Chapter Text
William had never been a kid who wanted for much. As his Aunt Thea liked to tell him when she put him to bed, he had been the brightest light in his parents life at a time when darkness seemed to seep into everyone’s path. And his father confirmed on many occasions that William had saved him in more ways than anyone ever could. But the boy hadn’t really understood.
He sat at the base of the staircase, decorators and staff rushing around his grandmother’s foyer getting things just right for the holidays. William wanted to sneak another peek at the tree in the living room, but he was under strict instructions to stay out from under the workers feet. He had rolled his eyes at that. Because he was way too big to actually be under anyone’s feet. He just wanted to look at the ornaments, to see if anyone had put the family ones up yet. To see if anyone had put his mom’s up yet. But he didn’t think they would have.
His dad had promised him they would wait until the whole family could be together to do it. It was important to Oliver that they did things together, especially after losing Will’s mother two years ago. And William loved that his dad held those kinds of things close. It’s probably what had drawn his parents together in the first place, he liked to think. Even if it hadn’t been enough to keep them that way.
“William,” Raisa said as she came over. “What are you doing down here? You should go play, or get your wishlist ready for Santa.”
William shook his head. “I don’t need a list for Santa, Raisa.”
“But then how will he know what to bring you for Christmas?”
He shrugged, looking at his grandmother at the edge of the living room, his grandad stood just behind her, placing a kiss on her cheek. “I’d rather Santa spend his time thinking about kids who need things more than I do.”
“You are a good boy,” she whispered, patting his cheek. “Come, let’s get cookies.”
“Sweet.”
But before William could stand with her the front door opened, bringing a chill from outside, but also his father.
“Dad,” he rushed from the steps and into Oliver’s leg. He didn’t care that he was eight. When you lost someone, it made you cherish when the rest of your family came home. “How was work?”
“Long,” Oliver replied, but pulled William to his side in a tight hug. “You have fun at school today?”
“I got a perfect score on my math test.”
“Amazing,” he replied giving William a smile. “We should celebrate.”
“You say that every time.”
“Well I mean it every time,” he countered with a grin. “But tomorrow. Grandma already called me with a crisis.”
“Do not exaggerate to the boy,” his grandmother said as she came into the room. “But your father insisted on this dinner , and I’m not about to get through it without you or your sister here.”
“Moria dear, Oliver just stepped through the door, perhaps he needs a moment to at least set his coat down.”
That was what William loved most about his grandad Walter. He could calm Grandma down faster than almost anyone. Which was good because Grandpa Robert tended to like to work her up. Will sometimes found his family a little complicated to follow. What with his grandma being married to Walter, and his grandpa having a girlfriend who was about his dad’s age, who no one really liked. Then he had his aunts Thea and Emiko, who were both awesome in their own ways. Aunt Thea spoiled him and read him stories, but Auntie Em liked to bring him old maps and puzzles from around the world. Grandma didn’t always act like she liked Auntie Em, but she played nice enough around the holidays. There was one thing Emiko and his grandma seemed to agree on though.
“Why Robert insists on bringing her to these family dinners is beyond me,” Moira groaned. “I mean honestly, it’s appalling.”
“Maybe he wants her to be family,” Oliver added as he tucked William into his side.
“I will blame your long day at work for that comment,” she turned on her son with a glare. “The last thing anyone in this family needs is Isabel Rochev as a permanent member.”
“If Isabel marries Grandpa does that mean I’d have to call her Grandma too?”
Moira coughed into her hand, but William could see the smile on the edge of her lips. “Not on my watch my boy, now go wash up for dinner.”
“But Dad said we could do ornaments tonight,” William protested.
“Your aunts and uncle aren’t here yet, buddy,” he kissed William’s forehead and nudged him towards the stairs. “After dinner I promise.”
William nodded and made his way up the stairs, he heard snippets of his grandmother’s complaints about Isabel. But other than that he tuned them out as he went to his room. Grown up things were kind of boring.
---
“I just think that the numbers for the overseas office are not as high as they could have been,” Isabel said as she took a sip of her drink.
William didn’t know what the adults of his family were talking about, he was too busy watching funny videos on his Uncle Tommy’s phone. But he saw the way his Auntie Em, darted her eyes towards the woman, narrowing her gaze.
“Excuse me?”
“Emiko,” Grandpa Robert’s voice warned. “She didn’t mean anything by your job.”
“Clearly,” Emiko said as she stood from the couch and moved over to standby Aunt Thea as she muttered. “Where is Oliver with those damn ornaments?”
“Bad word,” William replied looking up at her with a grin.
“Put it on my tab kid,” she replied as she downed her drink. “Seriously I have to catch a flight tomorrow.”
“Oh you’re going to the Milan office too?” Isabel perked up. “We should ride together, compare notes.”
His aunt turned away from the main room just as his father reentered, carrying an old cedar chest. “Got ‘em.”
“Finally,” Aunt Thea said as she took Em’s drink and set it on the mantle. “Come on, you know this is your favorite tradition.”
The two of them took the chest from his father, and set it down on the coffee table. It’s the only time of year his grandmother didn’t complain about dust and scratches on the old thing. But he thought it had a lot to do with the tradition itself.
Auntie Em reached in and pulled out the first ornament, frowning a little when she saw it. “Merlyn, of course.”
“Come on Em, you know the rules,” he teased with William in his lap. “You have to say something nice when you put it on the tree.”
She rolled her eyes as she stood and made her way to the tree. “You’re a decent doctor.”
“Wow decent. I feel so loved.”
“Get up and grab an ornament,” she glared, reclaiming her seat next to Thea.
Tommy took the next ornament out, and held it up with a grin. “Walter. You my friend, are always there when someone needs a shoulder.”
“Thank you Tommy, that was rather kind.”
He nodded as Walter reached it next. This went on in rounds for a while. Isabel made some comment about not having an ornament in the box, and William thought for a second that the women in his family might actually snap. But they turned back to what they were doing, like they hadn’t heard her at all.
When his grandmother had placed his Dad’s ornament on the tree, William could see how the rest would unfold.
His dad pulled out his, and smiled as he moved to the tree. “William, you are the best thing in my world.”
“You say that every year.”
“And it’s always true.”
William pulled the next ornament out, his grandma’s name glittering in the light. “Grandma Moira gives the best hugs.”
As he said it she came up behind him and captured him in a good one. “I love you,” she whispered.
As he placed Moira’s ornament on the highest branch he could reach, he turned back to his dad. “Mom next?”
“Yeah,” Oliver said, already holding the brass angel in his hands. He lifted William up with his free arm, and handed him the small thing. “Forever missed.”
“Forever loved,” William finished with a smile. He kissed the ornament before he placed it on the branch right next to Auntie Em’s mom’s ornament. She died when Emiko was a little older than William was now. He hadn’t seen his aunt put it on the tree, but he suspected she must have done it when she put on Uncle Tommy’s.
“Alright, buddy it’s getting late,” Oliver said as his son back down. “You should get ready for bed. We got a big day tomorrow.”
“Am I still coming to the office with you?”
“If you want to,” he said with a grin. “Sure you won’t get bored?”
“I’ll bring my homework in case I do.”
“Deal,” Oliver grinned. “Head upstairs. I’ll be there in a minute to tuck you in.”
William made like he was going to leave the room, and he had planned to head straight up. But something kept him lingering at the door to the living room. His father had moved back to the tree, his hand playing with the wings of the old angel.
“You know she’d be okay if you dated someone,” he could hear Uncle Tommy say in a low voice. “Sam, wouldn’t have wanted either of you to go on like this.”
“She’s his mom Tommy,” he heard his dad reply. “Nothing’s gonna change that.”
“Nothing has to change that. But you deserve to be happy,” his uncle said. “Will deserves for you to be happy too.”
William scrunched up his nose, as he thought about Tommy’s words. Was his dad unhappy?
He never acted like it. He always gave warm hugs, and smiled at him no matter what he did. He thought they had everything, just the two of them and their crazy family. But could a part of his dad not be happy about that? Maybe something was missing and William hadn’t noticed? Maybe he didn’t know what to look for to notice?
One thing was for certain, this was a mystery. And he hated mysteries. He’d get to the bottom of it. And he had most of tomorrow to do so.