Page 27 of Under the Mistletoe with You

‘Go, go.I’ll wash up—’ Christopher says.

He was expecting Nash to protest and offer to help, and then they could have a back-and-forth but ...he just leaves.Like he said he would, and like Christopher told him to.So why does he feel so unsettled?Irritated, even.Is it the lack of the overly polite back-and-forth that forms the social contract?He doesn’t really care about that stuff usually, so why now?Maybe he’s just looking for petty things to be annoyed by for the distraction.

Instead, he thinks back to the Christmas he was going to have.No,willhave.This weather can’t hold out much longer.Thetrains will be running, or at least some miserable rail replacement bus, but he’ll take it.Then Nash can just stay here alone.

It’ll all be fine in the morning, he tells himself firmly.Ithasto be.He doesn’t want to think about what happens tomorrow if both he and Nash are stuck here.

As usual, Christopher puts his feelings into scrubbing furiously at a pan, and soon the cookware and crockery are clean, dry and put away.The counter gleams.

All that remains is for him to get some sleep.

* * *

But before he can turn his mind to it, his phone begins to buzz.It’s his mother.Typical really that one of the rare times he actually gets signal up here, it’s a call from Esther.He wants to let it ring out and call her back in the morning, but there’s a snowstorm across the country – what if something’s happened to her?

‘Hello, Mother,’ he says, keeping his voice low.‘Are you and Dad doing all right?’

The first thing she says in her clipped tones is, ‘Why are you whispering, Christopher?’

‘I’m not whispering.’

‘Well, you’re speaking very quietly.I’m not losing my hearing yet, but it feels like you’re testing me.’

‘Sorry, Mother, is that better?’

‘Your father and I are fine, to answer your first question.’

‘Are you still at home?’

‘Yes we are.Our initial plan was to drive north tomorrow to meet you at Katharine’s, but of course that’s on hold now.’

‘Have you decided not to risk it?’He doesn’t want to outright ask them if it’s safe for them to drive in tricky weather – Esther’s right, they aren’t old, but they are older every year.

‘Darling, have you not looked outside all day?I can’t imagine it’s much better for you, but I’d have to dig the cars out.The motorways are practically ski slopes.’

‘It can’t go on for that long though, can it?’

Esther fills him in about various news reports and statements from politicians, and he tries to make sure he’s doing a good job of sounding as if he’s listening, rather than slowly sinking into a pit of despair.That’s that, then.Unless there’s a Christmas miracle involving a sudden heatwave, which given the state of the climate he’s not sure he particularly wants, he’s stuck here.

Nash appears in the doorway again, dressed in a scoop-neck white T-shirt and sweatpants.‘Sorry, can I just grab a glass of water?’he whispers, before slipping around Christopher to take a glass from the cupboard.‘Night,’ he mouths as he leaves.

It’s only when Esther is practically yelling his name in his ear that he realises he completely zoned out from their conversation.

‘Sorry, Mother, what was that?’

‘I asked you why there’s a man in your house?’

Shit.How did she hear that?He barely heard him.

‘Oh ...well.He’s just staying.You know, because of the storm.’

There’s a pause, which with Esther could go either way.‘A last-minute visit from afriendof yours?Does that mean we will get to meet him?’

Uh-oh.The emphasis onfriendis very clear.That glimmer of excitement.

The one downside to having parents who are very accepting of the idea – and reality – that both of their children are queer, whether or not it’s been verbally confirmed to them or not, is that they always want to talk about it.Kit’s been out for years, but the act of moving in with Haf seems to have turned Esther and Otto into parents competing for World’s Greatest Allies.He fully expects Esther is trying to organise a Pride in Oxlea on the download.

He knows he shouldn’t feel this way, but for right now it would be nice if his parents were a bit more repressed aboutthis,specificallyto save him from this conversation.They are about practically everything else.