As Wyatt gave Sam a soft kiss, Stan yelled, "Keep it clean over there, you two!"
The others laughed, but DJ went up to Stan and told him, "It's OK. They're boyfriends."
That got an even bigger laugh, but not from Wyatt. He went over and kissed DJ on the cheek. "You're my smart boy. You tell them."
Wyatt was so happy. Sam was there and his new and old friends, and the cooking was going OK. Even Rico was a good addition when he arrived. Though he made Wyatt jealous, he was someone Sam could be friends with, and he wanted that for him. Sam had suffered through enough loneliness in his life.
After arriving last, Rico was introduced to Stan and Yu. Now he was hanging back with Sam by the dining table. "So these are your out of town friends," Rico said to Wyatt when he bright out some mixed olives and cheese. "Grandma is hosting some of her out of town friends too. They're busy doing old lady things. That's why she couldn't come over, and I had to escape."
"They're playing poker," Sam informed him.
"Old lady poker," Rico scoffed.
"Mrs. Del Rio said they would be drinking each other under the table," Sam said but that didn't impress Rico.
He was so different from Sam, but Wyatt could tell that they had a good rapport. And there he was getting jealous again.
"You're not helping out with the cooking?" Rico asked Sam. He must have noticed that only Wyatt was going in and out of in the kitchen.
"I'm not even allowed in there," Sam said and then glared at Wyatt a little.
"I'm cooking solo. This is my time to shine. Or crash and burn. I'm making an unholy mess in there," Wyatt said then he grinned at Sam. "If you're dying to help, I might let you clean that up after."
"Oh thanks," Sam said.
Wyatt looked around to make sure there were enough snacks and drinks. Over by the sideboard, Lara was acting as bartender.
"Don't let her mix you a drink or it will be all sugar," Noreen warned Raquel, who had gone up there.
"You hush. I make a beautiful cocktail," Lara claimed.
"You can make mine as sweet as you want," Raquel told her. "I have a sweet tooth."
Seeing that everything was good in the living room, Wyatt went back to cooking. Since everyone was forbidden from coming into the kitchen, DJ, Riley and Gloria couldn't resist poking their heads in there, then running away when Wyatt spotted them.
On one of their kitchen raids, the kids witnessed Wyatt tipping a bowl of parmesan he had just grated and spilling some.
"You messed up!" Riley yelled from the door.
"Yes, please announce it to everyone," Wyatt told him.
"Uncle Wyatt messed up!" he yelled even louder then all the kids giggled and ran away.
Wyatt chased them and happened to overhear Raquel as she leaned over to whisper in Sam's ear, "Will it be edible?"
"Mostly," Sam said. He was in so much trouble.
They were turned away from him so Wyatt went over to sneak up on them. "You can just eat around the burnt parts," Wyatt said from close behind them and made them both jump.
"You can't burn it. You'll make your cooking teacher look bad," Noreen told him with a smirk. She was perched on the arm of the couch with something brown in her glass and plenty of ice.
"I'll try to do him proud, but I take full responsibility for any screw-ups," Wyatt said and he grinned at Sam. "Food will be on the table pretty soon. I just have to top it off with cheese, after I grate some more."
As he was about to head back to the kitchen, Wyatt heard Gloria saying to DJ and Riley. "It's sad. I still have my dad and my mom and my grandmas."
Wyatt didn't like the sound of that. He groaned inwardly and went over in case the boys got upset.
"You only have your uncle and that's sad," she insisted. It reminded Wyatt of that woman who pitied the boys only the day before.
