Every year, I offer to work on Christmas. I don't mind; it doesn't mean as much to me as it does the married guys. Anyway, I'm often done by late afternoon, and if I feel like it, I can always spend what's left of the day with Henri and his family. Or Bruno's family, if I want to make the trip to Neuilly-Plaisance. But I don't do that as much since Bruno died.
This year, though, Jean-Paul asked if I could take the day off so we could spend it together. I was blown away. He's been so fickle lately, I would never have expected it. He's already made plans for us, as if he's been thinking about it a while. Even asked if we could have a tree. A tree! I don't know where this is coming from, but I'm not going to question it.
JP finally thinks of me as family. For once, I won't be tagging onto someone else's holiday; this year, JP and I can create our own.
When I put in for leave, my chief went into shock. And when I told him why, his eyes grew even wider. "I didn't know you had a family," he said. Neither did I.
Haddad can work Christmas. I'm going to spend it with my boy. I just hope the kid doesn't expect me to cook a goose or something.
