by Alexa Land
We found Dante and Charlie making out passionately in the modern, sunny, white-on-white kitchen. Charlie was pressed against the refrigerator, and when they shifted around a bit, a cascade of ice cubes tumbled across the marble floor. That pulled them out of their reverie, and when they looked around to see what had happened, they spotted us.
I grinned and said, “Hi guys,” as we lifted the cooler onto the counter.
Both men tried and failed to be subtle about rearranging the bulges in their shorts, and Charlie smiled and said, “Hey. Glad you guys could make it.” Meanwhile, Dante quickly gathered up the ice cubes and tossed them in the sink.
As I began to unpack the cooler, I said, “Don’t tell me, let me guess. No privacy at home, now that you’ve joined the dad brigade?” Jayden and Joely had moved in with them in mid-August, on a trial basis. The younger boy had been all for it. His big brother remained guarded and skeptical, but at least he’d been willing to give it a shot.
Charlie said, “That’s exactly right. Speaking of the boys, we actually came in here to get them some drinks.” He opened the fridge and grabbed a couple sodas, and then he kissed his husband and told him, “I’ll see you on the beach. Jayden’s looking forward to giving you another surfing lesson.”
Dante muttered, “God help me,” and Charlie flashed him a big smile before he left the kitchen.
Cole asked, “So, how are the boys settling in at your house?”
Dante shrugged and said, “Alright, I guess. It’s pretty obvious neither of them feels at home yet. Jayden’s way too polite. He’s afraid to touch anything or be too loud, as if he’s in a museum. Meanwhile, Joely’s sullen, which is nothing new. But hey, they agreed to give it a shot, and if you’d told me at the start of summer it would happen this quickly, I’d never have believed it.”
I asked him, “How does Joely like his job at the restaurant?”
“He hated waiting tables, but he and Frankie have become BFFs, so I moved him into the kitchen. He was supposed to just be an assistant, but Frankie started training him to be a sous chef, and the kid’s picking it up fast.”
“Really? Someone actually gets along with Frankie?”
“Go figure, right?” Dante said. “He seems to only like kids and old people. He gets along with Nana and Joely, and pretty much no one else.”
Dante had been great about it when I’d told him I’d had second thoughts about taking over the restaurant. He said he’d actually seen it coming, since I always seemed far more freaked out than excited. Then he’d hired a recruiter, who soon found us Francisco Jimenez. Frankie was a talented chef, so we chose to overlook the fact that he was also a total prima donna. Surprisingly though, he’d been willing to implement my recipes and the menu I’d been developing, and he’d supported Dante’s decision to keep me on as a consultant.
“And me,” Trevor said as he and his family came into the kitchen. “Frankie told me a couple days ago that I was his favorite Dombruso.”
I gave my friend a hug and said, “You know, you’ve always looked young for your age. He probably lumped you into the kid category.” His son Josh chuckled at that. The teen and his boyfriend Darwin were each carrying one of the twin babies, who were dressed in adorable little red and blue rompers. I said, “Speaking of child-like individuals, keep Quinn away from the twins or he’ll totally try to steal their outfits.”
Vincent gave his brother Dante a quick, back-slapping hug as he asked, “Are we going to see you out there tearing up the waves again, big brother? I hear surfboards have been rented for all.”
“Yeah, damn it, I promised Jayden I’d give surfing another shot. But nobody’s allowed to record it this time! That means you, Darwin.”
“I hate to break it to you,” Darwin said as he tossed his long, black bangs out of his eyes, “but Vincent already put me on the payroll. I’ve been hired to thoroughly document your second attempt at catching a wave, or whatever you call that thing you were doing last time.”
“You’re all dead to me.” Dante fought back a grin as he left the kitchen.
A moment later, Mike Dombruso dashed through the house, in hot pursuit of his three young sons. He called after them, “Sunscreen first, then the pool! We had a deal!” He waved and called, “Hi guys,” as he ran past us and out the patio door.
Yoshi appeared a moment later and said hello to everyone as he stuffed a couple plastic storage bowls in the refrigerator. When his hands were free, he hugged Cole and me, then said, “Where the hell did this summer go? I feel like I haven’t seen either of you in weeks!”
“It actually has been about a month since you came over for dinner,” I told my friend. “Your tattoo studio must be keeping you busy.”
Yoshi pushed his black sunglasses to the top of his head and said, “Business has been nice and steady, which is great. I’ve also been trying to give Mike a hand with the boys. He never asks for help, but I know he needs it.”
I asked, “How’s he been holding up?”
Yoshi considered the question, then said, “Alright I guess, not that he’d admit it if he wasn’t. He went into superdad mode after he and Marie broke up and has been trying to give his boys the best summer ever. I think he’s overcompensating, because he knows his kids miss his ex-girlfriend. She took a job in San Luis Obispo a few weeks ago, so they never see her anymore.”
“You’re a good friend, Yosh. I’m glad Mike has you in his corner.”
He grinned at that and said, “I try. I’m going to see if I can give him a hand with the sunscreen. Catch you later!”
Yoshi hurried outside. I watched through the glass wall and he and Mike shared a laugh, then teamed up to try to corral the boys. Cole murmured, “I wonder when those two are going to admit they have feelings for each other.”
I asked, “Do you think they do? As far as I know, Mike’s straight. And Yosh has a boyfriend…kind of. He’s dating a rock star, who comes through town a few times a year.”
“They’ve always seemed like a couple to me, whenever I’ve seen them together.” He turned to Vincent and asked, “Do you think your brother Mike might be bi?”
Vincent glanced through the glass door at Mike and Yoshi and said, “I have no idea, actually. He’s a very private person, so it’s not like he ever talks to me or anyone else about this stuff. All I know is, the only two people he’s ever been involved with were both women.”
We chatted for a few more minutes, and then Trevor picked up the huge diaper bag and said, as his husband gathered up the twins, “We’re going to do the sunscreen thing too, before we head outside to say hi to Nana.” He turned to the teens and added, “Make sure you both use some.”
“We already dunked ourselves in a vat of SPF 1000, so we’re good,” Josh called after his dads as they headed into the adjoining living room. Considering he and Darwin were as pale at the end of summer as they’d been at the start of it, I actually kind of believed him.
Darwin raised the lid on one of the bowls I’d put on the counter and popped a mini empanada in his mouth, and I asked him, “Are you excited about next week?” He’d been saving for top surgery for years, and was finally getting it done.
“God yes. I kind of wish I could burn all my binders afterwards.” He rubbed his upper rib cage, where the garment that flattened his chest was probably cutting into him. “Not that I would. They’re all getting donated, since there are a lot of trans kids like me out there who need them and can’t afford them.”
“We’re still making a bonfire and burning stuff,” Josh said, raising a few lids and assessing the food we’d brought. “Just not those. Hey, is anyone bringing cake?”
“Quinn is,” I told him. “He got a job at a bakery this time.”
Josh echoed, “This time?”
“He has a steady night job as a go-go dancer, but he often takes random second jobs to earn extra money. Usually though, something goes awry and he either quits or gets fired after a few days.” Quinn came into the kitchen just then with a tower
ing stack of pink bakery boxes, and I said, “Speak of the devil.”
Quinn put the boxes on the counter, and I gave him a hug as he asked, “Were you talking about me?”
“Yup. I said you’d be bringing cake. Looks like you brought the whole store.”
“Those were my lovely parting gifts,” he said as he let go of me.
“Wait, they fired you and sent you off with a bunch of cake?”
“I didn’t get fired this time, I quit.” He looked upset.
“I thought you liked that job, and the boss’s son. What was his name? Rupert?”
“I did. I thought Rupie liked me, too, so I let him f—” he glanced at the teens and amended, “take me home, several times. He said I was something special and told me he wanted more than just a random hookup. I thought I’d finally found a great guy who appreciated me. But then I found out he had a boyfriend and was totally lying to me. I told my boss I couldn’t work at the bakery anymore because I never wanted to see Rupie again. I guess maybe his son had done that to other employees too, because his dad apologized like crazy and sent me off with all these pies and cakes, like a consolation prize or something. Anyway, long story short, that’s why I brought so much stuff.”
I squeezed his shoulder and said, “I’m sorry, Quinn.”
“It’s my own fault. And see? This is why I don’t do relationships. He said all the right things and made me believe he cared about me, and then he turned out to be a liar and a cheater. I’m just over it, and I’m taking a break from men for a while. I think it’ll be good for me to step back from all the random hookups and take some time to figure out what I want.”
It surprised me when Darwin drew Quinn into a hug, since they didn’t know each other all that well. But then again, Darwin was a kind and compassionate person, and it was obvious Quinn was hurting, even though he was trying not to let it show. “You deserve someone great,” the teen said, “someone who loves you and appreciates you as the unique, beautiful individual you are.”
Quinn colored slightly and grinned as he said, “Thanks. You’re really nice.”
Josh peeked in one of the bakery boxes, and then he picked it up and grabbed three forks from the counter. “I think you need to eat cake and have fun today, Quinn. Come outside with us. Nana’s out there organizing some party games, and you can never feel bad when she’s around.” Quinn was smiling as the teens led him out the patio door.
Cole and I found ourselves alone in that big, white kitchen, and he drew me into his arms. I kissed him gently before asking, “What do you want to do first, swim, surf, or eat something?”
“Actually, can we go for a walk on the beach, just you and me, before we join the party?”
“Absolutely.” We took off our sandals and left the house by a side door.
When we’d been walking for maybe fifteen minutes, Cole turned to me and took my hands. We’d reached a fairly secluded section of the coast, away from the row of houses that included Nana’s rental. There were a few people walking that stretch of beach, but I forgot all about them as Cole kissed me tenderly.
He rested his forehead against mine and said, as the surf washed over our feet, “I was going to surprise you with something tonight at sunset, but now I’m thinking I want to give you a heads-up, just in case you want to do things differently.”
“I’m down for whatever. You know that.”
“I know. I just want to do this right, because it’s one time, and it’s forever.”
“What is?”
Cole led me away from the water and dropped down on one knee. My breath caught when I realized what was happening. He pulled a black velvet jewelry box from his pocket and opened the lid to reveal a beautiful silver ring, inlaid all around with blue lapis. “Will you marry me, River?”
I blurted, “Of course I’ll marry you!”
He slipped the ring onto my finger, and I dropped to my knees and kissed him. A big wave rolled in just then and washed over our legs, and Cole laughed against my lips. We fell over onto the sand as the wave rolled out again and kissed each other passionately. “You just made me the happiest man in the entire world,” I said as I caressed his cheek.
“Thank you for saying yes.”
“You had to know I would. I adore you, Cole.”
“I adore you too.”
He picked up my hand and held it between us, and then he ran his thumb over the ring. “The band of blue along the bottom is supposed to represent the sea,” he said. “That way, wherever you go, you’ll always have a little bit of the ocean with you. I bought myself a matching ring, only in my case, the band of blue is meant to represent a river.”
I grinned at him and said, “You’re amazing.”
He grinned too as he propped his head up with his hand. “Here’s the part where my plans for today get a little loopy. I was going to give you this ring at sunset, while we were both on the water with our surfboards, and I was going to follow it up immediately with our wedding ceremony. I found a justice of the peace who surfs and asked him to join us out on the ocean so we could exchange our vows. But then, I got to thinking. A lot of our friends and family are here, but not all of them. I know you said you had a dream about us getting married on surfboards, but that doesn’t mean you actually want to do it that way. So, I figured I should give you a choice, instead of just springing a wedding on you.”
“You didn’t cancel the wedding official, did you?”
“No, not yet.”
“Good. Marry me at sunset, Cole.”
“You sure?”
“God yes. We can throw a formal reception in a month or two and invite everyone, although really, most of our friends and family are already here, like you said. All we’re missing is my mom and dad, and….”
“And my mom. I called her yesterday to tell her I was going to propose.” We both sat up, and he said, “She’s really happy for us.”
“I’m so glad you finally reached out to her.”
“It was time.”
“How’d it go?”
“It went well, actually,” he said. “I’ve had a couple months to sort out my feeling about her and Bowmer, and…well, let’s just say it’s a work in progress. But I know I don’t want to lose my mom over it, so I’m learning to move past it.”
“That’s great.”
“You know what I realized? I gained some closure when I got to yell at Bowmer in Idaho. I’d wanted to do that for fifteen years, and it was actually very cathartic. I’m not ready to forgive him, but I think I see things more clearly now that I’ve been able to let go of some of that anger.” He got up and pulled me to my feet. “But enough about that.”
I kissed him and said, “I love you so much, Cole.”
“I love you, too.”
Huge smiles spread across both our faces, and I exclaimed, “We’re getting married today!”
Cole kissed me again and took my hand. “Come on, let’s go tell our friends the news.”
*****
Cole and I paddled out into the Pacific just before sunset, dressed in wetsuits. We were already wearing our matching wedding bands, because we didn’t want to take the chance of dropping them in the ocean. It was just like my dream, except that we both shared one board. That way, I could keep my arms around him during the ceremony.
There was another difference, too. Our friends and family joined us in the Pacific, along with the justice of the peace, who paddled out on a vintage longboard. Some of our friends straddled surfboards, while others watched from a couple fishing boats Nana had lined up in a hurry when we told her the news. Darwin bobbed nearby in a red kayak and got ready to record the ceremony with a small, waterproof camera, while three of our friends held up phones. Each had one of our parents on a video call, so they could watch the ceremony.
I hugged my fiancé and whispered in his ear, “Look at all the love that’s around us right now.” Quinn, Ash and Dylan, along with Skye and Dare, straddled surfboards close beside us, and they looked so hap
py. Nana and Ollie and all the kids they’d taken in, along with Catherine, Conrad, and Puffy the cat, and Trevor and his family, lined the railing of the larger fishing boat. Many more friends stood behind them. In the other boat, Christopher and Kieran chatted with Hunter and Brian, while Jamie, Dmitri, Dante and Charlie shared a laugh with Jayden and Joely. Beside them, Yoshi chuckled and tried to rub in the white sunblock on Mike’s nose, while Mike’s three sons and Lily pretended to reel in a big fish with the chrome rig at the back of the boat.
As the sun began to dip into the Pacific and the sky and sea turned to gold, the justice of the peace called, “Let’s get started, friends.”
He pulled a laminated index card from the sleeve of his wetsuit and read a few lines. When he asked us if we’d written our own vows, I grinned and said, “We’re going to wing it.”
Cole met my gaze over his shoulder and said, as I held him tight, “I adore you, River. I always have, and I always will. As much as I regret that year we spent apart, I’m grateful for it too, because it gave us both time to grow and to come back together stronger than ever. I want you to know I’m totally committed to you, and to us, today and always. You’re my everything, and I’m so glad we’re getting married.”
I cupped his cheek and caressed it gently as I said, “Thank you for giving me another chance, Cole. I want you to know I’ll always be incredibly grateful for that, and for you. You’re all I ever wanted, and I’m so lucky, because I get to share every day of the rest of my life with you. I adore you, and I’m so happy I get to be your husband.”
The justice of the peace finished the ceremony by pronouncing us married and saying, “You may now kiss your husband!” Cole’s lips tasted like the sea, and I lost myself in them for a long moment.
It took us a while to realize our friends were cheering and applauding. Cole rested his cheek against mine and both of us laughed, because we were so filled with joy that it spilled out of us. Then he whispered, “God, I love you.”