Hal glances into the living room where Aya’s lying on a playmat, batting at the little mobile thingy hanging over her. The movie drones on softly in the background and he can see the still unlit chanukkiyah with the candles resting beside it. Next to him is a pile of finished latkes, now cooling off so they can be eaten soon. He still needs to grab the applesauce out of the fridge and dump it in the bowl. Aya’s at least big enough to eat that, even if not the latkes.
He starts as he hears a knock at the door. Fuck, is it 6 already? Hal looks up at the clock and yup, it’s 6pm. Jack and Janice are here with Jason and baby Helen. Even though his brother doesn’t identify as Jewish, (Jack identifies as Catholic like their Dad and Hal’s the only one who identifies as Jewish like their Mom) he asked to celebrate with Hal and Aya.
Hal had been thrown when Jack had basically held out an olive branch once Hal had told them about Aya. When Hal had told them about Aya he’d come clean about being a Green Lantern; he couldn’t avoid it, not if he wanted to explain exactly who/what Aya’s mother is. About why he’s now a single father with absolutely no hint that he was even expecting a baby (and none of the Guardians will still fucking explain why a pregnant woman was exiled to the Anti-Matter Universe). Jack had extended the olive branch, offered help with Aya and Hal’s been grateful.
The past eight months have been strange. It was hard going from a bachelor to a single father, but he’d managed. A second Lantern had been assigned to his Sector, Guy Gardner, so that he had more time for Aya. The Guardians reactions to Aya had been…weird, to say the least. The biggest concern most of them had was not that Aya exists, but how Sinestro had gotten to Earth, dropped Aya off and left without anyone noticing. Which, yeah, that should be a major concern, but so should the fucking fact they exiled a pregnant woman!
He knows at least a part of the Guardians worry comes from the fact it means Sinestro escaped the Anti-Matter universe, but in the past eight months she’s remained hidden. No one knows what she could be planning next (revenge? Conquest? Sitting down and thinking about what she did?) But for tonight at least, Thaalia Sinestro is not his concern. His concern is giving Aya an amazing first Hanukkah. So he scoops his daughter off the floor and opens the door.
“Hey Jack, hey Janice,” he says, brushing a welcoming kiss against his sister-in-law’s cheek. “Sorry, busy making homemade latkes.”
“You’re not using a mix?” Janice asks with surprise, putting Helen’s carrier down by Aya’s play area. His six month old niece is fast asleep.
“Nah, I actually learned from a friend, Tanya, how to make them from scratch,” Hal explains. “Her Bubba taught her. Said they taste better than latkes from a mix, and I’m not gonna lie, as much as they’re a pain to make, they taste great. They just need to cool.”
“This menorah is lovely,” Janice says, admiring the silver chanukkiyah. “When did you get it? I know Jack has your mother’s.”
“I was in Israel a few years back. The group I was with took me up to Tzfat,” Hal says, not meeting Jack’s eyes. He hopes his older brother doesn’t ask about what ‘group’ Hal had been with. He’s not sure what to tell Jack.
Almost six years earlier he’d gone to Israel, around Hanukkah in fact, and met their maternal uncle, Yakov Hysh and his family. Uncle Yakov, born Jacob Morgans, but changing his name to the Hebrew version and taking his wife’s family name had been out of touch with their Mom for years. Apparently, much like his Mom flipping out when he joined the USAF she’d flipped out when Uncle Yakov made aliyah and joined the IDF in time for the Yom Kippur War. They never talked after that, his Mom furious that her brother would risk his life for a country that he barely had any attachment to (as far as she was concerned at least) and would put what he wanted above the concerns of his family.
His uncle had been an interesting man and they still keep in touch. Uncle Yakov and his wife, Chana live in Tel Aviv but they, along with his cousins Aron, Leora and Chesed had taken him up to Tzfat when he’d visited them. Hal had thought the menorah was beautiful and bought it. He knows though, that Jack has never spoken to their uncle and has no plans to do so. Uncle Yakov told Hal that he doesn’t regret what he did and admitted that he’s never tried to reconcile with his Mom because he doubts she’d be interested anyway (and after the way she reacted to Hal in the hospital almost three years ago Hal’s inclined to agree).
“It’s lovely,” Janice repeats, sensing that there’s a story there that Hal doesn’t want to relate. “So, you already made latkes and I’m assuming you have apple sauce? We brought donuts, potato leek soup and hot dogs.”
“Great, just put them down on the table,” Hal says with a slightly forced smile. Then he feels something wet on his shirt and Aya gives him a gummy grin as she continues to drool on his shirt. “Hi sweetie. Decided Papa’s ignored you long enough?” Hal says, smile becoming real. “You hungry already?”
“She’s a baby Hal,” laughs Jack. “They’re always hungry, sleepy or pooping.”
“True,” Hal mutters. He drops a kiss onto Aya’s forehead. “Let’s light the chanukkiyah and eat then! We can exchange presents later.”
“She’s getting so big,” Jack says, a soft look on his older brother’s face. “It’s strange, I never thought you’d become a dad,” he admits, not meeting Hal’s eyes. “Me, Jim, yeah, but never you. And now you’ve got a little girl who’s almost a year old. A little girl whose admittedly got an unusual parentage going for her.”
“Yeah,” Hal says, pressing another kiss against Aya’s magenta forehead. Tiny gold eyes peer up at him happily. “I never expected Aya but I’m so happy she’s here now.”
He walks over to the table with the chanukkiyah on it and the green candles he’d already prepped earlier.
“Hey Jason, want to light the first night’s candles?”
Later that night after gifts had been exchanged and everyone gone home Hal holds Aya in front of the chanukkiyah and watches the last of the candles dwindle down to nothing. He watches the yellow flames flicker over emerald candles and slowly go out. Aya’s asleep, his daughter a warm weight his arms and tiny hands clutching against his shirt her sleep.
He remembers Aya chewing on a dreidal, her displeased squawk when he’d paused from feeding her applesauce to eat and take that from her so she didn’t choke. He remembers Jason trying to slip both babies gelt, not understanding both were too little to eat the chocolate coins. Hal remembers the little outfits Jack and Janice had given him for Aya, the little toys that he’d given to both Jason and Helen along with a bottle of bourbon for Jack and necklace for Janice.
“Good first Hanukkah, huh Aya?” he whispers, walking away as the candles finally go out. “Now we’ve just got seven more nights.”
He gently puts her into her crib, making sure none of her toys are too near before going to bed. He’s got an alarm set for eight, but knows Aya will probably wake up in another hour or so for food or a diaper change or just because. Still, it was a fun night. It’s good to actually talk to Jack on equal terms.
Amazing what a surprise baby will do to people.
Sinestro slips through Jordan’s balcony, pleased that her student is finally remembering to lock those doors, but still easily opening them. She can faintly smell cooked food and melted wax. She sees a silver candleholder and vaguely remembers Jordan’s explanation about Hanukkah, a winter holiday he celebrates. So her timing is correct. Good.
As quietly as she can she walks through the apartment, smiling faintly as she spies their daughter. Aya’s awake but quietly lying in the crib, studying the constellations painted on the ceiling. Dark hair shows signs of becoming curly and her eyes glitter a gold long familiar to Sinestro. Unlike most Korugarians Aya has white sclera, but much like her older sister Soranik would still be able to pass for a full blooded Korugarian.
Even though Sinestro knows its stupid she gently picks Aya up out of the crib. She doubts her daughter remembers her; it’s been months and Aya was barely two months when Sinestro left her with Hal. Regardless, she cuddles her daughter close and takes a deep breath, smelling the faint scent of milk, baby shampoo and something almost powdery.
It’s not time to take Aya and Hal yet, but as she holds her daughter in her arms it’s so tempting. So very, very tempting to take at least Aya, coax Hal into chasing after them and keeping both to herself. A temptation she can’t give into now, more plans must be finished first.
“I love you so very, very much Aya,” she murmurs, gently kissing her daughter’s head. “So much more than you or your father will ever know. I will come back for you both some day, please wait for Momma."
(The next morning when Hal spies the new toy tucked under Aya’s arm he isn’t surprised. He says nothing to the Guardians or any other Lantern about Sinestro’s visit.)
