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Montagu Balsam was spending New Year's alone, as was usual for him. Ever since his wife Petra died 5 years ago, he'd felt no joy from the holiday season. Just an emptiness deep inside. A neverending grief that wouldn't let him be. As he ate dinner alone at 3 pm in his dusty old manor home, he thought back to his nephew's letter. The contents were the same as they were every other year, but this time they wouldn't leave Montagu's head:

Dear Uncle, Wishing you a happy New Year's once again. As always, i'm offering you a chance to spend time with me at my home. I'd be happy to spend New Year's with you again, the same way we did ages ago. I don't expect this letter will get any response, but I had to send it. I love you, uncle. Sincerely, Spencer Balsam

That letter was much the same as the ones Spencer had been sending for years, but the comment about loving him...well, that was new. It got to Montagu. As he finished reading it, it was all he thought about. "I know that he probably hates me," he thought, "especially since we haven't seen each other since he was 12. But... but what if he does care? I haven't had anyone care in years." All through the day, Montagu kept thinking about it. Until finally (just as he was finishing his dinner), he made up his mind. He would go to his nephew's new year's party. Getting into his old, beat-up car, he drove the hour distance to his nephew's home.

Once he pulled up at his nephew's home, he went to ring the doorbell. But as per usual, the spectre of doubt haunted him yet again. "I shouldn't be doing this," he mumbled to himself. "I don't want to burden my family with my cynical woes. I should just leave. It's better for everyone that way..." Montague turned around to leave. But just as he was heading back to his car to drive back home, his nephew opened the front door and saw him. "Uncle!" he cried, as he ran to the car and wrapped his arms firmly around Montague's form.

"Uncle, you came!" Spencer's eyes were alight with a fire and a fondness, as if saying many words all without an utterance. His warm hazel eyes screamed: "Come in! Be merry! You're amongst family, no matter who you are or where you're from." Montagu knew his eyes screamed the opposite. His greyish-blue eyes always screamed of sternness. They practically said: "Go away! I am in no mood for company! I hate all who dare approach me!" Montagu was always offput by his nephew's exuberance, and he struggled with the hug.

"Leave me, Spencer," said Montague. "I just wish to go home. Your parties are loud and bright and bold. There's no place for an old fool like me there..."

"No Uncle! That's not true! The party only has a few people! And I wouldn't neglect you! I promise! It's just...since aunt petra died, things haven't been the same between us." Spencer said this all in a rush of breath, a passion seeming to flare up from deep within him. "I know you miss her, uncle. I miss her, too. But we can't keep living like this."

Montague tried (he really tried) to ignore the words of his nephew. But when Spencer brought up Petra, he finally cracked. From deep within his stoic shroud, a wall of tears broke through. "I just... I miss her. Every day. The way she'd wake me up. The way we'd hold each other. The way she told me I love you every day as she helped me with my daily activities. Life feels empty without her. I just...i'm too depressing. Surely you can't want me at your home."

Spencer protested with an angry wrath, dragging his uncle into the house by force. "No, uncle! I see what you're doing, and I won't have it! You're giving in to self pity again! I would know, I felt it too when she died. But I did things. I got therapy and worked on my issues. You've been stuck in that old home, haunted by your past. I won't let it happen again. Tonight, Montague Balsam starts fresh!" he exclaimed.

Montague continued protesting, but his nephew dragged him into the house anyways. Sullenly, he took a seat on the corner of one of the couches. He obstinately refused to make conversation with the party guests. But around midnight, when only him and spencer were awake, they sang auld lang syne together, just the way they used to when Spencer was a boy. And as the fireworks slowly started going off all around the world, montague balsam smiled. Together, uncle and nephew drifted off to sleep, holding each other tight as a sign of love. And in the sky above, the music and the fireworks could be heard the world over. 

The End