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He wasn’t really sure how or when it had happened. One minute they were perfectly in sync, the next they couldn’t seem to get on the same page about anything. Their good humoured teasing had turned into sniping aimed at one another’s most tender places.
Patrick knew by the slope of his shoulders that David was feeling the distance between them just as keenly. They’d been so busy, was the thing. Opening their second store had them passing like ships in the night most days, and on those rare occasions when they had time together, it seemed as though all of their time was spent picking at one another, airing grievances instead of appreciating a few uninterrupted hours together.
Patrick watched as David surreptitiously wiped at his eyes while he restocked the new scented candles on the other side of the store. His heart sank. He felt like a heel. David had tried to do something nice for him this morning, and Patrick recognized now that he had been less than grateful. And David had been overly sensitive.
Always a dangerous combination.
Patrick slept in. He woke at 10:30 to find David already gone. Thirty minutes—and no small amount of swearing and unanswered texts to David later—Patrick practically skidded his car into the parking spot behind the store. He jumped out and ran around to the front door, expecting to see… what? He wasn’t sure. A line of customers waiting outside?
But there was no one loitering in the doorway waiting to be let in. And the stands of fresh fruit and vegetables were neatly arranged in their usual place in front of the large windows, and the chalkboard sign urging people to Follow us on Social Media! was out on the sidewalk. He glanced up to see the lights were on and several customers were milling around inside, David already ensconced behind the counter where he was ringing up a purchase for Jocelyn.
Heaving a sigh of relief, Patrick scrubbed his hands over his face. David was here. The store was open. Everything was fine. He’d have to have a word with David about taking off on him like that without so much as a text or a note explaining his whereabouts. But that could wait. Right now, Patrick needed some tea and maybe a scone, as in his panic he’d skipped breakfast, so he headed across the street to the cafe.
A few minutes later, he was pushing open the door to the store, the bell jingling softly overhead. The customers had all gone and David was nowhere in sight.
“David?” Patrick called out.
“Be right out!” David called from the store room.
And that’s when he noticed it. The small flat box sitting on the counter. Thick brown paper wrapped with rattan ribbon and a small note card with letters written in elegant calligraphy.
To Patrick
Love, David
Patrick frowned at the package. It wasn’t his birthday. And they’d stopped counting monthly anniversaries… well, they’d not done that for a long while now. He racked his brains, trying to recall if there was something he was forgetting.
“David, what is this?”
Patrick set down the takeout tray with two to-go cups, and the paper bag containing a plain scone (Patrick) and a cinnamon danish (David) on the counter beside the package and raised an inquiring eyebrow at his husband who was currently pushing his way through the curtain with a case of wine in his arms.
David blinked innocently at him, although the corner of his lips twitched.
“Good morning to you too, love of my life,” David replied flatly. He paused to press a kiss to Patrick’s cheek before he moved off to restock the fridge with the white wine that had run alarmingly low at the end of the previous day.
Patrick narrowed his eyes. “David…”
“Yes?”
“What is this?”
David looked over at him, his mouth working hard to hide his amusement and his eyes crinkling with ill-disguised delight. “It appears to be a present.”
Patrick sighed, taking the two cups from the tray and walking toward David. “I can see that,” he said, waiting for David to set down the box of wine and accept his coffee with a quiet thanks. “But… what’s it for?”
David blinked at him. “Well… it’s for you.”
“David.”
David sighed and tipped his head backward, squeezing his eyes shut. “It’s…” He tilted his head forward and looked at Patrick, his expression morphing from subtle amusement to not-so-subtle uncertainty. “I just...I miss you,” David said, ducking his head to stare at the coffee cup in his hand.
“I’m right here, David,” Patrick said, unable to hold back a slight note of annoyance from his voice.
“Are you, though?” David replied quietly, still addressing the lid of his coffee cup.
Those three words shot straight through Patrick’s heart. The process of getting their second location up and running had been trying. It had resulted in Patrick spending many late nights stressing over spreadsheets while David spent long days in Elmdale setting up the store. There had been more than a little bickering over the budget and the aesthetic, resulting in more than a few tense evenings at Chez Rose/Brewer. On the tensest of days, David had even taken to sleeping in the guest room they normally reserved for Stevie’s visits.
Any smart-ass comment Patrick might have made died when he saw the look on David’s face. He looked so unsure, so hopeful, and so nervous, all at once. Patrick took a step toward him, reaching out to gently cup David’s cheek in his hand. “I am, David. I’m right here.”
David nodded, but his expression was still guarded. “Mkay.”
Patrick took a step closer, wrapping his arms around his husband’s waist and leaning in and pressing a kiss to David’s worried looking face. “Thank you, David.”
“You haven’t even opened it yet,” David said, a small, hesitant smile on his lips. “You might hate it.”
Patrick shook his head. “Unless it’s a booklet of coupons for free spray-tans, I’m sure I’ll love it.”
David rolled his eyes before leaning in again and placing a gentle kiss on Patrick’s lips. “You’re safe. Even I’m not clueless enough to make that mistake twice.”
Patrick grinned at him. “Can I open it now?
“Um…” Patrick could feel the muscles in David’s back tense up. “It’s just that I had a plan for how I wanted to give it to you. Later.”
“If you didn’t want me to open it now, why did you leave it for me to find on the counter?”
David pulled back and smiled nervously. “I didn’t. Um, it was just delivered, just before you got here. I wasn’t expecting you until at least lunch, so…”
Patrick frowned. “What made you think I wouldn’t be in until lunch?”
David blinked at him again. “Uh, my note telling you to take the morning off, and not to come in until lunch.”
Patrick shook his head. “You didn’t leave me a note.”
David’s eyes went wide. “Yes I did!”
“David, I woke up in a panic because you were gone and I was late,” Patrick said, trying to keep his tone even. “If you’d left me a note I wouldn’t have run around like a… like a crazy person for the last hour!”
“B-but no! No, I left you a note!” David said, his brow furrowed and his voice laden with confusion. “I mean, I thought… I thought I did. I put it on your nightstand, by your phone. So you’d be sure to see it.” David was nearly in tears now and Patrick felt like an ass. David had genuinely been trying to do something nice for him. It had just gone sideways somehow and caused Patrick more stress than it should have. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to make you worry.”
“It’s okay,” Patrick soothed, pressing a kiss to David’s temple and rubbing his back. “These things happen.”
David practically rippled with irritation.
“These things happen ?” His voice rose slightly in pitch and volume with each word. He pulled back from Patrick’s embrace. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Patrick shrugged. “Just what it sounds like, David. These things happen.”
David pursed his lips, his expression mutinous. “You mean these things happen… because of me. Because I don’t think things through, and I don’t think about other people, and I just do whatever I want and let everyone else deal with the consequences.”
“David…” Patrick sighed and scrubbed his hands over his face. They always seemed to end up like this these days. “I didn’t say that.”
“You didn’t have to,” David replied tartly. He set his coffee cup down on the table with a soft thud and picked up the case of wine, turning his attention back to restocking the fridge. “You know what? I’ve got the store today. Why don’t you go home and enjoy your day off.”
“David…”
“ Don’t, Patrick,” David said, and Patrick could hear the emotion in his voice. He pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger. “I just… I wanted to do something nice for you. And you come in here in a shitty mood which is not my fault because I left you a note— “ He turned and looked at Patrick, his eyes glistening with unshed tears. “So if you don’t want to leave, I will. Because I don’t really want to be around you right now.”
“I—“ Patrick began, but backed off at the wounded look on David’s face. “Okay, David. Fine. I’ll go.” He turned to leave, glancing at David’s gift on the counter and the bag of treats from the cafe. “I brought you—“
“Whatever it is, I don’t want it,” David snapped, shoving another bottle of wine into the fridge before he swiped quickly at his eyes.
Patrick turned and headed for the front door, not exactly sure what had just happened or why. He paused beside the counter to snatch up the paper bag from the cafe and his eyes lingered on the gift. He was about to leave without it - he didn’t want to know what it was right now anyway - when David’s voice rang out.
“And take the goddamn present,” he snarled as he shoved aside the curtain and disappeared into the stock room. “I hope you fucking like it.”
Patrick frowned at the curtain, grabbing the present and trading it for the bag of pastries. Then he turned and left, letting the front door slam shut behind him.
Patrick got home and threw the gift down on the kitchen counter. He went to their office and tinkered with a few spreadsheets, checked budget projections for their new location—they were off to a good start, their brand already a known entity throughout the greater Elms—and dabbled around with his fantasy hockey roster. Finally, his curiosity got the better of him and he went back to the kitchen to stand over David’s gift.
I miss you, David had said. Patrick felt an ache deep in his chest. He wasn’t sure how long it had been there, but it seemed like forever. He’d just gotten used to it, like a joint that ached before the rain. His heart had been aching for David for some time now.
He pulled the lid off the gift. Inside he found all the information for a trip to Niagara Falls, with Ray’s business card stapled to the brochure for a three star hotel and spa and a chauffeured winery tour. Patrick’s eyes filled with tears. They’d planned on going to the falls for their honeymoon, but had to delay it when the orders coming in from the Rosebud Motel Group had started coming in far faster than they’d anticipated. They’d been overwhelmed and hadn’t felt that they could afford to take the time away. And now, three years into their marriage, they’d never taken that time back for themselves.
David had thought of everything, anticipating Patrick’s objections and including a schedule for coverage at both locations, as well as a spreadsheet budget outlining the costs, and showing Patrick that they could afford it. He’d made lists of things they could do together, and had researched multiple times for each activity, leaving the final decision as to the finer details up to Patrick.
He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket.
Patrick felt his throat tighten. He typed back his response.
Patrick spent the rest of his day off taking care of things around the house that he’d been putting off. When he went back upstairs to make the bed, he found a slip of paper on the floor beside his bedside table.
David had indeed left him a note. He must have knocked it off the table in his rush to get out of bed. He sat down on the edge of the mattress and read and reread the note. He debated texting David, but thought better of it. Instead he went back down to the kitchen and got out the ingredients for homemade pizza. He got the dough together to raise before he headed back to the store to help David close up for the day.
He opened the door to find David ringing out the last customer of the day. He looked up and nodded at Patrick, his expression still shuttered. Patrick couldn’t tell if David was pleased to see him or not.
Once the customer had paid for her purchase and the door was locked behind her, Patrick offered to cash out the register. David nodded and grabbed a box of candles to restock the shelf. The new scent had turned out to be far more popular than they’d anticipated. Patrick made a mental note to reach out to the vendor for a double order next time.
He was just running the tape on the debit terminal when he heard it, the sound of David sniffling across the store.
“David?” Patrick asked gently.
David shook out his shoulders and swiped at his face. “I’m fine.”
Patrick moved out from behind the counter, rounding the central tables and coming up behind David. He wrapped his arms around David’s waist, resting his forehead between David’s shoulder blades. He heard David take a shuddering breath, felt the shake of his shoulders as he began to sob. Patrick raised his head and pressed a kiss to the nape of David’s neck, just holding him as he cried.
“I’m s-sorry,” David whispered brokenly.
Patrick hooked his chin over David’s shoulder, tightening his hold on his waist. “I am too.”
“How did we get here?” David set the box of candles on the shelf. He turned in Patrick’s arms, his face lined with worry, his dark brows drawn together, his eyes red and puffy with tears.
Patrick shrugged his shoulders, then reached up to gently caress David’s cheek. “I don’t know, baby.”
“I don’t like it.”
Patrick leaned in and pressed a kiss to David’s neck. To the spot he’d long ago claimed as his own. He realized with a pang that he couldn’t remember the last time he’d kissed David there. He felt David relax against him and knew that he too had missed the familiar touch of his husband. “I don’t like it either,” Patrick murmured against David’s skin. “And I miss you too, David. I miss us.”
David made a wounded sound in the back of his throat, his arms sliding tightly around Patrick’s shoulders. They stayed that way, swaying slightly to music only they could hear. Patrick knew there was a long road ahead of them. But at least right now—in this moment—they were back in sync, back on the same page.
It was a good start. From here, there was nowhere to go but up.