Together Again

The lights were finally on the tree. They had spent the last two hours untangling the strings and making sure they all worked and now they were finally on the tree. Richie looked at Leana, "tell me again why we're doing this and not using my decorator." She smiled and reached to wipe the smudge of dust off his cheek, "I like doing the decorating myself. Besides, it was fun watching you traipse up and down the stairs carrying all the bins of decorations." He groaned, "don't remind me. I'll be lucky to be able to move tomorrow thank you very much." Leana smiled and laughed, "Aw poor baby. Do you need to go lay down now?" He stuck his tongue out at her, "smart ass!"

Leana stepped back and looked at the tree; it took up the entire corner of her living room. She had wanted it full and boy, was it ever. It was beautiful though. She glanced at Richie; he was adjusting the angel on top. "Is it straight?" She nodded, "it’s perfect."

They continued for the next hour hanging the ornaments and stringing the garland, Christmas music playing in the background, Richie humming and singing along. He tried to cajole her into singing with him, but she knew better. Her voice was better left for talking. She couldn't carry a tune in her pocket.

After the last ornament was hung, Leana stacked the bins so they could be put away tomorrow and Richie went to pour them each a glass of wine. Leana stood gazing at the tree. It seemed hard to believe that after more than 20 years apart, here they were about to celebrate their first Christmas together as a couple, again.

Richie and Leana had found each other that summer purely by accident. They had once been madly in love but Richie had broken it off right before Bon Jovi hit it big with Slippery When Wet. They hadn't talked since until one warm July evening when he was out walking on the beach and she offered him a drink.

Leana's job had brought her to LA and by sheer coincidence she had rented the house three doors down from him. They had talked and worked out their differences and were making a go of it again. But, Leana thought, there is still one thing he doesn't know and I have no idea how to tell him.

She looked up as he walked back into the living room, how do you tell someone he has a child; a son that is 21 years old; a young man that looks so much like him it scares you. How do you explain why you never tried to contact him, never let him know that his first child was a boy; that Ava wasn't his only child?