The Multitudes Within Me (Sequel to The Sound of Ice)

Bonus Chapter - Happy Holidays

Cam's POV

~

Hailey comes skidding into my room, her fluffy socks sliding on the hardwood floor. A too-big Santa hat is pulled over her ears, and a loopy grin is stretched across her face.

"Sam and Tom are here!" she shrieks, like that isn't a regular occurrence. She bounces on her toes and does a ballerina spin, stumbling a little, catching herself on the wall. 

"Alright, I'm coming."

It's Christmas Eve, and the whole house smells like cookies. Veronica and Mom spent the entire day baking - I tried to help, but they ushered me out of the kitchen.  Something about being in the way. I guess I have gotten bigger, the last year and a half that I've been on the Leafs - taller, and more muscular. Not that anyone's complaining. Besides Mom, I guess.

"Merry Christmas, everyone!" Mom says now as the front door swings open. She pulls mittens off her hands, brushes strands of wavy hair behind her ears. Little Christmas trees dangle from her ears. I dunno. I kinda like them.

I help Tom take off his coat, then Sam's. I brush snow off his shoulder as he smiles at me, sort of out of the corner of his eye. "What a gentleman."

"Yeah, that's me." 

He's wearing this dark blue sweater that brings out the blue in his eyes, and it looks so soft and cozy I can't help but hug him tightly, breathe in the smell of his soap. He laughs.

"You're so soft, Cameron," says Veronica, who's sitting on the edge of the couch, eating a shortbread cookie. Hailey is practically purring up against her. 

"Not true," I say, pulling away from Sam. "I'm the toughest hockey player there's ever been." Then I scoop up Hailey, kissing her cheek as she shrieks. No, it is true. My family makes me soft. And Sam makes me soft. Though there's not really a difference, between the two. 

It's sort of snowing lightly outside, the perfect Christmas Eve weather, and with the fireplace on and the tree all lit up, I feel kinda homesick even though I'm right here. I don't know how that works. The way you can be at home and crave it all at once.

The oven dings, and Mom rushes to take the lasagna out of the oven. We're eating pretty late, but she wants to go to Midnight Mass this year, for god knows why. "The lasagna!" she announces loudly, which makes me smile. 

Sam and I settle on the couch as a Christmas movie plays - something black and white, all hazy, with those old-fashioned voices Veronica likes to imitate so much. Tom is sitting on the chair - he has an oxygen tank now, that's new - but his eyes are all crinkled with happiness. He has a stocking on our mantle. Sam does, too. 

"I learned all about winter holidays at school," Hailey tells Sam proudly. Her Santa hat slipped a little, so you can only really see one of her eyes. "There's Hanukkah, and Kwanza, and Three Kings Day, and Saint Lucia Day... and maybe more, too, but I forget."

"That's really cool, Hailey!" says Sam. 

"And Christmas. That's what we're celebrating. Right now."

Sam smiles softly. "You're so right."

I wrap my arm around Sam and I can't help but stare at him, a little. With his cheeks all flushed and freckled. He just finished his second semester in the nursing program at U of T, since he started last spring. He's doing so good. Top of his class, I think, though he's too modest to talk much about it. He's got a really nice dorm, too. Perfectly organized, of course. No roommate, which makes things easier. He glances over at me, takes my hand and squeezes it.

"What are you thinking about?" he says quietly. 

"Cookies." 

"Of course."