Noah, who’d been listening from a few feet away, ambled over with Eli still perched on his shoulders. “It’s good to see you out and about,” he said. “Believe me, life’s better when you have someone special to share it with.”
“Am I someone special?” Eli asked, causing everyone to burst out laughing. Keaton could’ve hugged his friend’s son for getting the attention off him a bit.
“You sure are, buddy,” Luke assured him. “Now, why don’t we go eat sosomeonecan spend a bit at the kids’ art station before we have to get you ready for your mom to pick you up?”
Keaton never would have believed Luke would be such a family man, but life was full of surprises. He glanced over at Jules, wondering if they wanted a family too.
Did Keaton?
What would that even look like?
He’d never considered having kids because he’d known from the time he started college that his fate was working with his dad after graduation and eventually taking over the business. But what happened when he eventually wanted to retire? Would the company die with him?
“Dude, you look like you’re about to pass out.” Luke placed a hand on Keaton’s shoulder. “What in the heck happened there?”
“Just thinking.” Keaton wasn’t about to open that can of worms with his friends, or worse, with his mom. It wasn’t even something he should be thinking about when he and Jules were still in the getting-to-know-you phase of their relationship. “Shouldn’t you be with your family?”
Luke nodded. It was amusing how he got a dopey grin on his face anytime someone referred to Noah and Eli as his family. Yeah, that was something Keaton definitely wanted. He wasn’t sure about the kid part yet, but hedidwant to have that same sense of security, knowing Jules was his.
“Yeah, catch up with you later? I’m assuming you’re going to be here all day pretending you aren’t watching Jules work?”
“You say that like I’m stalking them or something,” Keaton scoffed. Luke gave him a pointed look. “Fine. Yes, I’m going to be somewhere down here most of the day.”
Luke wandered off to join Noah and Eli at one of the picnic tables set up in the parking lot where the food trucks were stationed, leaving Keaton alone with his mom. She looked at him with gentle affection, her voice softening. “It’s okay to let yourself be happy, you know. You’ve worked so hard to build something real and lasting. You deserve to enjoy it. I hope youknow that if there’s something more between you and your roommate, you can tell us. I worry about you.”
Damn his friends and their big mouths. There was no way his mom hadn’t picked up on the fact that there was more going on between the two than simply living under the same roof.
“Thanks, Mom.” Keaton felt a pang of gratitude mixed with something he couldn’t quite name. His mother, with her quiet wisdom, had always been able to see past the walls he fortified himself with. “It’s just…different with Jules,” he confessed, his voice barely above a whisper. “They make me want to leave work at the office so we can spend time together.”
At some point, Finn had joined them, Brooklyn nowhere to be found. It struck him that he really was the only one of his friends who hadn’t found something more in life than work. Luke had his new little family, Finn had his daughter, and Keaton had…
Jules. You have Jules now.
“And that’s a good thing,” Finn interjected. “Or do I need to remind you of the time you thought a weekend off was the same thing as a vacation?”
Keaton laughed, the memory of his failed attempt at relaxation surfacing. “Okay, okay. I get it. You’ve all made your point.”
He glanced back at Jules, who was now laughing with Sam and Ollie, their joy evident even from a distance. The mural was starting to take shape, the splotches of colors coming together to honor Maple Hill’s agricultural history with the rough outline of a wheat field that seemed to be waving in the wind. He knew from having seen the sketches what the finished piece would look like, which somehow only made him more eager to see it come to life. He wanted to grab a chair and camp out here until itwas time to quit working for the day, just to watch Jules’s vision continue to unfold.
“Yeah,” Keaton murmured, more to himself than anyone else. “I think I’m starting to get it.”
Everyone finished their tacos amid more teasing and laughter. Keaton felt a lightness in his chest, a sensation that seemed to expand with each easy smile and shared joke. It was a moment of clarity, a realization that the blend of familiarity and novelty was exactly what he needed.
Keaton felt his mom’s hand rest lightly on his arm. Her eyes met his, a silent communication passing between them. “You’ve got this,” she said quietly, her confidence in him unwavering. “Go see if Jules needs anything. I can tell you’d rather be with them.”
After the Art Crawl,Keaton looked forward to getting Jules home, not only so they could spend time together but also because he was drained after spending all day walking around. He could only imagine how Jules felt, working and chatting with people who stopped by their project to ask questions.
Jules leaned heavily on Keaton as he guided them through the parking lot. Keaton bypassed the overhead lights and used his phone app to turn on the end table lamps instead. Jules, their energy spent from the day’s activities, dropped onto the couch with a contented sigh that was part exhaustion, part satisfaction. Their eyes were still bright with the lingering thrill of the day.
“Takeout?” Keaton suggested, settling next to them, his arm brushing against Jules’s. The casual contact felt more intimatein the quiet of their apartment, a reminder of how much he craved these small moments.
Jules grinned, the kind of grin that made Keaton’s chest feel too small for his heart. “Yeah, but you have to pick. If I didn’t know I’d wake up ravenous in the middle of the night, I’d just go flop into bed now.”
“We’ll get there soon enough,” Keaton assured them, reaching for his phone to place the order. They decided on Thai food, a shared favorite that reminded them of their first meal together after Jules moved in. As he scrolled through the menu, Jules leaned into him, peering at the screen and pointing out dishes that sounded good. Keaton’s heart warmed at their proximity, their shared presence filling the room with an easy companionship.
With the order placed, he set about crafting an impromptu picnic space, spreading a blanket on the floor and arranging cushions for comfort. The muted city sounds outside the window served as a gentle backdrop, a reminder of the life existing beyond their little cocoon. “Why don’t you go take a shower while we wait for food?”
“Can’t promise I won’t fall asleep.” Jules’s head rested against the back of the couch and their eyes were closed. Keaton debated letting them nap, but knew they got itchy when paint dried on their skin. He rounded the coffee table and took Jules’s hand, giving it a gentle tug. “Ugh, you’re so mean to me.”
