on_thecouch | 29.3. The holiday season
29.3. How do you feel during the holiday season?
Riley was wrapped up in a thick jacket with gloves and a scarf as he wrestled his way through the busy pre-Christmas rush of the New York streets. His aim was to at least try to get some Christmas shopping done while he was still in New York but so far he was still empty-handed. He was actually enjoying the shopping trip so far, even if he was yet to exercise the credit card. Everything felt so Christmassy and alive. It was just what he needed to try and get himself in the spirit.
It wasn’t that he wasn’t looking forward to Christmas. He was really excited at the thought of having everyone he loved all in one place enjoying themselves. It had even been three years since he had shared Christmas with Tab, which in itself was a huge thing for him. The three years in Scotland was always a trial for him, even if he came out the end with his MD and footsteps on the path to two medical specialties. Phone calls and email were just never the same as being together. Trips back and forth had been an impossibility too because they were both far from rolling in cash. Riley was a student on a scholarship and Tab was playing in bars and working in record store. They had many a time discussed visiting each other but it just never came to fruition. But he was back now, with their whole extended bunch of friends and family around them. That’s all that mattered.
He just needed to tap into that thread of Christmas happiness and tuck his hard times away in the back of his heart for the moment. He was getting better. He had come to accept that an array of pills and medication four times a day was just his lot now. He wasn’t as fearful of sex as he had been post-diagnosis so he was finding it easier by the day to connect to Evie. In fact, besides the baby issue, things were really amazing between them, all things considered. He had tackled a lot of hurdles to get to where he was now, but it was worth it. There had been a time where he thought Beth was the one who was going to be his everything forever, but it wasn’t meant to be. Now he had a second chance with Evie and it was different. He couldn’t put his finger on why it was different, but it was a warming sensation for him to feel when he thought about it. Evie just felt right.
Riley found that he was smiling faintly to himself at the train of thought his mind had picked up. First Christmas and now Evie. Perhaps both really did give him hope for new beginnings after he had spent weeks trying to pick up the pieces of his world that came crashing down around him with the diagnosis? Christmas was going to be special and it would invite a new year that was going to be a fresh start and hopefully a happy one. He glanced up and realised he was passing the entrance to Tiffanys, sniggering to himself when he remembered the conversation with Evie where he admitted the store scared him. It wasn’t exactly accurate. It was just never somewhere he would really consider his type of place to shop. Too pristine, or something. Lachlan had been the same but he had his own tales to tell about his day trying to find Tara the perfect engagement ring and worrying about getting nose smudges all over the spotless display cases.
Pausing just past the doors, Riley glanced up at the famous name spread out above him. He wet his lips and then looked up the street in the direction he was heading, a sea of heads swimming across his line of sight. It didn’t hold his attention though before he was looking back up at the Tiffanys sign. Maybe some things were just meant to be? He melted into the crowd and slipped through those distinguished doors.
Maybe he just needed to stop thinking and do what felt right.
All characters referenced with permission
Word Count | 693
Riley was wrapped up in a thick jacket with gloves and a scarf as he wrestled his way through the busy pre-Christmas rush of the New York streets. His aim was to at least try to get some Christmas shopping done while he was still in New York but so far he was still empty-handed. He was actually enjoying the shopping trip so far, even if he was yet to exercise the credit card. Everything felt so Christmassy and alive. It was just what he needed to try and get himself in the spirit.
It wasn’t that he wasn’t looking forward to Christmas. He was really excited at the thought of having everyone he loved all in one place enjoying themselves. It had even been three years since he had shared Christmas with Tab, which in itself was a huge thing for him. The three years in Scotland was always a trial for him, even if he came out the end with his MD and footsteps on the path to two medical specialties. Phone calls and email were just never the same as being together. Trips back and forth had been an impossibility too because they were both far from rolling in cash. Riley was a student on a scholarship and Tab was playing in bars and working in record store. They had many a time discussed visiting each other but it just never came to fruition. But he was back now, with their whole extended bunch of friends and family around them. That’s all that mattered.
He just needed to tap into that thread of Christmas happiness and tuck his hard times away in the back of his heart for the moment. He was getting better. He had come to accept that an array of pills and medication four times a day was just his lot now. He wasn’t as fearful of sex as he had been post-diagnosis so he was finding it easier by the day to connect to Evie. In fact, besides the baby issue, things were really amazing between them, all things considered. He had tackled a lot of hurdles to get to where he was now, but it was worth it. There had been a time where he thought Beth was the one who was going to be his everything forever, but it wasn’t meant to be. Now he had a second chance with Evie and it was different. He couldn’t put his finger on why it was different, but it was a warming sensation for him to feel when he thought about it. Evie just felt right.
Riley found that he was smiling faintly to himself at the train of thought his mind had picked up. First Christmas and now Evie. Perhaps both really did give him hope for new beginnings after he had spent weeks trying to pick up the pieces of his world that came crashing down around him with the diagnosis? Christmas was going to be special and it would invite a new year that was going to be a fresh start and hopefully a happy one. He glanced up and realised he was passing the entrance to Tiffanys, sniggering to himself when he remembered the conversation with Evie where he admitted the store scared him. It wasn’t exactly accurate. It was just never somewhere he would really consider his type of place to shop. Too pristine, or something. Lachlan had been the same but he had his own tales to tell about his day trying to find Tara the perfect engagement ring and worrying about getting nose smudges all over the spotless display cases.
Pausing just past the doors, Riley glanced up at the famous name spread out above him. He wet his lips and then looked up the street in the direction he was heading, a sea of heads swimming across his line of sight. It didn’t hold his attention though before he was looking back up at the Tiffanys sign. Maybe some things were just meant to be? He melted into the crowd and slipped through those distinguished doors.
Maybe he just needed to stop thinking and do what felt right.
All characters referenced with permission
Word Count | 693