87 Set in wood
Word Soap: As The World Keeps Turning
Author: SYLnl
Title: #87 Set in wood
Rating: PG
Summary: "Love is but the discovery of ourselves in others, and the delight in the recognition." - Alexander Smith
Big Thanks To: ltklo, for brushing up my grammar
Previously on As The World Keeps Turning:
#1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6 #7 #8 #9 #10 #11 #12 #13 #14 #15 #16 #17 #18 #19 #20
#21 #22 #23 #24 #25 #26 #27 #28 #29 #30 #31 #32 #33 #34 #35 #36 #37 #38 #39 #40 #41 #42 #43 #44 #45 #46 #47 #48 #49 #50 #51 #52 #53 #54 #55 #56 #57 #58 #59 #60 #61 #62 #63 #64 #65 #66 #67 #68 #69 #70 #71 #72 #73 #74 #75 #76 #77 #78 #79 #80 #81 #82 #83 #84 #85 #86
After they found ‘the perfect tree’ - Danny’s words - and put it up in the living room, the serious lack of ornaments and lights became obvious and after a quick lunch in their kitchen, Luke had offered to take Danny on an extensive ornament shopping spree. However, to Luke’s surprise and extreme joy, Reid decided against staying home. True, shopping wasn’t his best event, but this was special. When he saw Luke and Danny looking up to him with those happy faces he loved so much, he knew he could handle anything. Even overcrowded stores.
Then again, maybe he had overestimated himself, as he silently groused, making his way through crying youngsters, stressed out parents and way too much glitter, color and fake traditions.
Danny had found his niche - with his arms around Reid’s neck - and was looking over the whole store. Even his initial enthusiasm was fading and he started to look worried. Eventually Luke put them out of their misery by stating the obvious.
“This is not for us.” When Reid and Danny sighed with relief at exact the same moment, they all laughed and Luke pulled himself close to Reid. “Let’s get out of here.”
In the parking lot Luke took out his phone and while Reid and Danny got seated in the truck, Luke was audibly excited about something. When he sat behind the wheel, he looked mighty proud of himself.
“Last time we were on the farm, I overheard grandma Emma on the phone about some Christmas fair. I just called the farm and my father gave me directions. Emma and her pies will be there too and who knows… maybe we can find some great ornaments.”
“You had me at the word pies,” Reid grinned and Danny just nodded, smiling from ear to ear. Being ‘on the road’ with his two dads - he loved calling them that in his head - was a completely new and exhilarating experience. He’d never been on trips before and he’d never been around adults who had fun together. He really felt at ease with them. No need to wonder when the next blow-up would be. No need to wonder when he would be grabbed and hurt. He was safe. And he was more than safe. He was loved.
The fair welcomed them with music, lights and a huge Christmas tree next to a small white church.
“This is more like it,” Reid smiled, while he stepped out and let Danny fall around his neck again. With his nose in the air Reid sniffed like a dog, making the boy laugh out loud.
“Are you smelling what I’m smelling, Danny?”
With an conspiratorial look they grinned at each other.
“Pie!”
After locking the truck Luke joined them with a telling shaking of the head. Their boy was turning into a food addict too and he had to admit- if only to himself - he loved that. He loved recognizing little ‘Reid-isms’ in Danny just as he loved recognizing himself in this kid. It made this relationship even more matter-of-course. As if they were blood related. Wasn’t it remarkable how life was able to create something so perfect?
With their arms around their waists and Danny against Reid’s chest they entered the fair ground and Danny started pointing almost immediately.
“Grandma Emma!”
All the music, the hum of voices and the sounds of life seemed to fade out to make room for this one cheerful cry and Emma’s face was a mixture of love, emotion and joy. She clapped her hands as she walked towards them.
“Oh, my beautiful boys. What a nice surprise!”
After kissing Luke and Reid, she hesitated, but when Danny leaned to her, she kissed him on the cheek too. Her eyes teary, her smile strong.
“We just bought an enormous tree, so now we’re shopping for some ornaments,” Luke explained and Emma made a hand movement.
“I’m sure you’ll find it here. I’ve seen some beautiful items.” She saw Reid and Danny looking at her pies and smiled. “And I will save a few pieces for when you’re done.”
“Great idea, but I’d like to start with a piece too,” Reid had his eyes on the pear pie, while Danny pointed at the apple pie.
Emma knew better than to argue with her ‘grandson-in-law’ and just nodded, while putting the pieces on a paper napkin. She saw Reid whispering something to the boy and after Danny nodded, Reid put the child on his own two feet and they both grabbed their piece.
Seeing Luke getting some cash out made her protest, but when an eyebrow above a brown eye was raised, she giggled and accepted the money.
After the young and older version of the Pie Monster had devoured the delicacy, they were ready to explore the fair. After greeting Emma and promising her they would be back, the three men walked over to a few booths with all kinds of angels. Danny had put his hand in Luke’s, but being surrounded by strangers made him tense up more and more. He cringed when he felt a hand on his head and it took him a few seconds to realize it was Reid’s.
“Hey Monkey, do you want to climb up again?”
When Danny nodded, his face showing his agony, Reid bent down and quickly lifted the boy to his chest. With one hand under the boy’s bottom and one hand in Luke’s Reid felt the King of the World.
Emma had been right. They found plenty. Luke had been drawn to a collection of glass angel ornaments and he didn’t have any trouble persuading Reid to buy them. The blue eyes had a certain glimmer in them when they had met Luke’s and Reid’s nod was telling. He loved them too.
Danny had almost been bouncing in his arms when he saw a stand with cartoon ornaments and eventually all three of them had been ‘ahhh-ing’ and ‘oooh-ing’.
The Kung Fu Panda was a no-brainer and so were the little Calvin and Hobbes ornaments. Reid was the only one enjoying the Grinch decorations - Danny visibly didn’t know who that ugly green dude was and Luke had never warmed up to him - but this was Reid’s tree too, so the Grinch was in.
“This is gonna to be the most crazy tree ever,” Luke teased good-heartedly, watching their purchases in the bags. Angels, cartoonish stuff, beautiful wooden hand-carved ornaments with horses… their tree was becoming a enormous mishmash.
“Trust me, it will look great,” Reid was all confidence. “It symbolizes the three of us. We’re an unlikely mixture too and look at us…we’re perfect together.”
Danny nodded, loudly slurping his soda and both adults grinned at each other.
“You’re right,” Luke agreed, giving Reid a quick kiss, “we are. Are we all done now?”
“There’s one booth we haven’t seen,” Reid pointed at the end of the fair, “because it was packed with people. But it seems to have died down a little…”
When they arrived, they immediately understood why this booth had so much attention. The ornaments on display were breathtakingly beautiful and the wooden figurines all showed a domestic scene.
A sharp pinch touched Luke’s heart, watching the images of ‘traditional families’. Father and mother with various amounts of kids. It made him feel ‘different’ again. Left out. Awkward. He was ready to turn around, when he saw Danny pointing at a decoration on the left side of the table and Reid was already reaching for it. Surprise and approval all over his face.
The ornament showed two dads and one boy. Their family, set in wood.
The man behind the booth smiled at them, watching their bewilderment and admiration.
“Big surprise, right?” His low voice sounded a bit teasing and Luke looked him in the eye. Nodding.
“It is. Do you have more of them?”
“Dear man, I have a whole set of them,” the man bent, pulled up a box and gave it to Luke.
“My son and his husband made me a proud grandfather last year and I’ve spend all my days carving these images. The first set was theirs, of course, but Dave, my son, urged me to make some more. Because other types of families deserved a spot on my table too,” the man chuckled. “Yeah, that Dave of mine is a smart man… I could tell you were affected by the traditional images, so I’m very happy I can offer you an image of your own beautiful family too. If your boy hadn’t pointed it out to you, I would have.”
Luke could cry. He didn’t, but that had everything to do with his determination not to cry. But his heart was touched in a big way and he swallowed to get his emotions in check.
“They’re absolute beautiful, every single one of them,” Luke handed the box to Reid, so he could take a look. “We could keep one for our tree, but the others would make great Christmas gifts, Reid. My grandmothers would love one and maybe Katie? And Will and Gwen?”
Reid nodded, while watching them and showing Danny at the same time.
“They’re very special,” Reid agreed, giving the man a quick but genuine smile, “So your son has a son too?”
In the corner of his eye he could see Danny look up to him and he gave the boy a wink. Yes, you’re my son.
The man in front of him smiled. “Yeah, about the same age as your boy, I’m guessing. Tristan is five.”
“Danny is six,” Luke softly touched the small leg.
The adults understood the man’s frown. Danny was way too small for his age. Luke felt an immediate need to explain Danny’s appearance, but Reid’s eyes made him change his mind. We don’t owe anybody any explanation.
“We’d like the whole set, please.” Luke smiled and the man nodded, smiling too.
After paying and adding yet another plastic bag to his hand, Luke turned to Reid and gave a telling grin.
“Let’s see if grandma Emma has some pies left.”
“She will,” Reid nodded. “She promised.”
“Hold on,” the man’s voice behind them made Luke turn again. “You’re one of Emma’s? Are you Holden’s boy?”
Luke nodded and Reid rolled his eyes. Hooray for small towns.
“I am. I’m Luke.”
“Ahhhh yes, of course. I should have connected the dots earlier. Not too many gay couples in this area… I understand a lot better now…” he looked at Danny with a knowing smile. Emma obviously had told this man about him.
“Clearly you know Emma very well, but I’m not sure…”
The man laughed. A warm, nice and friendly laughter. “I’m Todd. Todd McTaylor. I’m from Luther’s Corner. One of Emma’s neighbors.”
After shaking hands, Luke made a head movement to Reid and Danny, waiting for him a few steps away.
“My men are craving food,” Luke explained and the older man smiled.
“Yeah, who can resist Emma’s pies…”
Something in the tone of the man’s voice made Luke look up at him and when he saw a vague blush on the man’s cheek, Luke had to fight back a grin. His grandmother had an admirer.
Luke decided to test the water and told his grandmother about the beautiful ornaments they bought.
“Made by Todd McTaylor,” Luke said as casual as possible and cheered internally when he saw Emma turning shy all of a sudden.
“Yeah… Todd… He moved here recently. Nice man.”
Luke nodded, neutral looking. “He is. You told him about Danny?”
Emma was a little startled. “I hope you don’t mind? His son adopted a boy last year and the day after your visit with Danny, Todd came by and…”
Luke put his hand on Emma’s arm. “It’s okay. It’s a small town. Everybody will know soon enough.”
Emma nodded, looking at Danny and Reid, enjoying their pie at a small table, a few feet away from them. “It’s only been a few days, but there’s already a big change in him…it’s incredible.”
Luke leaned against his grandmother, smiled when she put her arm around his shoulder and looked at his men.
“Love can do miracles.”
“It can,” Emma agreed, caressing Luke’s blond locks like she’d done many, many times before. “And it does. All three of you are living proof of that, sweetie.”
“We are,” Luke agreed with a soft voice, “We all have our scars, but our love for each other is giving us the strength to overcome them.”
Emma nodded, pulling Luke even closer. "Blood is thicker than water, but love is thicker than blood, my dear."
Luke smiled. This was one of the rare occasions he realized he wasn’t blood related to this beautiful woman next to him and it made the truth of her words even more personal. Life had shown him this lesson over and over again. Preparing him for this moment. This one revelation. This foundation of his now and of his future. Blood is thicker than water, but love is thicker than blood. He was a father.