by Tinnean
“I already have them, babe.”
“Yeah, but they’re not as good as my company’s.”
Their jaws dropped, and it was easy to tell that surprised them. Wills’s company might ask him to do stuff I’d prefer he didn’t have to do, but they did take care of him.
“You’ll come to our wedding, I hope?”
“I was going to ask if you minded if I brought Lexi with me.”
“The more the merrier. You were at some of my birthday parties before we moved to Cambridge, Cath.”
“Oh, yes, and boy, did we have fun!”
“Your coffee, ladies, and sticky buns, as requested.”
“Thank you, Chris. These look great!”
“Enjoy.” He turned his head toward Wills. Was he fluttering his lashes again? Fortunately, he had to go wait on another table.
Wills saw my glare, grinned, and shook his head. “So. How’s everyone on your side of the family, Cath?”
“Gracie’s Gracie. She’s my oldest sister,” she said to me, while Wills nodded his understanding.
“She’s also the oldest cousin, and she always bossed us around.”
“She’s still trying to. She and Merry aren’t talking. Again. Merry’s between me and Gracie.”
“What’s Mario up to?” Wills turned to me. “He’s Cathy’s younger brother.”
“He graduates from Stony Brook next year,” Cathy said, “and he’s dating a Hispanic girl. Mom’s so relieved Nita talked him into giving up his motorcycle, she’s welcomed her with open arms.”
“Well, if he’s still dating her in August, he’s welcome to bring her to the wedding.”
Cathy leaned toward him and kissed his cheek. “You’re such a sweetheart.”
I was glad someone on his mother’s side of the family realized that.
“I try.” He grinned and took a sip of his coffee. “How’s your mom?”
“She’s good.” Cathy put a sticky bun on a plate and handed it to Lexi, then took one for herself. “She’s actually seeing someone.”
“Wait, did she finally divorce Uncle Tony?”
“Yes.”
“That’s been a long time coming. How did Grandma and Grandpa take that?” He draped his arm over the back of my chair and murmured, “No one in either family has ever gotten a divorce.”
No one in my family had either, although that didn’t mean there weren’t unhappy marriages. The men found mistresses, and the women… cooked.
“How do you think?” Cathy cut her bun into bite-size pieces. “Incidentally, I heard what they did.”
“What?” Wills had to know what she was talking about, but he seemed intent on choosing a sticky bun for himself.
“Disown you. Dad had the nerve to call and tell us we weren’t supposed to consider you family anymore.” She took a bite and smiled at its sweetness.
“It doesn’t make any difference. They’re still family.”
“Yeah, well, that doesn’t make what they did acceptable. So I called and left a message on their machine.” She gave a slight grin. “I figured they might as well get it all in one shot: I told them I’m a lesbian. Mom told them she’s seeing a former priest.”
“Holy smoke! I wonder which they thought was the worst!”
“Well, we haven’t heard back from them—even Dad hasn’t called—so your guess is as good as mine. On the one hand, they think all homosexuals are heading straight for hell. On the other, people who leave the clergy will probably be right behind us.”
“My dad told me Grandma always helped out at the rectory.” He licked the sugary coating off his fingers and blushed when he caught me staring at his mouth.
“She did. She used to drag me and Merry and Gracie along with her. Mario got to stay home, the lucky dog. The funny thing is that when Dad was still up on Long Island, he never went to church.”
“Makes you wonder, doesn’t it?”
“It does. Well, at least Mom’s parents are okay with it. I wonder if it’s because that side of the family has been in America since the Civil War.”
“That’s right. Didn’t I hear one of your greats fought with Custer?”
“Yes! In the Battle of the Wilderness. I always thought that was so fantastic.”
“Which it is.” Lexi reached for her hand, then smiled ruefully as she got the sticky on Cathy’s fingers. Cathy just licked it off.
A woman after my own heart.
“Well, Grandma and Grandpa are only second generation.” Wills tore off a piece of the bun. “Theo?” I shook my head—I was pretty stuffed—so he took a bite and then said, “My dad’s folks are good with it too, but I figured that was because of Uncle Pete.”
“How about you, Theo?”
“Oh, my parents are—” Wills nudged my ankle under the table. “—better about it now, but when they first found out… it wasn’t a pretty picture.” Beyond that I wasn’t going to say.
“And you, Lexi?”
“No,” she said. “My family has no idea.”
“Oh?”
Was she hiding her relationship with Wills’s cousin? Everyone came out in their own time, and I wasn’t about to judge, but I wondered how Cathy would feel if she were Lexi’s dirty little secret.
“I haven’t been home for the past eight years. I was in the closet all through high school, and I wasn’t going to live like that again. I knew how they’d react, so once I left for college I just never went home.”
Wills looked horrified—family meant so much to him—and she saw and hurried on.
“Oh, they know I’m okay. I call and send them Christmas and birthday cards and gifts.”
“And they never questioned why you haven’t been back?”
She shrugged. “They think I’m wrapped up in my career. I’d rather keep it that way. I can always pre—I mean, tell myself I can go home one day.”
“Ah, Lexi.” Cathy reached for her hand. “Maybe one day….”
“No. They’re very conservative. As a matter of fact, your grandparents are the epitome of liberal acceptance compared to them.”
“Families can be really fucked up,” I muttered.
“That’s the truth! The last time Dad came up to Long Island was for Merry’s wedding.”
“That was three years ago! Wait a second!” Wills turned to Lexi and studied her features. “Weren’t you there? Only… as a blonde?”
“Guilty as charged.”
“And I had to go stag.” Wills didn’t seem too disturbed about it.
“I was a little surprised Michael wasn’t with you.”
“He was busy.”
“Jesus, Wills! You invited him? You’d have taken him with you?” I didn’t know who I was most unhappy with… Wills for being willing to take Michael to a family affair or Michael for not caring enough to go.
“He’d been part of my life for a long time. It’s… it’s hard to cut ties that strong.” He leaned closer and whispered, “But you know there was nothing more between us than friendship.”
Except Michael was the one who taught him how to suck cock. “How could he let you go?”
Wills looked sad, and I wondered what he was thinking, until he said, “I wish I’d known you then, babe.”
“Would I have been your date?”
“To the wedding? You’d better believe it! And you’d have had a blast!”
Cathy linked her fingers with Lexi’s. “Not to sound prejudiced, but our families have the most amazing weddings.”
“This is true. We had the absolute best time!” And considering the expression on his face, that wasn’t hard to believe.
“Yes, we did,” Cathy agreed. “That DJ was amazing.”
“Maybe we can use him for our wedding, babe! What was his name again, Cath?”
“Lou something. I’ll have to ask Merry.”
“Thanks! And speaking of Merry, how are she and Alan?”
“They’re expecting!”
“No kidding? When?”
“In Dece
mber. They’re hoping for a Christmas baby.”
“Ah, that’s sweet.” Wills was almost bubbling with pleasure. He’d be a really good dad. “Babies are in the air.”
I’d have to make sure we had one. Maybe Paul would know of an unwed mother who would let us adopt her baby….
“It seems so,” Cathy was saying. “I heard your dad and Jill are expecting too.”
“Yes, in September.”
“What’s she having this time?”
“Oh, it’s a boy. That’s all we Mathesons seem to get.”
“What about Marti?”
“I know.” Wills’s eyes sparkled. “Her arrival threw everyone for a loop.”
“You know Grandma and Grandpa don’t think she’s Uncle Jack’s.”
I spit out a mouthful of coffee. My God, how sick was that, spreading such a horrible rumor about that sweet little girl?
“No, I didn’t know that.” All trace of enjoyment vanished from Wills’s face. He wore that cold, flat expression.
“Dammit! Me and my big mouth! I’m sorry, Will.”
“I can’t believe they’d… I guess they never saw photos. When Marti was born, she was the spitting image of Dad at the same age, just more feminine. We never questioned…. Cath, who else knows they think that way?”
“Just Mom and Dad. I heard them arguing about it one night. They didn’t realize anyone else was in the house. They still don’t know I was there.”
“Can you keep it that way? I don’t want Marti to ever find out about that.”
“Don’t worry, Will. My lips are sealed.”
“Thanks.”
I slid an arm around his shoulders. “I’m so sorry, babe.”
“I don’t think you’ll have to worry about me sending those cards. They can say whatever they choose about me, but Marti’s a little girl, and she’s done nothing to deserve their spite.”
“May I ask you a question, Will?” Lexi had been taking in the entire conversation, the same as I had. Was she regretting getting involved with someone who had such vitriolic grandparents?
“Shoot.”
“How do you feel about this baby?”
“Excuse me?”
“You’re old enough to be his father.”
“Yes, but I’m his brother. After we’re married, Theo and I want to adopt. It’s going to be strange for Peter William to have a nephew who’s only a couple of years younger—” Jack and Jill had decided to name this little boy after Jack’s brother and father, starting their own tradition.
“Or niece, Wills.” I kind of liked the idea of a little girl.
“Or niece.”
“Wills is going to make the best dad.” Me, I wasn’t too sure about, but I had no doubts about him. “You should have seen him with Harry’s kids last year.”
“I’m right here, you know.” A blush ran from his open-necked collar to his hairline to the tips of his ears.
“I saw him with Marti at Merry and Alan’s wedding.” Cathy tipped her head and stared at Wills thoughtfully. “What about the surrogacy route?”
“Yes, we intend to explore that option as well.”
“Will, I know we’re first cousins, but… would you consider me for a surrogate?”
“Cath, I appreciate the offer, really I do, but aren’t you here to apply for a position that will take you to Italy?”
She patted his cheek. “If we actually get the jobs, I could donate my eggs.”
“I have no idea how we’d go about this.” But Wills looked dazzled by the premise, and as far as I was concerned, that settled it. I’d stop at nothing to make sure he had his children.
“I do.” Lexi exchanged glances with Wills’s cousin. “In vitro. I have contacts.”
“How…?”
“That’s not important. What is important is that I can make an appointment for you and Cat to see a genetic counselor, and if everything is okay—”
“Which it should be—” Cathy grinned. “—since both sides of the family are disgustingly healthy!”
“There you go, Will. If you want to go this route, you and Cat can make a baby.” Lexi sent an innocent look around the table. “Using strictly scientific methods.”
I could picture Wills cradling a son in his arms, singing him lullabies, letting him hold his fingers as he learned to walk. But could his cousin be that altruistic?
“Why would you do this, Cathy?” I asked.
“Will was always my favorite cousin. I hate what our grandparents have done to him.”
“So you want to make it up to him?”
“You could say that.”
“This baby would be part yours. What would happen if you came back from Italy and decided you wanted him?”
“I won’t do that, Theo. I promise. But if it would make you more comfortable, I’d be willing to sign a document relinquishing all rights to the baby.”
“I trust you, Cath,” Wills said, “but…. Technically, Uncle Tony would be the baby’s grandfather. If he challenged us…. Frankly, I could see any judge taking our child away from us simply because we were gay.”
“We won’t let them. We know someone who’s good,” I reminded Wills. If it came down to his uncle getting ugly, we’d ask Vince for help. He kept senators’ phone numbers in his cell phone. He’d know a judge who would side with us.
I could see from the look in his eyes that Wills knew who I was talking about. He smiled and took my hand. “Actually, he’s the best.”
“All right.” I felt better, and I could tell Wills did too. “How much is this going to cost?”
“Generally, it can run anywhere between sixty and eighty thousand dollars, but I’ll see you get the family discount. Twenty-five thousand off.” The corner of Lexi’s mouth curved up in a grin.
I did some rapid calculations. “The cost can still range from thirty-five to fifty-five thou.”
“Theo? That’s a lot of money, babe.”
“Wills, I just spent that amount on the reno to the kitchen and dining room.” I’d seen those red enamel appliances and fallen in love with them. Wills had been taken aback by the bright color, but he’d just said, “If you like them, babe….”
He gave a determined nod. “I’ll cover it. I can tap into my 401(k).”
“No! What I was going to say is if I could spend that much on the apartment, then using it to get a baby”—for him—“is a no-brainer. What do we have to do?”
Chapter 32
WILLS AND I flew into MacArthur Airport on Long Island on Saturday, August 30. The temperature was in the high eighties, and I hoped the next day would be cooler.
We rented a Corvette Stingray and drove to the Terryville Inn, where we’d booked a suite. We’d have our ceremony and reception there, and its location, about five miles away from his Uncle Jake’s place in Port Jefferson, made it convenient for family and friends.
Ma, Poppa, and Casey had also flown up that day, but Jack and Jill had arrived a few days earlier with JR, Marti, and Pat, and to our surprise, Alice was with them also. They were staying in Seaford, with Jack’s parents. I’d liked the older Mathesons a lot when I’d met them.
Better than his other grandparents, as it turned out.
The inn’s wedding organizer walked us through what we’d do. There was a pretty little gazebo on the grounds, with bricked walkways that entered from three sides. Wills would come in from the left, and I would come in from the right. Brynn’s mom, the Unitarian minister, would be waiting for us.
Once we’d exchanged rings and kissed, the ceremony would be complete, and we’d walk down the center aisle, where family and friends would be seated outside. Only three people from my family would be there—Casey’s boyfriend, Alexander, canceled at the last minute—along with my friends, including Vince and the man he’d been with on New Year’s Eve, so the rest of the space on my side of the aisle would be filled in with Wills’s family.
When Ma realized that, she scowled at Poppa, but there wasn’t anything any of us could
do at that point.
“All right, we’ll see you here tomorrow at four,” the organizer said. “Right now, we have hors d’oeuvres set out in one of the event rooms. Why don’t you sample them?”
“Sounds like a plan.”
So we went and we noshed, and about 7:00 p.m. the organizer’s assistant found us. It seemed the proprietors of the inn had been kind enough to set up a dining room for immediate family, which numbered almost fifty.
“Y’know something, babe?” Wills asked around a mouthful of stuffed shrimp.
“What?”
“If tomorrow’s food is as good as tonight’s, we’re gonna have to make a point to come back here every year on our anniversary.”
I got a burning sensation in my nose, and I looked away and blinked. When I had myself under control, I cleared my throat and turned back to him. “I think that’s a great idea.”
AFTERWARD, HIS cousins took us out to a local gay bar, with the most absolutely ridiculous name: Local Gay Bar. It boasted a great band that played everything from swing to oldies to heavy metal. Most of his cousins were straight, but they had no problem dancing with each other or with any of the guys who asked them.
Wills and I did more dancing than drinking—the last thing we wanted were hangovers spoiling our wedding day—so he stuck to beer, and I… I couldn’t help laughing… had daiquiris, although not hickory daiquiris.
There was something about Wills that night. When we went out, usually one or two guys… or three or four… would ask him to dance. I’d have sucked it up and sat the dance out, but he always refused with a polite smile.
But that night, it was like someone rang the dinner bell. Everyone wanted to dance with him.
“Let him, Theo,” Ben, the oldest Matheson cousin, said. “Tonight’s his last night of freedom.”
I didn’t want his family to think I was a possessive asshole, so I said, “Sure,” but I also didn’t want to see my almost-husband dance with anyone who wasn’t me. I turned my back on the dance floor and went to the bar. I was tempted to order something stronger than the daiquiri, but before I could, I felt a presence at my back.
