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Santa, don’t forget.”

“Yeah!” Nate declared. “If we don’t leave him cookies, he won’t leave us presents. I want presents.”

“Let’s go get you two cleaned up,” Tabby said, steering them both out of the kitchen.

Micah looked over his shoulder. Daniel followed his gaze to where his mother was busy stirring something on the stovetop. Micah turned back to him, stepped closer, and murmured, “You know, there’s another ginger man you can eat later, if you like.”

Daniel choked on the bite he’d just taken. A chunk of cookie went down the wrong pipe, sending him on a coughing fit.

Micah pushed a bottle of water into his hands and pounded him on the back in between laughing apologies.

“I’m sorry,” he said while Daniel wiped his leaking eyes. “That was some bad timing on my part.”

“It’s okay,” Daniel rasped. A few more rounds of throat clearing finally dispelled the urge to cough his lungs out.

“Are you all right?” Mom asked, her voice bright with humor. “I’d come check on you, but Micah seems to have everything under control over there.”

Daniel’s eyes widened. Had she overheard Micah’s comment?

Whatever expression Daniel wore on his face started Micah laughing again. His cheeks were positively rosy at this point.

“Sorry,” Micah whispered. “I’ll dial back the inappropriate comments.”

“No need to do that on my account,” Mom said, and Micah’s face went even redder.

Daniel turned to meet his mother’s gaze. She looked amused but unsurprised, and best of all, delighted. Just one morning and she’d seen right through them. And while Daniel’s parents had always been liberal in their voting and huge supporters of marriage equality, Daniel hadn’t expected her to be quite so pleased at her discovery.

Relief made him smile, which prompted her to cross the kitchen to pat his cheek.

“Don’t worry, honey. My lips are sealed.” She mimed zipping her mouth and tossed away an imaginary key. “Honestly, I’d been wondering since you first told us you’d found each other again, but the joke confirmed things.” She giggled. “Keeping things quiet for the kids, I take it?”

Daniel nodded. “For now. While we see how things go.”

“Seems fair.” Mom hugged him briefly before going back to stir whatever was in her pot.

And that, apparently, was that.

* * *

After an early dinner, they settled in front of the television to watch Elf, one of the kids’ favorite Christmas movies. They migrated out to the terrace once it was over, and Daniel got the firepit going. Tallulah and Sephie plopped down next to it to savor the heat, the way they did with sun patches at home. Kiki chose her usual spot on Tabby’s lap. Rocket cuddled up between Nate and Gretchen, resting his black-and-white head on Gretchen’s knee. And Petey, who’d taken a liking to Micah since he’d started spending the night at Daniel’s place, flopped onto his back next to Micah’s thigh to beg for tummy rubs.

All in all, it was a wonderful day. The kids were allowed to stay up until it was nearly midnight, when they got to open one gift from their grandparents each. The rest would be sneakily placed around the tree by Daniel after they fell asleep.

Daniel and Tabby did the bedtime routine together, tucking the kids into the room with twin beds and taking turns reading from How the Grinch Stole Christmas. The kids were out before the Grinch met Cindy Lou, and then, thankfully, finally, it was adult time.

Micah grabbed the pitcher of eggnog and the tray of cheese, olives, and crackers he’d prepared earlier, and they all went back out onto the terrace to chat.

“This is really good,” Tabby said after she’d taken a sip from her glass. She toyed with her phone, and in the next second, low, jazzy Christmas carols started playing from the portable Bluetooth speaker she’d set next to the platter of snacks.

Micah winked. “It’s my secret ingredient, extra bourbon.”

“I like your style.” Tabby laughed. “Personally, I never say no to extra alcohol.” She popped a Greek olive into her mouth and hummed.

“Bit strong for me,” Daniel’s father said. It wasn’t very cold outside, but Ron was bundled up in a thick fleece jacket and dark wool scarf. “Tasty, though.”

“A fine drink to finish off the evening.” Linda lifted her already half-empty glass. “Cheers, everyone. Merry Christmas.”

Everyone echoed the sentiment and they chatted for another hour before people started drifting away to go to bed.

Daniel and Micah were the last, of course. Micah joined him on his lounger once the rest of the house had gone quiet.