It was one of the sweetest, most considerate things Adam had ever heard from anyone, and he pulled his dad into a tight hug that expressed the depth of his gratitude. For his presence here. For his acceptance. For being the best father Adam could have had.
“It’s all right. I think I needed to go through all that to understand myself better. I’d like you to meet him.”
Dad’s throat twitched as he swallowed, but he followed Adam’s lead toward the open door of the shack.
Emil must have understood there was no point in hiding anymore, because he stepped outside in a fresh T-shirt and with shiny hair that had just been combed. There was no hiding his tattoos, though.
“Mr. Kwiatkowski. It’s a pleasure to finally see you in person,” he said but only shook Dad’s hand when it was offered. The exchange of greetings was hilariously awkward, but it warmed Adam’s heart to finally have the two most important men in his life meet. Even if the most important woman wasn’t ready to accept him for who he was.
“Are you ready for Kupala Night?” Emil asked in the end and walked back into the tiny cabin before emerging with glasses of fresh lemonade. They’d picked the mint for it in the woods just this morning.
***
The folk instruments were in such beautiful disharmony it bordered on perfection. Adam leaned back against Emil and listened to the music while his teeth sank into a delicious piece of plum cake one of his new converts had offered him at the beginning of the evening.
Dad had been too tired to stay up in the end, but he wasn’t leaving Dybukowo for a week, and Adam was already looking forward to catching up with him. Now though, he was planning to enjoy the one night of the year he could spend in his own flesh.
Emil’s arm was sturdy behind his back, and as they watched their people gather around the huge bonfire, Adam couldn’t help but wonder at how drastically his life had changed in a year’s time.
“Shall we look for the fern flower tonight?” he whispered, rolling his head over Emil’s shoulder, so they faced one another. Emil’s lips twitched.
“Are you saying you want to visit my Grandmother in the woods?”
Adam sighed and discreetly slid his fingers under Emil’s T-shirt, tickling warm skin. “Not exactly—”
“It’s a beautiful night.” Father Marek’s voice came as a surprise, and Adam noticed the priest approaching their blanket. He didn’t smile, but considering that this was the first time he had willingly approached Adam since the truth about his and Emil’s relationship had come out, it seemed he was ready to bury the hatchet at last.
“It is. How are things working out with your new housekeeper?”
The pastor shrugged and had a sip from a small bottle of vodka. “She’s a much nicer person, but no one can bake like Mrs. Janina used to. May God rest her soul.”
Adam’s stomach grumbled when he remembered the gamey flavor of her meat, so he pushed the remaining chunk of cake deep into his mouth. The pastor stared back at him, his brows rising, but he soon excused himself and walked off to chat with some of the older residents.
“No regrets?” Emil whispered into Adam’s ear, but there wasn’t a single regret in his heart about the night of Forefathers’s Eve.
“No. You foretold it all, remember?” he asked, rising from the blanket as the crowd around the bonfire thickened, about to proceed with the next part of the ceremony. And he wasn’t missing it this time, no longer a slave to fears.
“No, but I believe you,” Emil said, slotting his fingers between Adam’s as they walked toward the dancers. There were still those who looked at their relationship with unkind eyes, but no one could harm either of them while the crows stood watch in the trees.
Marzena, Mrs. Zofia’s daughter bowed her head as they passed, acknowledging Adam’s role in the valley. Since Chort had come back, prosperity stopped being a privilege of the few, and the people of Dybukowo were starting to take notice.
The chatter quieted as they approached the fire, but the moment music picked up, gaining intensity, Emil squeezed Adam’s hand and pulled him that bit closer. The flames reflected off his gaze, as if the forest hiding in his eyes was ablaze, but so was Adam’s heart. They moved in sync, running toward the fire. For the blink of an eye, old fears passed through Adam’s mind, but Emil held his hand, and they leapt together, passing above the flames that licked their bare feet.
The end