Winter Rescue (I'll Be Home for Christmas) (5 page)

Winter Rescue • Dawn Kimberly Johnson

Oscar reached out and touched Curt’s arm, trying to

comfort him. “He made it to the hospital, came around

enough for us to say goodbye. That was a blessing.”

Curt nodded, his chest tightening at the thought of not

seeing his parents again. Suddenly all the initial hurt and

heartbreak from their reaction to his coming out seemed so

long ago and faint in his memory. He looked up into Oscar’s

eyes. “Thank you for being there.”

The subsequent radiant smile made Curt’s chest fill

with warmth, and he answered with his own smile.

scar, dear, what is it you do?” Angelica asked over

the clatter, clinking, and conversation around the

“O big table.

“I’m on the veterinary staff of the San Diego Zoo,

ma’am.”

There was much oohing and aahing and nodding

around the table.

“You take care of nanimals?” little Tobin asked. He

scratched absently at his ear, irritated by an obviously fresh

cut of his ginger hair.

“Yes, I do.”

“Dogs and kitties and fish?”

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Winter Rescue • Dawn Kimberly Johnson

“Well….” Oscar smiled at the adult faces around the

table before continuing. “I help take care of the really big

animals when they get sick.”

“How big? Elphunts?” Tobin’s big baby blues widened in

wonder.

“Uh-huh, and lions and tigers—”

“And bears. Oh my!” the adults shouted, with Grandpa

Aaron finishing it off with a growl and a tickle for little Tobin,

who shrieked in delight, until—

“Pop, quit it,” Arianna warned, “You’ll make him wet

himself.” She covered her mouth, trying to stifle her own

laughter.

Curt’s face was beginning to ache he was smiling so

much, completely captivated by Oscar. Suddenly there was a

warm body pressed against his side. His seven-year-old

niece, Rosalie, leaned her head against Curt, trying to

wriggle her way into his arms. “I missed you,” she whispered.

He dropped his fork on his plate and scooped her up. “I

didn’t know you remembered me.”

“Mama showed us pictures, told us stories about you.”

She looked up into his face and smiled as her finger traced

his nose and mouth. Curt could feel his eyes beginning to

burn with tears as he looked down into her perfect little face.

And when she smiled he hugged her tight to him, and the

table fell quiet for the first time that evening.

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Winter Rescue • Dawn Kimberly Johnson

“Your mama sent me pictures of you every year.” He

looked up at the somber faces and teary eyes before him.

“Pictures of all of you.”

“Oh, baby. My baby!” Angelica was up, out of her seat in

seconds and wrapping her arms around Curt. He couldn’t

see, but he heard other chairs scraping across the floor, and

soon he was embraced by his sisters and at least one

brother, though he couldn’t tell which one.

“I can’t breathe!” Rosalie shouted, and everyone laughed

and backed away. Aaron stared at Curt for several moments

before ruffling his son’s hair.

“Good to have you home, boy.”

“Good to be home, Pop.”

here does this go?” Curt asked.

“I got it,” Seth said, taking the now-sparkling

“W baking dish from his brother and placing it in a

bigger dish on top of the refrigerator. The

Knutzen men considered themselves an enlightened bunch

and had been in charge of after-holiday-dinner cleanup for

as long as Curt could remember.

“Yep, you are definitely better suited to work the top of

the fridge, big brother.”

“Hey,” Seth said, slapping Curt hard on the back, “it’s

not my fault you stopped growing at twelve.”

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Winter Rescue • Dawn Kimberly Johnson

“A-
ha
, a-
ha
,” Curt mock laughed, holding his ribs as if

in pain.

He heard Oscar snort and found the man standing in,

and filling, the doorway, a stack of dinner plates in his big

hands. Curt felt his face flush dramatically and turned back

to the sink. “Uh, you can just set those on my left here. I’ll t-

take care of them. Thanks.”

Oscar did as Curt asked, while Seth watched with a

quirky grin on his ruddy face. “Well… I’m gonna head out.

Gotta get Layla home to her folks.” He grabbed Oscar’s hand

and shook it fiercely. “Good ta meet cha, Oscar. Thanks for

getting baby brother home to us safe and sound.”

“Uh… uh, y-yeah.” Curt grinned as Oscar’s arm was

almost shaken off his body. “No problem. You be safe out

there.”

“You too.” Seth left the kitchen. “Layla! We’re off,

ladybug!”

“I told you not to call me that!” she shrieked from the

other room, bringing matching smiles to Curt and Oscar’s

faces as they stood, now alone, in the kitchen.

“So… plans for Christmas?” Curt asked quietly.

“Nope. Mom and Dad are on a Christmas cruise, and

Gran is settled in at her retirement community. Apparently,

they do up the holidays big down there.”

“You can’t spend Christmas on your own, Oscar. Come

back tomorrow. Although….”

“Although…?”

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Winter Rescue • Dawn Kimberly Johnson

“Uh, my family gets up early and volunteers to serve

breakfast at the shelter in downtown Anoka.” Curt looked

toward the great room, his brow wrinkling in thought. “At

least, I think we still do.” He turned back to Oscar eagerly.

“But come on over around one and spend the rest of the day.

There’ll be plenty of food and fam—what?”

“Huh?”

“You’re looking at me funny.”

“Am I?”

Curt nodded and then gasped as Oscar grabbed him by

the arms, pulling him tightly against him for a kiss. Though

startled at first, Curt soon relaxed and reveled in the warmth

and softness of Oscar’s lips, the manly scratch of his

stubble. In fact he relaxed and reveled so much that the

plate he was holding slipped from his grip.

“What was that?!” Angelica shouted—her ears, no

doubt, tuned to pick up the specific pitch of breaking china,

even above the game, children’s laughter, and adult

conversation.

“Nothing, Ma,” Curt said, he and Oscar bending quickly

to gather the pieces but bumping their heads.

“Uh-huh,” Angelica said knowingly from the other room.

“I thought you weren’t gay,” Curt hissed at Oscar.

“Why would you think that?”

“What I told you by the truck, when we arrived….”

“Yes?”

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Winter Rescue • Dawn Kimberly Johnson

“You seemed… less than thrilled with me.”

Oscar sat back on his haunches and watched Curt

finish gathering up the shattered dish. It didn’t look like it

was part of his mother’s china, so that was good.

“I came out to my family just this July,” Oscar said

softly. “Their reaction… was not pleasant.”

“Oh.” Curt stood and tossed the pieces in the trash. “I’m

sorry.”

Oscar stood by him. “It’s just me, ya know?” He

gestured toward the great room and the delighted chaos

within. “I didn’t grow up with this kind of family. I’m all they

have, and suddenly I don’t feel like enough anymore, like I’ve

failed them somehow.”

“It will get better, Oscar.” Curt took his hand. “Believe

that. Give them time.”

“Why are you holding hands?” Standing in the kitchen

doorway was Gina’s oldest, Jerry, a young man with thirteen

years of acidic snark under his belt. “Are you a fag too?” he

asked Oscar.

“Jerry!” His father’s voice cut through the boy, and his

snark evaporated right before their eyes. Curt thought he

could actually see it rising like smoke from the top of the

kid’s head, escaping him like his soul might in death.

Jerry turned frightened eyes to his left. “Yes, Sir?” he

asked, sounding all of six years old. Curt glanced at Oscar

and knew the man also noticed how silent the great room

had become.

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