Chapter 13
Leo
W e settled into a routine easily. We hung a dry-erase calendar in the kitchen to keep track of my shifts, Rafe’s classes, and which nights we had to be together.
Some evenings Lexi and I went out to hear some jazz or find the best empanadas within walking distance of the house.
Other nights when I worked, she and Rafe went to the movies or made lemon pancakes from one of their cooking shows.
But the best nights were the ones we all spent together.
We’d order takeout, catch up on our worst and funniest work stories and then fall in bed together after a bottle or three of wine.
After three months of that, of everything beautiful in a life I hadn’t known I needed to feel whole, I decided to take them out to a salsa club on our Saturday night.
I even popped into a shop near the station and bought a ruffled turquoise mini-dress for Lexi—perfect for dancing and for showing off those gorgeous legs. I surprised her with it after work.
“I have the perfect shoes. I bought them at Goodwill two years ago, probably somebody’s prom shoes, but they’re these silver strappy heels that look like something a really coordinated hooker would wear.
I had no idea when I’d ever need them, but tonight’s the night.
I’ll have two big strong men who can carry me if my feet start to hurt,” she said.
“Great, go try it on.”
“This is a four and I’m a six,” she protested.
“Good, I’ll be able to see some boob and some ass,” I said.
“You may see the seam rip up the side if I try to shake my ass,” she shot back with a laugh.
She came out in the dress and the sky-high sparkly heels. I ogled her shamelessly while Rafe wolf whistled.
“Damn, woman,” he said, “I won’t be able to keep it in my pants at this rate.”
“We’re dancing first,” she reminded him. “And I don’t know anything about salsa moves so someone will have to teach me.”
“I’m a natural,” I boasted.
“Yeah, and when he sprains his ass, I can teach you something worth learning,” Rafe said.
“I don’t think asses can be sprained,” I told him, “and you insult my moves. I’m an excellent dancer.”
“You’ll have to prove it,” Lexi said with a grin.
“Leave in half an hour? I have to go find my leather pants and ruffled shirt so I can dress the part,” Rafe joked.
“You can’t salsa in leather. You have to move the hips more than they’ll allow. You need something with stretchy material,” I said seriously and Rafe burst out laughing.
“He’s gonna come out wearing my yoga pants now,” Lexi accused.
After some more joking around, we went to the club. I taught her a few moves, did some showing off on the dance floor because I did, in fact, salsa like a beast. Rafe tried to learn a few steps, but for an athletic guy, he couldn’t dance worth shit and I told him so.
“You got no rhythm,” I said with an eye roll.
“Oh, I have rhythm, it just belongs in the bedroom, not on the dance floor. They can’t handle my rhythm,” Rafe said.
“I’m pretty sure that kind of rhythm would get you arrested here. So keep it to yourself,” I told him, spinning Lexi back out onto the floor.
We danced until we were sweaty and tired, and she took off her shoes and set them on the table.
“They were beautiful, and they were fun, but they hurt like hell. I don’t know whether to donate them back to Goodwill for some other poor idiot to buy and suffer in or if I should just give them a decent burial in the bathroom trash,” she said.
“Oh, you should keep those,” Rafe said, “They’re dead sexy. Here’s a deal: You keep those shoes, wear them once in a while, and I’ll carry you anywhere you want to go while you have them on.”
“I’ll agree on one condition. You have to carry me to the car now. Because I’m not putting those back on tonight!” she said.
Rafe rounded the table and scooped her up right off the chair. She laughed, kicking her bare feet. I picked up her shoes and paid the tab. Once we were in the car, I joked that I got the shitty end of that deal.
“You got the girl, and I got the bill.”
“Yeah, but you got to dance with her all night and I had to drink water and be your designated driver,” Rafe said.
“Fine, fair enough,” I said, “but I want to talk to you both when we get home.”
“Is this a serious talk?” Lexi said, “Cause those make me nervous.”
“You have nothing to worry about. It’s nothing bad. I just want everyone’s full attention when we discuss it.”
“Okay, not making me less nervous here, pal,” she said a little shakily. I took her hand and kissed it.
Once we were in the house, I sat them down on the couch to talk.
“Here’s the thing,” I said.
“Uh oh, he’s announcing the thing. There’s going to be a thing,” Rafe said.
“Guys, this is serious,” I said.
They both snapped to attention, sat quietly and listened.
“Thank you. Now, Lexi, Rafe and I have been like brothers for most of our lives. We both make enough money that we don’t have to share a house if we didn’t want to.
We chose to live together, split the bills, because we like hanging out.
And that friendship, that brotherhood is strong.
He knows I’m not going to bail on him and vice versa.
There’s no way he could ever piss me off enough that I’d give up on him, and he’s put up with me for years.
We know we have each other’s backs. And we grew up with families, I mean, we’ve had that kind of support growing up and now from each other, too.
You didn’t have that. So this is like your first real family. ”
“Yeah,” Lexi said softly, nodding. “And I never want to be something that comes between you two.”
“We know that, baby,” Rafe said. “And I think that may be what he’s getting around to. The connection we have, that we all have with each other, is a lot more durable than what you’re used to. It’s permanent.”
“That’s exactly it,” I said, “I think we should do something, some kind of formal pledge that we’re in this together. That we’re your family now. That we’ll always be here for you, no matter what.”
She was crying. She didn’t even try to hide it. She just let tears roll down her cheeks before sniffing once bravely and reaching for our hands.
“I know from being in social work that families come in all shapes and sizes, but I never really, in my heart, thought I’d be part of one myself.
So it’s amazing that you’d think of this and want to reassure me.
It’s very sweet and romantic, and I love you both for it.
But you don’t have to do this. There’s nothing we can really do to formalize it the way that monogamous couples do. ”
“Now, I have this friend down at the station, Pedro, he does some metalwork in his free time. He even sells it at craft fairs. And I wondered if the two of you would want to wear rings. Like the three of us, with matching rings. I mentioned it to him, about maybe making us three rings and he had the idea to make them each out of three strands of silver twisted together. Like us,” I finished, waiting expectantly.
“I’d like that,” Rafe said finally.
“I want to wear your ring. I like the idea,” she said, and hugged me.
I wanted to see peace in her eyes, assurance that we loved her not just for today or this week, but for life.
I wanted to give her that kind of commitment.
It was a deep thrill to see her accept that, to let herself believe it was something she could have.
I kissed the top of her head. She leaned against my shoulder, still holding both our hands, and the three of us sat in silence for a while, just letting it sink in.
This was our life, the one we’d chosen and built with our own rules.
And it was even more beautiful than I could have imagined.