THE SNOWFLAKES had been falling off and on for the better part of three days, blanketing the trees and buildings that made up the Peaceful Coda Animal Sanctuary. Barkley had tossed around so many ideas for naming the sanctuary, not really able to settle on any one in particular until one fateful afternoon, when he was preparing for one of his penultimate performances. He would be singing Mendelssohn’s Elijah again in October and had noticed the coda in one of the arias. And it had hit him from out of the blue: coda was Italian for tail, which seemed fitting by itself. Additionally, however, a coda was the musical symbol that would signal the end of a movement or a section of music. So, why not call the Sanctuary something with the word coda in it? Many of the animals would not only have a tail, but each animal was at their final, loving home; some of them in their final moments. And even though the mere thought was not a pleasant one, the symbol for the coda would make a very nice marker for those animals who would eventually leave the sanctuary for the Rainbow Bridge. Names of the animals, and perhaps dates as well, could be engraved or stamped on the metallic markers. The coda would serve as a reminder to treasure these final moments, to continue the work that gave Barkley’s life more meaning than singing ever had.
As he lay there, Duncan snoring softly beside him, Barkley realized that he was finally happier than he could ever remember being. It was because of the man who had fulfilled his promises to help him on the farm and to wake up with him every morning—or as many mornings as he was able. And it was because of this man who lay beside him that Barkley was finally able to recognize why he had been behaving so badly while he was off the stage. Of course, on some level, Barkley had been cognizant enough to deduce that he was self-destructive because he resented his life and the intrusions that came with being an internationally renowned singer, but had never been astute enough to figure out how to walk away from it all.
Rolling over, Barkley placed a quick kiss on Duncan’s cheek and then shivered as he threw the covers off himself. He wondered if the furnace was acting up again. The repairman had been out so often during the autumn months that Duncan had joked that they should be getting him a present for Christmas. Of course, the furnace was only months old now, so it was more likely that Barkley would have to call in some contractors to assess the state of the insulation. He made a mental note to call around after Christmas holidays.
Christmas, Barkley thought as he looked over at the sleeping figure beside him. First Christmas with Duncan. They’d been together now for six months, six incredibly happy and exhausting months. Setting up the farm, even with John and Lori to guide them, had proved much more work than either man had anticipated. Barkley had missed three days in October, but his contractual obligations were down to only three more performances next April and then he would be a full-time farmer. Poor Duncan. My beautiful Duncan, Barkley thought as he pulled on a sweater to go over his pajama shirt. He never complains about working all day at the station only to come home and work until midnight making sure all the animals are fed and cared for and the barns are cleaned and the food is sorted and stored. Barkley thought about all the work they’d done and began to feel exhausted, fighting the urge to fall back into bed.
As he’d done almost every morning, he awoke before first light to go out and feed the animals. He would put his boots on, load up the white buckets with bagels and baguettes and bread rolls and whatever other kinds of treats the animals loved to eat and then make his way through the gauntlet of llamas, donkeys, horses, sheep, goats, dogs, cats, raccoons, and one very cranky, ornery bull. Some of the animals were transplants from John and Lori’s sanctuary, and some were brought specifically on the recommendation of Dr. Tara Flett.
Barkley and Duncan had been fortunate in finding her. Of course, Dr. Flett had come highly recommended by John and Lori, but Barkley felt sometimes that they’d found a friend and not just a vet. They’d even had Tara, her husband Cory, and Cory’s brother William over for a couple of barbecues. William was studying to be a vet in Guelph, as well, and Tara had hired him as her own veterinary assistant.
Barkley made his way to the back door, where he would find his boots, the ones that had recently split up the back and that Barkley never seemed to have enough time to go out and replace, and his parka. He stopped short when he reached the landing, looking around for a moment and wondering where he’d put his boots.
“Merry Christmas.”
Barkley turned to see Duncan standing behind him, both of his arms extended, a brand-new insulated winter boot in each hand. Barkley laughed and pushed his way between the boots, intent on kissing the man. “God, I love you.”
“Love you too.”
Barkley felt the boots hit him in the ass as Duncan’s arms came around him, pulling him close. “You know Christmas is two days away, right?”
“I know, but I thought you could use them right now.”
“When you’re right, you’re right.” Barkley took the boots and, putting one hand on Duncan’s shoulder for balance, slipped first his right foot into one boot and then his left into the other. “Oh yes, yes,” Barkley moaned when he felt the plush interior.
“Stop it, or I’m gonna drag you back to bed.”
“Speaking of which,” Barkley said as he moved to the back door and pulled his parka and snow pants off the hook. “Go back to bed and get some sleep. I’ll be back soon, I’ll get breakfast going, and then maybe I’ll let you have your way with me.”
“Maybe?”
“You are not that irresistible, Mr. Spencer.”
“I seem to remember you moaning a different tune last night.”
Barkley zipped up his snow pants and made a show of rearranging himself. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Duncan laughed and Barkley smiled, never tiring of making this man laugh. Duncan had given up quite a bit to keep his promise of helping out on the farm. And Barkley would make sure that he never regretted making that promise.
DUNCAN WAITED patiently while Barkley exited the house. Once the door was closed, Duncan set to work. First, he had to find Stinkerbell.
“Stinkerbell!”
She had not been on his pillow this morning. She wasn’t really a kitten anymore, and Duncan knew that on some level she would not always behave like she had six months ago, but it didn’t quell the disappointment when he found she wasn’t beside him some mornings.
He made his way through the house, hearing the baby goats stomping in their pen. Barkley had decided to keep them in the house instead of the barn because they still seemed frail to him. They had been brought to John and Lori’s sanctuary as one-week-old babies, and no one really expected them to survive, but with round-the-clock care and all the love and warmth that two grown men and a house full of cats and dogs could lavish on them, they’d become two thriving miracles.
Duncan called out for Stinkerbell one more time before releasing the kids, Dolly and Parton, from their pen. It had been Duncan’s idea to name them Dolly and Parton. He’d thought it would sound funny when anyone called them by name. Of course, no one else thought it was funny, but Duncan just figured that showed a lack of imagination.
The two kids started racing around, jumping and stomping, while Duncan got out the box of diapers. He called them over, laughing at the names again, and wasn’t surprised when they came right over. He put a diaper on Dolly first and then patted her on the bum, telling her to go wait for her bottle in the living room. Parton was always a little less cooperative when it came to the diaper. But within a few minutes, Dolly’s brother had a diaper as well and was racing Duncan to the living room.
Duncan made a quick stop in the kitchen to heat up the bottles and then parked himself on the sofa, Dolly and Parton coming over as soon as they saw the bottles.
“You know what this means, don’t you, Dolly Parton?” Duncan held the bottles while the two kids each got the right amount of suction. He closed his eyes for a moment and heard a little mew coming from behind him. “Is that you Stinkers? I’ve been looking for you.” He tried to turn around, but couldn’t quite make out which cat was behind him. After a few moments, a familiar face appeared on his right. Tinkerbell perched herself on the arm of the sofa and waited patiently. Duncan leaned over, careful not to break the suction on the bottles, and nuzzled Tinkerbell’s neck. “Are you ready to give Barkley his surprise?”
Tinkerbell mewed softly and jumped off the arm of the sofa onto Duncan’s lap, seeming to settle in for a nap while she waited for Dolly and Parton to finish with their bottles. Tinkerbell was purring, the kids were feeding, and the house was starting to come to life. Zeus, Neptune, and Mozart entered the living room one by one, and Duncan greeted them, promising that their bowls would be filled very soon. And then Lumi and Rainbow came around, followed by the seven grey kittens. They weren’t really kittens anymore, but Duncan would always think of them as those little balls of toothless fur that had been the beginning of his sleep deprivation.
“Morning, beauties,” he said through a yawn. “How is everyone this morning?” He smiled as each of the cats wandered into the kitchen and sniffed their bowls. Dolly and Parton finished their bottles within moments of each other and then bounced happily away, going from one canine sibling to the other looking for someone to play with. When the dogs only appeared interested in licking them, the two kids pranced amongst their feline siblings, much happier when the cats seemed more interested in playing.
Duncan picked up Tinkerbell and made his way over to the kitchen and filled each of the bowls, being sure to put the exact same amount in each. He didn’t want any fighting this morning; he had a few things to arrange for Barkley’s return from the barn, and he didn’t want any distractions arising from the cats thinking their siblings had gotten more than the rest.
With the food bowls filled and the water bowls almost finished, he reached into the pocket of his pajama bottoms and pulled out the dark-blue box. He opened it and pulled out the ring and the blue satin ribbon he’d stuffed in there last night. Once he’d threaded the ribbon through the ring, he squatted on the floor and tied it around Tinkerbell’s neck. Duncan was quite certain Barkley would notice that Tinkerbell’s collar had suddenly changed color. Duncan felt a slight pang of guilt as he watched Tinkerbell paw at the ribbon almost immediately. “Hopefully, he’ll notice right away, Stinkers.”
Satisfied that his plan would work without a hitch, he set to making coffee and breakfast. If all went according to plan, he and Barkley would be back in bed as soon as breakfast was over. And with any luck, there might even be an hour or two for a nap before they headed back out for the noon feeding and to finish a few chores around the farm.
“Holy Dinah,” Barkley said as he came back into the house. “The sun is shining, but that wind is relentless.”
Duncan scooped out the scrambled egg substitute onto two plates and threw in a dozen slices of tofu bacon before putting the homemade bread in the toaster. “Breakfast in five.”
“Time for me to make some more bread, I guess.” Duncan watched as Barkley did a quick survey of the food. He checked the breadbasket on the counter, then moved over to the fridge, opening it and pulling out the orange juice before studying the rest of the contents. “I’ll do some grocery shopping tomorrow early in the morning,” Barkley said as he deposited the juice on the table. “With any luck, we won’t have to drive anywhere until after New Year’s.”
Duncan was just setting everything else on their plates when he heard Tinkerbell start to mew, loudly. He said nothing and tried not to grin. He watched as Barkley abandoned his inventory and made his way over to the cat.
“What’s wrong, Stinkers?” Barkley picked up the cat, a perplexed look on his face.
“Breakfast is served,” Duncan said as he deposited the plates on the table. When he turned back to face Barkley, he saw the singer moving toward him, the blue ribbon—with the ring still attached—in his open palm. “How were the performances?”
“You didn’t read the reviews?”
“No, too busy with work and chores,” Duncan said as he sat down at the table, following Barkley’s lead. Duncan wasn’t about to give anything away; he noticed Barkley toying with the ring, but said nothing about it. “It was hard having you gone for almost the entire week.”
“I’m sorry,” Barkley said, still playing with the ring. “I’ll work extra hard this week if you want to take some time off.”
Duncan took a sip of his coffee and reached over to take the ring from Barkley. “Not what I meant.” Duncan, the ring still in his hand, took Barkley’s hand and pulled him over until the singer was sitting on his lap. “There was almost an entire month of you rehearsing and playing the piano, filling the house with that wonderful music.” Duncan kissed Barkley’s chin, his free hand traveling up to try to tame the wild runaway tufts of hair. “But last week, it was quiet without you here. Too much silence.”
Barkley put his arms around Duncan’s neck, smiling. “There’s only one more contract I have to fulfill and then you’ll never be rid of me again.”
“Is that a promise?”
“Absolutely,” Barkley said, taking the ring from Duncan’s hand. “I promise to be around to paint pictures on the silence anytime you want.”
“I love you, Barkley.”
“And I love you, more than you’ll ever know.” Barkley held up the ring and smiled. “I’m ready to make one other promise too.”
“Oh yeah,” Duncan replied. “And what promise would that be?”
Barkley put the ring back into Duncan’s hand and smiled before leaning down to kiss Duncan’s beaming face. He sat back and winked. “You’ll find out once you ask the question.”