“This isn’t just you freaking out about the whole kid thing?”
“Uhh,” Vince said. “No.”
“I was there the day they met,” I said to Corey.
“And you’ve actually thought this through?”
“Uhh,” Vince said. “Mostly.”
Paul’s face softened and he got that look he had every now and then, the one where you could tell he was thinking about just how lucky he was to have Vince. I just hoped Vince knew how lucky he was to have Paul. “You don’t have to do this, baby,” he said. “If you’re not ready, we don’t have to do this right now.”
“I bought you a ring.” Vince scratched the back of his neck. “Like, five weeks ago.”
“You what?” Paul shrieked.
“I did not see that coming,” Nana said. “Well played, sir.”
“I was going to do it next week,” Vince said to Paul. “I was going to take you back to where you hit me with your car.”
“I didn’t hit you with my car!” Paul said. “You ran into the door! Everyone knows you’re the one at fault!”
“It’s okay,” Vince said, taking Paul’s hand back in his own. “We’ll have the rest of our lives to work through the vehicular assault you put me through while trying to woo me.”
“I wasn’t wooing. There was no wooing.”
Vince rolled his eyes. “Right. Because it wasn’t part of your master plan to get me alone in your house while high on painkillers.”
“It wasn’t. I wouldn’t even think like that.”
“You made me strip for you.”
“You took off your clothes all by yourself!”
Vince grinned at him. “I love you, Paul.”
“Oh sweat balls,” Paul said weakly. “You’re being totally serious, aren’t you.”
“Yeah,” Vince said. “I don’t think I’ve been more serious in my life. Well, not since I was seven and was convinced I would grow up to either be Batman or Lion-O from Thundercats.”
“Fun fact,” I said. “That was the first TV show I ever got an erection from.”
Paul turned to gape at me.
“Still drunk.” I grimaced in apology. “It wouldn’t be a problem if you two would hurry up, though. Jesus. How long does a proposal take? Say yes so we can freak out.”
“Paul,” Vince said with renewed determination.
“Vince,” Paul said faintly.
“I love you. And maybe I should have waited until later, but if we’re going to have nine kids—”
“We’re having nine what!”
“Yesss,” Larry hissed.
“—then I can’t imagine a better time,” Vince said. “We’re here in front of our friends and family… and Darren’s and Sandy’s one-night stands.”
“This is the most awkward brunch I’ve ever attended,” Octavius said.