Heaven’s Gate
60 Invitation
Amazingly, Angela drew a lucky shift and came home for Christmas as well. With her boyfriend. It wasn’t a surprise to me. Even with her bizarre work schedule, I’d talked to Angela by phone at least once a month ever since she moved. I’d been in Minneapolis to broadcast in November and had met Del Olmquist when I was there. If you are thinking that name sounds kind of Scandinavian, you’d be right. He was so pale you’d think he’d never seen the sun. Even his hair was so blond it was almost white. The contrast between the two was like the keys on a piano. But he absolutely doted on Angela. He was a florist, of all things! They met in the hospital where he handled floral gifts for patients.
They stayed at Dinita’s house, of course, but when I asked him if he’d like to join us for a horseback ride, he said, “Yasure. Y’betcha.”
“I think I might keep him,” Angela whispered to me. “He’s not like a doctor. Del could move to wherever I decide I need to practice. I have a great opportunity to go to the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance. It’s the new treatment center associated with The Hutch. It’s one of the top cancer research centers in the world. Brian, they are doing bone marrow transplants to treat non-Hodgkins lymphoma. If I can get there, we might be able to cure Doug completely.”
“No matter what, Angela, help as many people as you can. Doug’s doing okay right now, I think. If you find a good treatment, I promise I’ll get him there,” I said.
“I’ll do my best, Brian. Del said he’d go with me!”
“It sounds like you found the right guy, sweetheart. I like him.”
“And he’s a nudist. Do you know how rare that is in Minnesota? I keep the heat turned up in my apartment to encourage him,” she said. I laughed. I wondered how he was dealing with Dinita running around nude at her house.
“Brian, will you join me?” Jessica asked. She got home Wednesday night and as soon as I could get there Thursday morning, I was lying next to her on her bed. It had been strange the past couple years. She wanted us to be lovers. And we’d crossed that line once or twice. Then she was gone. Sometimes she was gone for two or three months, but she would come home for a week or two and tease me to her again. I stared into her eyes.
“Just a vacation?”
“That’s all. I don’t have any contracts. We don’t have to take anyone else with us, but if you want to, you can. We’ve just… never spent that kind of time together. I think I’m going to retire soon. I want to make sure I am coming home to the man I love… and his family.”
“I need to talk to my family. It’s always hard when I leave for a week. I have children, you know. And…”
“Shh. Brian, I know. I’ve accepted that we are not a couple. I accepted adoption into the tribe when I wouldn’t accept it into the clan and certainly not your casa. But I’m working on it. You could bring Dani. Or Rose or Hannah. I know I would be fine with any of them. I just don’t know the others as well,” Jessica said. “I know you are all I want, Brian. And I think I’m ready to accept all that comes with you.”
“Jessica, you know I’ve always loved you. I have done a lot of growing the past few years, too. I understand the schedule you have. I understand your commitment to your career. I’ve got a television show now. But I think I can get a guest host for a week. You don’t need Adam to come with us, do you?” I asked.
“He can come with us all he wants,” she moaned. “But let’s leave him home this time.”
Lupe brought us lunch on two trays designed for use in Jessica’s big bed. I needed to find out where she found this bed. I was sure it was bigger than the one I had in the master suite.
It was strange not to have either Lamar or Lionel there to carry around the Yule log on Christmas Eve. Lionel had a game on Christmas day in Miami and Lamar, Sarah, and family had gone to cheer him on. Carl and Josh did the honors. It was our ninth Christmas at the ranch and people had become comfortable with our rituals. They participated without being prompted as the log was carried around the town square and deposited on the fire.
“Cancer is in the fire,” Doug shouted. “I am still here!” We all cheered.
It was a crisp, clear night. There was a trace of snow on the ground. We were all bundled up in overcoats and parkas. The ritual was beautiful, but it moved along a lot faster outside than it used to when we held it inside. I knew, though, that a lot of people would move into the studio after the singing of ‘Silent Night.’ Others would move to their homes and bring guests with them. We were a village now, and not just a family.
Brett and Monte volunteered to be the fire tenders, making sure the log was completely burnt and that there were no live coals when they retired for the night. Both had completed the volunteer firefighter training program and knew how important their job was.
“Yes. Do it,” Rose said late that night as the casa gathered together in the big bedroom. The bedroom wasn’t as big anymore with the division to create a children’s dormitory. But we were all there. Angela had brought Del with her and I was amazed at how comfortably and easily he fit in with the family. It was the first time all our casa had been together in over four years.
“I agree,” Hannah said. “You need some time to figure out what the future holds for you. I don’t think any of us need to go.”
“I don’t like missing Xan’s birthday,” I said.
“We’ll hold a special celebration the day you get back,” Dani said. “It’s the next day.”
“Whitney?”
“I have to report back to base by five p.m. on the twenty-sixth. I’ll be out of here before you leave.”
“I think it’s great,” Liz said. “You’ve needed to find out if you were compatible for more than a night for a long time. Bring her home to us. Even those of us who aren’t interested in girls don’t mind looking at her naked body. Get her out of her little mansion.”
I nodded. Okay. I’ll tell her in the morning.
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