“Mom, I’m bringing someone.”
Mom gasps lightly. “You are?”
I swallow. “Yeah. I was going to tell you, but I’ve been busy with school and stuff.”
“Who is it?”
I glance back at Oliver, who is still watching me with those loving, protective eyes. For better or worse, I make an impulsive decision:
“My boyfriend.”
Oliver’s eyes go wide.
“Your…yourboyfriend?” Mom echoes in disbelief. “Since when do you?—”
“It’s a long story, Mom, but, yeah, I was going to invite him today. So, I think it could be uncomfortable if that other guy came. For him and for…for Oliver.”
“Oliver? Aww, that’s a lovely name. Of course, sweetheart, don’t even worry about it.” She sounds ecstatic. Of course she does. “Wow, I sure am glad I called you first instead of trying to surprise you!”
I bend forward, pressing my forehead against the cold countertop. “Yeah, me too.”
“To be fair, you should have told me you had a boyfriend! This is big news!”
Squeezing my eyes shut, I let out a nervous chuckle. “I was working on it.”
“Well, I hope Oliver says yes! I’m very excited to meet him!”
“Mhm.”
Mom practically giggles. “Alright, well, I guess I’ll let you go then. Keep me posted about his answer, okay?”
“Okay.”
“Love you, DEADNAME!”
“Love you, too.”
I end the call and set my phone down on the counter, pressing my face back against the cool surface and letting out a long groan.
Only a few moments later, Oliver’s comically large feet, still in socks, appear next to mine in the kitchen. I sense him standing beside me, bending over, and mimicking my weird pose. “Sooooo,” he says, his voice funny as it’s projected straight at the floor. “I guess I’m coming to Thanksgiving after all?”
“I’m so sorry,” I whine, straightening up. “I panicked. She was trying to set me up with some random Tech student whose parents they met at church. Fuck, I can’t believe they were about to stoop that low. Is my queerness really that upsetting?”
Oliver mirrors me, then turns around and leans his back against the counter. “Hey, don’t sweat it. I wanted to help, so now I’m helping.”
“You really don’t have to. I can wait until the last minute and tell her you changed your mind, or maybe your family didn’t want you to come.” I gasp. “Oh shit, your family! I’m sure you already have Thanksgiving plans with them, don’t you?”
Oliver shrugs. “Honestly, Thanksgiving has never been that big of a deal to my family, not like Christmas or anything. The most we do for Thanksgiving is have dinner with my stepmom’s parents, Charli and Bella’s grandparents. My dad’s family still lives in Raleigh, so my paternal grandparents spend Christmas with us, but never Thanksgiving. I’m sure my family would be fine having dinner the next day or something.”
I run both hands through my hair, tugging a bit at the roots. “Are you sure?”
Oliver gently reaches out, curling his fingers beneath my chin and tilting my face up to look at him. His eyes are soft, and his lips curve into the most tender smile I’ve ever seen on him. “I’m positive, Jude. Please let me do this for you.”
My skin tingles where we touch, and my heart pounds frantically behind my ribs. Fuck, I love him. I love him so much it hurts. “Okay,” I say, my voice slightly shaky. “Okay, let’s do it.”
Oliver’s smile widens. “Okay, great! What do I need to know?”
I groan again. “Other than the fact that they’re mostly terrible?”
