"December"

 

Okay, feel free to hit me with it. This was a long-ass chapter. REALLY long. Truth be told, it was probably longer than the complete first story, Extracurricular. I didn’t necessarily set out to make such a massive chapter, the story just wrote itself that way.

Click here to read “December,” Chapter 11.

That said, it is probably my favorite chapter ever — not because of its length but the emotions involved. Cooper has made a mess of his life, and when you stir in the family dynamics, his role as a father, the spirit of the holidays and the sincere love between these men, it was a joy to write. I love everything about it. I hope it was an enjoyable read, no matter how you had to break it up.

Some of you may wonder why I didn’t divide it into more manageable parts. I seriously considered it as I like regular posts, but when I began the book, I formed its construct as each chapter being a month. I could have done “Early December,” Mid-December” and “The Holidays,” but I figured my readers could manage their own time as they see fit. I didn’t need to think for them. So I stayed true to the format. If it was an inconvenient chore, I apologize.

I’m often asked if I pull things from real life. Usually not. I look more toward authentic emotions, and I think all gay men share some common feelings, and at the same time, all of us have to contend with our own worlds in our own way. However, there is a moment in this chapter that was inspired by my life though. I was hosting a Christmas party at our house, and when slicing the bread, I went right into my finger. My partner rushed me to the bathroom, and I stayed in there a really long time trying to get the bleeding to stop. My guests didn’t know, but I was one-handed for a while. I kept applying pressure with my thumb. I’m not sure why that particular experience worked its way into the story — Laramie is cursed with bad luck, I suppose — but the line “hold my finger” is my favorite in the whole book. That scene warms my heart.

When I started Coffee at 9, I knew the heart of it would be Cooper’s love triangle, but even more at the center would be his relationship with Corey. I hadn’t expected Cooper’s son to develop into the character he has, but I’ve enjoyed “writing” him. If he were real, I’d be proud to be his dad. [Note: more teen years are coming.] I wanted an intelligent, mature kid, but I also wanted him to come off as authentic. It's nice when I can surprise myself. Although, Jakob's and Cooper's characters both seemed to develop to where they needed their own stories told, so I guess it shouldn't be that unexpected. But for a young kid to grow on me, that's rare.

With only one chapter left, I am aware that some readers are rooting for Mitchell, and some are rooting for Laramie. But no one says those are necessarily the only two options. Just sayin’. Like Cooper, we all hurt a little when someone we care for (a fictitous character or not) is hurt. We can empathize. When “January” concludes Cooper’s book, I hope my readers are satisfied that the story was worth their time.

Christmas wishes to all. Always know I appreciate you.