“I quite like your son, Diane. I would hate for anything to ruin that,” she says and it’s not that her tone is threatening or hostile, indeed it’s practically innocent and pouty.
I turn to look at Mum who is still as beady eyed as ever, her lips pursed, and her chin tilted up slightly. “I wouldn’t dream of it,” she says, her voice thick and sickly-sweet, but it’s not performative. Not at all. I think Mina just put her in her place. Again.
“I’ll leave you to more rounds of tonsil tennis, shall I?” Mum says with an arched eyebrow before she turns on her heel and leaves.
Much to my dismay, Mina then steps back from me so my hand is no longer on her arm and her body’s heat is no longer warming my chest.
“Sorry if that was a bit too much,” she says and she chews on her bottom lip. I use this as permission for me to lick my lips because I have been desperate to since she broke our kiss; I’m desperate to know if her sugary sweet taste is still there.
Much to my delight, it is.
I’m about to reply but I don’t get a chance because my brother and Bruno have swooped in from nowhere and they’re both grinning manically at us.
“Was that your first kiss?” Cameron swoons, arm-in-arm with his husband.
“Our first… what?” I blink at them both.
“That little display in front of mum. You should have seen her jaw drop,” Cam explains.
“Even from across the room, I could see her molars!” Bruno adds. “And that’s not just because I work in dental care.”
“For fuck’s sake,” I mutter as I close my eyes. I hope against hope that when I open them again, my brother and Bruno will have disappeared. Alas, that is not what happens. In fact, when I open my eyes again they appear closer and their grins seem more manic.
“You know your family is really nosey,” Mina says and I think she’s talking to me but then I see her giving Cameron a look.
“Oh, you’ll get used to it.” Bruno taps her forearm. “And in the end, you’ll be just as nosey. If you can’t beat them, join them.”
“It’s because Mum was a single mum,” Cameron says and from the way he’s waving around his wine glass, I know he’s about to launch into a story. “She was all we had, as well as each other. And she was always very involved with every aspect of our life, which I suppose was a little overbearing at times—” I let out a loud huff of air that grabs Mina’s attention, but my brother continues. “But she always just wanted the best for us. She always just wanted us to be happy and healthy and in good jobs. But I suppose, yes, we are all a bit co-dependent because of that.”
“I see your private health insurance is still covering your therapy,” I mumble.
“I told you I’d pay for you to go!” Cameron protests as he runs a hand through his hair which only makes it settle back in an unbelievably more suave style than it was already in.
“I can pay for my own therapy!” I snap back.
“Wait? You’renotin therapy,” Mina says, looking at me, and do I detect a note of mischief in her voice.
“Uh oh. Could be a deal breaker!” Bruno declares jovially.
“As a matter of fact, yes, I do go to therapy. I have done for a while,” I admit but I’m not about to say any more than that, not about how my therapist was the one who helped me see how unhappy I was with Markus, how much more confident I should be about my sexuality and how my relationship with my mother is… well, not exactly perfect.
“Do you really?” Mina says and the playfulness in her voice is gone. Now she’s just genuinely curious, interested, even.
“Yes,” I reply, and although I try to look her in the eye, I can’t help my gaze falling to her lips, those perfectly plump, soft and sweet lips.
“Proud of you, Charlie.” Cameron brings his hand to my shoulder and squeezes. I don’t know if it’s him or me, but I feel like his smile suddenly seems more smug than proud, like he’s entitled to some credit for my going to therapy.
“Cam, Bruno, if you don’t mind, Mina and I were just in the middle of a conversation.” I try to keep my voice as level as possible. I hope my tone implies that it was an important conversation because the longer I am waiting to comment on what she said, the more urgent my response feels.
“Oh, is that what you young ‘uns are calling it these days?” Cameron elbows Bruno and they both chuckle far too much for such a lacking joke.
“Oh, Cameron, just fuck off and leave us alone!” I shout and it’s loud enough to carry over the music and grab some nearby party guests’ attention.
My brother and Bruno look at each other and I can see them both deliberate about whether to laugh or shout back. I am beyond grateful when they chose instead to sheepishly say goodbye and walk away, arm-in-arm once more.
“Wow, you totally just lost it with your brother.” Mina stares at me intently.
“I didn’t lose it, I just—“
