克里斯托弗在华盛顿的第一个感恩节是苦乐参半的.他想念家人吵闹的晚餐,想念屋子里弥漫的火鸡香味,想念莉莉追逐他们兄弟时的笑声.亚历克斯邀请他和他的朋友一起过节,但克里斯托弗拒绝了,他宁愿呆在公寓里.
感恩节那天,他早早醒来,决心要做一顿大餐.他在杂货店找到了一只小火鸡,还有土豆,蔓越莓和南瓜派混合物.他在厨房里度过了一天,随着收音机里的节日歌曲一起唱歌.
Alex 下午回到家,惊讶地发现桌子上摆着一只临时的火鸡和所有的装饰品."这是什么?"
"感恩节晚餐,"克里斯托弗笑着说."我想我们可以一起庆祝."
Alex环顾四周,被感动了."我从来没有吃过真正的感恩节晚餐."
他们坐下来吃饭,克里斯托弗讲了他家的传统故事——他的父亲是如何切火鸡的,他的母亲是如何总是烧面包卷的.亚历克斯听着,询问有关俄亥俄州的问题.有那么一刻,克里斯托弗忘记了他们住在城里的一间豪华公寓里;感觉就像家一样.
晚饭后,他们看了一场电影,亚历克斯在沙发上睡着了.克里斯托弗用毯子盖住他,在昏暗的灯光下端详着他的脸.他睡着时看起来更年轻,压力线消失了.
第二天,Christopher 接到了他妈妈的电话."亲爱的,你的感恩节怎么样?"
"太好了,妈妈.我煮了一只火鸡.
"那很好.你爸爸和我想你.她的声音被抓住了."莉莉订婚了,我跟你说过吗?给隔壁乡镇的一个男孩.
克里斯托弗的心沉了下去."不,你没有.太好了,妈妈.
他又和妈妈聊了几分钟,答应很快就会再打电话.挂断电话后,他感到很想家.Alex 从他的房间里出来,打着哈欠."一切都还好吗?"
"是的,只是和我妈妈说话.莉莉要结婚了.
亚历克斯坐在他旁边."这可是件大事."
"是的."克里斯托弗盯着地板."我希望我能在那里."
"你可以回家参加婚礼,"亚历克斯说."我来付票."
Christopher 惊讶地抬起头来."真的吗?"
"当然.家庭很重要.Alex犹豫了."你...要我跟你一起去吗?
Christopher 睁大了眼睛."你想来俄亥俄州吗?"
"当然.为什么不呢?Alex耸了耸肩,但Christopher看得出来他很紧张.
一想到 Alex 见到他的家人,就很可怕,但也令人兴奋."好吧,"他说."我想要."
计划这次旅行是一场旋风.克里斯托弗给亚历克斯买了一套西装,担心他的家人会因为他和一个如此不同的人约会而评判他.与此同时,Alex 研究了俄亥俄州的小镇,决心给人留下好印象.
当那一天到来时,他们登上了飞往克利夫兰的飞机.克里斯托弗的肚子打结了,但亚历克斯握住了他的手,安抚他."会没事的,"他说.
他们租了一辆车,开车去了 Christopher 的家乡.看到熟悉的谷仓和土路,Christopher 激动不已.Alex环顾四周,欣赏着风景."这...安静,"他说.
"是的.这就是我想离开的原因.
他们把车停在陈家,一个带门廊秋千的小农舍.克里斯托弗的妈妈跑出来,紧紧地抱住了他."哦,Christopher,你回家了!"她转向Alex,微笑着."你一定是亚历克斯.克里斯托弗告诉我们很多关于你的事.
Alex shook her hand, awkward but polite. "It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Chen."
Christopher's father came out, followed by Harrison, Kevin, and Lily. Introductions were made, and Alex was ushered inside. The house was warm and noisy, filled with the smell of cooking. Christopher's mother had prepared a feast, and they all sat around the table, talking and laughing.
Alex was quiet at first, but he soon relaxed, even joining in the conversation. Christopher's father asked him about his work, and Alex explained he was an investor. "That's interesting," his father said. "We could use some investment around here."
Everyone laughed, and Christopher felt a weight lift from his shoulders. Maybe this wasn't so bad.
After dinner, Lily pulled Christopher aside. "He's nice," she said, nodding toward Alex. "Different, but nice."
"Thanks, Lil."
That night, Christopher and Alex slept in his old room, which still had posters of baseball players on the wall. "Your family is great," Alex said, lying on the twin bed. "I can see where you get your kindness."
Christopher smiled, snuggling close. "I'm glad you came."
"Me too." Alex kissed him, and for the first time, Christopher didn't feel like he had to hide.
The next day, they attended Lily's engagement party. Alex fit in surprisingly well, even dancing with Christopher's mother. Christopher watched, feeling happier than he'd been in a long time. Maybe his two worlds could coexist after all.
Returning to D.C. after Lily's engagement party was hard. Christopher missed the simplicity of home, the ease with which he'd always fit in. In the city, he felt like a puzzle piece that didn't quite belong, especially now that his relationship with Alex had shifted.
The kiss in Ohio had changed things. They no longer just slept together; they held hands, kissed goodnight, and even went on occasional dates. Christopher loved the newfound intimacy, but he also feared what would happen if anyone at school found out.
One afternoon, after a particularly hard exam, Christopher came home to find Alex in a foul mood. He was pacing the living room, phone in hand, yelling into it in Mandarin. Christopher didn't understand the words, but the anger in Alex's voice was clear.
When he hung up, Alex threw the phone on the couch. "My father," he said through clenched teeth. "He wants me to come back to the company."
Christopher sat down, unsure what to say. "Do you want to go?"
"Of course not! I hate that place." Alex ran a hand through his hair. "But he's threatening to cut me off if I don't."
Christopher knew Alex's father was wealthy, but he'd never realized the extent of the pressure. "What would that mean?"
"It means I'd lose everything—this apartment, my investments. I'd have to start over." Alex sat beside him, looking defeated. "I thought I'd escaped that life, but he always finds a way to pull me back."
Christopher put his arm around Alex. "We'll figure it out."
Alex leaned into him. "I don't know how. My father is a stubborn man."
For the next few weeks, Alex was on edge. He spent hours on the phone with lawyers, trying to find a way out of his father's demands. Christopher did his best to support him, cooking his favorite meals and listening when he needed to vent.
One night, Alex came home late, reeking of alcohol. "I met with my father," he said, collapsing on the couch. "He says he'll give me one more chance. If I don't come back, he'll sue me for embezzlement."
Christopher's eyes widened. "He can do that?"
"Probably not, but the lawsuit would ruin me. I'd never get another loan, never be able to do business again." Alex closed his eyes. "I think I have to go back."
Christopher's heart dropped. "But—"
"I don't have a choice, Christopher." Alex opened his eyes, looking at him sadly. "I'm sorry."
Christopher stood up, feeling betrayed. "So that's it? You're just going to leave?"
"It's not like that." Alex stood too. "I have to protect what I've built."
"What about us?" Christopher's voice shook. "Does that mean nothing to you?"
Alex reached out, but Christopher pulled away. "I can't do this right now," he said, walking to his room and slamming the door.
He spent the night crying, feeling like he'd lost everything. The next morning, he packed his bags, determined to move back to the dormitory. Alex tried to stop him, but Christopher was adamant.
"Please, Christopher, don't do this," Alex begged. "We can work it out."
"I don't think so." Christopher slung his bag over his shoulder. "Goodbye, Alex."
He walked out the door, ignoring Alex's calls. The cold air hit him, and he shivered, realizing he'd left his coat inside. But he didn't turn back.
Returning to the dormitory was a shock. The room was messy, the air thick with the smell of unwashed clothes. His roommate looked at him curiously, but Christopher didn't explain. He crawled into bed, pulling the covers over his head.
For days, he skipped classes, too depressed to move. His friends tried to cheer him up, but nothing worked. He felt like a failure, like he'd thrown away the first good thing that had ever happened to him.
One evening, there was a knock on the door. Christopher ignored it, but the knocking persisted. Finally, he opened it, expecting to see his roommate. Instead, it was Alex, standing in the hallway with a bouquet of flowers.
"Can we talk?" he asked, looking exhausted.
Christopher hesitated, then stepped aside. Alex walked in, looking around the tiny room. "This is... cozy."
" What do you want, Alex?"
"I want to apologize. I was an idiot. I should never have considered leaving without talking to you first." Alex handed him the flowers. "My father can go to hell. I'm not going back."
Christopher's heart skipped a beat. "What changed?"
"I did. I realized what's really important." Alex took his hand. "You're important, Christopher. More important than any company."
Christopher looked into Alex's eyes, seeing the truth there. He threw his arms around him, hugging him tightly. "I missed you."
"I missed you too." Alex kissed the top of his head. "Never leave me again."
"I won't."
They spent the night talking, working through their fears and insecurities. Christopher moved back to Alex's apartment the next day, vowing never to let distance come between them again. The storm had passed, but it left them stronger, more committed to each other.
As they lay in bed that night, Christopher realized that love wasn't always easy. But with Alex, it was worth the fight.