I rubbed his sea of messy blond hair. He got that from me. I started to say something else to him, but more excuses flooded into my ear from the caterers and I saw red. My jaw clenched. “My kid and his friends are without food.”
“I know, Mr. Prinze. I just wanted to let you know that we’re wrapping up the food right now and we’re headed onto the road in moments.”
“Good,” I said, distracted as I watched Dorian stride off. He was in his Sunday best with shined shoes and a perfectly straightened tie. He actually picked his own outfit for today. I watched him as he passed some of his friends in the backyard. Calling the back side of my house a “backyard” was an understatement. My late mother designed the display of greenery and lush landscapes, and keeping it up was the only way my father did right by her. I owned my childhood home now, and, even though my father wasn’t around, I kept the beauty that my mother created. There were koi ponds, and even a small lake.
“Hey, D. Did you show him?” Ares Mallick, my son’s best friend, asked him. My son had several best friends, including Thatcher Reed and Wells Ambrose, who were also in the backyard. The boys were my friends’ children, and they had virtually grown up together.
“Not yet. He said in a second,” Dorian said, and Ares nodded. Ares had big, brown curls and looked just like his dad, Ramses Mallick. Ramses was my wife’s best friend. We hadn’t always gotten along, Ramses and I, but now, I couldn’t imagine him not being around, though I’d never tell him that.
I didn’t miss Dorian’s frown, nor did I miss the disappointed reactions of the other boys.
Ares rubbed Dorian’s shoulder. “Come on. Let’s go play.”
“And you can show us again,” Thatcher said brightly. The kid was a jokester, which was the opposite of his dad, Knight. Thatcher also ate me out of house and home, which was insane considering his age.
“Yeah. You’ll get real good at it, and it’ll be perfect.” Wells was jumping around, like the very prospect excited him, and I was curious what they were talking about. I started to drop everything and go over there, but then a call came in on top of the one I was already on. It was the circus performers.
Motherfucker.
I clicked over to the other call.
Before I knew it, another hour went past. It was like the calls rolled in one after the other. Eventually, after troubleshooting with all of the vendors, I finalized all the party hiccups enough to be present again.
The caterers and the circus performers were actually arriving by the time I got off the line.
“Royal?”
I turned. December had caught me on my way from letting the food and entertainment inside the house. “Hey. What’s?—”
My beautiful wife nodded toward the backyard.
She was literally the woman of my dreams, and how a fucker like me had landed something so sweet, I didn’t know. Her beauty was hypnotic, from the way her floral dress hit her full hips to the way her dark hair slid across the fair skin of her delicate shoulders. Her smile was warm. “Look outside.”
I did without argument. I spotted Dorian out there, but he was alone this time. He sat on a stone bench.
December—Em—gave me a look. It was all-knowing, and, without words, I left to go to my son. I didn’t greet my friends when I walked past. I’d get to them later.
“Hey, bud. You were going to show me something,” I said, kneeling. Dorian looked at me, his mouth parted. I smiled. “You have my full attention.”
The biggest smile flashed on my kid’s face. It was bigger than any smile food or a fucking Cirque Du Soleil experience could bring out of him, and I knew that deep in my soul.
Dorian took my hand, and dragged me over to the man-made lake in our backyard. He bent down and picked up a rock. “Look,” he said.
I did, crouching down again when he tossed that rock across the lake. It skipped not once, not twice, but three times before it submerged. Immediately, Dorian turned around with a light in his eyes, his little fists curled.
I didn’t make him wait for my reaction. I picked him up. We spun around, and he giggled, so proud of himself.
“Great job, bud. That was so awesome,” I said, squeezing him hard, and something struck me in the chest when he squeezed me back.
“Thanks, Dad.”
“I love you, son.”
“I love you,” he said, and that thing hit my chest again. I had a feeling I gave my son exactly what he wanted this year for his birthday.
And it had nothing to do with circus clowns and chicken nuggets.
“What are you thinking about?” my lovely wife asked, wearing a gown that made her as gorgeous as she was on our wedding day. Em looked stunning tonight, and I spun her around. I tucked her in close, enjoying her heat before I stared across the dance floor of the restaurant. We’d rented it out with some friends for our children’s wedding reception.
