Page 26 of Only Time Will Tell

Dad cleared his throat. “Charlie, you’ve always been part of our family so to finally make it legal without having to adopt you, well, it makes us very happy.”

My whispered reply was barely audible. “Thank you.”

Alex hugged me to his side. “They love you, Charlie,” then pressed his lips to my temple. Soothing, just being near him always soothed me.

“We barely got engaged last night, so beyond the date and venue, we really haven’t put much more thought into it. I’d imagine the guest list would be small, more intimate. I have a few contacts through work for catering and the cake we can call. Charlie will contact the museum curator this week and see if they will even let us hold it there. We’ll for sure need to have the reception somewhere else since most frown on food there,” Alex said, all things I hadn’t considered yet so good to know.

“Mom,” she smiled when I said that. “If you’d like to look for reception venues for less than fifty people, that would be great. If you want to, that is.”

That really brought her beaming smile out full force. “I’d love to do that for you both.”

This was getting emotional, not that I hadn’t expected that. But when it hits you full on it kind of takes your breath away. Love. Emotions rolled around the table, surprised to see even Dad was a bit misty eyed. They had no idea how much their words and acceptance meant to me and I guess in hindsight, it appeared I was important to them as well.

“I was wondering. Do you want to take my last name, or do you want me to take yours?” Alex asked during the drive home.

“You’d do that for me?” Both were shocked by not only the question but his willingness to take mine if I asked.

He laughed. “Charlie, if you don’t know by now that I’d do anything to make you happy, well then, I’ve failed as your boyfriend and now as your fiancé.”

“You never failed, it just surprised me is all. How about making it fair and we hyphenate alphabetically?” I offered.

“Sounds reasonable to me.” He kissed my knuckles as he pulled into our garage.

How had I been the lucky recipient of such a loving family?

“Charlie?” Alex asked. We’d just cuddled up in bed for the night.

“Hmm?” I was too comfy to talk.

“Do you ever wonder what would’ve happened if we didn’t get back?”

And now I’m wide awake. “No, and I don’t want to.”

“I mean, my great grandfather did eventually marry a woman and have kids, or we wouldn’t all be here.”

“Yeah?” where was this heading?

“But what if he really was gay and couldn’t come out? What if like so many others he succumb to peer pressure and did as society dictated and married for that one reason only?”

“I hate that thought and I hate it even more that you almost just lived that life for him. This is the one mistake I made that I will never forgive myself for.”

“Yeah, it was a huge fuck up, but I did get great insight into the relative I was named after. So even though it sucked, it, you know, was sadly cool. If that makes any sense?”

“It does though I still don’t wish to relive it.”

“Charlie?”

“Huh?”

“Please don’t ever let me go.”

“That’s a promise I can make. I love you, Alex.”

“Love you, Charlie.” His arms tightened around me, his breaths evened out. Hopefully I’d soon feel the same, though this conversation left me reeling but I’d make it all up to him, or I’d die trying.

Chapter Nine

Alex