I smile when I think about the love she’s going to feel. “I didn’t do anything special.”
“You did for me, and for that little girl.”
I still don’t think I did anything special, but now is not the time to argue.
“And Marcus, Jacob, and Matthew?”
Jasper grins, chuckling. “They allowed me to be who I was. They showed me all their messy flaws and how they still loved each other, sometimes even because of their flaws. I learned I didn’t need to be perfect.”
“Why didn’t you tell me who they were sooner?”
“It’s stupid, really. When I first came to Ink Me, I wasn’t ready to flay myself open for all to see.”
“I can understand that. And I don’t think it’s stupid.”
“Oh, just wait, it gets better. When Marcus mentioned he was looking to invest in a local LGBTQ company, Alex sprang to mind. So I mentioned it to him.” Jasper sighs. “I should’ve done it right then and there, but I wanted to keep the focus on Alex and his company. He deserved it, and I didn’t want to take anything away from that. And then, well, it had gone on so long I couldn’t find the right time to bring it up.”
“You told me Marcus was your doctor,” I say. Even if it was only that, he still told me something.
“God, I had planned to tell you everything that night. I fucking chickened out. The worry that you’d be upset outweighed the good.”
“You’re telling me now.”
“How are you not mad at me right now? I betrayed you.”
“Jasper, you didnotbetray me.” I don’t mean to let out a chuckle, but I can’t help it. “You would’ve told me in your own time. I had faith in that… kinda.” I wrap my arms around him, pulling him flush against me. “You told me. You could’ve said nothing when I overheard you talking. You could’ve made up some lie.” I rest my forehead on his. “Instead, you brought me here.”
“I wanted you toseeit, to see them.”
I place the softest of kisses on his lips. “Thank you,”
“All right, lovebirds, dinner is almost ready. And if he hasn’t told you by now, dinner is about to be really awkward,” Marcus says from the sliding glass door.
Jasper turns his head and narrows his eyes. “I told him, now get off my back.”
We walk back inside, and I laugh. Their familiar bickering, a chaotic mix of playful jabs and shared history, feels exactly like family. I see it clear as day now.
Marcus leads us to the dining room. “It smells great in here,” I tell them.
“That’s all Jacob. He’s an amazing cook.”
“Oh, stop. I’m not that good. I just like to dabble from time to time.”
“Tell that to the new kitchen appliances I just had installed so you could…‘dabble,’” Marcus points out.
Jacob walks up to Marcus and kisses him on the cheek. “I can’t help if you spoil me rotten. Now everyone sit. Let’s eat.”
The food is amazing, just like they said it would be. Conversation flows freely as Marcus and Jacob tell stories about a young Jasper. I also got a glimpse into their life with Matthew. They were a beautiful throuple filled with so much damn love. You can tell they adore him still by not shying away from their loss. They don’t keep his memory locked away.
“I can’t wait to taste the cupcakes you’re making,” Jacob says. “The carnival was a project very dear to Matthew’s heart. That man had a sweet tooth a mile long, so the carnival was right up his alley.”
Marcus chuckles at the memory. “His favorite was cupcakes. But not just any cupcakes, vanilla cupcakes.”
I whip my head around and look at Jasper.Vanilla.It’s all clicking into place.
“He used to say vanilla because it wasn’t as rich as some other cupcakes and that meant he could eat more before he got a stomachache,” Jasper says with a sad smile. “His logic was flawed.”
Oh, you sweet man. I was so focused on the loss Marcus and Jacob went through that I failed to realize just how much Jasper lost.
