A Small Miracle Happened by Mari Donne Read Free Book Online

years.” Terry grinned. “In spite of my family. Chris will tell you our Thanksgiving was kind of a disaster.”
    Warren shuddered. “But we’re flying to Florida to spend Christmas with my parents. So maybe I won’t demand a divorce until next year.”
    “You’re not going to be here for Christmas?” Chris heard the alarm in his voice and wished he’d said nothing, especially when Dan cast him a keen glance. But Chris had been counting on Terry and Warren for an invitation. There wasn’t anyone else in town Chris knew well enough to spend Christmas Day with. He couldn’t call one of his friends back home, because they would ask awkward questions about why he didn’t visit his parents. The answers would be food for gossip, and Chris’s family hated gossip as much as they hated controversy. Dan would be visiting his own family, so Chris couldn’t invite him over either.
    It wasn’t really a problem. Chris was a big boy, and he’d manage. Maybe he could do what Dan said his parents did, find someplace to volunteer so he wouldn’t be completely alone. Or he could adopt a kitten or something.
    He leaned back in his chair, dropping out of the conversation as their meal arrived. But he listened, and he thought Dan was charming his friends. When Dan excused himself to answer a phone call, Warren verified it. “Nice guy. And he’s into you.”
    “Do you think so?”
    “Oh, yeah,” Terry mumbled around a mouthful of pie.
    Chris looked over to where Dan had found a quiet spot near the restrooms to take his call, and caught the moment when his expression changed. He grinned madly, then waved at Chris, almost jumping up and down in his enthusiasm.
    “What’s that about?” asked Terry.
    “I don’t know, but he’s sure cute when he’s excited,” said Warren.
    Chris thought Dan was cute 24-7. He waved back. “I think his sister just had a baby.”
    Dan confirmed this when he returned, sliding into the booth and bussing Chris on the cheek. “It’s a girl! Six pounds, fifteen ounces. I don’t know why that’s required information, but they seem happy about it. They’re calling her Arielle.”
    “Like the mermaid?” Terry looked dubious.
    “Or an airy sprite,” said Chris before he realized how bizarre that would sound to someone who didn’t know the Shakespeare play.
    “No, Arielle.” Dan spelled it. “It means ‘lioness of God.’ The other way is a boy’s name in Hebrew.”
    The kid’s going to spend the rest of her life trying to get people to spell it right . But it was a pretty name, and Chris said so.
    Dan stared at his phone. “First pictures coming in. Wow, babies pop out ugly! But I suppose she’ll improve.” He passed it around, and they all dutifully admired the red, wrinkled thing screaming its head off in the arms of a befuddled-looking new father.
    “She’ll probably look more like the ones in the diaper commercials by the time you get out there to see her.” Chris handed the phone back.
    “I hope so. Anyway, Sharon’s fine, and my parents are pretty incoherent, which I suppose means they’re happy.”
    Chris loved how emotional Dan was, all his feelings up front and on display. His eyes were glowing, and excitement seemed to pour off him. “We should celebrate with something more than beer and pizza.”
    “Dancing,” suggested Terry immediately.
    Chris cringed, but Dan agreed, so he had to go.
     
    It wasn’t nearly as bad as Chris feared. He skulked in a corner as often as he could, and tried to move as little as possible when on the dance floor. Dan picked up on his discomfort and stopped expecting him to do anything but slow dance. Since anyone with two working feet could slow dance, that was better. Much better, because it meant holding Dan close.
    Afterward there was a long drive back, because the nearest gay bar was pretty damn far away from their neighborhood. But eventually they wound up at Dan’s house, lighting the menorah much later than usual. “It’s