Chapter 16 #3
“I think they both mean really well.”
“They do.”
“And we like them. A lot. Even if they’re sort of acting like disgruntled children.”
Milo ruffled Ray’s hair and gripped him tightly around the waist, so when they stood up, he was able to get his feet under him. “Maybe it’ll actually be good for them to go home together next weekend. Their moms might be able to set them straight.”
Ray’s ears retracted, and he ran his hands back through his hair. “Maybe.”
Ever since receiving that final call from the retirement home, Milo hadn’t been a big fan of surprises.
Even good surprises tended to leave them feeling flatfooted and thrown off.
That was why, when they walked back to their table and found Rowan and Ruben talking cordially, if a little stiltedly, Milo was more exhausted than relieved.
“If it’s okay with the two of you, we were thinking we could all four go home to meet our parents next weekend,” Ruben said, once again looping his arm around Ray the second he was within reach.
Ray cozied up to Ruben’s side and threw Milo a hopeful smile.
Of course there was no way they could say no after that.
“Is that okay with you, baby?” Rowan asked quietly.
He waited until Milo had fully taken their seat to gently press his thigh against Milo’s. They much preferred it to the out-of-character leg grab earlier.
“If that’s what everyone thinks is best, that’s fine with me,” Milo said. “I would really like to meet your family, but if it’s not the right time—”
“It’s the right time,” Rowan said, casting his older brother a sidelong look. “For both of us.”
Ruben looked happy as can be, reaching up to rearrange a stray lock of Ray’s hair. Ray looked happy, too, so Milo just nodded and pressed their leg against Rowan’s.
They wouldn’t go so far as to say dinner was fun, but as drinks were served and Ruben and Rowan ordered a plethora of interesting sounding appetizers and side dishes for the table, Milo was at least able to relax.
Ruben had driven to the restaurant, while Rowan, Ray, and Milo had walked from their respective offices. Ruben offered to drive Ray back to his car, and Rowan said he’d happily take Milo home if they wouldn’t mind walking the extra few blocks to his car first.
The weather was lovely, chasing away some of the tired chill from Milo’s bones. Rowan also put off a fair amount of heat, which Milo did their best to drink in as they walked side by side.
They were both quiet on the drive back to Milo’s place, and when Rowan pulled up to the curb, Milo assumed it was going to be a wave goodbye kind of night. They’d had many of those with Anabelle, since she usually tried to avoid awkwardly reaching across the center console for a hug.
Milo would give up their left pinky toe for just one more of those awkward hugs. Their pony whinnied, offering up some of their whiskers as well.
“Milo?” Rowan murmured, and Milo nearly jumped out of their skin.
He was much closer than Milo had been expecting, not quite leaning all the way into Milo’s seat, but hovering just above the center console.
“I’m sorry,” Rowan said, pulling back. “I thought I was clearly, uhm, what did you call it? Telegraphing? But I should have asked first. Did you want a goodnight kiss?”
“Gods,” Milo said, running a hand down their face. The fog was getting sneakier, slipping in around the edges and muddying not just their head but their perception of the world around them.
They really needed to talk to someone about this. Ray had reminded them twice to call their former grief counselor, but…they were just so tired.
At the bare minimum, they should probably tell Rowan or Ray. That seemed like a lot for tonight, though, so Milo went with something a bit simpler.
“Next week is the two-year anniversary of Anabelle’s death,” Milo said, and Rowan sucked in a sharp breath.
“Milo—”
“Sometimes, I can get a bit… Ray called it ‘lost.’ It’s not quite like that, but let’s just say I can be a little out of it around this time, and it’s probably going to happen throughout the weekend.
I’m sorry in advance, and I promise it’s never about you, but, yeah, maybe asking explicitly is best for both of us right now. ”
Rowan’s eyes were like starless patches of the night sky, vast and unknowable until, like a shooting star, yellow flashed across his eyes. “I’m so sorry, baby. Is there anything I can do for you? Do you not want to go away this weekend…or to my parents next week?”
“No,” Milo said, placing their hand palm down on the center console. “I’d really like to go to the cabin with you, and I want to be there for you and Ray and even Ruben next weekend.”
Rowan’s brows pulled down, but he placed his hand on the console next to Milo’s. “Okay, if that’s what you want to do.”
What Milo wanted was for Anabelle to be here.
They understood how hard it must be for Ray to have parents so uninvested in his life that they wouldn’t even care to meet his fated mate.
But it also sucked not having any blood relatives to introduce Rowan to.
They would, of course, introduce him to Ethel, probably sooner rather than later if her impatient texts had anything to say about it, but it wasn’t quite the same.
Instead of saying any of that, Milo leaned forward until they were hovering above their hand. “I want a goodnight kiss and to go get some sleep so I’m bright-eyed and bushy-tailed for tomorrow.”
Rowan’s small smile and sweet-as-candy kiss stayed with Milo all the way inside and upstairs into bed.
Sadly, nothing could scare away their nightmares, and Milo spent most of the night tossing and turning until they finally gave up and watched one of Anabelle’s favorite documentaries on the history of sewing machines.