Advent Calendar - Day 3 Fiction by Byron Beach

 

Our friends have been extraordinarily generous with their time and talent this year. We have a delightful abundance of codas to share. We're going to kick off with Byron Beach and a lovely coda about Rob and Adam from Winter Kill.

Finding the perfect tree

 

The snow fell lightly, covering the mountain forest in a serene, white blanket as Adam Darling sat at the kitchen table. A cup of steaming black coffee warmed his hands, which were half-frozen since he’d forgotten his gloves on the long walk down the drive for the Saturday mail. Among the letters and advertisements was a cream-colored envelope thick and elegant, with a Washington state return address. He opened it, revealing the announcement of Tucker Lance's upcoming wedding to Elliott Mills. Adam felt a twinge of nostalgia; he had cared about Tucker, thought he might be ‘The One’ but deep down, he always knew they weren’t right for each other. Their similarities were too similar and misalignments, were not the kind that offset each other. It was different with Rob. From the moment they met, he felt that he knew Rob.  His heart knew Rob was his Rob. His brain took a few months to get over the belief that it would never work out for him.  But if a crazy, hard-ass, driven guy like Tucker could find his forever, well the world was full of surprises.

As Adam read the invitation, Rob Haskell entered the kitchen, wearing a red flannel shirt, gray fleece sweats and his usual jovial smile. "What's that?" Rob asked with a slight hint of nervousness, nodding toward the envelope.

"Wedding invitation," Adam replied, passing it to him. "Tucker and Elliott are getting married."

Rob studied the invitation, his eyebrows flattened, and his voice sounded controlled, "In Seattle? I bet it'll be a big, fancy city wedding. You said Tucker's always been about his career and doing things up right."

Adam caught the note of what, not worry, but uncertainty? in Rob's voice. He set his coffee down and reached for Rob's hand. "Rob, you know Tucker and I weren’t a good fit. I love you, I love our life here, the peace, the dogs... everything."

Rob smiled, "Of course you do, with all of this...” he smiled as he gestured to their dogs and the forest, “how could the excitement of the city compete” but despite casual laughing tone, Adam could hear something underneath.   

Adam shook his head. "Yep, the big city, I miss the traffic and the smog, and the jerks who cut you off and the $23 cocktails, if only I could go back." He murmured as he drew Rob down for a kiss

“I mean, if you want to go we could make a trip of it to Seattle and you could get your city fix and be all networky with all those Feebs” Rob suggested.

Adam rolled his eyes. “If you are so into it you go, I’ll stay here with the dogs and catch up on my sleep and explore the sights of Southern Oregon I have yet to experience. You go be ‘networky’ – is that even a word? And sit though the agony or a big wedding”

The tension eased from Rob's shoulders. "What, don’t you like big weddings?” before Adam could start an answer Rob continued “Speaking of what we have here in majestic Southern Oregon, today is Christmas tree day.  I declare it an official Darling/Haskell holiday. The snow's perfect, and Guinness and Ms. Lopez could use a good run."

Adam grinned. "Now that, sounds perfect. Let me grab my coat"

“Oh good, get out that fancy North Face sub-zero artic special one of yours.  It’s about time it got a little roughed up and some sap on it” called back Rob. “I’ll get my trusty, workman’s Columbia Puffer.”

“I had no idea that I was entering this cult of Colombia sportswear when I moved up here, and there is nothing wrong with my North Face jacket”

Rob peaking his head around the corner chirped in, “Nothing wrong at all assuming you like to pay three times more for Big City fashion”

Adam threw a glove which would have hit perfectly if Rob hadn’t quickly shut the door to the garage and started singing, I Love LA.

Out the back door, they called the dogs. Guinness bounded ahead, his tail wagging furiously, while Ms. Lopez trotted behind, her ears perked with curiosity as snowflakes drifted lazily down from the sky. The four of them set off into the woods, the crisp air biting at their cheeks, filled with the fresh scent of fir and the quiet crunch of snow beneath their boots.

Rob had gotten Guinness for Adam the previous Christmas, though it was clear from the start that Guinness was always going to be Rob’s dog. When they went to pick him up, a small sister of his wiggled her way between Adam's legs and turned on the charm, leaving them both helpless to resist. On the drive home, they decided to name her Harp—a perfect half and half match for Guinness. But over the year, while Guinness remained steadfastly himself, Harp’s name evolved as her mischievous personality emerged.

She had a habit of singing before eating, her head thrown back as if performing for an invisible audience, which led them to start calling her Lyre. Soon after, Lyre became Liar, thanks to her penchant for stealing socks and hiding them all over the house like a furry bandit. From there, Liar morphed into Liar/Flyer, then simply Flyer. But it didn’t stop there. One day, after another sock went missing, Rob laughed and declared, "You’re the greatest fly girl ever. You must be Jennifer Lopez!" JLo felt too informal and was, after all, already taken, so Ms. Lopez it was—and the name stuck, much to her 

 satisfaction.

As they hiked deeper into the woods, Rob became increasingly particular about finding the right tree. "It has to be tall but with character," he explained, his voice carrying an edge of determination. "Pretty but not too perfect. We want it to be tall but not too wide."

Adam chuckled. "Are you sure you're talking about a tree and not your ideal partner?"

Rob laughed, but it was softer than usual, almost forced. His gaze swept over the trees, his eyes narrowing as he examined each one with a thoughtful, almost anxious expression. He was quiet in contrast to his typically easygoing demeanor.

Ms. Lopez darted from one tree to another, her excitement palpable, but each time Rob considered a tree, he would shake his head. Even the ever-calm Guinness seemed to pick up on Rob’s mood, sticking closer to his side than usual.

Adam frowned slightly, studying Rob. He considered and discarded a few witty comments, realizing that this was important to Rob, though he couldn’t quite understand why he was being so intent about a tree. "Haskell, I didn’t realize Christmas Tree Day was a holiday to celebrate indecision," he teased lightly, though concern leaked out in his tone

Rob glanced over, "Christmas Tree Day is a sacred quest, Adam. There’s no rushing perfection, just ask King Arthur.

"Didn’t Arthur’s best friend sleep with his wife, and they all die in the end?" Adam countered, trying to draw out more of Rob’s usual humor, but also probing, hoping to understand what was really going on.

Rob's response was quick, but firm, almost defensive. "You read too much, Adam. In this quest, Arthur and Lancelot only cross swords in harmony—and they do that a lot."

Adam studied Rob for a moment longer, feeling the unease. Something was definitely off. This was supposed to be Rob’s favorite day, but he was far from his usual relaxed self. Was it the mention of Tucker? Or maybe the subject of a wedding? Adam was certain that he and Rob would make it official one day, but a big ceremony had never seemed important to either of them. So why was Rob so on edge today?

Stepping closer, Adam wrapped his arms around Rob from behind, pressing a kiss to the back of his neck. "Let’s expand Christmas Tree Day into tomorrow. We can go home now and do some extended research into sword crossing…"

Rob’s body stiffened for a brief moment before he relaxed slightly. "Sacred quests, my knight," he murmured, his voice softer, tinged with something Adam couldn’t quite place. "Sacred quests." Then, with renewed determination, Rob pulled away gently and continued forging ahead. 

Adam considered and discarded a few witty comments, he realized that this was important to Rob, but he couldn’t understand why he was being so intent about a tree.

After a while, they came upon a stand of trees, and Rob came to a sudden stop. Adam noticed the way Rob’s shoulders squared, a hint of relief softening his face, and a slight grin easing the tension that had been lingering there all day. Following his gaze, Adam saw Rob pointing to a Douglas Fir that stood a little apart from the others. It was around eleven feet tall, just the right width, with branches that were sturdy and symmetrical yet had just enough quirks to give it character.

As Ms. Lopez circled the tree with increasing excitement, Rob nodded approvingly. "This is the one."

Adam moved closer to examine the tree, noticing a small red box with a ribbon hanging from one of the branches. His heart skipped a beat as he turned to Rob, who stood watching him, his eyes full of hope.

Realizing what was happening, Adam took the box, his fingers trembling slightly. He opened it to find two rings nestled together inside. Overwhelmed with emotion, he looked at Rob,

Rob’s eyes filled with tears, "Forever," he whispered.

The dogs barked excitedly, circling around them as if they understood that Christmas Tree day was now and for all time the greatest holiday of the year.