Adrien turned towards Blake and wrapped his arms around his waist, tucking his face into his chest.
Again, Blake found himself at a loss for words.He didn’t know how to express to Adrien how sorry he was that Marcos was lost.For that matter, he didn’t know how to explain to him what he’d seen in the mausoleum.For now, Adrien needed to be held.They’d start to piece his grief together later, whenever he was ready.
They stood in the cemetery, under the cool blanket of mist for a long time after that, the ravens’ wings beating in the distance, a damp and soft sound.
Epilogue
December 2023
Astride his bike, Blake turned off the freeway and rode past the familiar shape of the Water Zone castle.In the winter, with its pools and slides drained, the water park looked a little sad and nostalgic.Blake slowed as he drove past the kiddie pool, glancing at the smooth bow of the fiberglass pirate ship.
In the end, Noel had stuck to his word and nothing had ever come out of Blake and Celeste’s little midnight trip two summers prior.Alex had told them how Lovepreet’s uncle threw a fit when he discovered the merman statue was missing during the end-of-the-year inspection, but had ultimately chalked it up to a miscommunication with maintenance.
Shaking his head, Blake turned onto the adjacent road and sped up the hill towards the high-rise apartments overlooking the park.He’d watched them go up several summers ago, wondering what kind of rich bastards would be moving in.
Thiskind of rich bastard, apparently, Blake thought as he pulled into the parking lot and beside the UHAUL where his friends had set up camp for lunch.Matt was jumping in place, waving him down.
“B!”he cried, running up to Blake’s side as he parked.“Did you remember to grab extra crazy sauce?”
Blake rolled his eyes, climbing off his bike and popping open the tack box at the back.“Yes,Matthew, I got your fifty texts.”
Matt descended upon the bags therein, looking at the names scribbled upon them in Sharpie and throwing them aside as he saw fit.
“Careful,” Blake warned as Matt narrowly avoided throwing Celeste’s tostada into the street.
“I can’t help it, B!I’mstarving!”Matt groaned, unearthing his bag and practically ripping it open.
“You haven’t even been doing anything!”Celeste accused from the back of the UHAUL where they were curled up under a blanket to preserve warmth.
“Not exactly true,” AJ said as Blake tossed him his bag of food.“He unpacked the first round of groceries and was sure to thoroughly sample a bit of everything.”
“I was the poison-checker,” Matt declared through a mouth overflowing with nachos.He pointed a cheese-covered finger at Celeste, scowling.“And it’s not likeyou’vebeen doing anything either except forbossing us around!”
“I,” Celeste said, picking up a clipboard and gesturing towards themself importantly.“Am in charge oforganizing.I need to make sure that all the boxes end up in the correct rooms and are unpacked in the proper order and—”
“Hey,” AJ interrupted Celeste’s tirade.“When’s Uncle Adrien supposed to get back?”
“Any minute now,” Blake said, checking his Fitbit and handing over the final bag of food to Celeste.“He texted me when I was in line.Said he was sorry it was taking so long.”
“Pretty convenient he got called down to San Francisco onmoving day,” Celeste complained, picking through the contents of their tostada.They glanced at Matt.“Speaking of absent boyfriends, when’s yours gonna be back with the furniture dollies?”
“Noe should be any minute now, unless he hit traffic,” Matt said through a mouthful of chips before returning his attention to Blake.“Did Adrien finally manage to get his birth certificate?”
“You can ask him yourself,” Blake gestured towards the mini-van pulling into the parking lot.Moments later, Adrien climbed out of the car, Olivia hopping out behind him and making a beeline for the pile of snacks that Matt and her brother had accrued.
“Are those takoyaki puffs?”she gasped, pointing towards the little stack of treasures.AJ scowled, covering the chips with a protective hand.
“Maybe they are,” he replied.
“AJ, don’t hog them,” Jessica huffed as she climbed out of the driver’s side.Adrien approached Blake, greeting him with a kiss.
“Hey babe, how’d it go?”Blake asked.Adrien smiled, holding up a manila folder and handing it to his fiancé.
“My mom’s ‘secret fourth child’ Adrien Porter-Marin Junior, born at home in 1998,” he grinned.
AJ glowered.“Do I have to be Adrien JuniorJuniornow?”
“No, because that would be silly.”Jessica patted his head.
