Heteronym

Chapter 33

I might not be religious, but that didn't stop me from loving the holidays. It was the perfect time to forget about all of my problems and spend time with my family. But surprise, surprise, guess who still had to go shopping from the endless list of alcohol and seafood? Me. As always. Though I did manage to drag Beck's sorry ass with me.

His family didn't celebrate Christmas for rather obvious reasons, but our families had shared dinner together last night at Beck's house. It didn't surprise me in the slightest; Beck and I have been dating almost a year now and Ace and Aras are best friends. I don't see why we wouldn't have gotten together.

I was excited today. I hadn't seen Jason's family in months. I had to skip the annual picnic this summer for work and I was dying to see them because despite what some people may think, they were my family too. It was great having them here. Sylvia's father was here as well as Finn's dad, both of whom I considered to be my surrogate fathers. Christmas was always the best time of year for me and I don't think anything would change that.

The bright smile of excitement on Ace's face as he opened the white binder with his DNA kit results was priceless. He looked so happy it was adorable. "What'd you get, Bud?" Jason asked the fourteen year old with a nod from the tan couch he and his wife, Al, sat on with Sylvia's father and my sister in-law.

Beck sat on my right, his thigh pressed against mine, while my brother sat on my left, closet to his wife on the other couch. "Sixty one percent Korean, twenty seven percent Chinese, and twelve percent Japanese," he listed off, the smile not leaving his face. "I'm more Asian than you, in your face," he taunted Finn's Korean best friend. Ever since Ace was young Jason had used the tag line 'Asians before Caucasians' to tease my brother about how his son liked Jason better and over the years it had become somewhat of a competition between the two.

"I'd hope he's more Asian than you, Bud. Or else his mother's been lying to him about who his father is for years," Sylvia mused at her half Korean half white best friend. Jason rolled his eyes playfully with a snort. His father was a deadbeat whom he hadn't seen since he was maybe fourteen. Last I heard he was arrested for too many DUIs.

"We should go to Japan this summer," Ace moved on like the snap of his fingers. He's got a one track mind, I swear.

I laughed lightly as a smile graced everyone's lips, my own eyes giving my half brother a knowing look. "You walked right into that one."

"Yeah, yeah. I knew it before I brought it up," he exhaled though a loving grin was still painted on his face. Finn and Sylvia had originally gone to Tokyo when they were nineteen to compete in the Olympics. I'd love to do that, but NHL players can't compete in the Olympics. I'd rather stay in a season long sport where I can make a lot more money than train for two weeks of play and probably get second place.

"Possibly," Sylvia responded for Finn, though the answer was probably a 'yes' already.

"Open yours," Axel told everyone else, handing the wrapped binder with Finn's father's name on it to the corporate lawyer sitting on the floor next to his grandson in front of the coffee able. Jason's kids and Maya couldn't be less interested, too busy eating chips in the kitchen to be bothered.

"Isn't this the moment you've been waiting for your entire life," I joked while handing Beck's to him, my eyes glittering with the same amusement as his.

"Of course," he drawled sarcastically with a smirk. I tore off the red and green plaid patterned wrapping paper and placed it in a ball on the glass table, opening the half inch binder Sylvia had slapped together last night with my help. All she had to do was print the packet and then I hole punched it, sticking it in the binders and wrapping them. As I flipped past the cover page I was by no means surprised by my one hundred percent European header, listing England, Ireland, Germany, Poland, and Norway as countries my ancestors came from. I was more interested in what Beck's said.