by Alexa Land
“Of course you are,” Finn said. “I recommend the yellow bedroom, by the way. The red and orange rooms turned out pretty day-glow and I think it’d be really hard to relax in there.”
“I’ll take that under advisement,” Zachary said as the little grin returned.
Someone tapped my shoulder. I spun around and exclaimed, “Oh my God, Nico!” I hadn’t seen my friend since August, and I grabbed him in a hug. Greetings were exchanged all around, and then I asked him, “How’ve you been?”
“Alright, I guess. Congratulations on the new place, it’s terrific.”
“Thanks. So how was Italy? I heard you stayed an extra couple weeks.”
“Italy was…complicated,” he said, knitting his brows slightly.
I took a good look at him. Nico was usually fastidiously groomed, but he sported a five o’clock shadow, his button-down shirt was wrinkled, he looked tired and was past due for a haircut. There was something in his eyes, an almost haunted look, and I just had to ask. “Jessie said you met a guy in Italy. Would that be the complication?”
His frown deepened and he said, “Oh yeah, and I really don’t want to talk about it.”
“Fair enough.”
Finn pulled my phone out of his pocket and glanced at the screen. We’d been sharing it because he’d given Elijah his phone and hadn’t had a chance to get a new one yet. He told me, “Jessie’s about to pull up out front. He says Nana had him make some modifications to the limo and wants us to come out and take a look.”
We went out the front door with a couple dozen of our party guests, and we heard the limo before we saw it. Jessie was blasting Elton John’s Crocodile Rock from a set of exterior speakers. Two little rainbow flags jutted from either side of the hood, waving proudly, and the hood and roof had been painted in a big rainbow. Jessie swung the limo around in a wide arc. A two-foot wide pink stripe had been painted down one side of the stretch limo, end to end, and a dark brown stripe had been painted down the other side. They would have seemed pretty innocent, if it wasn’t for the fact that they each culminated in matching half-dome-shaped pop-outs on the limo’s front fenders. That made it clear they were supposed to be two colossal dongs.
Nana poked her head out of the sunroof and waved to us before ducking back down. A moment later, she and six of her little senior girlfriends piled out of the limo, along with my father, who was blushing vividly, and Cory Previn. My dad had taken my suggestion. When he met Cory to give him the camera, he’d spent a couple hours talking to him. That conversation had been enough to convince Tony to sign on as the boy’s foster parent. It was still a fairly new arrangement, and I was looking forward to hearing how it was going.
“Jessie always makes me get out of the limo for this part,” Nana yelled over the music. Her driver leaned out the window and smiled at the crowd, and Nana told him, “Show ‘em the improvements you made, Jessie!”
The car dropped down like a low-rider, and then the front end lifted at a forty-five degree angle. Jessie bounced the front of the limo up and down before raising it up again. Just as the song reached its conclusion, twin glitter cannons that had been built in above the headlights fired two big bursts of silver sparkles, which made it look like the painted-on penises were ejaculating. The car then lowered slowly to its original position while everyone cheered.
I turned to my father and said, “Welcome back to San Francisco.” I smiled as I stuck my hand out.
He grinned and went in for a slightly awkward hug instead. “I feel like I just landed in Oz.”
“You might as well have.”
We slapped each other’s backs as we hugged each other and when we let go, Tony said, “This is Cory. He has something he wants to say to you.”
The redhead colored beneath his freckles and looked at the ground as he said, “Sorry I stole and wrecked your car. Thanks for not pressing charges. Thank you for the camera, too, and the photos, and for returning my stuff to me. I know I didn’t deserve any of that.”
“You’re welcome.”
“Thanks for sending a limo to get us, too. That’s the best thing I’ve ever seen in my entire life,” he said with a crooked grin as he glanced up at me.
“You’re welcome, although last time I saw it, the limo was solid white. I didn’t realize Nana and Jessie had gotten creative.”
Jessie bounded up to me and grabbed me in a hug as Finn, Colt and Elijah introduced themselves to Cory. “Congratulations on your new home, Chance,” he said, “and on getting custody of the boys. I’m so glad everything’s working out for you!”
“Thanks. And thank you for getting my dad at the airport.”
“It was fun,” he said, pushing his black chauffeur’s cap to the back of his head. “Nana likes to think she’s the city’s goodwill ambassador, so she enjoyed greeting your guests.”
“San Francisco really should appoint her to that job.”
“Agreed. Oh hey, before I forget, I wanted to let you know that Sharona is back together and running like a dream. You can come pick her up tomorrow. Just wait until you hear her engine purr!”
I reached in my back pocket and pulled out a folded envelope, which I handed to him. “About that. This is for you.”
He pulled a slip of paper out of the envelope and his eyes went wide. “Oh my God Chance, you signed Sharona’s title over to me! I can’t possibly accept this!”
“The Civic needs to belong to you, Jessie.”
“You don’t want her anymore?”
I told him, “I don’t really need a car, since Finn and I are always driving each other and the boys around in his SUV.”
“Well, then I’ll buy her from you. You’re always working all those double shifts at the restaurant, so I know you could use the money.”
“Money may be tight, but I’m not going to accept any from you, Jessie. I absolutely refuse, just like you refused to let me pay you for all that work you did. Now please, say yes and give Sharona a good home.”
“But—”
“But nothing. You put hundreds of hours and your heart and soul into fixing it up, both before and after the crash. I know you love that car and it has to belong to you.”
Jessie teared up as he crushed me to him in an embrace. “Thank you so much, Chance. I promise I’ll take good care of her.”
“I know you will.”
Nana called for him and Jessie thanked me about a dozen more times, then hurried over to help her with something in the trunk of the limo. My dad was still beside me, and Tony smiled and said, “That was a really nice thing you just did.”
“Well, it’s no fire truck, but I’m glad it made him happy,” I told him with a little grin.
“You knew about that?”
“Yeah. I googled you when I was in Gala and came across a couple articles in the local newspaper.”
“I see.”
Finn went to help Nana with whatever she was getting out of the trunk of her car and Colt, Elijah and Josh led Cory to the buffet. I went inside with my dad and asked him, “So, how’s the whole foster dad thing working out?”
“I’m trying my damnedest to do right by that kid, which would be a lot easier if he’d just talk to me.”
“Well, it’s still a pretty new arrangement. Just give it time.”
“You’re right, and I’m always reminding myself to be patient. He’s good with small-talk, he just won’t open up about anything serious. That’s probably true for most teenagers, and I can only hope he’ll eventually trust me enough to confide in me.”
“I can tell you really care about him. That’s nice to see.”
“I do. He’s so bright, and funny, and incredibly talented. It’s sad that no one ever bothered to look past his acting out.”
“I’m glad it’s going well for you two.”
“It is. I’ve actually started the paperwork to adopt him. More than anything, Cory needs to know he has someone in his corner, someone who’s there for the long haul. He’s been in thirteen different foster
homes since he became orphaned three years ago. Once the adoption is final and I can relocate with him, I want to move us out of Gala. He’ll always be written off as a delinquent in the eyes of everyone in that town, just like I’ll always be a thought of as a drunk, no matter how long I’m sober. I think he and I both need to start fresh somewhere else.”
“Wow, that’s huge. How does Cory feel about being adopted?”
Tony said, “He’s so used to rejection that he refuses to get his hopes up. I don’t think he’ll believe it’s real until I put the adoption certificate in his hands.”
“Poor kid. Where are you thinking about moving, Gillette?”
“No, I’m thinking about San Francisco, or maybe a smaller town right outside it, since this city might prove to be pretty overwhelming. I want to be close enough so that you and I can keep building on what we started. Cory and I are going to look around a bit while we’re here this weekend, just to get a feel for the different communities. Of course, I won’t be allowed to move him out of state until the adoption goes through, but we can still get the ball rolling.” I grinned and he asked me, “Does that smile mean you approve of this idea?”
“Definitely,” I said. “It’d be great to have you closer.” That made Tony grin, too. “What’re you going to do about the bar, though?”
“One of my regulars is interested in buying it, so this is a good time to let it go. That place has been my security blanket for far too long and I need to move on to bigger and better things.”
Finn walked up to us just then with a bemused expression on his face. He was carrying a large terra cotta pot, which held a thin, upright, three-foot-tall cactus, flanked by two small, round cacti. “Hi honey. Where’d you get the cocktus?” I asked, my grin widening.
“It’s a housewarming gift from Nana. The soil spilled all over her trunk when the limo was getting ready to ejaculate, but she got it sorted.”
“I hope you thanked her,” I said.
“Oh, I did. Want to come with me to find it a place of honor?”
“Love to.” I turned to Tony and said, “Come on in, I’ll introduce you around.”
After we got my dad situated, Finn and I went upstairs and put the cocktus on the second floor landing, out of toddler range. I happened to glance downstairs, and had to pause for a moment and take it all in. Our home was so full of life and happiness and people who loved us, and it made me feel incredibly good.
Finn brushed off his hands and drew me into his arms, then looked down at the party and said, “Great turn-out.”
I nodded. “It’s amazing to look around and see almost every single person I love, all in one place. About the only people missing are my friends Gianni and Zan, but they have the great excuse of sailing around the world, so I won’t hold their absence against them.”
“I wish they could have been here, but you’ll just have to tell them about this later.” I thought he meant the party, until he called down to our guests, “Could I have everyone’s attention, please?” As our friends and family turned to look at us and someone turned the music down low, Finn said, “I have something I need to ask my boyfriend.”
I stopped breathing when he went down on one knee and took both my hands in his. “I’ll never find the words to tell you how much I love you,” he said as I looked into his beautiful blue eyes. “So instead, I want to spend the rest of my life showing you. Will you marry me, Chance?”
“Holy shit,” I whispered as my breath caught and my heart leapt. I had to be dreaming. I just had to.
From downstairs, Colt yelled, “What are you waiting for? Say yes already!”
“Yes!” I exclaimed. “Oh my God, yes, of course!”
As our family and friends cheered and applauded, Finn leapt up, took my face in his hands and kissed me passionately. Then he rested his forehead against mine and said, “You just made me the happiest man alive.”
“I love you so much, Finn,” I told him, hugging him tightly.
We went downstairs hand-in-hand, to a deluge of congratulations. Colt got to me first and grabbed me in a huge embrace. Tears of happiness shone in his eyes and Elijah’s, who hugged us both quickly when my brother let go of me.
Nana pushed her way through the crowd, smiling ear to ear, and pulled us both down into a hug before saying, “This is great news, and the timing is perfect! I just got ordained by one of them, you know, online thingamajigs. I can legally perform weddings now, and yours can be my first!”
“Really?” I asked.
She nodded and fished around in her giant black purse. “I got the certificate in the mail three days ago,” she told us. “Hang on, let me show you.” She started handing things from the handbag to Colt, including a big box of condoms, a rainbow colored lollypop shaped like a penis, and a silver flask. When she handed my brother a .44 magnum, Finn quickly plucked it from his grasp and checked and emptied the chamber before handing it back to him and pocketing the bullets. Finally, she pulled out a laminated half-sheet of paper and said, “See? All official and everything.” It actually did look legit.
Finn and I glanced at each other, and I said, “Sure. Why not?”
“Wonderful! Let’s do it tonight!” she exclaimed, clapping her hands.
I said, “Tonight? Shouldn’t we do some planning first? And don’t we need a marriage license or something?”
“What’s to plan?” Colt said. “You love Finn, he loves you, and everyone’s already here, including your dad. Let’s do this thing!”
“You can always follow this up with a civil ceremony at City Hall to make sure it’s all legal and stuff,” Elijah suggested.
I looked at Finn again and he smiled and said, “I’m game if you are. I can’t wait to be married to you.”
Laughter bubbled from me, just from the sheer joy of it all, and I told him, “Like Colt said, let’s do this thing!”
Nana let out a whoop and grabbed her phone from her purse. “All I need is one hour. You boys go celebrate with your guests until then.” She hit speed dial, and when the call connected she put it on speaker and yelled into it, “Mr. Mario, we got us an impromptu wedding! Chance and Finn are tying the knot tonight and we need to bring the magic for these boys, stat! You know what to do, right?”
Her hairdresser’s heavily accented voice came through the speaker, yelling over a Katy Perry song in the background. “I got you covered! I’m calling the family as soon as we hang up, you text me the address.”
“I’m counting on you, Mr. Mario!” She ended the call, fired off a text by holding the phone right in front of her face and typing with one finger, and then turned to us and said, “We got any champagne around here?”
“A couple bottles, I think,” Finn said, putting his arm around my waist.
“That won’t do.” She started poking out another text message. “I’ll have the family pick up a couple cases on the way over. You can’t have a wedding without champagne!”
“The family?” Colt asked. “Are you calling in the mafia to throw my brother a wedding?”
“Yes and no,” she told him as she hit send. “I called in the gay homosexual mafia, not the Dombrusos. My hairdresser and his friends are the men for the job, just you wait and see!” She recruited Colt and Elijah to help her, and they rushed off to get things ready.
Finn took my hand and led me out the back door. We went to the edge of our property beside the bay and he turned to me and asked, “Are you really okay with all of this, Chance? That snowballed in record time. I don’t know if my proposal even had time to sink in yet, and now apparently we’re going to be married in about an hour!”
As I put my arms around him, I said, “There’s no reason in the world to wait. I’m absolutely sure of this and of us, Finn. It’s impossible to picture my future without you right there by my side. In fact, if you hadn’t asked me, I was going to ask you.”
I put my hand on the back of his neck and pulled him down for a kiss, which went on for a long time. When we finally broke apa
rt, he let out a joyful whoop, grabbed me around the waist and swung me around as he yelled, “We’re getting married!” I threw my head back and laughed, and when he stopped spinning I wrapped my legs around his waist and kissed him again.
*****
The gay mafia arrived forty-nine minutes later, according to my brother, who’d been timing them. Apparently Mr. Mario had been participating in a drag show when Nana called him, because he rushed in dressed like a rather statuesque Lady Gaga in a (fortunately simulated) meat dress, followed by at least twenty more drag queens in full regalia. They brought cases of champagne, a big, pink bakery box, armloads of flowers, and DJ equipment. The latter included a light machine containing dozens of prisms, which bathed the room in rainbows once it was plugged in.
Our guests arranged themselves into two sections with a path down the middle, and we sent Colt, Elijah, Zachary, Jessie, Shea and Christian to stand in front of our new mural and be our groomsmen. Tall, metal pails brimming with multicolored flowers punctuated the room, and Finn turned on the garlands of white lights overhead. Between that and the rainbows cast by the light machine, the warehouse looked magical.
Skye grabbed my camera and started snapping pictures for us, and Nana climbed onto a case of champagne, flanked by the groomsmen. She’d borrowed a huge, white, bouffant wig with an off-center hat shaped like a pirate ship from one of the drag queens. I wasn’t sure if she’d done that to make herself three feet taller, or possibly to give herself a regal air.
I pulled my father out of the audience and asked, “Will you please walk us down the aisle?” He seemed a bit choked up as he nodded and linked arms with Finn and me.
Nana yelled, “Hit it, ladies!” A dozen drag queens preceded us up the aisle, strutting their stuff like they were on a runway and throwing colorful flower petals into the air, while the rest of their equally colorful party formed a chorus to our left and started singing an a Capella version of I Say a Little Prayer for You.
Tony muttered, “I’m definitely not in Kansas anymore.” Then it was our turn. Everyone turned to look at us as we walked down the aisle. When we reached Nana, Tony shook Finn’s hand and said, “You got a fine young man here. You treat him right, you hear?” Finn assured him he would. Then Tony grabbed me in a hug and whispered in my ear, “I love you, son.”