37. Volt #2
When he turned, Wallace was beaming at both of them, clearly pleased with their reunion. “Hey, Angel. It’s good to see you. And I second what Volt said. Anything you need, just let me know. We’re here for you.”
Angel gave him a genuine smile. “Thanks, cutie. But I’m good.”
Now Volt was starting to believe him.
And seeing two of his three favorite people together, enjoying each other’s company, made him even happier.
He loved how Wallace had fit in so easily with his family.
He could see how much being around them had taught Wallace about what a real family could be, and now Wallace would be able to pay some of that back.
“Ready to go upstairs?” he asked Wallace.
“Ready, Daddy. I’m so glad Magnolia’s home.”
Volt got that little flutter in his chest again. Wallace had called Prism home. Wallace was happy to see his family. Their family.
Volt checked the cameras—ugh, the connection was so weird—in Magnolia’s room, only to find the Calliope bot escorting her into the bathroom. With her age and needs, that could be fifteen or twenty minutes. She usually took a shower at around this time, and that would take even longer.
Which meant, well, there really wasn’t any putting off the thing calling him upstairs.
He laced his fingers with Wallace’s as they rode the elevator.
“Creampuff?” he asked, trying to get over his nerves. “Magnolia’s not available yet, but can I show you something?”
“Your plants?” Wallace guessed. He was always so observant. So in tune.
“Yeah, um…” He pulled Wallace down the hallway and unlocked the door. “They’re in here.”
Wallace stepped into the humid, fragrant air, slowly spinning around to take everything in. “Volt, this is amazing! Truly!” He took a slow step forward, leaning carefully over one colorful tray. “These are pansies, right?”
“Yeah.” It was a mixed tray in a riot of colors, from soft pinks and baby blues to vivid yellows and purples. They’d just been starting to unfurl when he saw them last, and now they were turning their full faces to the sun.
“What are these?” He stroked a pointed leaf on a tall plant, too young yet to bloom.
“Zinnias. I need to replant them again.” His eyes darted between Wallace and his plant babies, noticing who had too much water and who needed more. Which trays needed to be rotated to keep the stems straight. Which needed to be transplanted into bigger pots.
“I can’t believe there are so many!” Wallace turned slowly around again, taking in the stacked shelves and long tables, brimming with verdant growth carefully arranged on every square inch. “What are you going to do with them?”
Volt was both bursting to share and afraid to say the words. What if Wallace hated the idea?
“I was thinking about selling them.”
Wallace clasped his hands together. “That would be amazing! You love your plants so much.”
“It might not work out,” Volt hedged. “Oliver’s getting me a business license, though.”
Wallace’s eyebrows rose. “Daddy, that’s phenomenal. I’m so excited for you.” Then he stepped a little closer, into Volt’s arms. “Is there a reason you didn’t tell me about this before?”
Volt shut his eyes. He couldn’t bear to see the earnest expression on Wallace’s face. To know that he’d disappointed him again.
“I just… I didn’t want you to see me fail at something else.”
He hadn’t known what he was going to say until the words were spilling out of his mouth. He hadn’t even admitted the truth to himself.
He opened his eyes to see Wallace glaring at him and he winced.
“Daddy! You are not a failure! Prism’s situation wasn’t your fault.
And look at this! This isn’t just throwing some seeds in the dirt.
This is dedication and care. At least some research and probably a lot of talent.
And even if” —He poked a finger into Volt’s chest.— “you never make any money off of it, it’s still impressive.
That’s what’s called a good risk. One that shows that you’re making wise financial choices and working toward a goal. ”
“Oh, um, alright.” It was the weirdest, sweetest chewing out he’d ever received.
“And I expect you to let me invest in your business if you need funding.” Another finger poke. “You need plant lights and fertilizer and…” He looked around. “Advertising. Signage. A website. Maybe a storefront. Employees at some point.”
Fuck. He needed all that? “I, uh, have fertilizer.”
Wallace glared adorably, his angry little kitten. “Businesses need seed capital. If you don’t want to borrow money from me, I can co-sign a loan with the bank. No more secrets. No more suffering when we could be partners.”
God, he was right. He was completely right.
It was hard for Volt to remember, when he was so caught up in financial tragedy, but this wasn’t about the money for Wallace. It was about being an equal in their relationship.
“Alright, baby,” he promised. “Partners. I mean, not business partners but… well, would you help me go over the financials?”
Wallace’s smile was beatific. “Yes, Daddy. I would love to.”
He was such a lucky spark. “Thank you, darling.”
Wallace snuggled against his chest, resting one hand over where a human heart would be. Volt’s arms slowly went up around him, still not trusting that he could be forgiven so easily.
“I love you, Daddy,” Wallace nuzzled against him. “I’m sorry for snapping at you.”
Volt squeezed him tighter. “I needed to hear it. I promise, I’ll do better. As long as you still want me as your Daddy.”
“Forever,” Wallace promised, lifting his face up for a kiss.
Then, he snuggled back against Volt’s chest, rocking them back and forth. “What are you going to call your company?”
“Stem & Stone, I was thinking.” Shit. Should he have asked Wallace about that, too? Was it too late to change?
“That’s lovely.” Wallace exhaled a feathery light breath over his collar bone. “Do you know where you’re going to sell them?”
Volt shrugged. “My first idea was the farmer’s market, since it seemed like it would be low-key but people would pay a good amount.
But then I looked into it and the wait time is 2 or 3 years just to get a vendor license as a substitute when someone else can’t make it. So I would need some other ideas.”
Wallace hummed. “Do you know if those people with the shared tents have one vendor license or two?”
Volt reached for his connection—it was still horrible—and bore the scratchy, invasive feeling while he found the map and information.
“It looks like each square is a license. The fresh produce vendors are allowed up to three squares, but everyone else can just have one. And yes, vendors can share them.”
“I thought so. That means you don’t need a vendor license, you just need to find someone to share one with.
Maybe the farm stand with the red apple on its logo that doesn’t really use its full space.
Or the guy who makes those gorgeous glass sculptures.
Remember the vase that you bought for me?
You could offer a discount for buying from both of you at the same time. ”
“How would that work, though? Would I just pay part of their vendor fees?”
“That’s exactly it. There are dozens of vendors there, and it can’t hurt to ask. If that doesn’t work, you can start at smaller markets in other neighborhoods and work your way up.”
“You really think this will work?” Volt asked.
“I don’t know, but I’m excited for you to try. My guess is that it’ll take some time to figure out before you have a strong business model, but there are probably a lot of people you can learn from.”
It hadn’t been the blanket reassurance he’d been looking for, but it was better, actually.
“Do you want to go to the park together this weekend to ask around?”
“Yeah.” Volt squeezed him tighter. It was a bubbly, upside down feeling relying on Wallace for support, but it was the right thing. It felt good.
Wallace had been his rock through all of this. His devotion hadn’t wavered.
“Hey, can we bring some flowers to Magnolia? Actually, are any of these plants magnolias?”
Volt chuckled. “Magnolia’s are trees. I would need a hell of a lot more space and about ten or fifteen years for them to grow. Aside from that, I looked them up and the best way to grow them is from a graft, which I don’t think I’m ready for yet.”
“Maybe someday?” Wallace asked.
It was a heartbreakingly beautiful thought.
He would love to grow a magnolia tree, even if the beloved Magnolia in his life might never see it bloom.
But maybe he could get a much older one and put it on the roof.
“Maybe someday,” he agreed. It was a little promise to himself.
Showing her his love even as he chose a new path.
“Can we bring her some pansies?” Wallace asked.
“Sure. Would you like to choose a pot? I started with plastic trays for the seedlings, but I have a few clay pots back there.” He gestured at the loosely organized storage area on the darker side of the room.
He’d kept a few from previous indoor plants from the lounge and found a few more while he was cleaning.
If he got a whole business going, he supposed he’d need to buy a case of them.
“Together, Daddy.”
It seemed that his creampuff was feeling clingy, and Volt absolutely adored it. He didn’t want to be apart for a minute, either.
They found a clay pot, a little stained with mineral deposits from whatever had been in it before, and he showed Wallace how to transplant his four carefully chosen seedlings inside to make it lush and full with a harmonious composition.
It would have taken him a fraction of the time to do it himself, with more care of the delicate stems and roots, but Wallace’s happiness was its own reward.
“Maybe you could even offer planting classes. Or let people choose their own pots and have some dirt available,” Wallace suggested.
He’d never heard of such a thing, but he loved the idea of bringing smiles to people’s faces. “I’ll think about it. Maybe we should get a place to sell them first?”
Wallace gazed up at him. “I believe in you, Daddy.”