Aftermath
Chapter 7
“Here’s the mail, honey,” Carl said as he placed a stack of envelopes on the table.
“More bills,” Debbie said with a snort.
“There’s one that looks different.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah, this one,” Carl said pulling a slightly larger than normal envelope out of the pile. He handed it to Debbie before pouring himself another coffee and sitting down.
“What the fuck is this?” Debbie asked examining the envelope from all angles and holding it up to the light.
“Why don’t you open it and see?”
Debbie snorted again at the simplistic suggestion, but she ripped the envelope open and pulled out the cornucopia that had been so lovingly constructed at Edna’s Treasures.
“What is it?” Carl asked as Debbie just sat there looking at it.
Debbie turned the pumpkin back and read the message inside. “Holy shit!”
“What…what is it?” Carl asked, getting slightly worried by Debbie’s reaction.
“It’s beautiful,” Debbie said with a little sniffle. “Read it.”
Carl took the card in the shape of a cornucopia from his wife. He looked at the carefully crafted piece of work. “There’s a little rainbow with black and brown at the edges drawn near the tip of the cornucopia,” Carl observed.
“Bree,” they both said.
“Read what’s inside,” Debbie ordered.
Carl flipped the card open and read the message inside the pumpkin. “That’s really … nice,” he said.
“It’s fucking awesome!”
“Whose idea do you think this is?” Carl asked.
“It’s Justin’s artwork, but it’s Brian Kinney from the heart,” Debbie declared.
“You think so?”
“I know so. Joanie’s death has had a profound effect on that boy.”
“He’s hardly a boy,” Carl informed her.
“He’ll always be my boy, one of my lost boys, only he isn’t lost anymore. This proves it.”
“So, are we going?” Carl asked with a little smile.
“You bet your hunky ass we are!”
“Hunky ass?”
“You heard me, big boy.”
“You gettin’ frisky there, Mrs. Horvath?”
“Come here and I’ll show you.”
And she did.
*****
“Have you seen this?”
“What?”
“This invitation.”
“What invitation?”
“From Edna’s Treasures.”
“What are you talking about, Drewsie? I have no idea to what you might be referring,” Emmett said.
“I found this cornucopia on the counter. Did you get it?”
“Oh, that old thing,” Emmett said. “Did you read it?” he asked with a tiny intake of a breath.
“Yeah, just a minute ago.”
“What did you think?”
“I think it’s rather out of character for the inhabitants of Edna’s Treasures to be so formal … and honest,” Drew responded. “But I guess things are different this year … without Joan.”
“Yeah, Brian called me a few days ago and said they were going all out this year. It’s going to be a Thanksgiving to remember,” Emmett said happily.
“You’ve been planning and plotting ever since, haven’t you?” Drew said shaking his head.
“Of course! I’ve just about got all the decorating planned. I’ve drawn up a list for the food, and I will be calling people tomorrow to tell them what to bring.”
“You’re a party planning machine,” Drew said as he kissed Emmett’s cheek.
“I think the sentiment inside the card was lovely. I want this to be a really special day for Brian fucking Kinney and his whole family.”
“I know you’ll make it very special, because you’re special.”
“Care to show me how special I am?” Emmett asked with a wink and a toothy grin. “I think I deserve a break from all my hard work on this party.”
“It would be my pleasure,” Drew said, “and I hope your pleasure too.”
“Oooh, Drewsie,” Emmett sighed as he allowed himself to be led to their bedroom.
*****
“Look at this,” Ken said handing the cornucopia card to Simon.
“What is it?”
“An invitation.”
“To what?”
“To Thanksgiving at Edna’s Treasures. Read the inscription.”
Simon read the inside of the card. “That’s lovely. I … think we should go. We didn’t make it to Brian’s mother’s funeral, so this would be … nice. What do you think?”
“I think we talk to the boys and see about going. Something about this card and the words inside it say that this Thanksgiving is very important to our friends. We should be there for them.”
“Ray and Gus will be over the moon spending Thanksgiving together,” Simon observed.
“And I’ll be over the moon spending it with you and the family.”
“Let’s make it happen,” Simon said as he pulled his mate into a long, passionate kiss.
The cornucopia card was spreading good will and lots of love wherever it was received. All this unbeknownst to its creators.
*****
At several more homes in Pittsburgh, the cornucopia card made the recipients feel all warm and fuzzy. Many made serious changes to their plans so that they would be able to travel to Edna’s Treasures for this special holiday. The phone on the lane began to ring with people accepting and wanting to contribute to the food.
Brian passed them on to Emmett. He was surprised at how many compliments he got on the card and the sentiments expressed inside it. It made him feel all warm inside too.
*****
Brian was checking off Lindsay and the girls on his list of invitees when the phone rang once again.
“Party central,” Brian said when he saw who was calling.
“What?”
“It’s okay, Sonny Boy, just your old dad having some fun with you.”
“I just got my invitation,” Gus said. “It’s beautiful.”
“That seems to be the consensus of opinion about the card,” Brian said smugly.
“You wrote the words inside the card, didn’t you, Pop?”
“What makes you think that?”
“They’re … really meaningful. I couldn’t have said it better myself.”
“Is that so,” Brian observed, but he was secretly touched that Gus had figured that out and agreed with his sentiments.
“You are the man of words.”
“Sometimes that’s a good thing and sometimes it’s a curse,” Brian said thoughtfully.
“This time it was definitely a good thing.”
“Thanks,” Brian said simply.
“I saw Bree’s trademark rainbow on the end of the cornucopia.”
“She insisted.”
Gus chuckled. “I think you’ve got her into branding already. She’s going to be an advertising genius in a couple of years.”
“Couple of years? She already is!” Brian told him in no uncertain terms.
Father and son had a good laugh over that. It felt good to share some frivolity.
“How you doing, Pop?” Gus asked after a minute or two.
“I’m okay. What about you?”
“I miss her.”
“Me too.”
“She was a good woman.”
“Yeah, who would have thought? There were so many years that we couldn’t stand each other. We … wasted a lot of time.”
“Dad, I’d really like to talk to you about your childhood when I come home for Thanksgiving.”
“You … you don’t want to hear about that,” Brian protested.
“Yes I do. I know it won’t be easy, but I really want to hear your memories … bad and good.”
“You won’t like it.”
“Let me be the judge of that,” Gus stated.
“I heard from Simon and Ken. They’re coming for Thanksgiving along with Ray and Jeff.” Brian hoped this piece of news might distract Gus from the conversation they had been having.
“Really? That’s great.”
“I thought you might be pleased.”
“You’re just hoping I’ll be too busy with Ray to ask about your childhood.”
“Would I dare think such a thing?”
Gus laughed. “Oh yeah!”
“You know me too well.”
“But not as well as I want to.”
Brian sighed into the phone. He didn’t want to talk about this anymore. “Bree will be over the moon when she hears that you’re coming home.”
“She’s not going to stop me from talking to you either.”
“Give it a rest, Sonny Boy.”
“Okay, Pop, but I intend to find out what I want to know.”
“Why didn’t you talk to your grandmother if you’re so interested?”
“I did.”
“When?” Brian asked surprised.
“On a few occasions. Grandma and I had an understanding.”
“What kind of an understanding?”
“What happens in the past stays in the past,” Gus said trying to be funny.
“Then why are you dredging it up into the present?”
“I just … want to understand.”
“Some things are inexplicable.”
“Or so you’d have me believe.”
“Gus…”
“Pop, it’s all right. I don’t want to pry. If there’s things you don’t want me to know, I can live with that. Just tell me what you can.”
Brian rubbed his hand over his eyes. “This is important to you, isn’t it?’
“Yes it is.”
“Try not to let it ruin Thanksgiving.”
“I’d never do that,” Gus promised. “It sounds like this is going to be an extra special Thanksgiving.”
“That’s what we’re aiming for.”
“Pop, I’m really proud of you.”
Brian opened his mouth to say something flip, but then it closed without a word coming out. After a minute Brian was able to say, “Thanks.”
“I mean it, you know.”
“I’m really proud of you too, Gus.”
“Us Kinneys aren’t a very big group, but we are mighty,” Gus said with a chuckle, hoping a bit of levity would relieve the seriousness of what they had just said to each other.
“Yeah, and we can count on each other.”
“One hundred percent.”
“Looking forward to seeing you in a few days.”
“Me too, Pop, me too.” Gus cut the connection.
Brian stared at his phone for a long time before he finally placed it back in its base.
*****
When Justin arrived back from Pittsburgh following a meeting with Sidney at the gallery, he found Brian standing in the sun porch staring out at the backyard.
“It’s kind of sad, isn’t it?” Justin said as he walked up behind Brian and gave him a peck on the cheek.
“What’s sad?”
“The gardens. The flowers are almost all gone. They’ve been stripped for the winter.”
“Kind of like old age.”
Justin frowned not clear as to Brian’s meaning. “What do you mean by that?”
“I’ve been thinking while you were gone.”
“That can be a scary thing.”
“When we get older, life is gradually stripped away from us, like the gardens are stripped in the fall.”
“How so?” Justin asked with a frown.
“Joan didn’t come to Richie’s party. She thought the trip was too long and tiring. Yet she loved the family and wanted to be here to see her grandchildren and to help celebrate a new member to the family. She was stripped of that enjoyment by her age and health.”
“I see.”
“Life can be a bitch.”
“I guess you could say that. But life also has some wonderful parts to it.”
“Such as?”
“Want me to show you?”
“In a minute,” Brian said. Justin could see the wheels turning. Brian needed to get something out, and sex wasn’t going to cut it until he did.
“Tell me what you’re thinking,” Justin encouraged.
“Gus called. He liked the card.”
“That’s good. We did a great job as a family.”
“Yeah. He wants me to tell him about my childhood.”
“I see.”
“You know I hate to talk about it.”
“Yes, but maybe Gus’ desire to know is more important than your reluctance to reveal some of the bad things that happened during your childhood.”
“Why does he need to know?” Brian asked. “Why can’t it just … die with Joan?”
“It’s part of Gus’ history too, Brian. He has a right to learn about his family.”
“Even when it’s totally dysfunctional?”
“Even then.”
Brian shook his head. “I knew you were going to say that.”
“It wasn’t so bad when Bree was learning about the family, was it?”
“No, but she barely scratched the surface.”
“And you think Gus will want to dig deeper?”
“You know he will,” Brian averred.
“And what’s so bad about that? He knows your father was rough with you, and he knows about Joan’s drinking. He already knows the worst.”
“I don’t want to put it into words,” Brian said.
“Tell him as much as you can. That’s all he wants.”
“I’ll try, but I don’t know…”
“You’re the bravest man I know, Brian Kinney. You can do it.”
Brian laughed. “I was reading on the internet today…”
“You were?” Justin asked in mock horror.
Brian ignored his antics. “They say that part of grieving a parent’s death, especially when it’s the last parent, is coming to the realization that you are now the elder generation. You have no parents, you are the parents. I’m the next generation to die if life follows its timeworn pattern.”
“That’s a lot to contend with.”
“Yeah, but it puts things in perspective. I wonder if that’s why Joan finally decided that her remaining life was too short to live it in hatred and bigotry.”
“I bet that probably had something to do with her transformation into the loving person we grew to know. Remember to tell Gus about that too.”
“I will.”
“Are you ready for me to show you some of the wonderful things that the world has to offer?” Justin asked with a suggestive bat of his eyelashes.
“That sounds like a great idea. I’m ready to stop thinking about death and taxes.”
“Taxes?”
“That was the only other bad thing I could think of at the moment.”
Justin laughed heartily. “Come on, my foolish husband. I have some things to show you in the bedroom.”
“We better get at it before the hordes descend on the lane for Thanksgiving. We’re going to be chock-a-block. Nobody’s turned us down.”
“That’s great.”
“Yeah, great,” Brian said, and he realized that he actually meant it. He grabbed Justin’s hand and pulled him towards their bedroom. They had plenty of things to do before the kids came home from school.