by Bella Bennet
“Don’t say that!”
The other women were smiling at Henry and looking like nothing odd had just happened. Henry remembered what Ned had been trying to tell him. About that woman, a cousin of David’s that was in the mob. Henry felt faint. He looked around and David was turned away talking. Oh my God. What if it was real? What if his family was in the mob? Oh my God.
“You don’t look so good.”
“He said he was queasy earlier. Are you going to puke? Don’t puke in the marigolds or Carmella will have your head!”
“That’s David’s mother. She is particular about her garden. I don’t think vomit is a fertilizer. Is it?”
“He’s weaving!”
Henry felt like a zoo exhibit. They were all staring at him but no one was getting him a chair, or helping in any way. He would pass out, puke or fall right into the grill if he didn’t sit down.
“Hey David! I think your man needs you!”
Henry grabbed onto one cousin and leaned against her. He swallowed and tried to slow down his breathing but he would definitely faint or puke. It was a toss up which one would occur. Please let it be the puke, please let it be the puke. He couldn’t bear it if he fainted in front of his boyfriend’s family.
Strong arms grabbed him and pulled him back.
“Get a chair! Someone get him a chair. Why couldn’t you get him a chair? Didn’t you see him?”
“My God David calm down! He was fine.”
Henry was put in a chair and then his head pushed down by his knees. He closed his eyes and tried to focus on his breathing. It was slowing down. He was so embarrassed. What an introduction. They would think Henry was dating a pansy or something.
“How are you doing? I’m so sorry.”
David was rubbing his shoulder. He knew it was David because he knew his hands. He didn’t want to open his eyes. He was too embarrassed. The feeling of needing to puke was gone, so Henry didn’t have a reason to not open his eyes and face the music.
He opened his eyes and saw David’s face right by his. David was squatting on the ground right in front of him. He felt even worse now.
“I’m sorry.”
David shook his head. “Don’t be. I’m sorry. I should have grabbed you and not let us get separated. I didn’t think they’d gang up on us and get us apart. What happened? You were looking fine like you were holding your own and then you were white as a sheet.”
Henry shook his head and closed his eyes. He didn’t want to have this talk here. Or anywhere. No wonder David was afraid he’d run away. What the hell. He loved David with all his heart, would not leave him, but couldn’t the guy have given him a clue?
Henry opened his eyes and stared at David.
“We will talk after this.”
David stilled and nodded his head, then stood up. Henry looked up and also stood up. David’s mom was coming with a can of ginger ale.
“Honey I’m so sorry. The cousins got you didn’t they? It’s a stupid game they play. I already yelled at them. They are so childish. I’m so sorry. We’re not like that.”
“What game?” David didn’t look happy. As a matter of fact he looked like he was ready to go after someone. Henry wondered what he had done to the FBI agent. And why there was an FBI agent in his trunk at one time. Nope, he didn’t want to know.
“Honey, forget about it.”
David grabbed his mom’s arm. “No. What did they do to him?”
David’s mom stood and looked at David. “You’re awfully protective. Can’t he look out for himself?”
Henry closed his eyes and ran a hand down his face. Now he caused a fight between David and his mom. He wanted to leave. This was as bad an introduction as there could be. What a disaster.
“No. I mean yes he can, it’s just that… Tell me about this game. Better yet, I’ll go grab Susan.”
“No! David stay right here! She’s pregnant and I don’t want you upsetting her! It would be bad for that baby!”
“Yeah, well she did it to Henry, and he’s…” Oh, shit.
David’s mom looked at Henry and screamed. Henry jumped a foot. David turned and grabbed Henry.
“Oh. My. God! David’s man is pregnant! I’m gonna be a grandmother!” Carmella ran at Henry. She grabbed him, squeezing him in such a tight hug that Henry squeaked. This was not his finest day.
Soon he was rushed by everyone. They were all around him talking at once, slapping him on the back, slapping David, trying to hug him and pat his stomach. He was getting bounced around from person to person like he was inside a washing machine just spinning around. David was pushing people back, trying to give Henry some more space.
“That must have been why you almost took a diver!”
Henry smiled. He didn't know who had said that and right now he didn’t care. He was leaning up against David whose arm was wrapped around his shoulders.
“So when is the due date?”
“I’m not that far along really, so it will be awhile yet.”
“Gee David, did you knock him up the first time or what?” Henry thought he was prepared for anything but that one had him blushing and wishing he could drink alcohol. A few shots of anything would be helpful right about now. Anything at all.
“Come on, be decent. This is the first guy I’ve ever brought to Sunday dinners, and this is why.” Henry felt warmth curl through his chest that David was looking out for him. He wrapped his arm around David’s waist and squeezed.
“He’s from a small family so he’s not used to large family gatherings, or loud families.” David raised his eyebrows. Henry knew he was hoping his family would behave, but Henry was fine. He wanted to know David’s family just as they were. Just like he appreciated David just the way he was. He looked over at David until Carmella spoke.
“Oh look at Henry! He is so in love! Oh, I’m going to cry!”
Henry blushed and pounded his ginger ale again. At least it was good he was pregnant, he wouldn’t be stumbling drunk. David kissed his cheek.
“That’s kinda how that FBI agent, what’s his name, looked at David when he was here.”
Henry glanced at David to see him close his eyes and clench his jaw. Henry squeezed his side. It didn’t matter to him. That was the past. Though he was interested in the story.
“Tony was his name. I didn’t think he ever looked at David with love. He was tied up and duct taped for God’s sake!”
“No no no, before that! When David brought him here a few times. Remember?”
“Oh my God kill me now.” David muttered that but Henry heard it, anyway. He chuckled and squeezed David’s waist.
“I’m kinda curious about it too.”
“Please, I beg you, I will tell you the story but don’t let them tell it. They embellish everything. Everything.” David looked like a puppy begging. Henry laughed again. This was kinda fun being around David’s family.
“No that guy only came once, duct taped! Remember? He had a wire on and David found it. Brought him here to prove he would not snitch.”
David stilled. Henry looked at him and wondered what would happen now. Was it ok he heard that? He would really need to get the truth out of David.
“You know what, I think Henry here is a little tired. Wouldn’t want to cause a miscarriage. I think— “
“Don’t you dare say you’re leaving David Lee Bianchi! Everyone back up! Give him room!”
Carmella pushed people aside and had Henry sitting in a chair at a table before you could say homemade lasagna. He had lasagna, salad, sausage, ginger ale and some other things that he didn't know what they were shoved at him. It was so much food.
“I don’t need this much. Really, you should stop putting food in front of me.” Henry tried to refuse some food, but David leaned over. “Just accept it all. It will hurt their feelings if you don’t accept it.”
“I can’t eat it! I’ll be the size of the Goodyear blimp!”
David laughed and kissed his cheek. “I hate to tell you this, b
ut you will be a blimp soon, anyway.”
Henry gave him a long stare. It did nothing to wipe the big smile off David’s face. He continued to stare as David grabbed some food off Henry’s plate and ate it. David got a smack on his head from his mother.
“You leave that poor boy alone! He needs food for that growing baby!” Carmella turned from David to Henry.
“Now honey you let me know if you need anything else, anything at all, ok? I’m gonna be right here to take care of you and make sure my boy doesn’t steal your food.”
Henry turned to David with glee. This was worth all the discomfort from earlier. Getting to see David not as the in control, suave attorney but as a child in a huge extended family. He loved it.
Chapter 16
Henry was sitting in the rocking chair trying to untangle the mess of felt banners that they had bought at the baby store. They were decorating the baby’s room in a baseball theme. No matter if the baby was a boy or girl, they were getting a baseball room. They had bought two strands of pennants, one blue and white and the other pink and white. They were taking off the white ones and combining them into one strand of blue and pink. That way the room would fit no matter what gender the baby was.
They could have the baby’s room be any color. They didn’t have to stick with gender colors, but that’s what David’s family expected and those were the colors of all the gifts and baby room things that had been dropped off. It seemed like anything a baby had ever used, or looked at or breathed on was in this room. It was too much. He didn’t want to make anyone mad, but it was ridiculous.
Both Henry and David had wanted to buy their own baby supplies, to provide for their own child but all of his relatives were so excited that they were showering them with gifts. Right now the majority of gifts were in the main bedroom which was not a bedroom any longer. They had turned it into a sitting room with a couch, chairs, TV, rocking chair and anything else they thought Henry might need when nursing or just hanging out near the baby’s room.
Henry still demanded on sleeping in that tiny bedroom on the main floor. It drove David nuts but Henry was as stubborn as he was. His mother thought it was hysterical that David had met his match as she called it. David looked over at Henry and smiled. He still couldn’t believe that he had his dream omega and that he would be a dad soon.
Henry’s ankles were swelling up now, and he was showing. David thought it made him even more adorable but Henry felt like an ugly blimp. He massaged Henry, to show that he loved him still, but Henry was getting self conscious about his body changes.
David turned back to hang up a picture on the wall. They had baseball stadiums, some of David’s trophies and photos of fluffy sheep which Henry thought were cute. David wondered if Henry would change his mind after he wasn’t pregnant anymore. He had gone through some changes being pregnant. The off and on nausea was done with, thank God, but the emotional roller coaster was still there. David learned the hard way to not refer to the emotional roller coaster.
“Are you getting hungry? I can start dinner now if you are.”
Henry looked up with wide eyes.
“You will really cook? I thought you were joking.”
David put his hands on his hips. “I can cook.”
Henry raised an eyebrow. He wished Henry would stop doing that. That was his move. It looked better on Henry though.
“I can too. I grew up in a big Italian family. I can cook.”
“That’s not what your mother and your cousins told me.”
David wished again for the umpteenth time that they didn’t like Henry so much. They couldn’t wait to tell Henry all the embarrassing things David had done growing up, the embarrassing baby photos came out next and then the adult embarrassing stories had started. David dreaded every Sunday family dinner now, but he also loved seeing Henry fussed over and completely accepted. Still.
“Don’t believe everything they say. They’re just trying to make me sound completely incompetent. They love doing that.”
Henry smiled and shook his head. “I believe their stories.”
David rolled his eyes, walked over to Henry and gave him a quick kiss.
“I’ll prove them all wrong. I should have food ready in about 30 minutes.”
“What are you making?”
David turned in the doorway and gave Henry a wink. “Spaghetti. It’s impossible to screw up.”
David ran down the steps and turned into the kitchen. Henry’s kitchen was beautiful. He dug through the cabinets and found the pasta pot. He filled it with water and put it on the stove. He double checked and might have even tripled checked that he turned the right burner on. He wasn’t making that mistake again.
He dug around for a tablecloth but didn’t find one in the kitchen. He opened the pantry and dug around in there but didn’t find one either. He went through the kitchen to the hallway and opened the door to the closet there. He looked through the coats and hangers but no tablecloth. His mother hung her tablecloths on hangers in the coat closet, but Henry did not. He didn’t want to bother Henry and ask him. He needed a nap and David wanted to prove he could do this all on his own.
He looked up on the shelf and didn’t see one, so he took the boxes and other things off the top shelf. No tablecloths. Well, maybe Henry had none. He could buy him one. He knew how much Henry loved to cook. A tablecloth would be a great surprise gift. Well, probably not that great of a gift. It was just a tablecloth. David put the boxes back on the shelf and then the odds and ends. Was that smoke?
David turned around and saw smoke coming out of the kitchen right when the smoke alarm went off. So much for keeping Henry out of it. David ran back into the kitchen. Flames were coming out from under the pasta pot. It was boiling like crazy. Scorch marks were halfway up the sides of the pot. Henry would kill him.
He ran to the stove and bounced around trying to decide what to do first. Shut the stove off without getting burnt? Grab the pot and run out of the house with it? What should he do?
“David? What’s going on? Is the kitchen on fire?”
Well, that did it. David grabbed the pot, ran out of the kitchen, through the dining room and nudged the handle to open the French door. He threw the pot into the rose garden missing a large rose bush and the bench he had first sat on with Henry. Crises averted. He turned around and walked back into the kitchen.
“No problem! It’s all fine! It’s under control!”
“I’m going to just check, ok?”
No no no! David rushed around opening cabinets and drawers until he found a pot. He filled it up with water and threw it on the burner just as Henry walked in the kitchen.
“We should open a window to clear out the smoke.”
“I’ll do it! Just sit down! You were supposed to be napping.” David ran to the bay window in the kitchen and turned the knob to open one window. Henry was by the stove looking at the pot of water.
“There’s the problem. The burner was up too high. You only need to put it between medium and high. That will heat it up just fine. High gets it too hot too fast.”
David walked over and hugged Henry. He wanted to hug Henry and make sure he was fine, but he had ulterior motives. David turned him around and led him back to the stairs.
“You need to rest. You said your feet were hurting. Rest back in your rocker. I have everything under control here.”
Henry raised an eyebrow but gave him a quick kiss and went back upstairs. David stayed to watch him go up, just to make sure he would not sneak back down. Henry turned halfway up but David smiled and pointed up. Henry smiled and continued on up and into the sitting room.
David ran back into the kitchen to check the pot. It was fine. No scorch marks on this pot or on the stove. Thank God. Now he only had to hide the pasta pot until he could buy another one. Henry would never know.
He looked in the cabinets and found another saucepan. On the stove it went. Now to find the pasta sauce. He opened the cabinets until he found the sauce he had bought e
arlier. Henry may be a four star chef but David was not. Good ole’ store bought pasta sauce for him. He opened the lid and poured it in the pot. He set the burner on medium. That was good, right? Too low and it would take forever.
He glanced at the water and it wasn’t even boiling yet. He itched to turn the heat up but knew it would probably boil over again. So he left it alone. David put his hands on his hips and thought of what to do next. Salad! He went to the fridge and got out the bag of salad. He rummaged around and found a big bowl. It was clear and would make the salad look pretty. That was good, right?
Salad done. He put it on the kitchen table. It looked bare with just the salad on the table. He went back to the kitchen and got out the bottles of salad dressing. There were four. It was good to have choices and not be presumptuous, right? Ok, salad done. Now what. His mom always had garlic bread. David looked in the fridge and in the freezer. No garlic bread. Dammit. He forgot to buy some too. Oh well. Salad and spaghetti is fine. At least Henry wouldn’t have to be on his feet and cook.
“How are things going down there?”
“Fine! Fine. They’re all fine. Everything’s fine here!” David checked the water again. It was still not boiling! How long would this take? There was something to be said for microwaves. He narrowed his eyes and wondered… David rummaged around and found another clear glass bowl. He poured the water from the pot into the bowl and put it in the microwave. He was a genius. He put the microwave on nine minutes and started it. There. Now there was no danger of a pot scorching. David turned the burner off to the empty pot and smiled. Ha. He was almost ready.
David left the kitchen and went upstairs to check on Henry. Henry was sitting in his rocker scrolling through his phone.
“Hey, you’re supposed to be resting.”
Henry smiled and beckoned him over. David walked over and gave Henry a kiss. Then gave him another kiss. Then gave him another kiss. His hand was on Henry’s face, their tongues wrapped around each other, their hands in their hair. His jeans were getting too tight. He wondered if they had time for a quickie hand job. He probably shouldn’t chance it. Only one disaster averted per meal. That was his new rule.