Monty After Dark

Chapter 47

"Where we're from, you go to private school for high school, and then to U de M or McGill, like me, that's where I go, and you get a good job from somebody's dad, and marry someone that you know from around our neighbourhood, or Westmount or something, but Chan never liked it. Even now, girls back home are planning weddings and getting pregnant, she's out here on the other side of the country, doing her photography — she never fit in there. But it seems like she fits in perfectly here."

"I think so," I said. "I felt lost a lot, just like I didn't belong anywhere. And now I feel like I do. With her."

I topped up my coffee and poured a fresh one for Chan.

"Off to wake sleeping beauty?" Stef asked. I nodded and laughed.

Chan had fallen back asleep. I set the coffee down on the bedside table and jumped on top of her in the bed. She started to laugh and we wrestled until the blanket tangled us up. She kissed me. "You taste like coffee."

"Here," I said, reaching over and handing her the cup.

"Let's go open presents!"

"What are you, five?" I said, laughing. She grinned.

"Except I already mailed my gift to Stef, so I don't have anything for him to open," she worried.

"He brought it in his suitcase to open here," I said.

"Well, he's not as dumb as he looks, then, is he," Chan said, as we made our way down the stairs.

"Who are you calling dumb, lazy butt?" Stef called from the kitchen. "Had to send your boyfriend down to make your coffee because you can't get out of bed?"

"Pfft, don't even start with me, little brother, or you're going to be on dish duty for the rest of your stay."

We loaded up our coffee cups and headed into the living room. There were a lot more gifts under the tree than I remembered the night before.

"I hope you don't mind, I brought along a few gifts," Stef said, nodding toward the pile under the tree.

"Where did all of these come from?" I asked .

"Oh, random family members, I may have mentioned to Memere and Grandma Elizabeth that I was coming ..." he said.

"Oh, Memere, I miss her so much," Chan whispered, eyes filling with tears. I felt like grabbing her, but she clung to her brother. I felt a little strange, I wasn't sure what it felt like to have a sibling, or a grandmother, for that matter.

"She misses you, too, and Grandma Elizabeth," Stef said quietly.

"Here," Chan said, picking up the first gift from the pile and passing it to him. "It's from Uncle Wentworth."

"Oh god, it's probably something ridiculous," Stef said, rolling his eyes and laughing. "Everyone has a crazy uncle ... ours is Uncle Went, he doesn't have any kids, he's got more money than he knows what to do with." He opened the small box and inside was a key. "Criss, c'est quoi." He turned it over in his hand. He opened the card that came with it. "Of course. It's a Skidoo. At his cabin. Trying to lure me up for a visit, I guess." He and Chan laughed. "Like I said. Ridiculous."

"Do I even want to know what's in mine?" Chan asked, taking the envelope from her brother. "It better not be an exotic animal."

It was a train trip through the Rockies, for two. "Two?" Chan asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I may have mentioned you were seeing someone," Stef said, looking sheepish.

"Calisse, Stef, why?"

"Oh, stop, he's not going to tell mom," Stef said. "You guys are going to have a great time. And Matt, if Chan doesn't want to go, I'll go with you." Chan punched him in the arm and they both laughed. I loved seeing her like this, it made me love her even more, if that was possible.

Grandma Elizabeth had even sent some leather gloves for me, I was a little overwhelmed that someone who hadn't even met me had wanted to buy me a present. I wasn't really good at this sort of thing, I think I'm going to leave the present buying up to Chan. But I did get a hoodie for Stef from the shop. The only other people I had got anything for were Chan, my mother, Dad, and Chris's parents.

Stef took out the gift from Chan. I knew it was from her because I recognized the paper she had used. The night before, she had given everyone a gift, Carts, Chris, Mel and even my mother. When Stef opened it, Chan explained. "It's from Maison Simon. I got a big contract with them, starting in a few weeks ..."

"So, you're coming home?" he asked, looking hopeful. "You could stay with me at the condo, if you're coming to Montreal?"

"I'm not sure if I'll be there or Quebec, but it will be for a week or so, I'll let you know."

"We could go up to the summer house, or would you be able to take time off to go to Vermont? Donovan's family still has their cabin at Jay Peak? I'm sure Memere and Grandma Elizabeth would love to see you ..." Stef could barely get the words out fast enough.

"I'm not sure about all that, I don't know what my plans will be, but I'll let you know," she said, seeming a little distant.

There were two gifts left. Chan's to me, and mine to her.

"Well, I think I'll go put on some more coffee. Or, how about mimosas?"

"What's a mimosa?" I asked.

"Champagne and orange juice," said Chan, trying not to laugh. "Sure, that'll be fine. I don't have a wine cellar, so you'll have to use the cheap sparkling from the fridge, if you can choke it down."

"I'm a university student, if it has alcohol in it, I'll drink it," Stef said, excusing himself.

"I want to go first," I said, looking at the package in my lap. "Not because I want to see what's inside, but because I want you to open yours last."

Her eyes looked all glassy again.

Carefully, I peeled back the paper. It was a Canucks jersey, signed by the entire team. And tucked inside the collar were two tickets, first row right by the glass. A little card with scripty writing said there was limo service and private dinner in the rich people section. "Chantelle, this is too much," I whispered.

"Wrong. It's not enough. Nothing is enough. But if I get to spend time with you, then it's a gift for me, too."

Now I was the one with glassy eyes.

"I guess it'll go pretty well with what I got you, then," I said.

She clutched at the gift, which Mel had helped me wrap, because I suck at wrapping ... and I wanted it to look nice.

"Oh, Matthew," she whispered, looking down at the black leather book. She had never called me that before, not once.

"I hope you like it ... I've been working on it for a while. Julie from the yearbook helped me put it together and Mel helped me wrap it ..." I was babbling.

"I love it," she said, turning through the pages. It was a photo album, with little notes, some photos of us, the first selfie we took on my driveway. Photos from the beach. A candid shot Mel had taken at my birthday. One of my mom and I.

She was crying. I hoped they were happy tears, but she wasn't saying anything.

"This is beautiful. This is so nice, I ... I'm sorry, I'm just really overwhelmed," she said. "I love you. I love you a lot." I gently set the book down and put my arms around her.

"I love you, too," I said quietly. "Now, go get your camera and we'll make some more photos for the book today. You can put one in of me drinking my first mimosa?"