“Would you like to help me real quick?” she asks.
I’m positive she doesn’t need my help, but still, I nod and hope she won’t tell me I’m not good enough for her son, that I’m too old for him and he shouldn’t be with his ex-professor who’s raising two kids.
“Sure.”
“The candles are on that top shelf, and I can’t reach them.”
I grab the box of candles for her, thinking I’ll get lucky and she won’t talk to me about being in a relationship with her son, but she says, “You make him happy.”
“He makes me happy too. I know it’s not…ideal. Him having been in my class, the age difference, and—”
“I don’t care about any of that,” she interrupts. “I must admit, when he first told me, I was worried. Even today I was worried. I thought maybe I’d see something in you that Colton’s too in love to see, but you’re a good man. You love those kids. And you love my son. You’re good to him. You see what an incredible man he is.”
“I do. He’s… I never thought I would have someone like him. He’s just so good.”
She smiles. “He’s very good, and you are too, James. If you weren’t, he wouldn’t love you. I just wanted to make sure you know that, and also that you and the kids are welcome here anytime. You’re family now.”
My eyes sting, unexpected tears prickling there, and I rush to swipe them away. “Thank you. That means more to me than I know how to express.”
“I know.” She takes my hand and squeezes, just as the front door opens, the loud group of them coming inside.Christine gives my hand another gentle squeeze, then says, “Can you put the candles in?”
“Sure thing.”
I do, while she gets plates, and we bring the cake and everything to the table.
Colton stands beside me as we all sing happy birthday to him, and he blows out the two and the nine on his cake—chocolate, of course. His arm brushes mine as we wait for cake, not a doubt in my mind that it’s on purpose.
The conversation continues for another hour or so, before we’re all ready to head home. Christine hugs Colton, then me, then the kids. Sadie has a longer goodbye with Tasha and Hannah, something else I’m thankful for. I’m glad she has them, that they’ve taken her under their wing and give her that connection to her Black roots. I know how important that is.
This was maybe the best day of my life, and I’m not ready for it to end, so when we’re almost home, I say, “Do you want to come up and hang out for a little while? Not late,” I add because I’m obsessed with making sure the kids don’t know what’s going on.
“Yeah. Sure. That’d be great,” Colton says.
“You know it’s okay if he stays the night, right? We’re old enough to get it,” Nash says.
“Why would he stay the night?” I rush out, heart punching against my chest.
“Because he’s your boyfriend?” Nash phrases it like a question, but also like he knows it’s true and I’m the one who doesn’t.
“Colton and James are boyfriends?” Sadie asks.
The wordnosits on my tongue. I don’t want to do anything to mess things up, to change the comfort we now all have with each other, but I don’t want to straight up denywho Colton is to me either.
“Yes,” Nash answers for us. “They think they’re slick, but they’re not. It’s ridiculous how they look at each other.”
Colton laughs.
“How do we look at each other?” I ask, then silently curse myself.
“I don’t think I should say in front of Sadie,” Nash answers, and I roll my eyes.
“Jesus, Nash,” I say, but really, I’m trying to bite back my own smile now. “We look at each other like…” How do we look at each other? That’s probably not how I should be answering right now, so instead I ask, “Would you be okay if we were boyfriends?”
“Yes,” Sadie says. “I think it’s cute.”
Colton rolls his head against the back of the seat and looks at me. “See? We’re cute.” He’s just…chill, like always. Nothing seems to ruffle him, and here I am, trying not to burst out of my skin.
“Nash?” I ask.
