Jacob and I pulled up to the all too familiar house. It was lit tenderly inside, and the glow through the curtains only made it that much more welcoming. I stepped out of the car, and looked over to Jacob, who was headed towards the trunk.
“The hell are you doing?” I questioned. He used a small remote to open the back of the car.
“I’m getting your PACK!” He giggled. He still had that giggle he used too. So soft, sweet and tender. Like a butterfly singing on a lily pad. I blushed.
“I still find it hard to believe you got yourself trained! Even if it did take you, what; ten years?” I joked.
“Yeah, just about.” He commented.
“Yet you still wet the bed. Tsk tsk tsk! What kind of a lawyer ARE you?” I joked. “I should just fire you from my firm right now!”
“Hey now mister incontinent; watch it!” He chuckled, slinging a duffle bag over his shoulder.
“Yeah, but now I can’t help it! It’s your damn fault anyways!” I chuckled.
“Hey now, that was Jake’s! He’s the one that hit you hard in the gut like that! And besides, you can somewhat hold it now!” He assured, walking up to me still giggling.
“Yeah, but you and him combined last I remember!” I smiled. He rustled my hair.
“Whatever you say pipsqueak!” He taunted, running up to the house. I chased after him, giggling in all the while. We rang the doorbell and sighed, relaxing so that we would at least LOOK presentable. An elderly woman greeted us; her thickly rimmed glasses making her eyes seem larger than they really were.
“Oh, Tristian, Jacob! Come on in! I made some eggnog!” She said happily. We walked inside the house, taking our shoes off as we entered. On the couch, we saw none other than Ex-police Chief O’doyle.
“Well well, merry Christmas boys!” He said, standing up. The years had been kind to the chief. The forty six year old man had changed into a sixty six year old man, yet he looked to be only fifty. Jacob and I hugged him warmly.
“Merry Christmas Gavin!” We said in unison. “And merry Christmas to you too Olivia!” We said, as the old woman came back with two glasses of eggnog.
“And don’t you be spillin’ them either!” She chided warmly. We giggled.
“Yeah, after living here for a while though I’d have thought you’d be USE to the mess Tristian makes!” Jacob joked as we all sat down on the two couches. One was on one side of the living room, and the other was on the other. Between us was a coffee table, made of red wood and polished like a mirror.
“Hey now, you spilled more cups then I EVER did!” I defended.
“True, but we always gave Jacob a Sippy cup; it usually was YOU who thought it would be a smart idea to grab a ‘big boy’ cup!” Gavin chuckled. His and Olivia’s faces seemed to glow in the sparkle of the Christmas tree, which stood idly by in the background reflecting and refracting light off of its multi colored ornaments. I couldn’t help but to blush at Gavin’s comment.
“So how has work been you two?” Olivia asked.
“It’s alright; we’ve been busy to say the least.” Jacob noted.
“Yeah, different day same boring stuff. Only, it’s a lot of boring stuff!” I teased.
“Yes, that’s what being an adult is all about, I’d suppose.” Gavin chimed in. “Now, Tristian. You called me today and said you had something you wanted to talk about?” Gavin said, getting to the point. I stood up, and lifted up the back of my shirt, pulling out three notebooks that’d been tucked into my pants. I set them on the table in front of us. Jacob placed the duffle bag down in front of his feet. He gave me an almost worried, nervous look.
“These two,” I started, pointing to a red and a green notebook; “You’ve already read.” I put them on Jacob’s lap. “But this one, you haven’t.” I stated, pointing to a black notebook. “This one is it. The third journal. After I finished writing it, I took it with us to the facility, and hid it in the room I first met Jacob in.” I confessed. Gavin’s eyebrows rose.
“So that’s where you went to change…” He said.
“Yeah. I promised Jacob, and Kif, that I would never speak a word until the time is right. It’s been twenty years.” I said.
“That’s true lad. So, then now is the time to show me, eh?”
“Yeah. It is…”
“Before we can get into what happened that Christmas, there are a few things you’re going to have to be covered on, and some that Jacob will. What happened in the hospital, what happened with her…? What happened that Christmas in full detail.” I said; my body and voice shaking. “The first entry is about what happened my first night in the hospital, when Jacob and I kissed…