Vincent Kinsington

"Who goes first this year?" Chet's mom asked.

It was Christmas morning. We all sat on the carpet around the Christmas tree in the living room. The lights on the Christmas tree were lit up, but so were the living room lights. They dimmed the effect of the Christmas tree lights.

"Me," Kannika called out happily and grabbed the first present that had her name on it. It was from her parents. She tore it open, leaving torn wrapping paper and ribbon everywhere in her wake. It was a kindle e-reader. She smiled big and genuine and held it up to her. "Thanks, mom." She kissed her mom on the cheek. "Thanks, dad." She kissed him on the cheek. She liked to read all sorts of books even though yaoi mangas were clearly still her favorite.

"Vincent," Kannika said. She pushed me a rectangular shaped present. "It's from me," she said.

I could tell it was a large, hardback book before I even opened it. I carefully unwrapped it so I didn't make too big of a mess. It was a book for one of my classes for the upcoming semester. It might have seemed like a small thing, but the fact that she even knew what my classes were and then went and bought it was touching. And college books were not inexpensive.

"Thank you," I said.

"I'll go next," Chet said. He grabbed a present from his parents. He tore off the wrapping paper in a similar fashion that Kannika had. Inside was a new pair of soccer cleats. And of course, Chet was ecstatic about them. He caressed them and rubbed them up against his cheeks. He was cute.

Chet's parents went next. They opened their presents from each other. They had obviously bought them together because they were matching rings. They put them on, smiled sweetly at each other and gave each other an innocent kiss.

While they were doing that, Kannika moved so instead of being between Chet and their mother she squeezed between their father and me. She opened the back of the textbook that was on my lap sneakily. She showed me the yaoi manga she hid inside. I nodded to acknowledge I saw it. She smiled proudly before turning her attention elsewhere so their dad wouldn't notice. I closed the book. She really wanted me to get into yaoi mangas with her. That probably wasn't going to happen, but it was cute of her anyway.

When Kannika opened my present to her, her smile faltered slightly. "Thanks," she faked as she looked at the generic stack of mangas I had given her.

I quickly flipped through them - fast enough that her father wouldn't notice, but she did notice the yaoi mangas I had put in the middle. Her face lit up and she wrapped her arms around my neck and squeezed me tightly. Nat had helped me pick them out so I was sure I got her ones she didn't already have.

"Thank you," she said with more feeling this time. "I love it."

"You don't have to hug him." Chet tried to pry her arms off me, but she was surprisingly strong and her grip tightened.

"He's my brother," she said. "I can hug my brother."

Chet sighed out. "Fine." He stopped trying to get her arms off me and she hugged me a moment longer before letting go and smiling down at the stack of generic mangas.

I opened the next present addressed to me from Chet's parents. It was a set of pans newly bought and still in the box. I looked at them. I was of course grateful, but a little confused. Were they telling me they wanted me to cook more? They already had pans I could use if that was the case.

"You and Chet will get your own place eventually," Nat said. "You'll need supplies for when you do."

It was a thoughtful gift just like Kannika's had been. This Christmas was turning out much different than the Christmas's with my own family. For one, my own family hadn't opened presents together since Aiden and I were children. And we had never sat around the tree together like this. We had never waited for other people to open their presents either, we had all just jumped in and opened whatever we wanted.

"Thank you," I said. "I'll use them well."

Chet opened the present from Kannika next. It was sportswear and of course he loved it. He loved anything related to sports.

The last present I opened was from Chet. I looked at him confused when I opened the small package to see several brochures of picturesque beaches inside.

"It's for when we can save up enough money to go on a trip," Chet said to me. "It might take us a while. It might take years, but let's go here together." Beaches of Thailand.

I nodded. I wanted to go there with him. Just the two of us. Traveling together. Being together. Loving each other.

He reached over and opened one of the brochures to reveal two $50 bills. "This will start our savings for the trip," he said.

I nodded again not really having a voice.

"My turn," he said and reached for my present to him. He opened it to reveal a tiger's eye stone and leather bracelet. It wasn't exactly like the one he had given me. There were less stones.

He smiled when he saw it and ran his fingers along it. I leaned over him to flip the leather so he could see the engraving on the inside. VK ♥ CW. He drew me into an embrace.

"I love you," he said against my ear.

"I love you too," I said.

"Ugh," Kannika fell dramatically to her back. "Why are you two always so mushy?"

"I think it's sweet," Nat said as she smiled at us.

"Me too," Nate said with a similar smile.

Later in the day, I sat on my side of the bed with my back propped up against a pillow studying my new textbook, but really the manga inside. I was curious as to why Kannika liked them so much. I closed the book when Nate came in. He handed me his phone. I looked at him confused. He indicated with his hand that I should put the phone up to my ear so I did.

"Hello?" I said.

"Vinny," my grandma's voice said. I sat up straight and looked at Chet's dad. He quietly left and closed the door to give me some semblance of privacy in a house where Kannika could hear everything.

"Grandma," I said.

"Why didn't you tell me, Vinny?"

"Mom and dad didn't tell you?"

"Not everything. Not exactly. I wondered why you didn't answer my phone calls or texts. You should have called me and told me."

"Can you change anything, grandma?"

This was greeted with silence and I didn't know what to say to that silence so the silence went on.

Finally grandma said, "I think you are better where you are, Vinny. The Watakeekuls are a good family."

I swallowed hard at this not sure what to make of it. "They are a good family," I finally said. "How is everyone?"

"Well, now I know why your father rushed home from the airport that day and made Aiden go on the business trip instead. I now know why he's been in a foul mood and why your mother has been extra clingy with him."

"What did they tell you?"

She sighed heavily into the phone. "They told me you wouldn't be contacting me or coming around anymore. They told me you chose to leave the family. I wondered if you had been in contact with your biological father and decided to abandon us for him. My son hasn't treated you like he should."

"I wouldn't abandon you, grandma," I said. "I was given a choice to breakup with Chet or be kicked out of the family. I love you, but I can't live without Chet."

"Don't worry about me, Vinny. You made the right decision. I'm proud of you for it."

That made me smile. The smile faded when I realized nothing had really changed though.

On second thought, something had changed. I knew my grandma was proud of me.

"Do you need anything?" she asked. "Money? Although, it will be difficult for me to meet with you now. They are watching me closely. I probably shouldn't even be talking to you on the phone, but when Nate called me and told me what was really happening, of course I had to talk to you."

"I don't need any money, grandma," I said. "I'm going to get a job. Nat helped me get a student loan and partial scholarship for next semester. You don't need to worry about me."

"That's good to hear," she said. "Text me so I have your number and keep me informed with how you are doing. If there is an opportunity for us to meet in the future I'll let you know. I should go now before they find out I'm talking to you."

"Goodbye, grandma. Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas, Vinny. I love you."

"I love you too."

As soon as I hung up, the door opened and Chet peeked his head in. It wouldn't surprise me if he had been listening at the door. "Do you feel better now?" he asked me. I nodded. He came to the bed and hugged me. "Good," he said. I held him close to me for a few long moments before he pulled away. He retrieved the box his new shoes came in. "We can put our savings money in here for the trip," he said.

"Let's do it," I said. I retrieved the two $50 from the brochures, he opened the lid to the box and I put the money inside.

"I'll take my dad's phone back to him," Chet said. I handed him the phone and he left the room.

It was at this moment that my phone rang. I expected it to be Alex or Trevon, but a phone number and not a contact name came up on the screen. I didn't think I had my brother's number memorized but as soon as I saw the number I knew it was his. I hesitated. So many possibilities ran through my head - he wanted to gloat about me being kicked out, he would be indifferent, my mom had told him to call me to spy on me, he knew grandma called me, on and on.

I swallowed and answered. "Hello," I said.

There was a long pause on the other end. "Hi," Aiden finally said. Then there was more silence.

"Look," he finally said, "I didn't...Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas." But none of this answered the question as to why he was calling me. I didn't think it was just to say 'Merry Christmas'.

"I didn't tell them," he said.

So he had known about me and Chet. "Okay," I said. I knew he hadn't told them. My mom had been surprised.

"Are you okay?" he asked. "Do you need money?"

"I'm okay," I said.

"You must really love him."

"I do."

"I'm not going to say I understand how you can be attracted to a man because I don't understand, but I want you to know I didn't have anything to do with what happened. I wouldn't have done what mom and dad did."

I wasn't sure what to say to that, so I didn't say anything.

"I also want you to know that cutting off all contact with you isn't something I want, but I can't let mom or dad know I spoke with you."

"Why? It's not like they are going to kick you out. You're dad's real son."

There was a long silence at this. "There would still be consequences and it's still difficult for me to process they won't kick me out. I didn't know you weren't his real son for a long time either. I was a small boy and they treated you differently and I didn't understand why. I didn't want them to treat me the way they treated you. I don't think this is right what they did to you, but I don't know what to do. If I have to do something wrong towards you because dad wants me to, please understand I don't want to. I can't lose my position in this family or in the company."

I never realized before that he thought they might kick him out too. He was my dad's real son so of course they wouldn't kick him out. I didn't realize he knew from a young boy that I was treated differently. Did this change things between us? Not really. We still couldn't freely talk with one another. He wouldn't go against our dad, but at least now I knew he didn't want me treated this way.

"How did you get my new number?" I asked him.

"Jasmine got it from Trevon. I just...I wanted to talk to you even if it was just a brief moment. You're still my brother. We share a mother. If you need money or something, I'll find a way to get it to you."

"Thank you," I said. "I'm okay right now."

There was another long pause before he said, "I guess I should go."

"Okay," I said.

"Bye," he said.

"Bye."

He didn't hang up right away. I paused in case he had something else to say, but I finally heard the click indicating he hung up.

Chet stood in the doorway. I didn't realize he was there. "Are you okay?" he asked me.

I smiled and nodded. Things weren't perfect. Things were going to be hard. I didn't have any contact with my dad - either of them - but that was okay because there hadn't been much contact before. My mom wouldn't be contacting me anymore. There was no way she was going to risk angering my dad. But I could still speak with my grandma from time to time and I had a new understanding of my brother. It would be hard for him to contact me for now in case our dad found out, but that might not always be the case. Maybe someday I could have a normal relationship with him.