Evangelos took a sip from his still-sizzling hot chocolate. “May I ask a question?” Clarisse glanced upwards “Sure?” Evangelos set his reindeer-themed mug down on the smooth mahogany table, folding his hands. “Nico was born on December twentieth, right? If I recall correctly, his full name is Nicholas Saint Montague. Was that reference intentional?” He finished his sentence with a cheeky smile and a sing-song lilt. Clarisse blinked, but her eyes illuminated, as did her face as she broke out into a big smile. “Ah, you mean jolly ol’ Saint Nicholas, right? Aha, yeah. I wanted to commemorate the holiday, even if he wasn’t born exactly on Christmas.” Evangelos chuckled, picking up his mug for another creamy, chocolatey sip. “To be honest,” Clarisse continued, “I wasn’t able to think of a suitable name for the longest time! After giving birth, I remained in the hospital for three days. That entire time, I was either napping or holding my boy close and wondering what the heck I was going to name him. I was thinking about well-known characters associated with Christmas and contemplated several, uh, ‘unique’ options. Some were ordinary, like ‘Kevin’ from Home Alone or ‘Buddy’ from that one elf movie,” she paused, closing her eyes and smiling sheepishly as she replayed the memory in her head. “I even thought about naming him ‘Rudolph.’”
Evangelos shorted, almost spilling his drink. “Rudolph? Nico doesn’t even have a red nose!” Clarisse shook her head. “Nope, he certainly doesn’t- although he was really blue when he was born. Perhaps I should’ve named him ‘Smurf.’” Evangelos gave a full-fledged laugh at that. Clarisse smiled sheepishly, half-heartedly giggling alongside him. “On my third day -December twenty-fourth- I was listening to the Christmas music the hospital staff were playing- helps ease the patient’s nerves, ya know? I wasn’t paying too much attention to it, but when they began playing ‘Jolly Ol’ Saint Nicholas’ on the speakers and I was thinking about my son at the very same time, and that’s when it hit me: Nicholas Montague! I was ecstatic to finally have found my son’s name!” She clapped her hands in glee, smiling with pride. She then shrunk into herself somewhat bashfully, cheeks lighting with a faint red.
She glanced towards the floor, fiddling with the handle of her mud as she spoke. “I know Cory would’ve been proud of me for my cleverness. He was always so impressed with me, even when I never did anything that awe-inspiring…” A small smile played her lips as her speech slowed, Evangelos eyebrows knitted together at the sudden change of tone. Clarisse continued, her voice hitched. “I… I didn’t think that would be the first Christmas I would be alone. I was hoping it would be another few decades before I would have to say goodbye to him. Actually, I never got to say goodbye at all…” Her pitch had diminished to a soft whisper, her smile gone.
Evangelos’ eyes conveyed pity as he reached his dominant hand out, gently clasping her exposed palm. After a moment, she squeezed it back. “I knew that, his heart condition was sporadic, but I never thought it would just… give out, that day. The call I got from his colleagues was… the worst thing I’ve ever experienced. Even worse than the heartbreak of when Jose left me pregnant all those year ago. Cory was… a one of a kind. He was always so cheery, so supportive, never had a bad thing to say 'bout nobody. He took care of Alonzo like he was his own. He was such a good dad, and husband…” Clarisse’s breathing intensified, trying to hold back the flood of old tears, of old grief, threatening to spill from her sockets. “We only had a decade together, and now he’s gone… I deserved more time with him- his children deserved more time with him!” She weakly slammed her fist into the table, causing it to shake and rattle the two mugs. Evangelos quickly caught his own before it spilled.
A minute, maybe two, passed in silence. Only the sound of Clarisse’s sniffling was audible in the cold, thick air. Evangelos, still holding on to her hand, kept his gaze away from her face as he carefully chose his next words. Momentarily, his lips parted. “Your husband, Cory… you may never meet him again now, but I promise you’ll all see him again someday.” Clarisse looked up at Evangelos, preemptively knowing where this was going. Still, it was a nice sentiment that never wore old for her. Evangelos continued. “He may be gone from this earth, but his spirit is still thriving, waiting for when the time comes that you can reunite,” Evangelos managed a small smile. “I understand it’s hard -it always will be- but just keep in mind that he’s in better hands now; and there will come a time where you two can be together forevermore. Not just you two, but your kids as well. You can return to those good times without any fear of health problems, as those humanitarian deficiencies will wiped from our bodies and minds.” Clarisse held onto every word as the young man spoke, familiar with every truth he spoke. “…Yes,” She said at last, “I-I know, it’s just… hard to trust that sometimes, and…” She sighed. “Thank you. I appreciate it, really. You’re a sturdy young boy, ya know that?” She playfully nudged him with her elbow. He smiled. “Thanks, but I’m nothing special. I just repeat what He teaches us,” he glanced up at the sky. Clarisse followed his gaze, mellowing at the sight of the sun tempered by the snow. The weather made that glowing ball of heat far easier on the eyes. “Yeah, I know what ya mean.”
She stood up and grabbed her mug, gesturing for Evangelos to follow her. “C’mon now, let’s not waste our precious time sitting in the corner thinkin’ ‘bout ol’ woes, let’s join the rest of the congregation.” Evangelos blinked in surprise but smiled and stood after a moment. “Alright, I’m in the mood for some more Christmas cookies, so let’s get going. Oh, by the way, between you and me: Nico told me he had a little gift for you.” Clarisse was taken aback, but with joy and not dread. “Oh, really? Any other details?” she asked, cocking a brow with a smirk. “He apparently made it himself,” he stated neutrally, sipping from his mug. Clarisse walked ahead, mentally preparing for the moment her son presented her with his gift as she rejoined the bright, bustling congregation.
(*Holy fudge y’all, that was much longer than a teaser. Oh well, hope y’all appreciate it!)
Next word: touch.