Alaska

By Kim Fielding

Best friends Scott and Marco meet on a rooftop on Christmas Eve, each temporarily escaping from his difficult home life. With no gift to share, Marco instead promises to someday rescue Scott and take him to Alaska. As the years pass, they meet—first by design, then by chance—on occasional Christmas Eves, only to find life growing increasingly difficult. They treasure the few moments they have together, but will they ever reach Alaska?

A story from the Dreamspinner Press 2013 Advent Calendar package "Heartwarming."

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
• Release date: Dec 1, 2013
• ISBN: 9781627986038

Kim Fielding

Kim Fielding is pleased every time someone calls her eclectic. Her books span a variety of genres, but all include authentic voices and unconventional heroes. She’s a Rainbow Award and SARA Emma Merritt winner, a LAMBDA finalist, and a two-time Foreword INDIE finalist. She has migrated back and forth across the western two-thirds of the United States and currently lives in California, where she long ago ran out of bookshelf space. A university professor who dreams of being able to travel and write full-time, she also dreams of having two daughters who occasionally get off their phones, a husband who isn’t obsessed with football, and a cat who doesn’t wake her up at 4:00 a.m. Some dreams are more easily obtained than others. Blogs: kfieldingwrites.com and www.goodreads.com/author/show/4105707.Kim_Fielding/blog Facebook: www.facebook.com/KFieldingWrites Email: [e-mail] Twitter: @KFieldingWrites

Book preview

1993

MAYBE THIS time it’ll be okay. Maybe this time your mom—

She’s already drinking, Marco. Right now, her and her new boyfriend.

Marco briefly dragged his fingers over the stubble on Scott’s head. The hair was still soft, but the foster-home haircut had stolen his long, silky strands. Maybe that’s just ’cause it’s a holiday, Marco said.

Yeah, tonight it’s ’cause it’s Christmas Eve. Scott gave the half shrug that was supposed to mean he didn’t care. And tomorrow it’ll be ’cause it’s Christmas, and then New Year’s, and then—I dunno. Valentine’s Day?

That’s not ’til February.

Scott gave him a gentle shove. "I know that. But she’s all about celebrating early."

They lay silently for a while after that, side by side, staring up at the space where the stars would be if it weren’t for the California clouds. A hint of moisture was in the air, and Marco really hoped it didn’t rain, because he could tell from Scott’s blanket nest that he planned to sleep on the roof tonight. That was bad. That meant Scott’s mother and her boyfriend were already drinking enough to forget the parenting classes and court orders. As always, Marco wished he could invite Scott to spend the night at his place or—better yet—that Marco could drag his own blankets onto the roof and they could spend the night there together. But he knew better. If Child Protective Services had even a hint that Marco’s home life wasn’t very well regulated or that Gram wasn’t keeping an eagle eye over everything, the family would be torn apart. Shayna and Crystal and Marco would end up in foster care or worse, and Gram would be shipped off to some kind of home.

For now, at least the blankets felt comfortable. They smelled like Scott.

Suddenly, Scott sat up and rummaged in his backpack. He always had that pack within reach, even when he went to the john. Marco had known for sure they were true friends the day Scott had trusted him enough to show what was inside the pack. A change of clothes, two photos of the dad Scott hadn’t seen since he was two, a battered notebook full of superhero sketches, a couple of pencils, and a creased map of Alaska. Scott said he was going to live there someday.

Here, Scott said, holding out his hand. There was enough glare from the streetlights to illuminate a small box wrapped in bright newsprint.

What’s that?

A Christmas present, dummy.

Marco’s throat felt really tight, like maybe he wasn’t going to be able to breathe. For me?

Duh!

Marco sat up, took the box, and held it in the palm of one hand. It

Reviews for Alaska

[serenayates · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is an amazing story of boys, then men, who love each other deeply, yet life always seems to interfere and stop them from achieving their dream of being safe and together. The promise Marco makes to save Scott one day, and move them to Alaska, becomes a symbol of what they want in life.

Marco seems to be the more stable of the two, but taking care of his grandmother and two younger sisters leaves absolutely no time for himself. He is super responsible, though, and does everything he can to make their lives bearable, to give them a future. There is simply nothing left for him. The only things he really treasures are his memories of Scott, the watch Scott gave him as a Christmas gift when they were twelve, and a notebook filled with Scott's drawings he got when they were seventeen.

Scott drifts through foster home after foster home and the total lack of stability almost destroys him. We don't find out any details of what happens to him during the long years when he doesn't manage to see Marco for Christmas but based on what he looks like and what he says it isn't pretty. His only stable point in life is Marco and, in the end, that is what saves them both.

This is a hauntingly beautiful love story that made me cry after the first few pages - and the tears didn't let up until the last few. I felt Marco and Scott's pain, and have no idea how they survived their lives. But the message of love and hope comes through loud and clear at the end, and it made me smile. If you're looking for a read that will pull you in as it turns from heartbreaking to heartwarming, then you will like this short story as much as I did.


NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review.

[bugetta-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Really sweet story, though with some heartbreaking moments which made the HEA all the better. Really liked the author's voice - well definitely read her other books.