Page 40 of 300 New Year's Eves

“Uncle Sergio! Wake up!”

“Oof … morning, buddy.”

“Hiss …”

“Dad said to come get you. Breakfast is almost ready.”

“Mmm … I love breakfast.”

“Me too!” Henry exclaims.

“Do you know who else loves breakfast?”

Henry’s eyes go wide. “Who?”

“Uncle Adrien!” Sergio says as he tickles Henry’s sides. “Go wake him up.”

“Okay!” Henry yells again and jumps off the bed, running out of the room with his thumbs raised high.

Sergio is quick to his feet and shouts out through the open door, “Gently!”

Henry lifts his enthusiastic thumbs even higher, then Sergio hears him burst into Adrien’s room to be greeted by a very sleepily uttered, “Hey, buddy.”

He smiles to himself and sets his eyes back on the proverbial prize: Jeremy. Yesterday’s adventure did the trick. He is feeling refreshed and ready to tackle his dilemma. With a whistle and a skip to his step, Sergio makes his way downstairs.

With each step he takes, he goes through a mental checklist of everything he needs to do, and how he needs to do it,andin what order. All of which, if done correctly, he knows will lead to Jeremy kissing him back later when he picks up Henry from him this afternoon. He needs that kiss. He needs to know that somewhere, somehow, in some way, Jeremy is capable of seeing him as someone worth kissing. The kisses they shared in the many days before yesterday were not a fluke. They were not in his head. They were not hallucinations brought on by whatever mechanism is going on that keeps him in this hell of a tortuous loop on what should be an insignificant day.

Step one of that plan is to be nice and help Rose set the table. He grabs the plates out of her hands. “Let me help you with that.”

“Alright,” Rose says, handing him the plates before she whips him in the face with her ponytail.

Step two. Let Adrien quit without protest and ignore the fact that this somehow still feels wrong. “If that’s what you think is best, I won’t stop you.”

“I really do think it’s for the best,” Adrien says, then gestures with his chin for them to ski down the mountain.

Step three. Do not engage in flirtation with Allison. Show humility by letting the table make fun of him. “I still can’t believe they stole my underwear.”

“It is a shame about your camera, though,” Jeremy says with a sympathetic smile.

Step four. Volunteer to retrieve Henry from Jeremy. “I’ll go get him.”

Holden claps him on the shoulder. “It’s your funeral.”

Step five. Enter the barn unnoticed. Breath in the crisp air and let the music wash over him.

Step six. Sit beside Henry quietly and marvel at the beauty of Jeremy Owens on the ice, skating with grace and strength and joy in his heart.

“He’s the best after your mommy, isn’t he?”

Step seven. Compliment him, but don’t bring upanythingthat has to do with his past or present physical abilities.

“You look free and full of joy out there.”

Step eight. Offer him a hand to help him off the ice.

“Here, let me.”

Step nine. Let him know that he sees him. That he truly sees him. That it’s not a game. That he’s not teasing. That the only place he wants to be right now in this entire world is in this semi-frigid barn with his thumb gently caressing Jeremy’s cheek.