by AM Halford
“Get out of that car and let me see you!” his mother’s sharp voice demanded, snapping Roy out of his self-induced panic.
Hurrying, Roy unlatched his seatbelt and climbed out of the car. His mother smiled and came to him for a hug. “It’s so good to see you again. We’ll discuss this eloping crap later,” she warned him. “For now, what is this surprise you have for me?”
Right on cue the twins started crying. His mother drew back from Roy and looked at the car with wide eyes. She didn’t even wait for Roy or Nexus to say anything. She just pushed him aside and went to the car. Roy watched, slightly afraid for his life, as she opened the door and gasped.
“Twins! You had twins!”
“Yeah, I mean no, we adopted twins,” Roy corrected. “Wait, what?”
His mother beamed as she climbed into the back seat and started cooing at the twins. “What are their names?”
“Um, Esperanza and Hernando,” Nexus answered.
“I hear babies!” his grandmother cried happily as she came out of the house. “Is it true?”
“You’re a great-grandmother!” Roy watched as his mother unlatched both of the babies, handing Esperanza off to his grandmother, and took Hernando into the house herself.
“Ah, Mama!” Roy chased after her with Nexus on his heels.
“You know I was wondering how long you were going to be away, what with showing up with a jaguar shifter and claiming to only be his boyfriend,” his mother was saying. “But to think you’d have babies so quickly! And twins, they are so cute.”
“Um, wait.” Roy worried his hands. “How do you know about all of this?”
His mother and grandmother both blinked and stared at him like he was stupid. His grandfather chose that moment to come in from outside. “So, do I have a grandson or a granddaughter?”
“Both, Dad,” his mother said, showing him the twins. “This young one is named after you even.”
“Well now, I approve.”
“I want answers!” Roy shouted.
“Easy.” Nexus set his hand on Roy’s shoulder to calm him as the twins started tearing up.
“Oh, no.” Roy rushed forward and took both of the babies and started rocking them. “It’s okay. Daddy isn’t mad at you. He’s just confused.”
Nexus wrapped his arms around them and rocked in place. The combined effort instantly calmed the twins down.
“So, is anyone going to explain this to me?”
“Your great-uncle Francisco.” His grandmother spoke up. “Haven’t you ever wondered where your cousins came from on his side? He’s gay and he’s never been with a woman.”
Roy blinked as he recalled the summer he’d spent with his grandfather’s brother. “Wait, so you’re saying, you all already know about shifters?”
“We know about the cat people, yes.” His grandmother nodded.
“But grandfather said you’d never believe it!” Roy exclaimed, throwing his grandfather an accusatory look.
He just shrugged and grabbed a plate of burgers from the table, disappearing back outside. Coward!
“So, I didn’t have to hide this?” Roy gaped. “I could’ve had you with me the entire time?”
His mother grinned and wrapped him in a hug. Well, the best she could with Nexus still holding him and the twins. “I’m sorry, but we figured if you didn’t want to tell us, it was fine. Forgive us?”
Roy just nodded, unable to stay mad at his family. He wondered if this broke the no telling anyone clause of his contract, but considering he was still alive, he was going to guess not.
“Okay then.” His grandmother smiled. “Hand me my great-grandson, and let’s all go outside and have some burgers.”
Nexus and Roy exchanged a look before handing the twins off to them and following the two women outside. His grandfather handed Nexus a beer, and Roy had a glass of wine with his mom and grandmother. His mother quickly brought out a playpen and a blanket to lay out on the grass so the kids could tumble around the yard under an umbrella. Seemed they’d been prepared for grandkids since Roy had brought Nexus over.
Yes, he wished they’d let on knowing all of this sooner, but at least he didn’t need to hide it. The joy on his mother’s face as she sat in the grass with Esperanza and Hernando had Roy grinning from ear to ear. Being like this, his family surrounding him, he couldn’t help but feel blessed that Cupid had come to him and given him a second chance at life.
THE END
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