A Day in the Life / December 24

[morrobay1990]

Title: A Day in the Life / December 24
Author: morrobay1990
Warning:
Genre: canon/1990
Word count: 500
Disclaimer: They are AP's
♥ Jack

















He called Junior on Christmas Eve morning, said the castle was done and looked pretty good and when did she want him to bring it over? She told him Alma was coming in the afternoon to take the kids out to buy presents for her and Kurt, so they settled on bringing it over around two.

Junior was the only one home when he got there and he was a little embarrassed when she got all choked up looking at the castle...hoped it didn’t mean that she was thinking why didn’t she ever get one when she was little (that had been on his mind a little)...but she hugged him close, closer than usual, said it was perfect, that Meg would love it, and thank you, which made him feel better about the whole thing.

He took it into Kurt and Junior’s bedroom to hide, then he went out to his truck and came back with a Sears shopping bag...gingerly reached in and pulled out a stuffed pony for Ben, since they couldn’t put the real thing under the tree.

Then, and this was the hard part for him, he told her he was taking off for a few days...going up north, Tim had a cabin he could use...he wouldn’t be here for Christmas.

Emotions she hadn’t felt in years suddenly came rushing back, even though he had never missed a Christmas when she was little.

Leaving? For Christmas? But why? The kids...they were looking forward to it...and didn’t he want to be there to see Meg’s face when she saw her castle? And tell Ben that he owned his very own pony? Didn’t he...

What could he say? But he’d been missing Jack so much...so much...he had to get away for a while and be by himself...had to get up in the mountains, feel the connection that had brought them together...be in the same space that they had once stood in together...he had to go back...had to.

He couldn’t put words to his feelings, and even if he could, wouldn’t be able to say them out loud...he knew what he felt, what he had to do.

He told her he was sorry, that of course he’d miss the kids...but he only got a couple days off a year...

How fucked up was that? He wished more than anything he could tell her the truth...if it was a woman he was in love with, she’d be happy for him, maybe even understand him missing Christmas, she’d want him to be happy...

How could he possibly explain that the ghost of the man he loved haunted him until he couldn’t stand it...the only thing he could think of that might come close to healing him was to try to get back to where it started...try to relive those days and nights…

He hugged her to him, said he was sorry, turned to leave, then, hand on the doorknob, he ventured a look back, saw the tear slide down her face...and that’s when she said, "Are you goin fishin?"

Comments

thank you so much

[gibbous-moon.livejournal.com]

for everything you have given me with this series, all too much to even list, and all such a gift. at this point we have lived and grown with it, and distilled it, and known each other by sharing it. so i am wishing you the happiest of returns of the sun, as it begins it trip back from the far winter end of its ellipse. thank you mb

kj

[eandj.livejournal.com]

does Junior know that Jack died years ago?
I think she could put two and two together about Jack and her father???
I can understand Ennis' need to feel closer to Jack, Christmas can be especially hard when you lost someone you love.
thank you and Merry Christmas
Paula

Re: thank you so much

[morrobay1990.livejournal.com]

One of the most gratifying things of writing this has been the totally heartfelt comments that people have left...the fact that everyone wanted Ennis to be happy, to find joy beyond just his memories, to find joy in his family.

It exceeded my wildest expectations, and for that, I thank you and all who took the time to express themselves...it kept me going.

Merry Christmas!

P.S. This is not the end...

[morrobay1990.livejournal.com]

I don't think Junior knows that Jack died, or how much he meant to her Dad, or even who he was *sob*...she really only met him once, so maybe doesn't have the 2 + 2 to put together...not like Lureen did...he was just a friend that came to visit her father once, a long time ago.

I think she cries because she just sees some of her past, when Ennis wasn't there...even if he wasn't gone at Christmas, his absence still made a big impression on her.

Thanks so much for reading and leaving your thoughts and comments about this series, I appreciate it more than you can know.

Merry Christmas!

[mazaher.livejournal.com]

It's been xmas for seven minutes here and as I was reading this I felt how right it is that Ennis finally brings himself and his Jack-in-the-mind back to Brokeback. I'm sure he will come down that mountain in a different state of mind. Thank you again, and merry xmas...

it's a brave new ennis

[gibbous-moon.livejournal.com]

and i think he will sometime have a brave little talk with junior, nothing graphic, but just a clue what the loss of jack has meant to him and how he learned from jack what is important in life. sweet.

kj

[skinheadbrian.livejournal.com]

.


holy crap.

you TOTALLY took me by surprise with THAT one!!!!
i mean, seriously, that last line took the breath right outta my lungs...

awesomeawesomeawesome!

.

Hard Truths

[joetheone.livejournal.com]

Well, I'm very happy that he brought over the castle and I'm sure Meg will be tickled with it as much as her mother is. It sounds wonderful. I feel badly he cannot tell her the truth about his love who is no longer with him and how it torments him the loss of someone so special. But, in the end she knows and does not want to admit. Joe

[sid401k.livejournal.com]

Too bad he can't bring himself to postpone his trip for just one day. The kids will surely miss him.

[gwylliondream.livejournal.com]

Oh, my heart!