by Lane Hayes
I glanced around the corner and spotted my parents holding hands and chatting near the front door. I could tell from their expressions that they weren’t necessarily in agreement, but their body language spoke volumes. They were in love and they had been for a long time. They didn’t bother hiding their affection. They were proud of it.
“No, don’t. Don’t put anything away. I want to see everything,” I said earnestly.
“Huh? Did your parents’ flight get delayed?”
“No, they’re with me and we’re on our way, but Aar…I want you to be you. No filters. No more being polite or keeping our lives on the DL.”
“You told them and they’re pissed,” he guessed in a flat tone.
I bristled at the resignation in his voice. The sudden shift from excitement to something resembling defeat was heartbreaking. It was ending now. I was more determined than ever that no one was going to take this joy from him. And they weren’t going to dim it for their own personal comfort…even temporarily.
“I didn’t say a word. Just…don’t change anything and don’t put anything away.”
“Okay, but I’m warning you, it’s epic. I wasn’t exaggerating.”
“Fine by me. We’re not in the closet, and we sure as hell aren’t having a wedding in one. I’ll be home in fifteen minutes. Love you, baby.”
My parents weren’t particularly talkative on the drive home. They’d definitely had words of some kind while I was on the phone with Aaron. They were rarely at odds with each other, and usually it wasn’t a big deal. I probably could have defused the tension by pointing out a few of their favorite DC sights on the way to my condo. However, my mind was elsewhere. I loved my parents, but honestly, I wished they weren’t here. I hated big confrontations as much as I loathed heavy silences. Sometimes they were inevitable, I mused with a sigh.
I grabbed their suitcase from the trunk and led them to the elevator in the underground garage. My dad stepped back when I held the door open and gestured at my car.
“Matt, I think I left something in the car. Hand me your keys. You go on upstairs. Your mom and I will be there shortly,” he said, tugging gently at my mother’s sleeve.
I didn’t argue. And I certainly wasn’t going to invite my mom to join me. They obviously needed a few more minutes alone. I barely refrained from telling them to take their time as I tossed the keys to my dad. But I stabbed at the elevator button repeatedly, hoping the extra pressure would close the doors before my mom decided to jump in with me.
Thankfully, the ride was short. I rolled the small suitcase down the hallway to our condo, picking up my pace when I heard Latin music blasting through a half-open door.
“Aar?”
I closed the door quickly and left the suitcase in the foyer, then hurried to adjust the volume before our neighbors complained. I turned the corner into the great room and immediately stopped in my tracks.
Wow.
The living area had been transformed into a floral wonderland. The coffee table and fireplace mantel were laden with giant bouquets with tall stems and massive branches. Smaller ones were perched along the island and on the dining room table. Roses, lilies, sunflowers, and many more I couldn’t name. The colors were brilliant and beautiful, but nothing compared to the hot man in the kitchen shaking his ass to a samba beat.
I opened my mouth, but nothing came. I was blown away by his attention to detail. Votive candles and antique mirrors were interspersed with wildflowers and miniature pumpkins. Where the hell did he find pumpkins in March?
I turned down the music and set my hands on my hips. Aaron spun in a circle, dropping the stems in his hand on the counter before dancing over to greet me. He threw his arms around my waist and raised his head for a kiss. I bent to lick his lips and slipped my tongue inside. He tasted like peppermint and chocolate. Delicious.
Aaron grinned like a madman as he pulled out of my embrace and made a grand sweeping motion with his right hand. “Well? What do you think?”
“It’s…a lot. I mean, it’s beautiful. But damn, you weren’t kidding. You went crazy. It looks like you offered our condo to a florist who was getting ready to deliver to three weddings on the same day.”
“I warned you.”
“You did. It’s amazing.” I brushed my hand over my stubbled jaw when I spotted the impressive stack of wedding magazines on the table and noted the one on top featuring two dapper-looking grooms on the cover.
Aaron nodded enthusiastically.
“It’s going to be. I’ll make sure of it. This will be the wedding of the century! People will be talking about us for years,” he assured me before glancing toward the door. “Where are they?”
“They forgot something in the car. They’ll be here any second.”
“It’s probably too late, and you did say to leave everything alone but…do you want me to put anything away? We can hide the arrangements on the balcony or in our room.”
I chuckled. “No. It’s perfect. It’s like a stage. I like your surprise.”
“Oh, this isn’t my surprise.” He glanced at the door again, then back at me with a Cheshire cat grin. “I can’t wait. I have to give it to you now.”
“Give me what?”
“Well, I went to the—”
The door opened and my mother gasped. I tightened my hold around Aaron and nodded when he whispered that he’d tell me later. I rubbed his arm reassuringly, barely curbing an eye roll at my mom’s dramatic entrance. On one hand, I couldn’t blame her. Maybe it was a normal reaction from anyone walking into an indoor garden unexpectedly.
“What’s going on here?” My mom looked shell-shocked and pale. I waited for a tendril of dread to creep in and overshadow our joy. It didn’t come.
I held Aaron’s hand, brushing the platinum band on his finger as I stepped around the massive arrangement on the coffee table. “Welcome. What do you think?” I asked pleasantly.
No one said a word. They didn’t have to. Their flabbergasted expressions spoke for them. I let the moment linger. A cheerful Latin song was playing at a low volume through the speakers. I preferred it to the classic jazz he usually put on when my parents visited because he thought they liked it. The happy melody unobtrusively declared this home was Aaron’s too.
“It smells good,” my dad said with a half laugh as he set his hand on my mom’s shoulder.
“Thanks. We have something to tell you. We’re—”
“No!” my mom blurted. She moved toward the island, stopping to touch the petals on a red rose before continuing to the dining table.
I let go of Aaron’s hand and stood in front of him protectively as I turned to face her. “Mom, look at me. I have something to tell you, and you’re going to listen.”
Her nostrils flared slightly, but she complied. “What is it?”
“Aaron and I are getting married.”
Silence.
No clapping. No tearful hugs and kisses. No questions about how it came to be or what our plans were. Just a little samba music in the background, straining to lighten the growing tension.
My dad moved to my side and clasped my shoulder before embracing my fiancé. “Congratulations. Welcome to the Sullivan family, Aaron. We’re happy for you both, right honey?”
“I—does he know about the pretty girl at your office?” she asked in a faraway tone.
Aaron raised a brow and nodded. “Jana? I know all about her. She’s young and naïve and no offense to Matty, but she’s probably more infatuated with his job title than she is with him.”
“He didn’t push her away when she hugged him. I was there. I saw,” Mom insisted tightly.
“She was congratulating me, Mom. She knows I’m engaged to Aaron.”
“What do you mean, she knows? You told some intern you were marrying someone before you told your mother? Who else knows?”
“Everyone,” I answered simply. “Our friends, our coworkers, our doorman, Aaron’s family and…Shel, Sam, Sarah, and Sean.”
Sh
e threw her hand over her mouth and fixed me with a horrified look. Once upon a time, I would have done anything in my power to erase her sorrow and quell her fear. But not now. I loved my mother, but my heart and my future belonged to the man next to me.
“You told your sisters and your brother before telling us?”
“Well, yeah. We wanted to tell you in person,” I lied.
“I can’t believe you would do such a thing,” she gasped.
“Be happy?” I shoved my hand through my hair in frustration and stepped toward my now teary-eyed mother. “Come on, Mom. I thought you wanted me to be happy.”
“I do, but…”
“But not this way,” I finished for her. I took a deep breath and tried to sort out my thoughts and not speak out of anger. She wasn’t making anything easy, I mused, raking my fingers through my hair. “I don’t understand you. Sometimes I don’t think I know you. I mean, you’re the one who taught me that giving was more important than receiving and that love is the greatest gift I’d ever have to offer anyone. It was you, Mom. You. So wise. So nurturing and so unselfish. You taught me the value of respect and that acts of kindness are infinitely more meaningful than sharp words. But now you want me to deny how I feel, and it doesn’t make any sense.”
“Aaron is a lovely man. I like him quite a bit but—”
“I love him!” I shouted. “He isn’t just a nice man. He’s the man I love, Mom. I’ve loved him for years. I’ve loved him for so long, I can’t remember what it’s like not to love him. And I never want to. He is my heart. He is the only one I want. No one else even registers. I’ll never change my mind. I don’t notice people like Jana because I gave myself away a long time ago.
“And I made an effort to let you know when I first figured out that I’m not straight. I was scared and unsure, so I went to the one person who was always on my side. You were the first to know. You said all the right things. You told me nothing changed, and that you’d always support me. If that’s true, you shouldn’t be surprised, because I haven’t stopped being me, and I sure as hell haven’t stopped loving Aaron. If you can’t accept me…it might be best for you to leave.”
Her look of utter anguish sliced me to the bone. But I wasn’t backing down, and I wasn’t going to change any part of my life to please her. This was non-negotiable.
“You don’t mean that,” she whispered.
“I do. This is my life, and Aaron is the biggest part of it. I won’t tolerate you or anyone else coming into the home we share and being careless and disrespectful. I won’t let anyone hurt him. Especially not the people who claim they love me.”
“I do love you, Matthew. I love you so very much,” she sobbed.
“Then stop this now. Don’t ever tell me you like him but want me to meet a nice girl. Don’t ever refer to him as my roommate or my buddy. Don’t ever make him feel like he’s anything less than my equal.” My voice hitched as my emotions bubbled and spilled to the surface. “The best day of my life happened less than a week ago when Aaron agreed to marry me. He’s going to be my husband, but he’s already my family. You need to understand that this is forever.”
Aaron threaded his fingers through mine and squeezed them. I looked at our joined hands and then at his face, alarmed at the tears clinging to his eyelashes. I kissed his temple and glanced back at my dad.
“Give your mom a minute, Matt. She’s going to be okay,” he said.
She sniffed loudly and held up her hand. “No. I don’t need a minute.”
“Mom…”
She shook her head wearily before reaching for her purse and pulling out a tissue. She dabbed at her eyes and sniffled. “I’m sorry. I’m terribly sorry. Please forgive me. Your dad suspected you had news like this but—”
“How? I didn’t say anything.”
“I didn’t know for sure,” Dad corrected. “I just had a feeling you were getting ready to settle down…get married, start a family. You have a calmness about you that wasn’t always there. Like you know where you’re going, and you can’t wait to start the next chapter.”
“Your dad saw it and I…panicked. But he’s right, I’m being horribly selfish. I apologize. I knew you were serious about Aaron and that what you felt for him wasn’t ordinary. It scared me. The mother in me wants to protect you. But here you are telling me you’ll protect him from me if you must. God, that breaks me in half.”
She turned to Aaron with a sorrowful look. “I’ve always liked you, Aaron. Even when I didn’t want to. I’m terribly sorry. I hope you can forgive me. But more than anything, please take care of him because…he loves you. And if I know my son, I can assure you he’ll be a wonderful husband to you and someday, the best dad in the world to your children.”
Aaron swept my mother in his arms and held her close. I took a cleansing gulp of air and fought the urge to dog pile on their hug and give in to the well of emotion that had me upside down for days. My dad bumped my shoulder companionably before pulling me into a fierce embrace. He stepped backward and rubbed his hand over his nose.
“You good?” he asked with a sniff.
“Yeah. Thanks.” I cast my gaze at Aaron and my mother still holding each other a few feet away. “So, you’re really okay with everything?”
“Of course. You’re good together. You balance each other out. Mom knows it too. In her heart, she has no doubts. But she loves you so much, she can’t see straight sometimes. She lets her fears get the best of her and says things she ends up regretting. I know that wasn’t easy, but she needed you to tell her how you feel. You were gut-wrenchingly honest. That hurts. But she’ll be fine. She knows you love him, and he loves you. You have a strong foundation for a good head start.”
“I have a feeling we can do better than good.”
Honestly, I was sure of it. Loving Aaron was the easy part. We’d been together long enough to know relationships required absolute trust, unconditional respect, and a willingness to compromise. We knew it wasn’t always hearts and roses, but we also knew what we had was worth fighting for and protecting. He was my partner in the adventure of a lifetime. And personally, I couldn’t wait for the journey to begin.
Part 7-
Aaron burrowed into my side and hooked his leg around mine. We were covered in sweat, and my body was still humming in the afterglow as my breathing returned to normal. If it wasn’t so cold in our bedroom, I might actually be able to fall asleep just like this. I brushed his hair out of his eyes and kissed his brow.
“Aar, grab the blankets. It’s freezing in here.”
“Mmm.” He pulled the duvet over us and settled back, resting his head on my heart. “Better?”
“Much better. Are you sore?” I kneaded his bare ass, wishing I could be inside him again. God, he felt so good.
“I might be in the morning, but I’m fine now. After two days with no sex, I don’t mind at all. It was a nice visit, but I’m glad we have our place to ourselves again.”
“Just us and five dozen flowers.”
“More like eight,” he chuckled. “We made a few important choices this weekend, though. Roses, sunflowers, and tulips. Shades of yellow, red, and orange…perfect, don’t you think?”
“Sure. Thanks for involving my mom. I know you’re going to do things your way, but it was cool of you to make her feel like you needed her advice. Especially since she started the weekend acting like a raving maniac.”
“She loves you, Matty. Besides, she apologized and was on her very best behavior, saying all the right things about being happy for us. I think she meant it at the end.”
“I hope so. You’re so patient with her, which is funny because you’re not patient otherwise.”
“It’s my Catholic guilt. You don’t mess with Mama where I’m from,” he joked. “She’s trying. That’s what counts. And when she asked me to take care of you…it got me. I think it was her way of passing a baton. It’s super old-fashioned, but I kinda liked the sentiment. Just so you know…I’m going to be the best husban
d you ever had.”
I snickered as I reached for his left hand to examine the simple band on his finger. “You’re my only husband.”
“Not yet. Six more months.”
“Yeah, but in a way, we’re already married. The title is nice, but the truth is…the only thing we’re missing is a piece of paper.”
“And a kickass party. There’s so much to plan, Matty! Band or DJ? Traditional cake or cupcakes or both? What about a seating chart?”
I widened my eyes theatrically, then pulled the duvet over my head. “Wake me up in six months.”
Aaron giggled as he flung the cover back. “No chance. I’ll do most of the work, but I have a request to make.”
“What is it?”
“I want you to play our song at the wedding.”
“ ‘Your Song’ by Elton John?” I waited for his nod of agreement before adding, “And sing?”
“Yeah. Will you? I know it’s personal. If you really don’t want to, that’s ok—”
“I’ll do it.” I ran my fingers over his flat stomach. “But I’m a little rusty. I haven't been playing much lately.”
Aaron rolled off the bed and headed for the door, buck naked. “I’ll be right back.”
He returned a minute later with my guitar. I sat cross-legged and gently took the instrument from him, propping it on my lap.
“Wait. Don’t play yet. I have something to give you. It’s been hell holding on to this, but I didn’t want your mother’s input.” His eyes were so bright with excitement that he practically vibrated. He held one hand behind his back and bit his bottom lip.
I cocked my head curiously and furrowed my brow. “What is it, baby?”
“The first thing I did when the photo shoot got canceled Saturday was call the jeweler.”
“Okay. Did you order a different ring?” I asked, inclining my head toward his hidden hand.
“No. I love the one you picked out, so…” Aaron crossed his legs to mirror my pose before presenting a small black velvet box. He opened it slowly and smiled at me. “This one is for you.”