Jet
Two years later…
“We could put a sling in here.”
Peyton laughed. We were standing in my new studio, a soundproof box and recording/workspace behind our house. I’d put my savings into the dream and had only been able to afford it because Peyton covered some bills and did the design, and our friends contributed to the construction, which was finished in gorgeous detail.
Seeing it finally completed for the first time was like waking up and still being in a dream.
“Now you tell me about the sling,” Peyton joked. “I could have accounted for it in the design.”
I laughed and grabbed my partner by the side. We rubbed our stomachs together, and Peyton had a wide smile under his beard.
“Thank you again,” I said. “For everything. A space that I can dedicate to my work is going to change everything for me.”
Peyton chuckled. “And having somewhere to contain your records and equipment is going to change everything for me.”
I rubbed the back of his head. We’d always supported each other and balanced each other out. But years passing, sharing a home, it had added a richness to the relationship that grounded me. I’d always be all right because I had Peyton there, and I knew that he believed in me in the same way.
“Love you, bear,” I told him, and Peyton chuckled.
“Love you, Jettie.”
My hand slid into Peyton’s as I looked around the sleek walls and handsomely displayed equipment. “I’m going to make so much music for you in here.”
“I can’t wait to hear it.”
Peyton and I had figured out the thing that our work had in common. Designing a building or a DJ set, it was all about providing people with a beautiful experience. And the life we built together, as thoughtful and planned as it was spontaneous and exciting, was definitely a beautiful experience.
When we stepped out of the studio and into the sunny backyard, the triad was arriving, early as expected. Peyton and I were hosting a barbecue to celebrate the studio being finished, and since this was our first time putting one of the events on, we’d called in extra support.
Casey walked up first, two massive bags of supplies in each hand. “Hey! Morning. Is the kitchen open?” he asked.
Kay stepped out from behind him. The twelve-year-old had met Russell at the woodshop, then ended up moving in with the family when he ran into some trouble at home. He was shy, always hidden behind big round glasses, but warming up to everyone, much helped by his and Casey’s shared love of cooking.
“We’ve got marinades,” Kay said seriously, with a glance between me and Peyton.
Peyton hitched his thumb over his shoulder. “You know the way.”
Having a bigger family like this was something that I was still getting accustomed to. I never felt an urge to run away or mess things up, like I would have when I was younger. Just the thought of leaving this behind was so ridiculous now, it made me laugh. This was my life, and it was the only place I wanted to be.
But after so many years, feeling like I had no family, it was still sometimes hard to believe I was lucky enough to find one like this.
Peyton slid his arm around my waist. “You ready to be overrun?”
“I’ve headlined at mega clubs, remember? A barbecue is no sweat.”
“Yeah, but there wasn’t a growing army of toddlers at those mega clubs.”
And Peyton was right, like usual. What had started off as a peacefully quiet summer morning quickly erupted in the hustle of hosting. Noah showed up with his girlfriend Gia and a cooler full of kabobs, Eve and the woman she was dating hauled big bags of ice to the back, and Blake and Leo got busy with the grill. Friends of friends filtered in, more food arrived than we had table space, and a small group started playing guitar and singing along together around the picnic table. It all popped up so fast I almost didn’t see it happen.
Peyton took my hand. We were both standing on the back steps, looking out across the scene. Some members of Jolt mixed with a couple DJs in my studio, all clearly impressed as they checked the specs out, and by the kiddie pool, I caught Noah sharing pictures on his phone from our recent trip to Athens.
I turned to look at Peyton, my guy, who had a smile as big as mine. He had a tinted pair of sunglasses on, and I carefully took them off.
“Hey,” he laughed, then blinked in the light.
“I wanted to see the wrinkles in your eyes.”
