10. Love is Love
CHAPTER 10
LOVE IS LOVE
Zayn
2 years later
T he front door creaks open and clicks closed. The familiar sound of Jeremy’s small feet padding across the hardwood floor follows, and a resonating thump informs me that he dropped his backpack near the staircase. No doubt he’s tossed his sneakers beside it. The corner of my mouth quirks up.
Sitting on one of the living room sofas, I inhale the comforting aroma of Dante’s sofrito- based sauce wafting in from the kitchen. It’s a flavorful part of a famous Dominican dish he mostly reserves for special occasions since he claims it requires a lot of prep… but then again, he’s more than happy when I spend time prepping him!
Anyway, my hot boyfriend insisted on cooking dinner and granting me a reprieve. I do enjoy cooking, but this is his specialty, so I snapped a few pictures of the sexy chef instead. He’s missing out less and less, but I still enjoy documenting our lives in the form of photos.
Feeling somewhat useless, though, I couldn’t help myself and prepared the appetizers and set the table when I needed a break earlier, although we aren’t expecting our guests until around six.
We’re celebrating the first week of second grade. Actually, we were looking for an excuse to invite our friends over and surprise Jeremy. We’ve managed to build solid friendships with a tight group of people over the past couple of years, and most of them are tagging along tonight. It’s been a while since we’ve all been in the same room, and Jeremy doesn’t know that his two best friends—Emily and Liam—will be here too. Tricia, who was in charge of picking them up after school, texted Dante that she had a hard time keeping her mouth shut when Jeremy’s face fell as he exited her car. Those three are inseparable! The cherry on the cake is that young Susie’s going to be here as well.
To say that Jeremy feels overprotective of Sully’s daughter is the understatement of the year. Jeremy adopted her as his baby sister who lives in another house, basically ignoring her parents and insisting we babysit her as often as possible. Oddly, Sully and Sonia love the attention Susie gets from him and aren’t offended by the way he ignores them. No amount of berating from us made a difference.
“Hey, Jeremy,” I call out, looking up from my laptop. “How was school?”
He mumbles a quick “Good.” With his socks on, he makes his way into the living room, scratching his head.
“Hey, champ.” Dante pokes his head out of the open-plan kitchen adjacent to the living room. He sets down the wooden spoon and greets our son, who deposits a bin of toys next to the flat screen. “You okay over there?”
My man’s question has me flick my gaze to Jeremy. Visibly pensive, Jeremy doesn’t answer and saunters to hug him first. A rare occurrence.
Ready to give our son my full attention, I click Save .
Our son … A sound between a sigh and a growl slips from my lips. I suddenly feel possessive, although it took some time to allow myself to own it. For years, life caught up with us, and I procrastinated taking the necessary steps to officially become Jeremy’s father until two years ago. So much has changed since then.
Following his latest duet album with Brea, Dante started to slowly but surely transition from being a performer to a songwriter and producer, which is what he prefers. He doesn’t discriminate between award-winning artists and indies he notices at various festivals, although his priority remains Twist of Fate, the band formed by Brea, Gael, and a few other musicians they previously played with, such as Jesus, Dante’s Plot Twist’s former guitarist.
Since hitting it off at The Seaside Music Festival two summers ago, the couple’s drawn the media’s attention with their rock ballads, unwavering energy, and intense love story. Redirecting the attention to them left room for Dante and me to peacefully live our own love story. Fewer nosy journalists. Less unwanted exposure. Fewer secrets. Truth be told, I hadn’t expected such a drastic change in course since he adored being on stage. Coachella and Seaside are still in the cards for now. Call me old-fashioned, but my insides went all fuzzy when he eventually admitted to missing his family too much.
His decision inspired me to make some adjustments of my own. A year ago, I became a freelance consultant in my area of expertise and made time to plot my first thriller novel in my spare time, such as this afternoon.
Spying on them, my heart melts. Dante lowers the stove to put his preparations on hold.
“Thanks for making sancocho , Father.” Jeremy’s voice is flat. “I love it.” When he releases Dante and turns around, I frown at his uncharacteristic lack of animation and curiosity. Knowing the tradition we have with this dish, he’d usually inquire about the special occasion. Instead, he sits next to me as I close my laptop and lean towards the large glass coffee table to set it aside . I make a mental note to set my alarm so that I can wake up early to work on my story. He kisses my cheek; such a French habit!
Feeling the weight of Dante’s eyes on us, I peck Jeremy in return. “What’s on your mind, buddy? You’ve got that look on your face that says you’ve been thinking really hard.”
Toying with the fabric of his T-shirt, he looks at his feet and lets out a loud, almost distressed, sigh. Without a word, he plops down on the floor between the sofa and the coffee table and picks up a toy car. Reining in my impatience, I bite my lip to give Jeremy time to speak his mind and quizzically glance at Dante. We wait for a moment, watching Jeremy, whose attention suddenly drifted to a miniature dinosaur and another car, then he halts, staring at us alternatively. “How do you know if you like girls or boys?” His little voice is full of wonder.
Ohhh, I knew something was up.
It’s a loaded question, but we’ve always promised to be open and honest with him.
Gathering my wits, I move to sit next to him on the floor. From the corner of my eye, I see Dante wiping his hands on a towel. He joins us, sitting cross-legged on the plush rug with the sides of his bare feet tapping at regular intervals.
Again, we exchange a quick, understanding glance, torn between worry and amusement; I can’t decipher what truly lies behind his question.
Despite the new normal we established, some things haven’t changed. Dante and I still get sideways looks, and audible whispers behind our backs are a common occurrence. What hurts me the most is when Jeremy witnesses people calling us perverts or something similar to our faces. It hasn’t happened in a while, but it leads to questions. My gut tells me to proceed with caution.
I cage his eyes. “Well, that’s a good question, Jay.” My tone is calm and collected. “Did something happen at school today? Does it have to do with Em’ or Liam?”
I don’t want to misinterpret his question. Maybe he isn’t asking about attraction, but friendship. What if one of them stated a claim on Jeremy and asked him to choose?
“Yeah,” he replies. “Well, not really… It’s just…” I rub the back of my neck, my mind reeling while his attention briefly returns to his toys. “Tim and his friends were talking about who you should like… well, love… and it made me think.”
Okay, not a friendship issue then. My breath hitches.
Dante steps in, his suave voice laced with assertiveness. “Do you remember when we talked about how love works?” Jeremy nods vigorously, toys still in hand. “You know how much you love pizza with extra mushrooms, right?”
A smile spreads across his beautiful face. “Yeah, my favorite kind!”
“And you know how much fun you have when we play board games or watch movies together?” I continue.
“Uh-huh, I love funny cartoons!” Excitement is back in his voice.
“Exactly.” My man chuckles. “There are different kinds of love, just like there are different things we enjoy. Loving pizza is one kind of love. And you prefer mushrooms on it rather than pineapples. It makes you happy, right?”
“Right. Pineapples don’t belong on pizza.”
“And loving board games or movies is another kind of love,” I add cheerfully. “It's something we enjoy doing together because it brings us closer and also brings us joy. And you love Clue the most.”
Jeremy nods, then tilts his head to look at us until his eyes settle on me. “So, another kind of love is how much I love you and Father?”
“Yes, sweetie,” I manage to say despite my parched throat. Wrapping an arm around him, I watch Dante do the same on the opposite side. He awkwardly intertwines his fingers with mine. “That's a very special kind of love. The love between parents and children is powerful because we take care of each other, support each other, and always want the best for each other.”
Jeremy nods, then frowns. He turns to Dante and his next words gut me. “So, only Abuelita Eva loves you?” I was so preoccupied with reassuring Jeremy that I didn’t realize my words could be applied to Dante’s parents as well. My boyfriend opens his mouth to speak, but Jeremy speaks first. Shifting his attention to me, he innocently inquires, “Do your parents love you, Papa ?” My mouth goes dry. I shake my head and gesture to show that I’ll explain later and swallow the lump in my throat.
“It’s as vital between family members,” Dante provides. “Auntie Farah and Abuela Ines are perfect examples, but there's more to it.” Kissing Jeremy’s temple, he untangles his fingers from mine. “When you love someone, no matter who they are or what kind of love it is, that’s what truly matters. We shouldn't judge anyone for who they love or how they show their love.”
“Yeah, like how you love your friends,” I say. “All love is important and special in its own way. What matters most is that we care about each other and are kind to one another.”
He nods slowly, a thoughtful expression on his face. “So, it doesn't matter what kind of love it is, as long as we love each other?”
“Exactly,” I confirm, smiling warmly.
Dante leans forward, resting his elbows on the coffee table. “You know, Jay, when I was your age, I had a lot of the same questions. Sometimes, people try to tell you who you should like or how you should feel, but the truth is, who you’re attracted to is something only you can figure out, and it can change as you grow up. That’s what happened to me when I fell in love with Papa .”
I nod in agreement. “It’s all about who you feel comfortable with, who makes you happy. Whether it’s a boy or a girl doesn’t matter as much as how they make you feel.”
Jeremy frowns, clearly trying to process our words. “But you and Papa are both boys. Does that mean I’ll like boys too?”
Dante grins softly. “Not necessarily, buddy. Just because Papa and I are both men doesn’t mean you’ll feel the same way. Everyone’s different. What’s important is being true to yourself and understanding your own feelings.”
I reach out and gently ruffle my son’s hair. “Love is about connection and trust. Some people are attracted to boys, some to girls, and some to both or neither. What matters is finding someone who makes you feel loved and respected.”
Jeremy looks at both of us, the crease between his brows slowly disappearing. “So, it’s okay if I like girls or boys? Or both?”
“Absolutely.” I’m tempted to add more, but that should be enough information for the time being. I make a mental note to continue the conversation later; it’s important for him feel comfortable discussing this with us. “Judgments have no place in love. All that matters is the love itself and the happiness it brings. Some people, like my parents or your father’s father don’t get it.” I shrug. “Until they come around—” I doubt my stubborn parents ever will “—it’s their loss…” I trail off, my heart tightening at what closed-minded people chose to miss out on, when it was never a choice for Dante, Jeremy, or me.
A look of understanding flashes in our son’s eyes. “I think I get it: Love is love, no matter what.”
“That's right, sweetie. You can like whoever you want. We’ll always love and support you.” I pull him into a hug. Dante joins in, wrapping us both in his strong arms. A surge of pride and love for our little family overwhelms me.
“We love you so much.”
With my words and Dante’s confirmation, I see the relief in Jeremy’s eyes as he stands up, snatches his toys, and informs us that he has some homework to do before dinner. Reluctant to interrupt him, I capture Dante’s brown eyes to look for approval. Standing in sync, we seem to be on the same page: We still have time before dinner and will keep the surprise for later.
Trotting out of the room, his head swivels when he reaches the threshold, watching us intently.
“Thanks, Dads.”