When Jase and Luis opened their doors to get out, Thomas and Jasper walked to the back door to help Cory get out. Hunter walked back to the house with Cory’s mother and father ahead of everyone, telling them all about the ice pops in hospital cafeteria. Thomas walked alongside Jasper and Cory, promising to bring over healing crystals that would help Cory’s broken arms mend faster.
Jase and Luis remained at the truck, watching them all walk slowly to the house. Hunter pointed to the back door and said he’d walk them up to the guest room. Hunter said he didn’t want them putting Cory in the wrong room because he’d already set a few things up for Cory in one particular room, the guest room closest to his bedroom.
Jase put his arm around Luis’s waist and took a deep breath. He smiled and said, “It’s not Alaska, and it’s certainly not a typical family. But I think we’ve built a nice little family of our own here at Cider Mill Farm.”
Luis watched as Hunter opened the back door for
Cory. Thomas continued talking, making exaggerated gestures with his arms all the way into the house. Cory’s mother had one palm on her bosom and the other on her hip as she entered. Cory’s father, the last to enter, held the door open for Camp. Luis leaned against Jase and rested his head on Jase’s shoulder. “I agree. And it’s going to get even bigger next month.” He’d been planning something for Jase and he figured he’d tell him now.
“What are you talking about?”
“When I told your mother we were taking care of Cory and we wouldn’t be coming out to Alaska for Labor Day, she decided they would come here instead. You’re grandmother might even stay a few extra months this time.
After she heard about what happened with Darius, she decided we might need her more than she thought.”
Jase reached down and patted Luis on the ass. He smiled and said, “With all those people in the house for a long weekend, I have a feeling we’ll be sneaking down to the barn a lot.”
Luis arched his back and inhaled Jase’s aroma. “I was hoping you’d say that.”
“I’m going to see how things are going upstairs,” Jase said. He patted Luis on the ass one more time and kissed him on the mouth. It wasn’t a long kiss. But he used his tongue and Luis felt his pants getting tighter.
As Jase turned to leave, Luis said, “In case I forgot to tell you today, I love you.”
Jase turned and smiled. “You didn’t forget. You told me with that kiss. But it’s nice to hear the words. I love you too.” Then he shoved his hands into his pockets and continued walking.
Luis leaned against the truck and lifted his right leg.
He rested his foot on the bumper and watched Jase lope toward the house. He had to start preparing dinner; he had to make sure Cory’s things were unpacked and organized. But he didn’t feel like moving yet. He inhaled and closed his eyes, taking in the familiar aroma of a weed beyond the pool area that always reminded him of chlorine bleach. He remembered he had to call Josh and Roland to invite them over to a small family dinner the following weekend. He’d invite Hillary and Justin too. Hillary and Luis were working on a costume ball for the Angel Association in late October and there were tons of plans to be made. And Luis still had to write another post for Elena’s blog. This particular post revolved around gay couples raising children while maintaining their full-time jobs and their relationships.
With all this to do, Luis remained there in silence a minute longer. He’d come a long way from Tennessee, where his own family still remained. He wondered if they ever thought about him now. He didn’t know whether or not they’d read about him in the newspapers or seen how his life had turned out so far. He hadn’t seen or spoken to them since the day they’d kicked him out of their house.
Hunter called from the back door. He wanted Luis’s permission to have an ice pop before dinner. This time Luis smiled and told Hunter he could have one. Then he lowered his foot and started toward the house. On the way, he glanced at the pumpkin patch and decided to turn it into a pachysandra patch instead. This way the snakes would have a nice quiet place to slither around in the warmer months. He didn’t want any reminders of Darius Denby this close to the house. He’d buy his pumpkins again this year and he’d plant another pumpkin patch somewhere else next summer. Maybe down near the barn, where there was more space.
He’d been meaning to talk to Jase about an idea he’d had that summer. He knew he wouldn’t be able to model forever and he wanted a career that would last. He’d been seriously thinking of turning Cider Mill Farm into a working farm again, where he’d grow exotic pumpkins in different varieties on a large scale. Though he wasn’t sure whether or not it could be done, maybe Jase could invent a new soft drink that was pumpkin-based and call it Pumpkin Cider.
Racing through images of the future while Hunter waited at the door for him, Luis had a fleeting image of his life as an unending linear stream. It just kept moving forward and expanding, stopping every now and then for unexpected events that had no serious bearing on his life.
Hunter called again. He said he couldn’t get the ice pop open on his own. Luis started jogging toward the house, bending his arms and making loose fists. He told Hunter not to touch the knives, that he’d be right there and to get another ice pop out for him too. It occurred to Luis he hadn’t eaten a thing all day, and he hadn’t had an ice pop in so many years he’d forgotten how they tasted. He might even have one. Or two or three. He felt like celebrating. And he couldn’t think of a better way to do it.
THE END