Vincent Kinsington

Directly after class, I took the bus to the grocery store near the Watakeekul's house. I got the ingredients for my spaghetti and meatballs as well as for garlic bread and a salad. I got mint chocolate chip ice cream for dessert since I knew it was Chet's favorite. It was also my favorite, but that wasn't why I got it. I walked to the Watakeekul's house. No one was home, but I still had my house key so I let myself in. I went into the kitchen and began to prepare the ingredients.

It wasn't too long after that I heard the front door open. Then the swinging door to the kitchen opened and Kannika came bounding in. She ran to me and hugged me from behind putting her cheek on the back of my shoulder. "I'm so glad you're here," she said.

I couldn't help but smile at that.

"It smells delicious," she said.

The door to the kitchen opened again and Nate came in. "Alright," he said prying Kannika off me, "let him go now. Go do your homework."

"But it's Friday," she said.

"Then go do it so you don't have to worry about it over the weekend."

She sighed dramatically, but left the room.

"Do you need some help, son?" he asked me.

A burst of happiness lit inside my chest when he called me 'son'. I wondered if I would ever get used to it. I hoped I would always feel that happiness when he called me 'son'.

"I bought ingredients for a salad. You could put that together for me."

He washed his hands in the kitchen sink and then got to work. It wasn't too much longer after that Chet and Nat arrived. The two of them gathered in the kitchen and talked while Nate and I finished dinner. And inevitably, Kannika ended up in there too. It wouldn't surprise me if she hadn't finished her homework yet. But she volunteered to set the table and her parents didn't ask if she had finished her homework.

We all sat in our usual spots. It was just like it was when Chet and I still lived there. I sat between Chet and Nat and Kannika sat between Chet and Nate. Sometimes I missed living there, but then I remembered the rule about no sex and immediately preferred our apartment.

"Did the money get into your account?" Nat asked while we ate.

"Yes," I said.

If the way Kannika and Chet devoured my spaghetti was any indication, they must have found it delicious. Red sauce was at the corners of Kannika's lips.

"I still think you should have asked for the appraised amount," Nat said.

"So everyone tells me," I said. Except Chet. He had always supported me with what I wanted. "I'm happy with the results though."

"Have you thought about what business you would like to start up?" Nate asked. He stuffed a meatball in his mouth.

"I've thought about it, but I don't know what. Not plastics though."

"You've still got plenty of time to decide," Nat said. She put a little bit of the noodles on her garlic bread and took a large bite.

"When I do start it," I said to Nate, "do you want to come work for me?"

"Absolutely," Nate said with no hesitation.

I smiled. "That would be great," I said. "You would help me out tremendously while I flounder about not knowing what I'm doing."

Nat patted my hand. "You'll do a great job, son," she said. "I have no doubt."

"Thanks, mom," I said. I froze a little inside. I was glad I dared finally say it, but I wasn't sure how she was going to react even though she had told me plenty of times before to call her 'mom'.

She froze and stared at me with a bite of salad in her mouth. Then the widest smile split her face. She dropped her fork onto her plate and wrapped her arms around my neck. She pulled me in close.

"I'm so happy, son," she said. "Call me 'mom' from now on."

"Okay, mom," I said.

She pulled back slightly and then patted my head. She picked up her fork and took another bite of salad.

I couldn't help but notice the way Nate now looked at me. His eyes were bright and hopeful as he pointed at himself. I knew what he wanted. "Dad," I said.

He stood up and rushed to my seat. He wrapped me in a tight hug just like Nat had.

"Son," he said. I hugged him as best I could, but it was awkward since he was behind my chair. I patted his arms. He released me and went back to his seat all smiles.

Kannika looked at me expectantly.

I wasn't sure how she wanted me to address her. Unlike their parents, she had never told me anything specific.

"Sis?" I asked. She looked uncertain. "Little sis?" She frowned. "Kanni?"

She smiled.

"Kanni it is then," I said.

She got up more calmly than her dad just did and rounded the table to hug me. "You better introduce me as your little sister though," she said as she went and sat back down.

"I will," I said.

We had the mint chocolate chip ice cream for dessert. I addressed Nat and Nate as 'mom' and 'dad' as much as possible since it made them so happy.

When Chet and I got back to our apartment I took a shower. When I came out of the bathroom, he wasn't in the bedroom. He wasn't in the kitchen or living room. It was when I felt the gentle, cool breeze that I realized he was standing on our little balcony. I went out and hugged him from behind. He leaned into me so his back was pressed against my chest.

Stars began to twinkle overhead as the sky began to darken. Red and purple streaks faded in the west as the sun retired behind the other apartment building in front of us.

"What are you doing out here," I asked quietly with my lips near his ear.

"Thinking," he said.

"About?"

"Are you happy, Vince?"

I didn't even have to contemplate. "Yes," I said. "Very happy."

"If you could have a normal, happy relationship with your family instead of meeting me, would you want that?"

"No," I said without hesitation. "You made me part of a happy family, Chet. You showed me aspects of life I never imagined. I don't want to be anywhere else but here with you. I can't be without you. Not ever."

"Are you two being mushy again?" Mateo called out from their own balcony one story down and several apartments over. A few other people were out on their balconies on this warm, spring night, but no one seemed bothered by me and Chet or Mateo's words.

Alex smiled up at us as he entwined his arm with Mateo's.

"Like you're not," Chet called down to them. "Mind your own business. We're having a moment here."

I chuckled as my arms tightened around Chet even more. His hands came up and held my arms to him.

"I'm glad you said that, Vince," he said getting back to our conversation. "Because I can't be without you either. Not ever. You make me happy too. Before I met you, I never thought I'd be in a relationship. I never thought I'd be so in love. So thank you for making me be part of something special. Thank you for loving me and letting me love you."

"Thank you," I said to him, "for showing me I can trust people. Thank you for being my trust and my safe haven. Thank you for letting me know the real struggles and sticking by me through them. Thank you for showing me what a real family is like. And I don't just mean your family even though they are my family now and thank you for that. I mean, even if it is just you and me, we are a family. Thank you for loving me and letting me love you too.

"If someone had told me at the beginning of the school year that I would meet a man, fall in love, leave my family for him and give up all my money and material possessions and be happy about it, I wouldn't have believed them. I would have said they were crazy. It was unfathomable. But look at me now. And I am happy. Happier than I have ever been. I love you."

"I love you too."

"My heart."

"My love."