“Am I missing Mom’s speech?” We all turned to see Jon standing in the backdoor. He had a bottle of wine in each hand. With this much alcohol, we’d all be spending the night at Mom’s.
“Sit down,” Amanda said.
It had pushed her over the edge. Her eyes shimmered as the tears built up. The smile spread as she fanned her face. I didn’t need to ask to know what had her choked up. It was hard to hold back the tears when your heart felt as if it overflowed.
“Have a seat,” Mom said, gesturing to Dad’s honorary place at the table.
Jon darted into place while everybody watched Mom wipe away the tears. This wasn’t a night of sorrow; if anything, it was the exact opposite.
“Some family is by blood.” She took Gerald’s hand, giving it a squeeze. “Others we choose. This has always been the heart of Firefly. Thank you for filling the seats at my table and being a part of our family.”
Mom picked up a glass of water, expecting everybody to follow suit. When nobody moved, she raised an eyebrow. Following our eyes, she turned around. Simon squeezed my hand as we marveled at the spectacle. Behind Mom, filling the backyard, tiny lights faded in and out. Hundreds of the glowing insects fluttered about. It appeared as if the Firefly’s namesake gave us their blessings.
“Welcome to Firefly,” Simon whispered.
TURNING UP THE HEAT
“It’s beautiful.”
Naked, I stood at the floor-to-ceiling windows lining the wall of our hotel room. The falling snowflakes made it magical. Fifty stories above Boston, I felt comfortable giving the city a show. Simon promised a trip I wouldn’t forget. He delivered on every front. To break up the drive, he stopped at comic shops in Portland and Nashua. I got to browse the comics and chat with the owners. Every ‘random’ event had been carefully planned.
“How am I doing with the culture expedition?”
When I imagined doing this, I had the image of a small, crappy motel while sharing a room with Amanda or Jon. He had booked a room in one of Boston’s few skyscrapers. I had never stayed in a room this lavish, and certainly not one with a fireplace dividing the bedroom and the living room. It might be because it was our first time, or maybebecause we just crossed our three-month anniversary? Or maybe he wanted to raise the bar to an impossible level?
Simon cozied up behind me, his arms wrapping around my chest. I ran my hand along the Terry-cloth robe before slipping inside to feel his furry forearms. From the smell of eucalyptus, he had taken full advantage of the amenities in the bathroom. It wasn’t often guys our size could take a shower together. The one time we tried at his house, we tore the curtain rod off the wall.
“You’re in the running for boyfriend of the year.” He kissed the back of my neck. I squirmed as his beard tickled my neck. “But, it’s… different. The city, I mean.”
“How so?”
His hips swayed back and forth until he had me doing the same. The city didn’t sleep. Even at this height, I could make out the groups of people walking along the sidewalk or cars zipping from one stoplight to the next. What I needed couldn’t be found here.
“Boston doesn’t have Gladys eager to show off her latest quilt. There’s no Abraham telling war stories while playing cards. There’s no Bonny working on her damned truck. I know every person in Firefly. I’d never get that here.”
“There’s no me,” Simon said.
I turned around, wrapping my arms around his neck as we continued swaying. His beard smelled of sandalwood while his skin shined from the cocoa butter. It was his eyes that held my attention. They were stunning on their own, but the way they focused on me made me the luckiest guy in the world.
I felt loved.
“I love you!”
It could have been romantic had I not shouted the words. We had just crossed three months together, and every night, he wrapped his body around mine. I thought about saying it. It caught in my throat when I spied on him cooking. It made my skin tingle when he cooked and his tongue hooked on his top lip. I fought the urge to blurt it out when he followed Lucas upstairs to make sure he brushed his teeth. It consumed me as I listened to him reading, and each of them did their best impersonations of their favorite heroes.
“Those are some big feelings.”
I blushed. Thanks to Lucas, we talked about feelings often. Some were small, like when I forgot to do the laundry and had to go to work commando. Others were big, like when I saw a handsome man standing in the rain, determined to be my hero.
“This is going to sound cheesy,” he said. “The first time we met, you pawed through my horrible selection of comics. You didn’t even know Lucas, but you were going out of your way to be nice. I was so scared I made a mistake moving to Firefly, that I was being a terrible father. Then this stranger treated me like family and wanted nothing in return.”
“I got plenty in return.”
Simon chuckled. “I guess you did.” He pressed his forehead to mine. “Thanks for helping me be a good dad.” He kissed my nose. “Jason, I love you.” He whispered thewords, but they hit like a ton of bricks. I had known for a while, or at least I suspected. The confirmation made me feel as if I were on top of the world.
Pulling him close, my lips hovered inches from his. He leaned forward, but I pulled out of reach. It had become a game between us. I teased until he decided he had enough, and he took what he wanted. For naked time, I welcomed Simon calling the shots.
Simon stepped forward, and I hissed as my ass pressed against the window. Holding the back of my neck, he pressed his lips against mine. I closed my eyes, savoring his beard scratching my cheek. His tongue darted along mine, and I noticed something stiff pressed against my thigh. I wasn’t going to waste the opportunity, especially not after hearing him refer to the first time in the mill.
