Chapter 24 #2
The sentence hung in the air between them, Emerson’s breath catching in his throat at the possibility that he’d gotten it wrong.
He knew they’d just made dramatic speeches about choosing each other, about what they wanted, but only now did it occur to him that they hadn’t given actual names to anything.
When another second ticked by without Luca saying anything, Emerson added, still speaking to the window, “That’s…what’s happening, right? We’re dating now?”
“Yeah.” Luca’s voice was a croak, a sound so funny that he immediately followed it up with a laugh, and Emerson’s chest loosened. He turned, smiling at the blush on Luca’s cheeks. “I mean, yeah, I think,” Luca continued, voice steadier. “Right? We’re dating.”
Emerson nodded, smile deepening on his cheeks.
“Oh my fucking god.” Luca stared at the steering wheel. “We’re dating, and the first thing I do is bring you to meet my family? Like, the same fucking day?”
“Technically,” Emerson said, “I think the first thing you did was blow me in the shower.”
“Yeah,” Luca said, emphatic, throwing up his hands. “That was a normal thing to do!”
Emerson laughed and opened the car door.
“Come on, Luca. It’ll be fine.”
But they were already at the front step before he thought to ask—“I am meeting your family as your boyfriend, though? Like, they know?”
“Well,” Luca said. “I basically told my mom everything, so—yeah, everyone probably knows.”
“Okay,” Emerson said, only having a second to wonder at what everything actually encompassed before Leah flung open the front door.
“Oh hey, stranger.” She pulled Emerson into a hug first. “Fancy meeting you here.”
“Thank you for having me.”
“Your dad ran to the store to get more beer,” Leah said with a big smile and pat on her son’s cheek before pushing them both inside the house. “And Daniel’s manning the grill out back. But come, meet Bailey.”
They walked down a short, narrow hallway until they met another dark-haired man and a short woman with light brown hair and rosy cheeks in the kitchen.
“Hey, Luca.” The man and Luca leaned into each other simultaneously, arms going wide and then thumping around each other’s backs in a way that was almost aggressively familiar. “Missed you on the run.”
“Yeah,” Luca said once he’d stepped back. “I missed you, too.”
“This is Bailey.” The man placed a tentative hand on the woman’s elbow, gave a tentative smile to Luca and Emerson. “Bailey, this is my brother Luca, and…”
“Emerson,” Emerson stepped in, offering a hand to Bailey and then—
“And this is my brother Jacob,” Luca filled in as Emerson and Jacob shook hands.
“The best brother,” Jacob added.
“I hear there are lots of brothers,” Emerson said, and both Bailey and Jacob chuckled.
“The one who’s not here is obviously the worst one,” Jacob said. “A traitor to fucking Seattle. But me and this one”—he threw a pointed thumb Luca’s way—“shared a room throughout our childhoods, so—”
“We’re trauma bonded,” Luca finished, and Jacob grinned.
“Yeah. That.”
Five minutes inside the Yaegers’ house, and Emerson was already learning so much about Luca’s life.
It should have felt overwhelming, maybe; he should have felt more under-prepared to meet Luca’s family.
But now that he and Luca had settled the whole naming-what-they-were-doing thing, now that he’d taken a breath, now that the introductions had started, Emerson felt almost surreally at ease.
It was like this whole day was made of magic, a bubble where Emerson could have it all.
Except then something in Luca’s face fell, his forehead creasing in concern. He was reaching a hand toward Emerson when an older man bustled into the room, walking right between them, splitting them apart.
“Hello!” The man placed two six-packs on the kitchen counter before turning around. “Sorry to have missed the greeting party. Bailey, yes? And Emerson.” Luca’s dad’s handshake was firm, his eyes deep brown and inviting. “I’m Adrian. Welcome to our home.”
Adrian, with his salt-and-pepper hair, was also incredibly hot. Like what Luca would look like in thirty years. Emerson tried to act normal about it.
“Thank you for inviting me.”
“You’re both welcome any time. Although—how have neither of you dug into these yet?”
He walked past the group to the dining room table, where an array of photo albums was arranged.
“Seriously?” Jacob asked. “The first time she’s—”
“Of course!” Adrian exclaimed. “Miss the opportunity for a twofer? Get to embarrass two of my sons at the same time? Please, Bailey, Emerson, get yourself a drink and dig in.”
A twofer. Guess that confirmed that question. Emerson’s mouth twitched on a smile.
“Do you want something to drink?” Luca asked, voice low and close to Emerson’s ear.
“Sure,” Emerson said as he took a seat. “I’ll take a beer.” He could have more beach days. He could have more beer. He pulled a photo album closer. Luca watched him for a beat longer, as if making sure Emerson was okay, before retreating to the kitchen.
Emerson hadn’t turned past the first page by the time Luca returned with a beer for each of them.
“You’re gonna have to explain to me who all these people are. All the babies look the same.”
Luca finally smiled again, pointing out his older brothers Kjell and Daniel, aunts and uncles and cousins as they turned the pages.
It was all interesting and charming; Emerson particularly loved seeing Leah and Adrian in the old photos, and the snapshots of an older Greyfin Bay.
Almost every photo, from the beginning, took place in this exact house.
But Emerson wanted to see more of Luca.
He finally showed up at the very end of that first album—red and screaming as a newborn.
Emerson smiled, running a finger over the photographs.
“Show me more,” he said, waving to the rest of the albums. “One with more of you.”
Without complaint, Luca slid another over. Bailey and Jacob were similarly absorbed in their own album across the table.
“Do you have baby photos?” Luca asked Emerson, low again, only for Emerson to hear, as they flipped through the pages of Luca as a toddler.
Emerson nodded, smiling at how chubby Luca was.
“I do. I took some with me when I left after high school. They’re in a box somewhere in the house. I can find them for you if you want. The baby photos are all I have, though. My parents stopped taking many, I think, around this age.”
Emerson pointed to Luca’s small, serious, round face in a photo.
When Luca didn’t say anything, Emerson looked up. That concerned look had returned to his brow.
“Hey, Luca,” Emerson assured, voice soft. “It’s okay. I’m okay. Keep telling me stuff.”
With a small huff and a shake of his head, Luca returned to pointing out people and places in the photographs. Jacob showed up next, and then a shocking blonde-haired girl. “Dagny,” Luca said, a smile returning to his face. “She’s the best of us.”
“What the hell?” A new dark-haired Yaeger entered the room, this one wearing a checked apron. “There was a picture party happening in here, and no one even invited me?”
The picture party paused for another round of introductions.
“Oh, right, Daniel,” Emerson said. “I’ve seen you naked a few times in here now.”
“Okay.” Daniel threw up his hands, one of which was still holding a spatula. “It’s weird, right? Why are there so many naked photos? It’s not right.”
“You were babies,” Leah said, re-entering the room with an eyeroll.
“Babies still have rights,” Daniel pointed out.
“Yes, but tell me, Emerson.” Leah slid into a chair on the other side of Bailey. “Have you seen as many naked photos of my other children?”
Emerson did a quick memory check. “No, actually.”
Leah reached out and gave Daniel a quick swat on the thigh.
“You always loved to be in the nude, Dan Dan. Nothing me or your dad could do to stop it.”
“Well.” Daniel huffed, hands now on his hips. “It’s possible I have some slight sensory issues, and clothing is restrictive. Whatever, food will be ready in ten.”
“Thank you, love!” Leah called as Daniel exited the room.
“I think I have another observation,” Emerson said after another few page turns. They were into Luca’s elementary years now. He’d lost some of his childhood chubbiness, to Emerson’s regret, but his eyes remained solemn. “You were a bit into Captain America.”
Luca’s face flushed at once.
“I—”
Jacob snorted. “A bit! He carried that shield everywhere.”
“I’ve noticed,” Emerson said with a smile, turning another page.
“I bet it’s still in our closet somewhere.”
“Well,” Luca said, only half defensive. “Fuck the Nazis.”
Another snort from Jacob. “Yeah, I’m sure the Nazis were what you were thinking about every time you stared at Steve Rogers.”
“Fine.” Luca sighed. “It’s possible I’m still a little into Captain America.”
“I mean,” Emerson said, “who wouldn’t be?”
And then he reached under the table and squeezed Luca’s thigh. Luca found his hand and tangled their fingers together.
They’d only gotten through a quarter of the albums when the table was cleared for dinner. Two separate family friends, Joe Halpern and Molly Riverman, had joined the party by then, and extra chairs were squeezed around the table until everyone was tight and cozy.
There was a bit of talk about how the rest of Bailey’s family was doing, a family that, Emerson surmised, was large and deeply rooted in Greyfin Bay like the Yaegers.
But soon, as everyone was well into the grilled chicken and baked beans and corn and potato salad—there was a slight zest to it that Emerson really liked; he’d have to ask for the recipe—Adrian’s focus turned to Luca.
“How’s everything been going in the new career since we’ve been gone, Luca?”
Luca quickly swallowed a bite.
“Good. Really good.”