A Bird and a Child for Christmas

Although Clyde was a bit of an atheist, he still celebrated the more consumer parts of the holiday season. Complete with a big dinner feast in which he and his husband Larry invited their families to. It had taken a while for Clyde’s family to accept that he is gay and that he got married to a man. Never the less his parents and his sister were always looking forward to enjoying Larry’s cooking on Christmas Eve and the lovely breakfast that he prepared every time. Larry had tried to train Clyde in the ways of cooking and baking but he always managed to burn things or undercook the food. 

Clyde’s family always drove to visit since they live in Great Falls, Montana while he and his husband live in Missoula. Larry’s family lives in Arizona, so they always flew into Montana to visit. Which at first baffled Clyde because Larry’s family had the money to make trips like that and all over the world due to their wealth. Something that Clyde never had growing up and that he didn’t have now individually. Clyde and Larry met them at the airport and brought some of Larry’s delicious peppermint hot chocolate to drink on the way back to their home. The drive was complete with the awful sound of Larry’s mom and sister singing Christmas carols. Something that Larry had warned Clyde about the first time they hosted Christmas. 

When they arrived at the spacious blue house that Larry had bought for them with the money his parents always spoiled him with, Clyde took the initiative to pack in all of their heavy luggage. They were only staying for about four days but they tended to pack as if they were staying for a whole month. Once inside, they brought out their Christmas gifts that were carefully packed in small boxes with the finest ribbons that Clyde had ever seen. Larry and he put them under the enormous seven-foot beautiful pine tree that Larry had convinced Clyde to get. 

“What a beautiful tree you guys. Larry had bragged about it on the phone call last week,” said his mother Janet. 

“It smells better than the fake trees we always have,” explained his sister Kelly with a hint of jealousy in her voice. 

“It’s just easier hun to do it that way,” explained his dad, Brett. 

“Well, that’s okay and Clyde’s parents should be here soon,” said Larry as he looked at his mother dead in the eyes. She never got along with Clyde’s parents and was good at making a scene at times. 

While Clyde showed Larry’s sister and father the decorations they had put up in the walls of the living room. Larry pulled his mother aside as he had done every Christmas and told her to be civil. As per usual she said that she would be on her best behavior but Larry never really believed her. Still, he hoped that this time would be different because he and his husband had some news to share later.

After some time of visiting and snacking, they heard a knock on the door. Clyde got up to open it and let his parents in. His mother, Fran came in first carrying her small bag. Whilst his father came in a minute later getting out the rest of the luggage and a few gifts. He handed them off to Clyde and then told him he had one more thing to grab.

“Don’t forget the special thing we brought Jake” shouted Fran. 

“What special thing mom?”

“Oh, you’ll see.”

Clyde waited at the entrance of the big white door while his mother went in to place some presents under the tree. At the back of his parent’s sedan, he watched as his father brought out a birdcage. That house a beautiful and colorful parrot. 

“What the heck dad? Is that your pet?”

He came up the driveway a little winded in the cold and said,

“No son, this is the special gift your mother and I got for you.”

“Um, dad that is thoughtful and all but we definitely don’t need or want a bird.”

“Well, too bad, we already bought it for you and have all of the birdseed that you need.”

His dad brought the bird into the house while Clyde continued to look at him with shock. His mother looked over as they walked in with the bird and said sweetly,

“I hope you like him, we thought that a rainbow-colored bird would be nice for you guys.”

“Why would you think we would want that?”

“Well because you are gay honey and as a kid, you always talked about how you wanted a bird.” 

“The last time I said that I was young and way over my head. I have no idea how to take care of a bird and I don’t think Larry does either.” 

“Well just take him into the living room and show him our wonderful gift.”

He once again looked at them with a bit of shock as he followed his parents and the bird into the spacious living room. 

“Woah, is that your bird Fran and Jake,” asked Larry’s mother?

“No, we brought it here for the boys,” explained Jake.

“Oh.”

“Sir, with all due respect, why did you bring us a bird?” Larry looked over at Clyde with his blue eyes all bugged out. 

“As I explained to Clyde in the other room. Clyde always talked about wanting a bird as a child and so we thought it would be a nice gift for you both,” said Clyde’s mom. 

“Okay but we have never discussed wanting a bird and I for one only know how to take care of dogs but Clyde is allergic to them.”

“Too late, you just have to take him because we are not bringing back our present to you. Quite frankly I am offended that you two don’t like our special surprise.”

“I am sorry we offended you but it was completely unexpected,” said Larry with a sound of nervousness in his quivering voice. 

Fran put the bird down on the oak wood table that was not yet set for dinner. As she did that he repeated the word by squawking out “unexpected.”

This made everyone in the room beside Clyde’s parents jump in their skin.

“Okay, well I have prepared a lot of food for this evening. Clyde do you want to move our new bird and set the table?”

“Yes, yes I will.” He walked up to the bird giving it a glance over and moved him over to the small red cabinet table across from the dinner table. He then rushed over into the kitchen to grab silverware and a red table cloth that they had stored away in the cabinet by the fridge. 

The two of them whispered in the kitchen about the bird that was brought for them. As they both explained to each other their disdain for the gift and tried to figure out what they were going to do with it. Clyde suggested that they just pretend like they had accepted the gift for the rest of their parents’ stay and then take it to the local shelter. Larry clapped back with the fact that if they gave the bird away after they left that Clyde’s parents would find out the next time they visit. Clyde accepted this and just realized that they were not getting out of this responsibility. So, he went away at setting the table and making small talk as Larry prepared to bring out all of the food. 

“You have really outdone yourself this year,” said Fran with gratitude. 

The rest of them mumbled their agreement as they stuffed their mouths with delicious and abundant food. 

“Thank you, I try my best.”

The rest of the evening was pretty straightforward. They opened gifts, had dessert. They did have to listen to the bird talk and make noise. Which Clyde and Larry were quietly annoyed with as well as the rest of them besides Clyde’s parents of course. After dessert and the opening of presents, Fran asked,

“What name do you guys want to give your new bird?”

The couple looked at each other with their mouths wide open and without words. Finally, Larry’s sister suggested the name Magnificent since it is just so beautiful. 

“I guess that could work because I can’t think of anything that doesn’t sound humanly stupid,” said Larry with a grin on his face. 

“Sure, whatever you guys suggest works for me,” said Clyde. 

“Then that is its name then,” said Fran as she gazed over at Magnificent. 

After some more small talk and visiting, the families went to sleep in the many rooms of the house. When they went to bed the husbands stayed up a while still discussing the issue of having a bird they never asked for. 

“Your parents are crazy and this totally overshadows the fact that we were going to tell them that we are in the middle of the adoption process to have a child.”

“I know, I know, they have always been a little eccentric but I think they mean well.”

“I guess that is true but now we have to have this unwanted burden and have to take care of a child soon. This was definitely not the plan Clyde.”

“Yes I know, let’s just go to bed, I think we have hashed this out enough tonight.”

The next morning at breakfast, Clyde and Larry had decided to mention that they were going to adopt a child soon. Clyde was a little worried about it since his parents didn’t particularly like the fact that he is gay at first. He didn’t know how they would react. Larry being the braver of the two said,

“Well everyone, Clyde and I have some good news to share with you all.”

They all looked at Larry with happy anticipation.

“Clyde and I are going to be adopting a child soon.”

“You are,” asked Larry’s mom with glee?

“Yes we are and we are excited to have the paperwork finalized in a few days.”

“We are going to have a grandchild,” exclaimed Larry’s mom as she squeezed her husband’s arm gently. 

“Wow you guys that is awesome,” said Fran. She was apprehensive that the two of them would be raising a child since neither of them is female. She did not mention it because she did not want to stop them from giving her a grandchild. Being that Clyde is their only child. 

They celebrated the rest of Christmas with joy at the fact that a grandchild was going to be in their family soon. When their families left, Clyde and Larry talked about how their news of the adoption went over so well. They still needed to figure out how to take care of Magnificent though before they were ready to bring the child into their home. Unfortunately, they did not know who they were going to be adopting yet because they had to wait before the whole thing was finalized. They really didn’t care though, they were way more concerned about taking care of an exotic bird.