Ezra’s response is calm. “Which part?”
He’s always been like an uncle to Madison. Or even a big brother. Their relationship has been close since the time Madison was a child, as that’s when Ezra and I became close, too.
“I know you two have always had this weird, overly familiar connection,” Madison says, to which Ezra snorts. “But he says you guys aren’t…you know. That he’s not gay.”
“He doesn’t consider himself to be. He’s explained this to you?”
“Yeah, but… He has to be lying to himself, right? Is it internalized homophobia?”
My chest twinges, and I nearly step out from the hall, but Ezra’s voice halts me.
“He’s ace, Madison. And aro. He’s not interested in anybody like that. Not sexually. Not romantically.”
“But he married my mom.”
“He did. When he was very young. When he felt like it was what he was supposed to do. How he was supposed to feel.”
Ezra lets out a sigh that’s loud enough for me to hear.
“Your dad doesn’t consider himself to be straight, queer, bisexual, or anything. He doesn’t identify with those labels because he doesn’t feel attraction to people on that level. He never has. But that’s not something most people understand. Even ace people can enjoy sex or want a romantic partnership. Gray…doesn’t.”
The two of them are quiet for a moment. The silence seems to last a lifetime.
“Do you love him?” Madison asks.
The hum Ezra lets out is so familiar my heart squeezes tight. “Yeah. Of course I do. I love him more than anyone.”
“And you’re bi,” she says.
“I see where you’re going with this, but don’t, okay? It’s not like that.”
“Then explain it to me,” my daughter pleads, almost frantic. “Because all I see are two grown men who’ve been in love with each other for decades and aren’t doing anything about it.”
“Peaches.” Ezra’s tone is steady, but my pulse hammers. “We are doing something about it. He moved in.”
“Yet you both say you’re not in a relationship.”
“That’s right.”
Madison makes an incredulous sound. “But don’t you want more from him? Doesn’t this hurt you?”
“No.” Ezra’s answer is immediate and sure, a direct line to my chest, soothing and stilling the nervous beat of my heart. “What I have with Gray is perfect as it is. There’s not a single thing more I need from him.”
“But you’re giving up so much,” she practically whispers. “To be, what…roommates with my dad?”
I look up at the ceiling, blinking heavily as Ezra answers my daughter.
“Do you know what I felt when I first met Gray? It was like I’d found a piece of myself that had been living outside of my body. And I didn’t even know it until he was close enough to bring it home. If soulmates are a thing, he’s mine. It’s not romantic. It doesn’t have to be. He’s part of me, and I would no sooner cut out my own lungs than be without that man in my life.”
A tear slips down my cheek, and I hastily brush it away.
“So you’re happy?” my daughter asks.
“So fucking happy. So be happy for us, okay? This is what we want.”
I step into the room, and Madison straightens, ducking her face as she wipes below her eyes. Ezra’s smile is warm. I have no doubt he knows I heard at least some of that.
“Are we ready for dinner?” I ask, cutting through the tension.
