Okay. That’s… a NO, right?
“Good. Awesome. You guys stay here and, um… eat your canapes, and whatever. And I love you.”
“We love you, too, baby girl,” Mom says, her eyes bright. “I wish you and your boys all the happiness in the world.”
“Thanks,” I whisper and walk out blindly. My eyes are full of tears, but my heart’s full of prancing unicorns, and I’m smiling.
***
Sometime later, we’re all sitting in the living room, stuffing our faces with food and the wine that’s flowing freely all around. Even the cat is lurching drunkenly and I wonder if she licked someone’s glass when we weren’t looking.
Brylee’s pussified cake is inedible, although Holden is eating a piece. Holden is special. His words have made my day. I really hope he finds someone who will appreciate just how wonderful he is.
Also, I hope he won’t get poisoned by Brylee’s cake, so I get up to go and warn him.
But Joel stands up, pushing me back in my seat, and clears his throat.
The only sound is the soft noise of people chewing canapes and sandwiches, and Holden’s crack-crack as he munches on the inedible cake. What did Brylee put in it, rocks?
“Thank you all for coming here tonight,” Joel says, flashing us a smile. “I wanted to meet Jet’s and Candy’s family, and for them to meet mine. Sadly, my parents couldn’t make it.” A dark cloud passes over his clear gaze, but his smile persists. “But that’s okay, because my sister is here with her man, and that means so much to me.”
“Love you, Joey!” Evangeline shouts, and giggles.
Someone’s had a bit too much wine to drink.
His smile widens. “Brat.”
“Hey now,” Micah mutters, mock-glaring at Joel and pulling Evangeline against him.
At least I hope he’s mock-glaring. The whole protective vibe is strong in him.
“It was great seeing Riddick again, and meeting Xavier, Jet’s cousins. And having Candy’s parents and brother here.”
Holden raises his glass and sticks out his tongue at Joel. Uh-oh. This one definitely had one too many.
Booze may help his stomach digest the rock-and-pussy cake, though.
“Meeting you all was my main goal,” Joel goes on, drawing my attention back to him. “Having you meet each other. Because as you know by now, these two people, Candy and Jet, are my partners, my lovers, my girlfriend and my boyfriend. They mean everything to me, and I wanted to tell you this. To tell you…” His gaze flicks to me, then to Jet.
His cheeks color.
What is he trying to say? Jet looks as confused as I feel.
“To tell you that these are the two people I want to spend my life with,” Joel goes on, his voice going quiet. He pulls something from his pocket, a small red box, and opens it. “And although it may be too early to ask them to marry me, it’s not too early to promise them I’ll love them forever.”
Oh my God. What is he doing?
What he’s doing is that he’s going down on his knees in front of us. I’m sitting on the sofa, and Jet on a chair beside, and we’re both staring at the guy we thought would leave us because his parents told him to.
He’s holding two rings, one in each hand, offering them to us. One is more slender than the other, and they are made of three metallic threads, black, gold and silver, twined together.
Three bands, intertwined. Like us.
God, I’ve barely managed to dry my tears from seeing my parents so happy, and now they’re welling up again in my eyes. I sniffle, and wipe my hand under my nose, because that’s so classy, and also I don’t have Kleenex on me.
“Jet and Candy.” Joel’s eyes are bright, his cheekbones flushed. “Will you stay with me? Be with me, in sickness and in health, in the cold of winter and the heat of summer, weathering the bad and enjoying the good times… Will you?” He swallows hard, his gaze finding mine, then Jet’s. “I love you both more than I can say. Will you walk with me, and lie with me, and wake up with me, now and always?”
Jet moves first. He sort of slides down to the floor, landing on his knees, and throws his arms around Joel. The rings fall to the carpet just as I push off the couch to join my boys. We hug for a long while, the sound of clapping and wolf-whistling fading to a dull thud in my ears.