Laurence busied himself by setting another frying pan on the burner next to the bacon, then flicked on the heat. He grabbed a jar of coconut oil from the counter and spooned a glob into the heating pan. “I mean that you’ll still have doctor’s visits you’ll need to go to. No matter how far along in your pregnancy you are, that’s not going tochange.”
“Okay. I can handle thedoctor.”
“And once the baby is born, there are going to be more appointments.” Laurence opened the fridge and lifted the flap on the carton of eggs. There were six left inside. He removed the carton entirely and set it on the counter by the stove. “You’ll need to take your child in for routine checkups and inoculations. Then there are the things you don’t think about—day care, preschool, play dates… for the next handful of years, your schedule is going to be based around your child’s needs. Dad’s taxi isn’t just ajoke.”
“But I’m going to be working,” Matthewsaid.
Laurence cracked the first egg on the edge of the counter. A hairline fracture shot across its underside, shattered at the site of impact. Laurence pressed his thumbs into it and split the egg open, pouring its contents into the pan. “Welcome to single parenthood,” he said. “We’ll figure out a way to work around your schedule. You’re not going to have to do thisalone.”
The sound of bare footsteps on the stairs disrupted Laurence’s train of thought. He looked toward the kitchen doorway as Alex arrived. He was wrapped in one of Laurence’s bathrobes. It was too large for him, and his shoulders and arms were lost in its soft fabric. If it weren’t for the terrycloth belt cinched around his waist, he wouldn’t have had any definition at all. “Hey, um, good morning. Am Iinterrupting…?”
Matthew swiveled around to look at Alex, then glanced over his shoulder flatly at Laurence. Laurence offered him an apologetic smile. He’d been meaning to tell Matthew that Alex was still over, but the conversation had gone in a different direction. “Sorry.”
“I can go,” Alex said. He no longer sounded uncertain—instead, his voice was lifted, like he was a few words away from an amusedlaugh.
“No, stay. I think it’s important that you officially meet Matthew, anyway.” Laurence turned back to the stove and moved the eggs and bacon to cool burners. Then, breakfast saved, he turned back to face the two most important men in his life. “Alex, meet my son, Matthew. Matthew, this is my boyfriend,Alex.”
Matthew had his back to Laurence, but from what Laurence could see of his posture, he didn’t think Matthew was taking the newsbadly.
“Hey,” Matthew said. “It’s… good to meet you, Ithink.”
“It’s good to meet you, too.” Alex left the doorframe, daring to enter the kitchen. He came to the island and pulled out the stool next to Matthew, then took a seat. What could have been an awkward situation was made infinitely easier by Alex’s cool composure—Laurence didn’t get the feeling that Alex was ashamed in the least about what Matthew had seen them up to, or what he’d potentially heard the night before. “I heard your music through the walls last night… Love & Deceptions, right? I’ve been a big fan since their early days, back whenThe Trouble with Usfirst cameout.”
Matthew turned back around. There was suspicious interest on his face, like he assumed Alex was walking him into a trap. “You listen to Love &Deceptions?”
“No. I just know rock trivia.” Alex’s lips quirked into a playful smirk. “I definitely couldn’t recite all the words to every song off their last album, or say that last year, I painted a twenty-four by forty-eight canvas while mouthing along to ‘Scream.’”
Matthew was silent. His lips pinched together at the corners, and his eyesnarrowed.
Alex sighed. “Okay, you caught me… I sang badly to it the whole time. I’ll admitit.”
Matthew blinked a few times in surprise. The distrust on his face vanished, and he cracked a smile instead. “You’redating my dad?Why?”
Alex snorted. “You probably don’t want toknow.”
Matthew’s eyes widened, then he gagged. Confident that everything was going to turn out okay between the two of them, Laurence returned the pans to the heated elements and kept cooking. He flipped the bacon and went back to cracking eggs into the pan. While he worked, Matthew and Alex keptchatting.
“That’s gross,” Matthew declared, as if he hadn’t gagged hard enough to let the room know how hefelt.
“Don’t knock it ‘til you tryit.”
“Um!”
“I mean, notliterally.”
“I’m going to besick.”
“More bacon for me.” Laurence imagined the smug grin on Alex’s face and the twinkle of mischief in hiseyes.
“I can’t believe my dad is dating you,” Matthew said in disbelief. “Dad?”
“Matthew?” Laurence replied, doing his best to hide the laughter in hisvoice.
“You’re actually dating thisguy?”
“Why wouldn’t I?” Laurence removed the bacon from the pan and set it with the rest to drain. He flipped the first egg. “Alex, how do you like youreggs?”
Alex snickered, the sound of a dirty joke goneunspoken.
