat. I don't know what I'll think of it now that I have a grown up palate, but I'm going to give it a try too!
DeleteI may have a Peter Pan palate--not sure it ever grew up...
Delete:-D
DeleteI dunno. I have a sudden hankering for Blue Nunn myself!
What a great incentive to get out of the car... you might get to kiss the one you love. *sigh* :)
ReplyDeleteTrue. Nothing so terrible after all!
Delete