“Makes sense. Most parents aren’t going to support their child’s criminal enterprises.” I had to laugh. Noah and I were only together because of those criminal enterprises. Funny how things work out.
When we pulled up in front of a small bungalow in a quiet, cozy neighborhood, my nerves began to recede. Now that we were here, I was ready to face the challenge before me.
Noah shoved open the front door of the house, calling out to announce our arrival. We entered into a small porch area off the living room. A kid that looked to be about fifteen sat on the couch playing a Switch. He glanced up as we entered, looking me up and down.
Pausing his game, he put down his controller and signed, “Who is this? Your latest conquest? Since when do you bring them home to meet Mom?”
Noah had mentioned that his brother was deaf. However, he must have neglected to tell his brother that I understood sign language.
“Conquest?” I repeated, signing the words as I spoke. “That’s harsh. Noah and I have decided to go with boyfriend instead. Sounds a little less cringey.”
His brother’s face reddened as he realized I’d understood. He shrank back onto the couch. “Sorry,” he signed, looking chagrined. “I shouldn’t have assumed you couldn’t understand me. Most people can’t.”
“It’s cool,” I said, continuing to sign back. “My best friend doesn’t speak. He uses sign, so I learned it a while ago.”
Noah jumped in then. He both signed and spoke as well. “Alex, this is Dom. My boyfriend. Dom, this is my brother Alex. Don’t mind that he can be a bit of a shithead at times.”
Alex rose from the couch, shoving a hand through his short dark hair before offering it to me. His entire demeanor seemed to change now that he’d realized I wasn’t a temporary fixture in Noah’s life.
“Noah?” His mom called from the kitchen. “Dinner is just about ready. Why don’t you guys come in and take a seat? Bring your brother.”
We followed the sound of her voice to the kitchen, an adequately sized space closed off from the living room. A dining table near the window had already been set with four places. Noah’s mother was briskly whisking a pot of gravy on the stove. Forgetting about it completely, she turned to us with a huge smile.
“Hello, Dominik. It’s so lovely to meet you. Noah has told me so much about you. I’m Emma.” Instead of offering me a hand, Emma threw her arms around me in a warm hug. One of those hugs that only moms can give.
I tentatively put my arms around her, giving her a gentle squeeze in return. “Thanks for having me over.”
Emma pulled back to look me over. Not in a judgmental way. Rather more curious, wanting to take me in. She was average height with a thin build, wearing yoga pants and a tank top. Her dirty blonde hair the same shade as Noah’s was tied up in a messy bun. Although his eyes were green, her eyes were deep brown. A friendly warmth within them.
“Why don’t you guys take a seat at the table? We’ll eat in a few minutes. I hope you’re hungry, Dom. There’s a lot of food.”She turned back to the stove, turning off burners and giving things a final stir.
Noah and I sat on one side of the table. His brother sat across from us. Emma offered a variety of drink options. I went with water, keeping it simple.
She made a wonderful dinner of roast beef, potatoes, veggies, and gravy, along with a cherry pie for dessert. Knowing that she’d put in so much effort to have me over made me feel warm and accepted. The nerves from earlier had faded, replaced by a sense of comfort I hadn’t expected.
“Noah tells me the two of you met at the university,” Emma said when we were all seated. “What are you taking there, Dominik?”
“Investigative studies. I’m not really cut out for police work or anything like that, but I thought it might be fun to work as a private investigator or something.” I appreciated that she started with a basic topic of discussion, even though I was sure she had much deeper questions for me.
Discussing school was easy. It didn’t take much thought, and it didn’t dig too deep. Knowing that this woman had thrown her husband out when he’d rejected their son made me love her already.
“I imagine that would be fun.” She nodded thoughtfully while chewing a bite of roasted vegetables. “Possibly dangerous though.”
“How did you guys hook up?” Alex signed, a cheeky little smirk on his face. “How do gay guys know the other one is gay?”
“Alex!” Emma admonished, signing while speaking. “That’s an inappropriate question. It’s also none of our business.”
Noah chuckled, clearly used to this shit from his brother. He put down his fork to sign his reply. “Dom isn’t technicallygay. He’s bi. Also, we hated each other in the beginning. We actually fought a few times.”
Alex stabbed a piece of roast beef with his fork as he mulled this over. After a moment he signed, “Interesting. Sounds like a good way to build some sexual tension.”
Muttering beneath her breath, Emma shook her head. “I’m sorry. I hope he’s not making you uncomfortable.”
I laughed it off, appreciating Alex’s candid remark. It helped to keep things light. “No worries. This meal is delicious, Emma. Thank you for inviting me.”
“Of course. Noah speaks so highly of you. I had to see you for myself.” She beamed at Noah. “I’m so happy you found someone that you’re crazy about. You deserve it, kiddo.”
The discussion for the rest of the meal focused on general subjects, like what Noah and I planned to do when we were finished with school. What kind of goals we had for the future. Nothing too pointed or personal except for when Alex mentioned that the last guy Noah briefly dated had been a loudmouth dick, and so far, he thought I was much nicer.
