Part X - 5: Tim's Family Christmas

The day after Christmas, Suzi, Joey, and their parents all joined us at my mansion for dinner. The three of us were incredibly nervous because we felt we needed to tell their parents about how we felt about each other. We had no idea how they were going to react, and both Joey and Suzi made it quite clear my parents and I were not to interfere in any way except verbally.

There was also the matter of exchanging gifts. I knew my gift to Joey would most likely be initially refused, if not by Joey, then by his father. Suzi's gift I wasn't as worried about since my dad was also giving her father the goblets they had discussed last year. Of course Suzi's mom might object, but then she might not. She did kind of liked me. :)

My mom and I made the dinner, and that unintentionally rung up some brownie points with Suzi's mom. In fact, Suzi's mom was the most understanding of the four, probably because she had already pretty much figured out that Suzi was seeing both Joey and I. I mean, it was kinda obvious when Joey would take her out, then I would, then Joey... You get the picture.

Joey's and my mom had kept in touch pretty much, especially since Joey and I were always doing stuff together. Joey's mom would call to have Joey sent home and then usually talk to my mom for a while. On more than one occasion, they would talk so long that Joey arrived home before they hung up.

So Joey's parents knew about how the mansion was a gift from my dad to me, and that my mom was barely affording to keep it. But they still were a little uncomfortable to be in such a large and expensive home at first. Once the three mothers got busy chatting though, the atmosphere became fairly relaxed. Joey's dad even got a few minutes of friendly chit chat in with my dad, talking about a few things they did after they left our camp last summer, and even talked about doing something similar this coming summer.

Suzi's dad monopolized the rest of my dad's time, but my dad and I both knew it was just his nature and he wasn't actively trying to get something out of us. Not that he didn't hope for something though.

Suzi, Joey and I were very quiet during the otherwise very talkative dinner. We weren't very hungry. The butterflies in our stomachs were having orgies just so they could multiply in greater numbers.

After we helped clear the table, Suzi, Joey and I announced we had some gifts to exchange. Both their parents had expected this since Joey and Suzi had both brought something for me and each other, and Joey had brought something for my mom too. Actually, Joey's gift to my mom was from his parents as well, and that made Suzi's parents feel they needed to apologize for not bringing something themselves.

My presents to Joey and Suzi were in small boxes, but everyone expected them to be something expensive, or at least cost more than what they got me. But Joey's gift to me was priceless, or at least it was to him, and only those who were really close to him knew how priceless it was.

"A baseball card? Oh my God. It's that one. You can't really be giving it to me!? I mean SHE gave it to you... "

"Yeah, I know. But all those years you and I traded baseball cards, you always wanted it, and I would never tell you why I wouldn't trade it. At least not until you... you know."

"But... Oh Joey... Thanks man... Really... thanks, but I... I have to tell you, the only reason I wanted it was because you didn't want to give it up."

"I knew that. But... Tim, it's the only thing I could think of that... You've been my best friend my whole life. I want you to take it. It's important to me that you do."

I sniffed, and gave him a hug, resisting the urge to give him a peck on the cheek and stuff while in front of his parents. It took several minutes before we both could stop sniffling. Even Suzi was a little snifflely as she explained to our parents that Joey's dead sister had given it to him, the first of many in his baseball card collection.

Suzi gave Joey the watch she had seen him admiring several times when we had taken the twins shopping.

"Hey, speaking of the twins, where are they?" Joey asked as Suzi put the watch on his wrist.

"Would you believe they had never tasted candy canes before?" I said with somewhat humorous look.

"Candy canes? What do you mean?" Suzi asked.

My father replied, "They got sick after eating nearly six dozen candy canes this afternoon."

"Yeah," I added. "I've never seen someone actually look green like that before. They were really upset about missing dinner and meeting everyone, but not as upset as their stomachs were."

"I seem to remember someone else getting sick on some fudge one Christmas," Joey's mom said.

"Oh mom... " Joey said exasperated. "Will you ever let me live that down?"

"I doubt it," Joey's dad said. "She reminds me every year that I was the one who let you get into the fudge. 'This time, make sure you put it up where Joey can't reach it, dear.'"

"Uck," Joey said. "I never wanted another piece after that night. I hate fudge."

I gave Suzi my present next, and her squeal when she opened it wasn't a complete surprise.

"Ew Timmy... " she said pulling out the gold bracelet. "It's just like... How did you find it?"

"I didn't. I had it made, using your, er, description of it. Does it look like your grandmother's?"

"It's identical!... Except for the inscription on the back. 'Forever Love.'"

"May I see?" her mother asked. Suzi handed it over to her, and she examined it herself. "It does looks just like the original. Except for the inscription, like Suzi said. My mother's said 'Forever Yours.' You couldn't have done this just from Suzi describing it to you... "

"Okay... Okay. My dad was in Cincinnati last month and stopped by to photo the original for me. But that was after the jeweler already started it using my description of what Suzi said. Of course he had to start over, but... "

"Jesus, Charles... " Frank said. "That must have cost a mint to have something like that custom made. I don't know if she should accept something that expensive... "

"I was expecting you to say something like that, Frank," my father said. "Well, if you can't let Suzi except her gift, then I don't expect you will want that box over there... "

Frank's eyes fell on the twelve inch square box, the largest gift under the tree, and he nervously kneeled down in front of it. He lifted it up, and instantly knew from the weight, "My god. You're giving me the goblets?"

"For university. Tim's told me how much time you put into your job. I thought that perhaps it would be fitting for that library be called the Frank and Betty Aster Medical Library, if it hasn't already been officially named. After all, you're the ones who have to put up with the snobs like myself so it could be built," my dad said, laughing at his own joke like he always does.

"Well... I... I don't know what to say," Frank admitted.

"Charles, you've really done it," Suzi's mom said. "Frank has never been short for words, especially when it's about work. I think he'll accept it, if I know him like I do. Thank you Charles, Samantha. And thank you too, Tim," she finished, popping a kiss on my forehead.

"Well, doesn't that take the cake," my father said. "I spend the money, he gets the kiss."

"Oh, now... You get plenty of kisses," my mother teased, kissing him on the forehead like Suzi's mom had me.

Joey gave my mom her present, and was very pleased with her response.

"Oh, you devils. Margaret, I can't believe you spent this much on me!" she said, holding up the crystal serving bowl.

"I'm sorry to say, it wasn't all that expensive. But when I saw it on sale at Jenny's, I knew you'd love it after the fuss you made over mine. Yours holds a little bit more than mine, does."

"Thank you Margaret, Tom, and sweet Joey," giving him the same kiss on the forehead. That reminded me I never had asked her why they had stopped messing around, but now wasn't the time...

"Who's next?" I asked.

"Here Tim," Suzi said, handing me a box that suspiciously looked like the one she gave Joey.

"Holy cow! Joey! You told her!" I said, pleasantly betrayed. It was another watch, but not like Joey's. It was like his dad's calculator watch.

"Heh, yeah. I was going to get it for you myself, but I wanted to give you the card too much. My dad even went and picked it out with her."

"I wanted to make sure you got the newer model," Joey's dad explained. "Yours holds telephone numbers and has a database also."

"Cool... " I said excitedly. I didn't mention the fact I already had a database and telephone directory in my head. I don't know what I'd do if I couldn't just force myself to remember things like that. "Thanks Suz. Thanks Mr. Connor... Your turn, Joey."

Suzi's squeal was just as loud as when she opened my gift. Actually, I liked Joey's gift better than my own.

"It's a locket. Oh! With Joey's and Tim's pictures in it. Ew Joey... I love it!"

"Yeah, Joey. That's cool. So that's why you wanted to see the bracelet. You wanted to try and match it... " I said, pretending I hadn't already known that.

"And Sss... since your mom gave me the picture of you, I uhm... didn't need to take that picture like I told you I was," Joey quickly made up. I gave him a quick grin at his near miss.

"Okay, last but not least... " I said, handing Joey the smallest box of the bunch.

He looked at me with a frown when he shook it and couldn't hear anything. "What. Is it empty?"

"Why don't you open it and find out," I teased.

He did so, ripping the paper off in one stroke.

"Shit, Tim. You put enough tape on the box?" Joey said, forgetting Suzi's and my parents were in the room. His family cussed in front of each other all the time. Even his mom.

The color drained out of his face when he did finally open it.

"What is it?" Suzi asked.

Joey picked the keys up, making the familiar clanking noise that car keys make. I had spent twenty minutes positioning those keys in paper to keep them from making that exact noise, and finally just found some foam and cut slots in it to stick the keys in. The effort was well worth the surprise.

"Oh... Wow... " Suzi said as Joey's mother gasped.

"No sir," Joey's dad immediately said. "He's not taking a car from you. No Connor is going to accept charity, even from his best friend's father."

"But it's not charity!" I said, having expected that response at least. "It's sorta a payment for the work we've been doing. Tell him, dad."

"It's true, Tom. Joey and Tim have been working on something that, to me, is of great value. You don't need to know the details on what it's about, but if it wasn't for Joey, we would have never figured what it was about in the first place. And he is the key to continuing the work."

"By dad is like hiring him, sorta. And me. He promised me a car too on my birthday next month. Don't say no until you see it, please?" I begged.

"Come on, dad. Let me at least see it. Then if you say no, I won't argue with you," Joey said, not really sure if he would be able to keep that agreement.

"No. Absolutely not. Tim, we appreciate the act, and Charles, I know you're just trying to do this for your son, but I'm sure Joey was doing whatever he was doing for the fun of it, and wasn't expecting payment for it. He's not going to accept it and that's... "

"But DAD!" Joey said, suddenly noticing something. He held the key chain up to his dad's face."

"Mm... Mustang?" Joey's dad said, almost nervously.

"Nineteen sixty seven, cherry red convertible, in case you're interested," my dad said. "Oh, and before you start saying how expensive it must of been, don't. It doesn't run. The body is in great condition, but the engine is shot. But Tim tells me you and Joey work on your car all the time, so that shouldn't be... "

"Where is it?" Joey and his dad both said at the same time. I don't know who was more excited, but I could swear I saw some drool on the side of Tom's mouth.

We took them out to the garage, and I pulled down the makeshift curtain at the end of the building, next to the only limo I had never ridden in.

Joey and his father made strange noises as they caressed the shiny red paint, massaged the tires, swirled their fingers over the dash board like two boys feeling a woman's skin for the first time. I almost expected them to start kissing the seats, but they skipped the seats and popped the hood instead.

"Shit. Look at this, Joey. It's a fuckin' wreck."

"Shit. I guess we won't be taking it out for a test drive any time soon. Holy shit, dad. The belts are rotted... and... "

They both turned around and looked at me and my dad.

"What?" I said.

"You can't fool us," Joey said.

"You bought the car in perfect condition, then swapped the motor with this piece of shit." Tom continued.

"You're absolutely... wrong," my father replied. "That is the original engine. A man by the name of Gerald T. Finch bought it after it was pulled from a swamp. He restored the paint and the interior, but he never got around to the engine except to clean the swamp sludge from it. He traded it for an old limo I had parked in the spot it's in now. Finch is getting on in age, and he wanted something, shall I say, more mature for his wife's sake. The limo was my father's, and it wasn't running either, but it wouldn't take much to get it going again. I personally hated the thing."

"But if you don't accept it," I added "there's a guy who wants to buy it from us. He has a spot waiting in his collection, right next to three other Mustangs. I just don't understand why he never drives any of his cars. They just sit inside this big warehouse, looking all nice pretty while the guy shows them to maybe three or four people a year... "

"Come on, dad... " Joey whined.

"What do you think," Tom asked his wife.

"Shit, you don't want my opinion. You know how I hate cleaning the shit you get on your clothes after you two tinker with the car. But you know you want it."