Page 55 of His for Hanukkah

What the hell? “We can do anything you want. You’ve always had the real power here.”

Adam’s face brightened and then darkened again.

If he wanted out, why did he seem so miserable? And if something wasn’t working, why wasn’t he willing to try working on it together, or at least explain it?

Why wasn’t he at least giving Tate this last night to win him over, like they’d agreed?

Close on the heels of that thought came a startling revelation. “Fuck,” he muttered out loud. He didn’t know whether to be annoyed at himself or relieved.

“Adam, did you think that our relationship was supposed to end after Hanukkah?”

“That’s what you said.”

“And all the times that I mentioned doing something in the future together, did that mean anything?”

“I thought that was just part of it.”

“Part of what?”

“Being yours for Hanukkah.”

Tate drew in a relieved breath. He still had a chance with his anxious, perfect, and sometimes too literal boy.

“Adam, go get the bag that’s on the floor.” He’d dropped it when he saw the mess in the kitchen, so it was only a few feet from the couch.

Adam returned shortly with the small, white bag embossed with the jeweler’s name. “What is it?”

“It’s your eighth night Hanukkah present.”

“Shouldn’t we light candles first?”

Absolutely not. This couldn’t carry on for a minute longer. “No, boy, open it now.”

Adam drew out the small box within, and then opened it. Tate held his breath while he looked. He didn’t make a sound.

At last, he reached in and touched it. Was he turning it over? Reading the inscription?

Then, in a tangle of limbs, Tate had a warm and clingy boy in his lap.

“This is for me?” he asked, holding up the chain.

“You’re my Little Star. The only one I want or need.”

Adam turned over the circular pendant again in the light. One side had a tiny, six-sided star in the upper right corner. The other side said Tate’s Little Star.

The chain was still open, and on one end rested a lock.

“So, you really want me? You want me to be your boy?”

“Baby, I’ve been trying to make that clear to you all week. I only suggested Hanukkah as a timeframe because I didn’t want to overwhelm you at first. I also wanted to make the holiday special for you. If I’d known then about how you focus on time, I wouldn’t have said it at all. In my mind, we were starting a relationship by sharing a holiday together, not putting a time limit on a fling.”

Adam sighed heavily. “I probably should have known that. I just got so focused on counting the days that I got all worked up over nothing. I hate my brain sometimes.”

“Your brain is beautiful just the way it is. You got all worked up because I didn’t do a good enough job figuring out your needs and communicating with you. I wasn’t doing my job as a Daddy.”

“Oh, no!” Adam was incensed. “You’re a perfect Daddy. The best Daddy in the world.”

There it was again. That weird gap between being a good Daddy and being Adam’s Daddy. But he wasn’t going to let a miscommunication stand between them now.