“You should try it out sometime,” I said. “It might mean a lot to both of you.”
“Or it might be super awkward.”
Since we had some time, he drove me past a few local landmarks, and then he showed me where he’d lived before his mom married his stepdad. The architecture was different than what I’d grown up with, but the graffiti, the bars on all the windows, and the overall dreariness felt familiar. It was a lot like the neighborhood my dad and I had lived in when we got our first apartment.
“The neighborhood actually looks better now than it did twenty years ago,” Devon said. “People are making an effort to revitalize it.” I didn’t see any signs of revitalization, so I’d have to take his word for it.
I asked, “Are you still in touch with any of the kids you grew up with?”
“No. My friends decided I was a snob after Mom married Ed and we moved to Guilford. I swear I was exactly the same, but they wanted nothing more to do with me, so that was that.”
“What was Guilford like?”
“You’re about to find out.”
It turned out to be an absolutely gorgeous historic neighborhood with massive houses, mature trees, and wide lawns. “It’s so pretty,” I said. “I’ve never seen a neighborhood like this, except in the movies.”
When we pulled up in front of his mom and stepdad’s house, I muttered, “Holy shit, you grew up in theHome Alonehouse.” It was a huge, flawless, Georgian-style red brick home with white trim and black shutters.
“It’s a similar style, but that one’s actually in a Chicago suburb.”
“It’s not just similar. This looks exactly like it.” I pulled up a picture of the movie house on my phone and held it up to compare it. “No, my mistake,” I said. “Your front entrance is grander, and your house actually looks like it’s bigger.”
As we got out of the van and gathered the presents, I said, “I can’t even imagine what it must have been like to go from your old apartment to someplace like this.”
“At first it was nerve-wracking, and it triggered a lot of insecurity. I guess it’s kind of like you were saying last night, I was afraid of making mistakes or doing something wrong. Everything was so nice, and I didn’t know what would happen if, let’s say, I accidentally tracked mud on the priceless imported rugs or broke one of Ed’s expensive tchotchkes. I was walking on eggshells, until I finally realized Ed cared about me more than he cared about his stuff. I was able to settle in after that, and?—”
Before he could finish that sentence, we were interrupted by a high-pitched shriek of delight. A middle-aged couple in matching blue track suits burst out of the house and ran toward us. Devon put the cake box back in the van a moment before his mom tackled him in a massive hug.
She exclaimed, “I knew it! I told Ed just you wait and see, Devon and his boyfriend are going to show up any day now and surprise us for Christmas!”
Devon chuckled and asked, “How did you know?”
“Well, duh! I’ve been following your progress on that great, big road trip. It didn’t take a genius to figure out you were on your way here, even though you took the long way by swinging south. And your call today didn’t fool me. ‘Hi, Mom. What are you up to today, not that I’m asking for any particular reason.’ As if I wouldn’t put two and two together!”
Once she let go of him, Devon gave Ed a hug and said, “So much for surprises.”
“It’s still the best Christmas gift we could have asked for. We missed you, Son.” When they let go of each other, Ed shook my hand vigorously and said, “And it’s wonderful to meet you, Kit! We feel like we already know you after all we’ve heard from Dev. Isn’t that right, hon?”
Devon’s mom gave me a hug and told me, “You’re a part of the family, as far as we’re concerned.”
“That’s sweet,” Devon said, “but I feel like I should introduce you anyway. Belinda and Ed Krakowski, I’d like you to meet Kit Cortez.”
His mom still had her arm around my shoulders, and she gave me an extra squeeze. “You’re adorable,” she told me. “And so tiny! I just want to put you in my pocket.” I glanced up at her and smiled self-consciously. She was tall—compared to me, anyway—and her eyes were the same shade of green as Devon’s. I suspected her shoulder-length hair was probably the same dark brown too, although hers had honey-colored highlights.
Devon sighed. “Could you stop embarrassing him for like, two seconds, Mom?”
“Am I embarrassing you, Kit? I don’t mean to,” she said. “We’re just so excited, because Dev never brought a boy home before.”
“It’s fine, Mrs. Krakowski,” I said shyly.
She patted my cheek. “Call me Belinda, or Mom if you’re comfortable with that.”
I hadn’t expected to hear that, or to be hit so hard by it. I shifted my gaze to the ground and mumbled, “I’ve never called anyone Mom before.”
I once again found myself crushed in a hug as she exclaimed, “Oh you poor, sweet little angel!”
“That sweet little angel is going to freeze to death out here, unless you let go of him and help us get this stuff inside,” Devon told her.
