The town is quite cute, but the weather isn't quite as nice. It's snowing moderately and the flurries of white create wet roads and tiny walls of dirty grey snow piled on the sidewalks. There's not a great deal of people walking around but the merry Christmas lights in town try to make up for the missing humane presence.
Turning a corner, Duke drives us toward the outlet mall that he mentioned this morning. Azrael sits next to him in the front while I sit in the back alone. If you only looked at the front seats with Duke and Azrael, without knowing anything about them, you'd most likely think it strange that Azrael is the brother in law to a mid-forty-year-old, when Azrael himself is not even thirty.
I'm still trying to link all the clues around me in this environment together to create an understanding of what's happening. There's an abundance of clues all around, but I still can't figure anything out. I'm just stuck going over what I do know.
Azrael doesn't like his dad. His siblings are old enough to be his parents. The issue between Azrael and his dad seems to be linked to their past. Dad seems to be aware that he did something wrong, and continuously feels bad for that. Azrael has different color eyes from everyone else.
But what does the age difference mean? Clementine and Luke are clearly related, but they have darker eyes compared to Azrael, only their black-brown hair linking them. I'd think that Shelly gave him his eyes, but she seems too old to be his mom, one, and two, Shelly's eyes are blue, not grey. So there's a missing link. No disrespect to Shelly when I say she might be too old to be Azrael's mother, but she and Rafael are both older than my parents, and are probably a little younger than my grandparents.
Is that related to Azrael hating his father? I don't know. For now I have no clue why exactly they have such friction. Well, friction is not a fitting word. It's more of how Azrael one-sidedly despises Rafael, and Rafael is aware that he deserves that resentment and doesn't at all resist it.
But I'm still lost in this entire secret, and I can't help but wonder how exactly Jane was able to find this secret she's talking about. It's not like she came here, at least I don't think she did, as Azrael has said it's been years since he came back. So it must be evident, somehow.
We stop and then get out of the car as we walk around to get some last-minute Christmas gifts. In my case, I'm getting something for the family that is hosting me, and I decided that I'd play it safe and get everyone some chocolate that's both expensive and tasteful. One box for everyone. I trust that the people I'm going to give the chocolate to aren't insane so won't throw a hissy fit.
Walking along the stores, we find one with a sign saying they have Christmas discounts and go in. It's a supermarket, and has a wide assortment of products to choose from. I'm pretty sure I can get what I need here.
Inside, the warm air is welcoming. From somewhere inside this store, there's hot chocolate ready for somebody to enjoy, and cinnamon and peppermint creates a wintery sweet smell. Elvis music plays and relaxes my shoulder as we walk around.
Grabbing a shopping cart, Duke says he'll go grab what he wants while Azrael and I wander around separately to give him privacy. I think we'll have to split up too, but for now we're together.
"What are you planning on getting?" I ask Azrael curiously, trying to see if he'll tell me what intends to get for me.
"If I told you," says Azrael with a smile, "I don't think it'd be a surprise."
"No," I admit, "I suppose it won't be."
"But I promise it'll be interesting," says Azrael, and I laugh as I reply.
"I look forward to it."
After we talk a while longer and grab a cart to put whatever we want in, we do end up splitting up. Azrael goes off toward the clothing section while I head to the candy aisle as I need to get the chocolate. Thinking now, I think I'll get some of those and pulled taffies for Azrael as he seems to like those.
Getting to the candy aisle, I see that there's quite a few types of sweets that are not just meant to be eaten, but entertaining as well. Some types of candy are pretty funny, like gum that can blow to enormous sizes or pop candy that makes loud noises.
Not really sure which is the best for Azrael, I go along the aisle and grab everything that seems interesting. Also the chocolates for everyone else.
After avoiding other parts of the store that I think Duke and Azrael are near, I go to the register and pay for the gifts, which I then have put in brown paper bags to hide the contents.
Hanging out near a magazine rack, I look through the covers of them and half-heartedly get interested in gossip from some of the tabloids.
Soon, Azrael and Duke have gotten their things and pay also. Azrael has a large amount of things actually, and needs two carts to get his to the register. I don't know how, but he had some of the boxes and gifts already wrapped and ready for giving, which I think I should have done that too, as now I'll have to wrap them myself.
"Did you get everything you needed?" asks Duke to both of us.
"I think I did," I say as I nod to the large brown paper bags in my arms.
"Me too," says Azrael as he nods to the two shopping carts.
"You wanna grab lunch before heading back?" asks Duke, "Dad said that he had to stop back in with the office today, so he's not going to be back until later."
"Oh," says Azrael, his shoulders easing a little, "I guess. What do you have in mind?"
"I know there's some sushi near here," says Duke as we leave the supermarket and head to the car, "we could try that."
"Isn't sushi in the winter a bit...cold?" asks Azrael.
"Yeah," replies Duke with a chuckle, "I suppose it is."
"I'm fine with burgers," says Azrael, then asks me, "how about you?"
"I'm fine with that as well," I say.
"We can go get those, then," says Duke as we put our gifts in the trunk and then walk in the direction that Duke nods to, saying, "there's a place over there."
Going to the indicated place, we order a meal and then sit down at a table in the fast-food restaurant. Not a lot of people are present in the inside of the restaurant and outside there's even less. Today being Christmas eve probably creates an atmosphere for not an entry out of a house for most people.
The three of us only went out because we hadn't gotten a chance to acquire gifts for everyone yet. Azrael and I weren't able to bring anything to Alaska in the plane, I'm guessing Duke was unable to do so as he was waiting for a chance to get things in some privacy away from everyone else, which he couldn't do until today.
"How's your job?" asks Azrael to Duke to make conversation as we wait for our food.
"It's alright," replies Duke, "kids nowadays aren't anymore dumber than yesterday's."
"What's your occupation?' I ask curiously.
"I'm a principal at the local high school," answers Duke.
"I tutor a fourth-grader," says Azrael as he chuckles, "and I love it."
"How's it working for Azzy?" asks Duke to me as he nods at Azrael.
"It's good," I say honestly, "I've never worked anywhere else, but this particular job is so great, I think I'm going to be staying here for a long time."
"Here that, Azzy?" asks Duke with a grin, "You make a great boss."
"Do I really?" asks Azrael to me, really not believing that he's a great boss, and a wonderful person to be near.
"Oh definitely," I say with a nod.
"I'm honored," says Azrael with a smile.
"Speaking of," says Duke, "what are you working on right now?"
"Well," says Azrael as he thinks for a moment, "right now we're trying to finish helping the families that suffered from the drought last summer. That's the most recent happening."
"Anything else?" asks Duke.
"Well," says Azrael as he tilts his head, "there are other deals and businesses we're trying to do, but I think I'll not delve into it as right now we're on vacation now and it wouldn't do for us to be kept up in that."
"True," says Duke, and we no longer talk about work.
"When it comes to work though," says Azrael, "I think though that I've been able to improve the balance of my life and work. Thanks to Hogarth, here."
Azrael smiles at me, and nudges me with his elbow. I smile and also blush.
"I'm glad I'm of service."
The food after it's ready we dine on and then leave. The sky outside has gotten darker and many of the shops that were open a while ago have closed as the shop owners have gone home already. Snow still comes down and with a little more weight than earlier. It comes down and begins to make a grey layer on the road and also on everything else a gentle white touch.
"You two need anything else from around here?" asks Duke.
"I don't think so," I reply, and then turn to Azrael, "did you get everything?"
"I don't think so either," says Azrael, "I have everything."
"What do you have planned for the evening?" asks Duke as we get into the car and head home.
"Well, I bought some gingerbread and icing, and some sprinkles," answers Duke, "and I thought we could all make some gingerbread houses. Reminisce when we were kids, and when the kids were here."
"Kids?" I asked confused.
Duke immediately shuts up and coughs awkwardly. He silently drives and nobody talks at all. I'm just settling into the reality that I won't be told who the kids are, when Azrael actually speaks.
"The kids," he says, looking over at me, "that Duke talks about, is his and Clementine's two kids. A son and a daughter. They're technically my niece and nephew, but we were pretty much raised together because we were only five years apart. We just call them kids because they're Duke's kids."
"Oh," I say as I understand, "makes sense."
Azrael nods and looks back out the window. Duke glances back at Azrael, most likely surprised that Azrael divulged that fact.
"Why were you pretty much raised together?" I ask confused as I process this fact that Azrael told me, only now realizing a strange part of it.
"Oh...um," says Azrael, without an answer, "just...just because."
There's something more to this...
Azrael keeps his face away from me, facing outside and the snowy world that is unfolding. Having left town, we drive a lonely road in a grey scenery that is bitterly cold and chilly to the same extent. It's surprisingly a far distance from our home to the town, about thirty minutes of running through the country-side. Compared to the drive that we had to get to the house from the airport, it's not as long, but it certainly is a distance.
The quiet that has unfolded inside the car is not that bad, and Azrael's face turned away means I can keep my eyes on him. His hair that has been made slightly damp by the snow catches a shine from outside, and the coat on him hugs him warmly to ensure his comfort. I'd have asked him to wear a hat to keep warm, but then I'd not see his hair now.
It's quite strange to think that parts of his head have different color hair. It's only a difference of black and brown, but they are nice to see next to each other. As is seeing the rest of him.
Arriving home, we get out and walk inside while the scenery turns darker with the soft greys leaving to give way to nightly hues. Going inside we shrug off our coats and our boots as well. Clementine and Shelly stick their heads into the hallway and greet our return.
From inside I smell cooking turkey, which I think was acquired yesterday and Shelly with Rafael started cooking yesterday. I'm pretty sure they bought it along with eggnog and sugar Christmas cookies. Duke says he bought gingerbread for the idea he had, and there's a general sound of appreciation.
Going to the kitchen, Azrael and I sit down to start making gingerbread houses after we put our gifts upstairs. Azrael puts the already wrapped ones under the tree, but the others he need to wrap he says he'll do later. When I mention I need wrap some of mine, Azrael says he'll get the wrapping paper for me. The gingerbread houses are fun to make, and with Azrael and I sitting in close proximity as we make one together, I'm just hoping that the moment is stretched out as long as possible because I don't want this distance to grow; only make itself scarce farther.