TYLER WOKE warm and toasty. It had snowed during the night, judging by the white outside on the windowsill. He rolled over, and Anthony pulled him closer. “Do we have to get up?”
“It’s Christmas,” Tyler said, and Daisy jumped up onto the bed. Thankfully she had taken to sleeping in her own bed, but joined them in the morning as soon as she heard them talking.
“When do we need to be at your mother’s?” Anthony asked as he stretched.
“She isn’t going to expect us until about eleven. Mom is going to want to rest and sleep in. Some of her energy is coming back. I think she thought it would return more quickly now that she’s done with treatment, but at least she’s feeling better. Give her a few weeks or a month and she’ll be a force to be reckoned with once more.” He chuckled as his phone vibrated on the nightstand. “Speak of the devil….” He answered it.
“Aren’t you up yet?” Mom asked. “Geez, are you old men? It’s Christmas. So get up and get yourselves over here. I’m starting breakfast in five minutes.”
“What is with you? Did they change your meds and put you on speed or something?”
She laughed. “Just get up and come on over.” She hung up, and Tyler closed his eyes.
“I take it that was your mom,” Anthony said. “And here I was hoping for a little
Christmas-morning nookie.”
“Yeah, that was her. Apparently she’s starting breakfast and we’re summoned. But it’s okay.” He ran his hands down Anthony’s firm chest. “After dinner, we can come back here and carry on our own private celebrating well into the night. I promise.” Tyler kissed him and then bounded out of bed. “Besides, I want to see what I got for Christmas.”
“You’re like a little kid,” Anthony said with a chuckle.
“You say that like it’s a bad thing,” Tyler countered, already pulling on his underwear. “She’s just going to call again in fifteen minutes, so we may as well get going.”
Anthony got out of bed, and Tyler couldn’t help watching him as he hurried to the bathroom. Once the door closed, he finished getting dressed and got Daisy into her Christmas collar with the cute bow. “We’re going to see Grandma.” He set her on the bed. Daisy lay down, her head on her paws, and closed her eyes, like she had no idea what all the fuss was about.
Andrew grew up in western Michigan with a father who loved to tell stories and a mother who loved to read them. Since then, he has lived throughout the country and traveled throughout the world. He has a master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and works in information systems for a large corporation.
Andrew Grey
