Page 120 of The Holy Grail

Julian got passed around, even finding his way briefly into Malcom’s arms, and while it wasn’t too awkward anymore, it still didn’t feel natural. He was definitely more comfortable holding cooking utensils.

With the TV on, conversations all around, people getting up and mingling, and Jacob (and Evan) sneaking the occasional Snickerdoodle, it was a fairly boisterous day, and it only got more so as they sat down to eat.

To accommodate twelve people and a baby, Jules’ table and chairs had been moved into the kitchen, with a few people having to eat at the island, so it was fairly crowded when everyone started taking a seat.

As soon as everyone had sat down, Malcom got their attention.

When all eyes were on him, he began speaking.

“First, I’d like to say thank you all for being here today and making this Thanksgiving very special.

” Raising his wine glass, he waited until everyone else had raised their own glasses, including Jacob with his milk, and said, “Here’s to family and friends. ”

“Here’s to family and friends,” everyone toasted back, before taking a drink.

Before everyone could set their glasses down, Evan threw out another toast. “Also, here’s to Mal’s birthday. ”

Once that toast had been repeated and drinks taken again, Evan got up and retrieved a brightly wrapped box from the pantry and presented it to Malcom, setting it on his empty plate.

“I know you said no gifts, but Jules and I got this before the edict was passed down,” Evan told Malcom. “But we still would have gotten it for you, regardless, because ‘no gifts’ is a dumb rule.”

The box had been wrapped in such a way that Malcom only had to lift the lid off, and after doing so, gazed down at the contents in appreciative shock.

It was a set of chef’s whites, with a chef hat on top.

Carefully, he set the hat on the table so he could pull out the crisp white, double-breasted coat, with ‘Malcom’ embroidered above the left breast pocket. Underneath was a pair of houndstooth pants.

As he carefully folded and replaced the jacket and hat, he couldn’t help the smile that overtook his face, knowing he’d be wearing them soon.

Something in his expression must have alerted Jules and Evan, because they both said, “You got in!”

As a little rush of adrenaline ran through him, Malcom nodded. “I got in.”

With a squeal, Jules jumped up and ran over to him, making him stagger back a bit, and then she and Evan were both laying kisses on Malcom’s face, as everyone around the tables was looking confused, with the exception of Julian (who was asleep) and Jacob (who grabbed one of the hot cross buns while everyone was occupied asking questions and started eating it).

After everyone had quieted down, Malcom explained about his application to école Ducasse, which he’d wanted to keep a secret until it had been accepted.

Amid a round of ‘Congratulations’ from everyone, Dolly could be heard saying, “Well, this fancy Thanksgiving spread makes a lot more sense now.”

With the initial excitement having abated, Jules narrowed her eyes at Malcom. “How long have you known?”

“Two days.”

“Two days?” Evan demanded. “And you kept that to yourself?”

“I wanted it to be a surprise for everyone at the same time,” Malcom explained.

“We could have kept the secret for two days,” Jules argued.

“Like you kept the secret we were together from Paige?” Evan asked.

“That was different. ”

“Not really.”

Beverly got up and came over to give Malcom a big hug. “It’s truly a day to give thanks.”

“Yes,” he agreed.

“I’m so proud of you.”

He kissed her cheek. “Thanks, Mom.”

From there, everyone got up to give him a hug, including all the men, minus Jacob, who was walking around the table with his plate and filling it up.

When everyone had taken their seats again, Malcom smiled and said, “Let’s eat!”

After hitting all the Black Friday sales and picking up a bunch of Christmas decorations, Jules, Evan, and Malcom got busy after Richard and Edie left.

Icicle lights were hung outside, and the Thanksgiving wreath was replaced with one made of holly and little pine cones.

Inside, they put up Jules’ five foot, pre-lit, fake Christmas tree, which she’d had for several years, and decorated it with all of her ornaments, which were eclectic, to say the least. As Evan was hanging an ornament of the twin girls in The Shining with a raised eyebrow, she told him, “I don’t want to hear one word about my ornaments from someone who doesn’t have any. ”

“I didn’t say anything,” he protested.

“Your expression said plenty. And that’s not even the strangest one I have, so …”

They found out the hard way Dawn Corleone liked to play with low hanging ornaments and every morning they would find several on the floor, so they had to move them all up to higher branches, leaving the lower ones bare.

In mid-December, Malcom paid his tuition fees, making his enrollment at ècole Ducasse official for the August session.

The next step was going to be applying for his visa (and Evan and Jules applying for theirs), completing and submitting his pre-arrival form, then uploading his visa details when they became available.

He would then receive his enrollment certificate and welcome booklet, which had all the details needed to prepare for his arrival.

Christmas morning was a quiet affair, with just the three of them having a breakfast casserole, cinnamon rolls, and mimosas while listening to Christmas records and opening presents.

In the afternoon, they went over to Paige and David’s house, bringing a few dishes for the potluck dinner there, with a modified repeat of Thanksgiving, minus the Shaws.

For New Year’s Eve, Jules and Evan (who had the night off for the first time in forever), took Malcom on a pub crawl. He hadn’t experienced the holiday from outside his home since his marriage to Gwen, so it was decided that needed to be rectified.

They ended the night at The Pride & Pour, ringing in the new year in over-the-top fashion, this time with Malcom more ‘appropriately’ dressed by Evan, who’d insisted on a wardrobe of fitted jeans and tight shirts for them both.

Malcom naturally was a little shy about the snug shirt—in his case, it was a bright blue, short-sleeved, button-down, that clung to his chest and arms in a way that made him feel slightly self-conscious.

Evan, in his tight Barenaked Ladies graphic T-shirt, felt no such self-consciousness and told Malcom, “You look perfect.”

“I don’t know. I feel like it might be too much,” Malcom pointed out, motioning to his clearly outlined pectorals.

“It’s not too much. It’s ‘showcasing’.”

“Well, you can carry it off.”

“So can you. And it’s time to own it.”

When Malcom still looked unconvinced, Evan put his hands on the other man’s shoulders. “Remember when I said I’d pick out what you wear the next time we went out, and you agreed?”

“Yes.”

“Right. So, the conversation is over.”

Jules stepped into the walk-in closet and stopped when she saw the two men, taking a moment to admire the masculine vision. “Looks like double prizes for me tonight.”

“Double prizes?” they asked together, perking up at the code phrase which had come to mean ‘double penetration’.

“Absolutely,” she answered. “What better way to ring in the new year?”