The Librarian – Part 2

It was December 16, and Daniel busied himself choosing ornaments from the boxes carefully stored in the attic. He loved Christmas more than any other time of the year. Yesterday, his mother had taken him to the “cut your own tree” farm they always used when his father was still alive, and together they had chosen a wonderful spruce with long needles and bright, fir scent. It perfumed the entire house as they mounted it in the stand, watered it, and began to decorate with the basics. He knew the routine. String the lights first, replacing any burned-out bulbs, mount heavy ornaments like the angel top, and then the rest was up to him.

The small fireplace in the living room was off-limits until this time of year. Daniel had carefully selected his pieces of wood, placed them correctly inside, opened the damper and lit the match. With a burst, the dry wood took hold and began to crackle, spark and snap. It was heaven to him as he watched the flames grow, then added three larger pieces which he knew would burn throughout the evening.

His mother was working the 3-11 shift that day at the hospital, so Daniel knew that he could fully enjoy every moment of the experience as he gently pulled out a treasured bulb that he had made when only five years old. It was a simple red globe, store-bought of course, that he had pasted a picture of his dad onto, along with some glitter reading “I love you.” He looked at it lovingly, wondering what life would be like if he were still alive. Daniel missed him terribly.

Nonetheless, he continued to unpack the various ornaments, strategically placing them on the tree so that it wasn’t cluttered. Now came the finishing touch; tinsel. He was painstaking in his draping of tinsel, making sure that each strand fell in a perfect line from north to south.

Once finished, he turned off all the lights in the living room except for one small lamp, and admired his work. Certainly, his mother would be pleased when she came home later that evening. As Daniel put the boxes away, he noticed that it had begun to snow. It was one of those glorious snowfalls; not a breeze to be found, almost warm outside, and snowflakes the size of dinner plates gently drifting down from the sky. With everything in order, he threw himself onto the couch and, gazing at the soft lights, let his mind begin to wander.

It was 6:00 when Daniel heard the doorbell ring, giving him a start. Stumbling up from the couch, he made his way to the door while glancing at the clock, wondering who might be there at this odd hour. Most people would be eating dinner now, a completely inappropriate time for anyone to visit. As he opened the door, he saw a figure clad in a dark Navy pea-coat, covered with the large snowflakes still falling from the heavens. The dim light didn’t allow him to see the face clearly and he became apprehensive, remembering his father’s instructions about dealing with strangers.

“Evening, kiddo,” he heard the man say. Immediately recognizing his voice, Daniel froze in place, stunned, unable to speak. Oh, God! Could it be true? Coming to his senses, Daniel was able to mutter his usual greeting. “Hey, Carter,” he said as his heart began to race. “Well, are you going to invite me in, or just let me stand out here and turn into a snowman?” Carter asked with a smile. “I…I’m sorry,” Daniel stuttered. “Please, come in.”

Carter stamped his feet and shook off the wet snowflakes. Once inside, he took off his coat and hung it on the rack, then took off his boots. “What are you doing here?” Daniel asked, still in shock. “Well, we get Christmas break in college, too. I’m back at home for a week or so visiting my folks and friends, but thought I’d stop by and give my boyfriend his present,” Carter said as he reached under his baggy sweatshirt and pulled a small package from his waistband. It was nicely wrapped, but it didn’t take much imagination to figure out that it must be a book. He handed it to Daniel saying, “merry Christmas, kiddo. You want to open it now?”

Daniel’s heart fluttered when he heard Carter call him his boyfriend but said, “no, I’d like to save it for Christmas morning.” He turned around and walked over to place it under the tree. Standing up, Daniel quietly said, “but I have no gift for you,” feeling terrible and thoughtless. Carter walked up behind him and put his hands on his shoulders. “That’s not true, Daniel,” he said. Turning him around, he gazed into his eyes and whispered, “you’re my Christmas present, and I’d like to open it now, if that’s okay with you.”

Daniel put his arms around the back of Carter’s neck and pulled himself up onto his chest, wrapping his legs around his body.