Once Upon a Second Chance (Once Upon a Holiday Story #1)

Chapter 19

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Daniel

I was so completely moved as I watched Aaron saying goodbye to his car. Sure, I’d admit I’d never cried trading in a vehicle, or even the time when I was seventeen and I’d totaled my one-year-old BMW sliding on ice and hitting a tree. I hadn’t thought about it. For me, they were just things that got me from point A to point B. But as I looked over Vince’s shoulder, not listening to anything he was saying, I witnessed a connection that was being cut for Aaron. It put things into perspective for me.

I didn’t consider myself a snob. I gave, volunteered, did anything and everything I could within the scope of my knowledge. People like Aaron populated the world, and they didn’t take anything for granted. They built bonds with cars, shirts, and blankets because they were more than possessions to them—they were lifelines, hope, security.

How Aaron could see himself as anything other than outstanding was beyond me. He really was the greatest man I’d ever met, and he’d taught me a lot in the short time he’d been with me.

“I’m ready to go.” Aaron approached us and nodded at Vince. “Thank you all so much for taking care of my things.”

Vince smirked. “Not a problem. Oh, I almost forgot.” He reached into his pocket and offered Aaron an envelope.

“What’s this?” Aaron furrowed his brow.

“The car may be totaled, but there are some parts worth keeping, and I did an estimate of their value.”

Aaron’s eyes widened and he peeked inside. “Holy shit. There’s like five hundred dollars in here.”

Vince shrugged. “Better than nothing, right?”

“I didn’t think I’d get anything for her; I appreciate this.”

“Merry Christmas, then.” Vince had a jolly, contagious laugh.

“You too.” Aaron held out his hand and after we said good-bye, we drove back to my house to get ready for my family’s arrival.

Aaron was vibrating and not in the excited way. He was nervous. He’d already asked me no less than ten times if he looked okay. He’d fluffed the pillows in the living room twice, jumped at every little sound, promptly running to the window to see if someone was there.

Finally, when he’d paced past me for the third time, I grabbed ahold of his shoulders.

“Aaron, it’s going to be fine. They’ll love you. You’re worrying over nothing, trust me.”

“Easy for you to say. They have to love you, you’re family.”

I snorted. “That’s actually more of a reason for them to tease me and corner me with a million questions. Believe me, they’ll treat you like a prince.”

“I don’t want to be treated like a prince. I’d prefer if they pretended I wasn’t here. I’m used to that.”

I hated hearing him say that. No one should be used to being ignored. “Sorry, Aaron, no can do. They’ll see you; I see you. You’re not getting ignored anymore.”

He worried his bottom lip, and gently, I pulled it free with my thumb and covered his mouth with mine. I didn’t want to hear him make any more negative remarks about himself.

“Don’t start anything, Daniel.” Aaron smiled as we parted, all trepidation and sorrow gone from his expression. Mission accomplished.

“Oh, I intend to finish, though.”

Aaron huffed and took a step out of arm’s reach. “Not with your family here.”

“Fuck that.”

He laughed with careless abandon, and I relished the sound and sight of it…that was until the bell rang, and Aaron gasped and retreated into himself once again.

“Stay right here. Breathe. The fact that they’re ringing the doorbell and not using their keys tells me they’re being polite for you. It’s a great sign.”

He nodded, stared at me like a deer in the headlights. The bell rang a second time.

“I need to get that. Go to the bathroom and take a moment.”

He spun and practically ran away. I sighed and went to let my family in.

My mother was all of maybe five feet with short hair that was more white than black these days. Her eyes were gray like my own, her face covered with wrinkles from laughing all the time.

“There’s my boy!” She reached up, and I leaned down to hug her. She was seventy-four and while she appeared delicate, once she had you in her arms, you could tell the woman was strong.

“Hi, Ma, I missed you.”

“It’s freaking cold out here, Dan, let us in.” I looked over my shoulder, where Katherine was smirking.

“Oh, you came?” I snarked, earning a light smack upside the head from my mother.

“Be nice.”

I stepped aside, hugging Katherine next and shaking my brother-in-law’s, Frank’s, hand. I high-fived my nephew Josh, who honored me by tucking his, whatever handheld device it was, into the pocket of his hoodie.

“Where is he?” my mom whispered once I’d taken their coats.

“He’s nervous, give him time.”

Everyone got settled in the living room. Josh was in the corner chair, game in hand. It was hard because he was the only kid. Katherine and Frank had gone through a lot of trouble conceiving him, and after trying a few years to have another child, they’d accepted that it might never happen. Josh didn’t seem upset about it, he was fun-loving and had a lot of friends at home.

We were all talking but everyone stopped as soon as Mom began explaining how her flight was rocky and then she’d had to wait an hour for Katherine’s plane to get there. She was telling that story when Aaron slowly entered the room.

I stood and immediately went to him. “Hey.”

“Hi.”

Okay, he was terrified. I placed my hand on his lower back and guided him closer.

“Aaron this is my mother, Rina; my sister Katherine; brother-in-law, Frank; and that kid slouching there pretending none of us exists is my nephew, Josh.”

Josh snorted and waved without taking his eyes off his game.

“Everyone, this is Aaron Darwin.”

“It’s so wonderful to meet you.” Of course my mother pulled him to her, and there was no fighting her forceful nature. He gasped and softly patted her shoulder.

“Nice to meet you, Aaron.” Frank shook his hand and acted as if Aaron had always lived here. “Want a drink? I was gonna pour myself a whiskey.”

“Uh, no thanks. I’m okay.”

“Hi, Aaron.” Katherine smiled and, not as aggressively as my mom, hugged him. “Nice to meet you. Daniel has told us a lot of wonderful things about you.”

“He has?” Aaron looked at me in shock. Was that really a surprise?

“Oh, yeah. I heard you single handedly saved the festival with your idea for the menorah.”

Aaron rolled his eyes. “An idea is not what saved the festival.”

My mom chuckled. “Oh, dear boy, ideas are always the spark that starts the fire.” She winked and patted the seat next to her once she sat. “Now, tell me all about yourself.”