by A. J. Macey
Yay You’re a Man Now!
“Perfect, we’re done with our stuff for Jesse’s surprise, and we have some bags and tissue paper for whatever you guys got. It’s in the front closet which I’ll grab.” Stella hurried over to peek in the bags before heading to grab the present wrapping supplies, her whole demeanor filled with excitement. Kaleb continued to stir the crockpots, but he was looking over and waiting to hear what we had gotten. “Oooh, art supplies and an easel! I love it. So, it looks like… a couple bigger bags should cover these smaller items, and then the easel we can set up in his room. Want to help me sort through the supply bins, Reid?”
After he agreed with a simple nod, Reid and Stella started back down the hall to the front closet. As I waited for them to return, I pulled out the items we’d purchased, laying them out to be put into the gift bags. When that was done, I glanced around, noting the sweet scent of cinnamon rolls mixing with the chili.
“Smells really good in here,” I noted.
“Tell me about it,” Kaleb said with a hum of appreciation. “Stell’s had to bat me away from eating half the crockpot of chili. Can you do me a favor? Grab the crushed red pepper flakes from the cabinet, please?”
“Sure.” I looked into the wrong cabinet only once before finding the spices, so it didn’t take long to find what he wanted. Digging through the huge number of seasonings cluttering the shelves, I pulled the right one out and passed it over.
“Thanks. Can I pester you for one more thing? Can you look to see how the cinnamon rolls are doing? I’m almost done with this, but I don’t want them to overbake.” As he added in a few shakes of the crushed red pepper flakes, Stella and Reid reentered the kitchen, chatting about his most recent work shift. The interactions and requests were so simple, yet it was much more. Glancing in the oven, I tried to hold the joy that filled me at bay, but it was hard to keep from smiling like a dork. It felt so natural, so right, to be here at the Bells’, like I was truly part of the family. If I was honest with myself, I had to admit I’d missed that feeling.
“Still baking,” I relayed when I poked the top of one of them with a fork.
“Awesome, thank you,” Kaleb called over his shoulder.
“Emma dear, you want to come help me get this set up in Jesse’s room?” Stella asked as Reid started packing up his presents. “Kaleb can help Reid.” I beamed, the feeling of belonging continuing to grow. Stella picked up the easel and started toward the basement door with me quickly on her heels. “Ready?”
“For?” I questioned hesitantly when she gave me a conspiratorial grin. As soon as Jesse’s door was open, I found out. “Wow…”
Instead of seeing his plain, barren bedroom, I found something that deserved to be on the cover of a magazine. The walls were painted a simple gray, decorated with a few canvases which added pops of color. Jesse’s twin mattress had been switched out for what looked like a queen, topped with a brand-new set of sheets and quilt. Stella walked in, gesturing for me to follow.
When I stepped into the room, I found a set of bookshelves on either side of a desk that held a new laptop. Hanging on the wall above the desk was a TV, and upon closer inspection I found the truck painting I’d done on our painting date among the art on the walls. The white, nearly empty room was now homey and welcoming.
“This is… wow…” I trailed off, unable to put into words how amazing it was.
“Think he’ll like it?” Stella murmured, looking around. She wore a smile, but her tone was soft and unsure.
“He’ll love it, even if it takes him a bit to get used to it. Jesse’s still… well, Jesse,” I joked in a poor attempt to reassure her.
“I hope so. We want him to realize he’s got a family even if it isn’t the one he was born with. Reid too. And you,” Stella added with a knowing smile as she set the easel box on the bed. We started putting it together, me following the instructions as Stella read them aloud, our conversation continuing easily while we worked. “You know we’re here for anything you need, right? I know you and your mom don’t have the best relationship.”
“That’s the understatement of the year,” I grumbled, my brows furrowing as I focused on an oddly angled screw. “It’s just so frustrating to be treated like I’m three years old and needing to be watched at all times. Not to mention stifling, but we’re slowly getting closer to the end of the school year, and then hopefully at the end of the summer I can move out for college. If I even make it that long,” I muttered under my breath.
“You’re welcome here twenty-four seven. Day or night,” she stated, but looked to me as if it were a question, so I nodded. “Good, now how about we talk about something fun while we finish putting this contraption together. Oh, I know! Prom’s coming up soon, the four of you excited to go? How did they ask you?”
“Yeah, and they showed up one day while I was working, with a handful of balloons that spelled out prom then a sign that said ‘Just popped by to ask you if you’ll go to prom with us.’ It was cheesy and cute, exactly what I expected from them.”
“That sounds like them. I also had wondered why they needed to run to the party supply store.” Stella laughed.
“As for prom itself, I still need to get a dress and figure out the plans. I thought about talking to my mom about Zoey and Aubrey coming over to get ready like they did for winter formal, but I’m definitely leaning toward the ‘no’ side of the fence.”
“Do you want some company to get your dress?”
“I know Lyla is going with me, but while she’s very knowledgeable in things, fashion is not one of them,” I told her, finishing up the final screw on the easel. Standing, I looked over at Stella and felt an immediate wave of nerves.
Why? Who even knows.
You would think saying ‘yes’ would be easy.
“Did you know that corsets used to be made from whale bones?” I spouted awkwardly.
Why am I the way that I am?
“What I mean to say is, yes,” I corrected, stumbling over my words. “I’d love some company to go get my dress. Lyla and I were going to go later this year when it’s a bit closer, so I didn’t have to deal with trying to explain a prom dress to my mom and risk being grounded again.”
“You just let me know when, and I’ll be there,” Stella exclaimed, throwing an arm over my shoulder and looking at the easel. “Go team on this easel though.”
“Teamwork makes the dream work.” I laughed, enjoying the time I had with Kingston’s mom away from the others.
“That it does, Emma dear,” she stated, squeezing my shoulder gently. “Come on, let’s head back upstairs. I need to grab Killian real quick.” When we reached the top of the stairs, I found Reid finishing up the last present and Kaleb eating.
“Kaleb Bell, I know you are not eating chili right before dinner,” Stella sassed, a brow raising sharply. Kingston’s dad paused, his spoon halfway to his open mouth.
“Busted,” Reid teased.
“This is not what it looks like…?” Kaleb tried to play off, flashing Stella a ‘did that work’ sort of expression. Stella shook her head and laughed, waving a hand at her husband before starting up the stairs.
“Whenever you’re done stuffing your face, Kaleb honey, you want to let Kingston know he can come home? Remind him though to come through the garage. I’ll grab Killian.”
Before we knew it, it was twenty minutes later and the five of us were standing in the kitchen and buzzing with anticipation when the door opened. King came in first, glancing over his shoulder at Jesse as they chit-chatted like it was a normal day.
At least until Jesse stepped into the space and saw everything.
“Surprise!” all of us shouted, Reid of course being the loudest and most obnoxious in his exclamation.
“What…” Jesse trailed off when he read the sign, his brows knitting together in confusion. It only took a moment before I saw understanding dawn on his face. He glanced at Stella and Kaleb, the look of restrained hope on his face making my heart hurt
, but the restraint melted away when they explained.
“You, Jesse Parker, are officially emancipated,” Kaleb told him proudly as he stepped over to him. “Welcome to legal adulthood… though you’ll always be a Bell,” he tacked on the end with a wink, pulling him in for a hug.
Jesse didn’t say anything, wrapping his arms around Kaleb’s waist before being immediately scooped up into Stella’s embrace. Reid, Kingston, and Killian went next in their congratulations, each cautiously patting him on the back and shoulder, making sure not to move too quickly. Finally, it was my turn. Unlike the others, I didn’t try and offer any congratulations.
Instead, I offered him a smile that I hoped conveyed everything I couldn’t put into words. The past few months had been rough for me, but Jesse had been struggling for so much longer. My battles weren’t quite over yet, but we’d just made a major victory in his, and I felt nothing but elation for this new life that was opening up for him. Jesse deserved to be a Bell, to be surrounded by friends and family that loved him and would embrace all that he was and all that he wanted to be. Jesse immediately wrapped his arms around my waist, yanking me into a tight hug and burying his face into the crook of my neck.
“Thank you, Em,” he whispered, his voice thick with emotion.
“You don’t have to—” I tried, squeezing his shoulders.
“Yes, I do,” he continued quietly, cutting me off. “I wouldn’t be here, be free of him, if it hadn’t been for you pushing me to tell them.”
I couldn’t think of anything to say. Nothing seemed to be enough, so I held on tightly. Our moment together felt as if it went on forever yet ended too soon as Stella started talking about opening presents. As Jesse worked through the bags of gifts, his smile grew wider and the dark air that always hovered over him dissipated.
“We have one final thing,” Kaleb announced, keeping it mysterious with a wave of his hand as he started toward the basement. Giddiness built as we descended, but when I looked over to Reid and Kingston to share in my excitement, I found them looking as confused as Jesse. The fact that Stella had shared his new room with me before them made the ‘mom/daughter-esque’ moment that much more special.
“What’s with all the secrecy?” Kingston asked, glancing at his parents and eventually me when he realized I was smiling so brightly my cheeks were starting to ache.
“Patience,” Stella tsked before glancing at Jesse and tilting her head toward the door “All right, Jesse. Your last presents are in there.” He didn’t say anything, his steps hesitant as he moved closer.
Holding my breath, I took in Jesse’s reaction from the door. He was silent, standing as still as a statue. It wasn’t until I saw his jaw clench and his hand come to wipe his face that I realized he was actually crying. Stella and Kaleb converged on him, their words too soft to hear, while Reid and Kingston were speechless as they poked their heads into the room.
It was such a monumental moment, and I had no idea what to say… what to do… so I stood there, waiting patiently for whatever Jesse needed. After a few more minutes of Stella and Kaleb talking, they stepped away with warm smiles and pulled Reid and Kingston along as they left the room.
“We’ll let you two have some time. Dinner is ready whenever you guys come back up,” Stella whispered to me as Reid and Kingston protested having to go back upstairs. Nodding, I stepped into Jesse’s room.
“Jess?” I murmured, pausing by the edge of his bookshelf. It’d been an overwhelming little while, and I didn’t want to startle him, but he made the decision for me. His hand came out, wanting me to take it, and when I did, he pulled me into another heartfelt hug, tucking his face into the crook of my neck.
“They… they got me new bedding… and clothes… and a space where I could… start the next chapter of my life with more than bad memories,” he forced out, his voice thick with emotion and slightly garbled as he kept himself pressed against me.
“They love you, Jesse,” I told him, my heart breaking at how something that should have been so normal—caring parents, a safe place to sleep—was so special to him.
There was no way to tell how long we stood quietly together. It was only when he finally pulled away that I realized my arms were getting tingly from holding on so tightly. When he stepped back, his eyes were red, but a happy grin was spread across his face.
“Hey look, an easel. And all my art,” he noted softly, finally able to take in the room. Everything he looked at only made the smile widen, the cracks in my heart mending as he grew excited.
“Yeah, Reid and I picked up the easel before coming over. I know how much you’ve been enjoying drawing and painting, and what better way to do it than with an actual holder for your canvas and paints?” I explained, pausing slightly before continuing. “Thought maybe… you might have wanted something that would last if you decided to pursue a degree or career as an artist.”
“You know… I don’t know if I had even thought that far ahead,” he confided softly, shrugging. “I know we’ve been filling out applications and stuff, but I hadn’t actually let myself believe that it would happen. Life’s always been about surviving until I was out of the house and free of my father.”
“But you are now,” I whispered, brushing my fingers against the back of his hand in our signature way of asking if we could hold hands. Intertwining our fingers, Jesse chuckled, nodding.
“I guess I am. I’ll think about it. How about that, Em?”
“Sounds perfect.” I had just leaned over to give him a kiss on the cheek when my stomach growled loudly enough to almost echo off the art-covered walls.
“Let’s go get some food. I’m sure Reid’s throwing a fit about not being able to eat yet,” Jesse joked, so we rejoined the party.
The hustle and bustle of everyone in the kitchen and around the table was comforting, the food even more so. All of us ate, stuffing ourselves until none of us wanted to leave the table. Instead of working on schoolwork for later in the week, we’d decided to put on a movie.
“Kingston, Killian, want to pick out a movie?” Stella prompted. “We’ll get the table cleared really quick and then join you guys.”
“I’ll help,” I offered, popping up from my seat before I officially became one with the cushioned chair.
“Reid and I will help with the table,” Jesse murmured, and much to my surprise, Reid didn’t put up an argument, the wink he threw me when I glanced at him telling me all I needed to know. Tonight was about Jesse, and if Jess wanted Reid to help, then he would.
So cute.
“So, Babydoll, any thoughts on movies?” Kingston questioned when we reached the living room, his attention on flipping through the on demand and streaming channels while Killian browsed the bookshelf of movies.
“Hmm, not off the top of my head, but I’ll let you know if I find one I think would be good.” I went to sit down next to King, but he grabbed hold of my hips and redirected me onto his lap.
“Well, hello there,” I teased softly, the butterflies in my stomach fluttering to life as I wrapped an arm around his shoulders.
“Sorry, I’ve just missed you the last couple days. It’s been busy with homework and stuff,” King told me, the sentiment making me warm from the inside out.
“Yeah, it has, especially with the impromptu surprise party. What did you do to distract Jesse, anyway? I feel you’re the distraction king. Ha, that play on words was totally unintended,” I rambled, settling in against Kingston’s chest. Glancing over when I heard a loud fake evil cackle, I found Reid striking a ridiculous pose next to Jesse, everyone in the kitchen shaking their head and laughing at his antics.
I really am the luckiest girl, I noted happily.
First, my ex cheats on me and my parents divorce.
I get transplanted to the middle of nowhere and have a falling out with not just one but both of my parents even if only temporarily.
There was the party from hell, jerk assistant principals, and struggles galore, but among the chaos, I foun
d my boys.
And they’re worth all the stuff we’ve been through and more.
“Babydoll?” Kingston’s voice pulled me from my almost-catatonic post-dinner thoughts. “Everything okay? I was talking, and you were just zoning out.”
“Oh, sorry, I was just thinking about all the crap that’s happened since I first found out I was coming to Nebraska. A whirlwind of stuff yet I wouldn’t change a thing,” I told him.
“You two are going to give me diabetes,” Killian half-whined, flopping onto one of the armchairs.
“Shut up,” King exclaimed, giving me a sexy grin. “I like my girlfriend’s sweetness. But to answer your original question, we went to the library where he’ll be volunteering next weekend and looked through some of the kid books to see which ones he wanted to read to them.”
“Only you would distract someone with children’s books,” Reid cut in, flopping onto the couch next to Kingston and pressing a kiss on my shoulder blade. Jesse took up residence to Kingston’s right, his hand coming to rest on my knee where it pressed into his leg. Kaleb and Stella took the last armchair, talking with Killian on the movie he’d held up in question—Ghostbusters.
Such a classic.
After a few more minutes of rustling around, we were all settled in. The talking quieted and the movie started, my eyes starting to close almost immediately.
“Pst, Cali girl,” Reid murmured, shifting my shoulder gently.
“Hmm, what?” I asked in my sleepy haze. Prying my eyes open, I found the living room mostly empty and credits rolling across the screen. “Did I fall asleep?” Shifting from where I had apparently been lying down, I looked around in confusion. Jesse and Kingston were sitting at the table studying, but apparently Stella, Kaleb, and Killian were gone.
“Out like a little light as soon as the movie was on. We figured we’d let you sleep until it was over. Don’t want you to get in trouble with your mom. Again,” Reid said with a smile. His hands came out for me to take, and after stretching satisfactorily, I took him up on his help to get off the comfortable couch. Hazel eyes trailed over my face leisurely, a lazy grin appearing among Reid’s dark stubble. “You look so cute when you first wake up.”
