Not that I should have been surprised. Marcus is a caretaker through and through. But the relationship Marcus and Aaron have is one of true friendship. Honestly, I think Aaron is the most lucid when Marcus is engaging with him, and that’s likely due to the fact that Marcus carries on with him just like he does—like they’re best buddies.
I know, through our many conversations about it, that Caleb falls more and more in love with Marcus every day because of Marcus’ tireless efforts to provide Aaron with a more meaningful life than one just stuck in bed. As for me? I already knew the type of compassion that Marcus embodies. I’m just happy to be able to witness their relationship bloom into what it has, and, I’m sure, what it will continue to grow into.
Caleb flashes his hands. “Are you hungry?” He gestures over to a huge brunch buffet spread across three tables.
I shake my head. “We had lunch catered at the meeting.”
“Want to come sit then? Sarah is here too, by the way. Not sure if you caught that or not…”
I peer around Caleb and she waves at me, then makes a sweeping motion as if to present me with the sight of the man by her side.She points and mouthsSteveat me, while he chatters with the others around the table.
My eyes flick between her and Gannett. She smirks and gives me a thumbs up.All goodshe mouths again.
Terra, one of Sarah and Gannett’s twins, comes out of nowhere and tugs on the hem of my shirt. “Miss Lauren, where’s Brody? Is he comin’?”
I shake my head. “Not today, sweetheart. He’s with his friend, Harrison.”
Her face scrunches, and she scowls a little.
Tatiana, Terra’s twin, peeks up at me from where she now sits on Gordy’s lap. “Terra has acrushon Brody!” she whispers, none too subtly, to him.
“I do not!” Terra huffs, stomping away.
Caleb and I both chuckle, and he ushers me over to a seat, holding it out for me like a gentleman before he sits. On the other side of me, there’s a young man there who appears to share the same aesthetic as me, back when I was about his age—my late teens, early twenties. He’s rocking a grunge, emo-punk look, but he smiles politely at me when I take my seat.
Underneath the table, I see him holding hands with the guy sitting next to him, who has his other palm on his belly, slowly stroking it as if he were pregnant or something.
The one sitting next to me leans towards me. “I’m Colton, or Colty-doodle, I guess, if you’re Morgan. You probably already met her, if she was out blowing bubbles in the parking lot again…”
I chuckle. “She was, and I did. Nice to meet you, Colton.”
He tilts his head towards the guy sitting next to him. “This is my boo, Petro.”
Petro gives me a shy wave.
“In my boo’s belly is our baby, by the way, so don’t think he overstuffed himself at the buffet. I mean, it’s good, don’t get me wrong—Taryn nailed it—but yeah…” Colton beams that same bright smile I used to see on Marcus’ face when he too was an expectant father.
I guess that explains why Petro was stroking his belly, however. I won’t be intrusive and ask outright, but the only way I can foresee that being a possibility is if Petro is a trans-man. Honestly, knowing the culture around Ternbay, I’m stunned at how casually Colton just brought that up. It makes me wonder if the comfortability about everything I’ve seen here so far—Gannett and Gordy in a relationship, Evan and Brooks being married, Colton and Petro having a baby together—means that Marcus will turn up back here wearing—
“Look who brought the life of the party!” Marcus booms, pushing Aaron in through the door of the pub on his motorized wheelchair.
Marcus, who is currently wearing a mid-length cotton sundress with a very eye-catching floral pattern on it, has got a pair of rattan and canvas espadrille wedge sandals on to match.Verycute look, I must say. It’s sohim, despite, I’m sure, no one here having a clue up until now.
“Aaron! Buddy!” Gannett chirps, standing to help Marcus make way for Aaron’s chair and all the equipment lashed to it. Then, Gannett’s gaze rakes up and down Marcus.
Marcus bites his lower lip nervously. “Um, Cap—” he starts, but Gannett cuts him off.
He holds his palm out to Gordy, making agimmemotion. Gordy grumbles, shifting Tati on his lap so that he can lean forward and pull his wallet out of his back pocket. Marcus’ brows pinch as he watches the same thing I am. Gordy pulls a twenty out of his wallet and claps it intoGannett’s hand.
Marcus scoffs. “Wait, you bet on mecrossdressing?” he huffs.
“I knew you were keeping secrets from me beyond just that you and Caleb and Lauren are a throuple. I just didn’t knowwhatyou were too scared to come clean over. For the record, I know I’ve been a little under a rock when it comes to this stuff—I mean, come on, the Pride cake is a prime example of that—but you should know that you’re safe to be authentic around me. Heck, no one sitting here today is going to judge you or look down on you, are they?”
Gannett looks around and I do as well. The whole table shakes their head, even the ones whom I don’t really know too well.
Gordy pipes up, “You know, I’ve learned a lot about you and Caleb because you both like to be sneaky and sign a lot when you think no one can understand you while you’re here. But I definitely did not see this coming.”
“Ta-da,” Marcus says flatly. “I wear dresses.”
