Page 9

FINN

Finn was still in shock when he woke the next morning.

Ollie had been at the party. Because Ollie knew Liam. And Owen. And Finn had gotten his second chance. In a way, the link was pretty cool - best friends dating other best friends - but he and Ollie had a few hurdles to get over before they could say they were dating, the first one being Ollie’s skittishness. Now that Finn knew the reasoning behind Ollie’s rule, he knew he’d be able to overcome it with some careful persistence.

Finn couldn’t explain exactly how he knew, it was just something he understood because Finn needed Ollie, and now he could see that Ollie needed him too - he was scared, ravenous for reassurance, and Finn wanted to be his pillar of strength, wanted to be his everything. While he was a little trepidatious, as a relationship with a man was new territory, he leaned into the intensity when they were together, reveling in it, and he wanted to show Ollie how to do the same.

Grabbing his phone from the nightstand, Finn sent his first text not to his uncle, or Owen, but to Ollie.

Merry Christmas, Sunshine.

Leaving his cell on the bed he rose and washed up. Just as he finished, he heard the chime that signaled a reply and ran to it so fast that he tripped over his shoes, ending up on the floor. Wincing, he reached up, fishing around until he found his phone.

Sunshine?Was followed by three emojis with raised eyebrows. Finn chuckled, glad his bedroom had carpet, and quickly tapped the keyboard.

Because you’re very bright and lively. It might sound cheesy but it was true.

Ollie sent him an eye-roll emoji, quickly followed by one that was blushing. Did you hear about Liam and Owen?

Apparently, the hosts of the party had exchanged rings after everyone went home and were now engaged. Owen had been so happy that he’d called Finn in the middle of the night to tell him the news and Finn had sleepily congratulated them.

Yes. I knew Owen was buying a ring but I didn’t know that Liam bought one too. They surprised each other.

A moment later Finn’s phone sang again. They are so perfect it’s gross.

Finn’s laugh echoed off the walls of his bedroom. They are. Rising from the floor, Finn glanced at the clock and realized he needed to put a wiggle in it if he wanted to get up to his uncle’s cabin at a reasonable time. Gotta go. I hope you get everything you want today.

Two smirking faces popped up and under it were four words that would keep Finn smiling for hours. Merry Christmas, Just Finn.

“Who put the swing in your step?” Raising an eyebrow, Uncle Joe shifted, getting more comfortable in his recliner. They’d just finished their Christmas traditions of opening gifts under the thin and rickety fake tree and gorging themselves on Uncle Joe’s famous lasagna, so Finn was stuffed and happy, ready to settle down for the next part of their day - the action movie marathon. However, it seemed like they were taking a detour for some light interrogation.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Finn smirked, popping the cap off his beer.

“You’ve got a glow about you, Nephewson. Either you met someone or you’ve been stealing from my stash.” Joe picked up his jar of green buds, shaking it in Finn’s direction.

“You might be right.” Finn took a long pull from his beer, not quite sure what to say. He and Ollie were standing at the border of something that needed a little more time before announcements could be made. He’d even put off Owen the night before, telling him that while Ollie had been the person they’d discussed, things hadn’t progressed enough for them to be official. “I like them but they’re working through some things so we’re not together. Not yet.”

“But you have some hope or you’d be moping instead of grinning like a fool.” Joe pulled one of the buds out, packing it into a pipe that he always kept on the side table.

“I do. I know they like me too and I want this to work out. I need more people in my life.” Finn never talked about his loneliness. As a kid, he thought it was normal to feel isolated, to have a lot of surface friends but no close friends, to come home to an empty house because your uncle was working, to have no mother, father, or any extended family. But once he reached adulthood, he realized how solitary he was and by then it was too late to bring it up. What would he even say?

“You do,” Joe agreed with a nod. “You’ve always been an independent boy and that’s all on me. Being on the road for a while, then working at the studio all the time-”

“Are you kidding? Do not feel guilty for keeping food on the table and a roof over the head of a kid you were saddled with,” Finn grinned to take out the sting.

“Bullshit.” It took a few tries, but Joe pushed on the recliner until he could put both feet on the ground and lean forward, his gaze intense. “I wasn’t saddled with you,” he practically spat. “I was gifted with you. Even though I didn’t birth you, you’re mine, and you made my life richer than it could ever have been.”

“Uncle Joe…” Overwhelmed with gratitude and love, Finn slid to the end of the couch, putting his hand over his uncle’s.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t the best dad material out there-”

“Now it’s my turn to say bullshit. You were the best dad material and you still are.”

“You made it easy, kid.” Joe smiled, his wrinkled face alight with joy. “And with your new job and a possible new love, I couldn’t be prouder. How is the new gig?”

“I like it.” Finn patted his uncle’s hand and then pulled away, grabbing his beer once again. “There’s so much to do that I don’t have the time or energy for rideshare anymore. Besides, I’ve got a shuttle bus waiting in the wings. Opie says it’ll be ready by spring, so right now I’m helping out where I can. I work with a lot of cool people, time flies when I’m there, and weddings are funnier than I thought they’d be.”

“Funny? How?” Taking a hit from the pipe, Joe blew smoke out of the corner of his mouth.

“Put a lot of happy drunk people together to party? Stuff happens. Like, last week the bride threw the bouquet right into the chandelier. They had to get it down with a long pole.”

“Oh my god.” Joe began to giggle, the glaze in his eyes showing he was already in liftoff.

“At the wedding before that, the groom dropped the ring into a flower arrangement. He and the priest had to dig around for almost five minutes.”

“Did they find it?”

“Yeah, but it was very dirty. And at the reception one of the ushers got so drunk he started to do a striptease in the middle of the dance floor.”

Joe went from giggling to all-out cackling, wiping tears from his eyes. “How far did he get?”

“Well, Marci - our maitre d’ - stopped him before his pants came off. She’s small but she has vampire strength. It’s kind of scary.” He wasn’t lying. Marci was barely five foot two and he’d seen her handle men twice her size without batting an eye more times than he could count.

“Is she the one you’ve been grinning over?” His uncle winked and Finn scowled at him.

“No. Not in any way. We didn’t get along at first but now we have an agreement. I give her respect and she doesn’t push me down the stairs.” But arson was still on the table because she came close to setting him on fire a few weeks ago, clicking a barbecue lighter in his ear as he and Dylan moved tables for the Viennese hour.

“I think I like her.” Joe shifted again, even more slowly this time, taking a while to get the chair pushed back into a more comfortable position. It was clear he couldn’t get around as easily as he used to and his sluggish movements wrapped an icy hand around Finn’s heart.

He knew that getting his uncle to leave was a huge ask, for the place had been Joe’s for over forty-five years; however, he worried about his uncle staying by himself. Joe was on a mix of medications and not getting any younger.

With a sigh, Finn figured he’d try one more time. “I know I keep bugging you about this but have you given any more thought to selling this place and maybe moving closer to me?”

“Not in any way,” Joe told him, his face full of nostalgia as he looked around him. Tucked away in a valley, the cabin was part of the forest that surrounded it, with ivy climbing up one outside wall to scale the chimney and a plethora of bushes and shrubs bordering the exterior, helping with the camouflage. The inside was just as charming, with high ceilings and beams lying above the open floor plan. Rugged salvaged furniture created a pathway, a flow, and each piece held a story, much like the photos on the walls; between old guitars and framed T-shirts were pictures of Joe with his old bands, Finn throughout the years, and many of Sadie.

“But you are my only family and I want to take care of you.”

“I don’t need looking after. I’m not a toddler, Nephewson.” Joe pursed his lips. “And I’m not your only family.”

“You’re the only family that matters.” Finn shrugged, knowing that there was no point in trying further. But he did need to visit more often.

“Well, since we’re already halfway there.” Joe put his bowl down and Finn knew he was going to bring up something - or someone - unpleasant. “Would you consider speaking to your father?”

“No. I have nothing to say to him.” Finn took a long pull from his beer.

“But Ron emailed this week. Says it’s important.”

“Did he tell you what it was?” Finn had to admit that his curiosity was piqued but his disgust and anger were stronger.

“No, he said he wants to talk to you first.”

Frowning, Finn shook his head. “He’s playing games. If it was really important then he’d tell you too. He’s just trying to get back into my life and I know I’ve said this before but it’s too little too late.”

“I respect your decision. I don’t agree with it,” Joe pointed his lighter at Finn, “but I respect it. Just let me say this. It might be good for you to air things out with him.”

“I don’t have anything to air out. I don’t even know him.” Finn wasn’t wrong. He’d only seen his biological father a handful of times.

“But you could,” Joe pressed.

“I could also go skydiving but I’m not doing that either.” Finn took another long sip from his beer. “You and Opie are the only family I need.” That wasn’t really true. When he was younger Finn dreamed of having a big family, with parents, aunts, uncles, siblings, nieces, and nephews all gathered around a large table during the holidays, along with friends, actual good friends, their happy chatter filling the room. But it wasn’t in the cards for him. He’d made peace with that a long time ago, for he was blessed in other ways. He had his health, a good job, a best friend that doubled as a brother, the best uncledad, and maybe soon he’d have Ollie too.