Silent Eyes (Thomas)

[Dr. Sean Neville]

Vermont had the consistent, if not unique, ability to provide residents with a white Christmas. Even if it didn’t snow on Christmas Day or Christmas Eve, it snowed sufficiently before and after to provide piles of snow all along the landscape. This, coupled with the cold and the wind chill, led Sean to prefer to drive during the winter months, particularly around the holidays.

While the telepath didn’t celebrate Christmas from any personal investment, he still bought presents for all of his friends and dispatched them at the appropriate times. He preferred to do his shopping early, to save him stress later, but he also made a habit of shopping with friends.

His friend, Thomas, didn’t have his child for the holidays. Their friendship prompted Sean to call up the younger man, offer to take him out to the mall for some pre-holiday distractions, and to drive them there in his non-descript sedan. It would get Thomas out of his bookstore, and, he hoped, the change of scenery would do his friend some good.

While Pilot Ridge wasn’t a huge town, the mall proved busy during the final shopping days before Christmas. People shuffled all around them, carrying bags and packages filled with would-be presents and other essentials.

Looking over at his friend, Sean asked, “What would you like to do first? We can shop. We can get coffee samples. We can wait in line to chat with Santa.” He was only half-serious with the last suggestion.

[Thomas Hayes]

Christmas was a time of the year Thomas adored. The world seemed just a little more beautiful when blanketed in a soft, supple layer of snow. Pilot Ridge in particular seemed to shine brighter when such discourse took over its surroundings. He loved the joyous nature it brought out in others; as if for a little less than a month of the year, petty squabbles seemed just that. Unworthy of time and attention.

People were happier. Stressed, but happy. After all, they only stressed over presents because they wanted to secure the perfect thing.

The only damper was that his son Isaac had opted to be with his mother during those weeks. Despite the fact that his father would have treasured even the smallest of days with the boy, he knew he couldn't force him to change his mind. So he smiled, nodded politely and promised to call on Christmas day.

"Have you thought of what gifts you're going to get?" He asked. Personally, he hadn't. Thomas tried his best to ignore the way people knocked into him from time to time. If anything, he found the energy magnetic. "Honestly, I haven't spent much time thinking. A few hints on what to get Josh would be most welcome."

[Dr. Sean Neville]

“Chanukah was early this year,” Sean reminded the younger man. While the telepath had been raised Catholic and his family still celebrated Christmas, Sean didn’t spend the holidays with any other Nevilles, by blood or by marriage. His nephew and Shiya spent Christmas with Kathleen and Colin, although Ryan tried to come to visit around New Year’s. Sean spent Christmas with the Campbells, but he was relaxed about the holiday as a whole.

By contrast, Josh cared deeply about Chanukah, and his animosity towards Christmas was blatant. With Chanukah so early this year, it created less tolerance than usual. As such, Sean had limited mentioning Christmas around his partner, particularly since Josh would get more than his fill with the Campbells in a few days.

“So I did most of my shopping already.” That was the only point of the telepath’s remark. In fact he already had Thomas’s gift wrapped in the back of the van. “But, I’d be happy to help you shop for Josh. Although you know far more about available books than I do.”

Sean knew of some baking books that he thought his partner might enjoy, but Thomas was in a better position to assess their quality.

Looking at the nearest directory, the telepath said, “Let’s do this by process of elimination, then. Do you need to buy clothing?"

[Thomas Hayes]

"Ah." Thomas nodded along. Really, how could he forget something like that?

Traditions weren't overly big in the Hayes household any more. He rarely saw his father since his mother's passing. He saw his siblings when they had the means to make the journey - or when he felt the desire to head back to New York for the holiday season. But there was only so much he could do with his commitments in Pilot Ridge in play.

"I think if I started handing out books as gifts people would get suspicious of my dedication to them." Thomas replied, adding a low tuned chuckle to the end of his words. Truthfully, he liked to choose books people were interested in. Not ones to give for the sake of giving.

Thomas responded with a shake of his head, pausing momentarily before starting again. "Truthfully, Sean, I have a handful of people to buy for, not no idea what to get." He admitted, running a hand over his head idly. "Example; is it too cliche to simply hand Stefan whiskey? Or are you supposed to discourage the notion."

[Dr. Sean Neville]

Sean empathized with Thomas’s general disconnect from his family. It wasn’t something that the older man would acutely say to his friend, but he had dropped casual hints before, and continued to do so, that he understood loneliness. And that he was always available to listen should Thomas need to talk.

“Perhaps you’re right,” the older man conceded with a slight nod. “Although I think there’s something nice about getting a gift from an expert in the field.” Then again, the telepath also didn’t judge people for the creativity of their gifts.

The issue of how to shop for Stefan was one over which the Neville-Bernstein house was divided. Sean liked drinking as much as the next person; in fact, he made jokes about his Irish heritage when he did so. However, he identified Stefan not as someone who enjoyed drinking, but as a functional alcoholic. He didn’t want to encourage the other man, because he believed that Stefan had a legitimate problem. Josh, on the other hand, had bought Stefan a bottle of Kahlua. “I bought him Ken Burns’s Jazz documentary because I don’t want to encourage him,” he explained. “But more than one person bought him alcohol, either as the entire gift or as part of it.”

The telepath then shook his head to himself. While he had lived through an ill-advised intervention for him and Josh two years ago, he did believe it might become necessary to try with Stefan. But not during the holidays.

[Thomas Hayes]

After a thoughtful moment, Thomas nodded his head. He had to concede to the fact. "Perhaps it would be more thoughtful to offer something I'd recommend to each individual." He replied in time, glancing around the bustling mall with purpose.

Ken Burns. It really was an excellent choice. Fitting for Stefan's other interests. And he paid heavy attention to the things Sean said in tandem with the way he spoke. It was true; encouraging him wasn't exactly a thing Thomas wanted to do. A drink with his friend? Sure. Particularly if it involved fine music. But how far that drink went was another story entirely. "I might stray from the idea." He denoted, taking imperative steps towards the music store that caught his eye. "Not to say it's unimaginative, to give someone who likes to drink something to drink. But there's more to the man than what he drinks."

[Dr. Sean Neville]

“I think that’s a good system,” Sean replied. It was unique, and it combined thoughtfulness with Thomas’s area of expertise.

The telepath then nodded vigorously, as he certainly agreed with that assessment. Not only was there more to a person than what they drank, but in the case of people like Stefan who had substance abuse problems, it was particularly important to remind them of the parts of their personality that didn’t involve their addiction.

Stefan was a prime candidate for an intervention next year, if his behavior didn’t improve. However, given the last intervention in which the telepath had participated – as the target instead of the organizer – he would consider a subtler approach. If and when the situation manifested itself. For now, if he could convince the members of their joint social circle one-by-one, then Sean would consider that a victory. He wouldn’t convince Josh, which was its own situation, but if he could convince Thomas, then that was a start.

“There’s more to a man than what he drinks, and sometimes he needs a reminder of that.” It was polite phrasing for Stefan’s condition. “And there are plenty of options. The Harry and David should still be open if you want to pop in there for a peek.”