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“Wow. That sounds simple, but that’s a lie. It is very delicious, though.”
“I’m glad you like it,” Charlie said and continued eating. He had this thoughtful look on his face as he ate, and I couldn’t stop myself from asking,
“What are you thinking about?”
He looked up at me and gave me a small smile before speaking. “Well, I was reading some blogs yesterday, and I read one about…pronouns.”
I nodded, waiting for him to continue. I hadn’t brought the bracelets I’d bought for him, and now I was wishing I had. I just hadn’t wanted to get ahead of myself and push him at a pace faster than what he needed.
“Well, I hadn’t thought much about it before, but I’ve been thinking. I don’t mind my he/him pronouns most days, but there are days when they sound like they don’t fit at all, you know? But I’m not sure what to do about it.”
I smiled at him before leaning forward and squeezing his forearm. “Thanks for telling me, Charlie. I think you should always go with the pronoun that feels the best to you on any given day or moment. Just like your name, you’re free to switch or change them whenever you want.”
“But wouldn’t it be difficult for others if I kept changing them?”
“I wouldn’t mind if you had to change them thrice a day, Charlie. And the same goes for every person who cares about you. They’d want you to feel comfortable. Plus, there are some tricks you can use to make sure you don’t have to tell everyone again and again when your pronoun changes.”
“Tricks?” Charlie gave me a puzzled look.
“Yep. I actually got something for you today but forgot to bring them. Basically, it’s a set of three bracelets, blue, pink, and purple. So all you have to do is let the other person know what pronouns each bracelet stands for, and then you can just wear the bracelet that matches your pronoun for the day, and everyone would know without you having to tell them,” I explained.
Charlie stared at me thoughtfully before giving me a relieved smile. “That sounds pretty good, actually. You got these bracelets for me?”
“Someone at Voice Out made an extra set. I saw them and thought that maybe you’d like them,” I said with a shrug.
“Thank you for thinking of me.”
“My pleasure,” I said as I took another bite of the sugary goodness. One thing was certain. Charlie was a damn good cook, and I knew I’d have to hang on to him, if only so I could have more dinners. Who was I kidding? It was his company that I wanted to hang on to. The food was just a bonus.
5
Charlie
IsteppedintoBrady’scafé feeling better than I had in months or maybe even years. Frankly, I couldn’t remember the last time I’d felt so free or so…myself. Even when I hadn’t known why exactly I felt the way I did, I’d known something was missing. Now, for the first time, I was free to justbe,and it was as exciting as it was scary.
The familiar fragrance of vanilla and coffee greeted me as I walked in, the slight undertones of chocolate and caramel harder to detect but not impossible. I loved how warm and homey it made the place smell.
The café was made up of a big room with a counter near the door and the seating area spread out in the rest of the room. It was a mismatch of wooden chairs, comfy armchairs, couches, and dark, wooden coffee tables that sat between them. Leather benches ran the length of the windows on one side, providing a perfect spot for people-watching.
I took my usual seat at one of the tables and pulled out the sketchbook I’d brought. Unlike the last few times I’d been here, I wasn’t here to just gawk at Brady today. I still couldn’t believe I’d actually done that, but I didn’t wish otherwise because I’d gotten a friend out of it. A friend who understood me and wanted to help me. I pulled out my pencils and got to work on the sketch I’d had the idea for last night.
It wasn’t long before my usual drink of choice—a caramel latte—appeared on my table. I looked up and smiled when Brady took the seat across from me. The blue-green highlights in his hair were fading fast, and I wondered if he’d get a different color the next time or go with the same. My guess was on a different color. Brady was too bright and cheery to be stuck with the same routine for too long. He was the kind of person who liked variety in his life. His bright blue button-down and brown leggings—so very different from yesterday’s ensemble—attested to the fact.
“Hey, Charlie! Whatcha working on?”
I shrugged before showing him the sketches. I’d been trying to figure out my style, so to speak, but I hadn’t gotten anywhere. I had no eye for it, honestly, and I had no idea if the clothes I’d drawn even suited me. But I’d wanted to figure it out myself, and so I’d looked up clothes and all kinds of fashion and styles and tried to figure out what I could make mine. So far, it had been a bust.
Brady examined my drawings carefully, looking each one of them over until he reached the last one. “Okay, two things,” he said once he was done. “One, you are an absolutely amazing artist. These sketches are so damn good, and can you please draw me and Cherry someday?” He batted his eyes at me, and I chuckled.
“I’d love to. It’s just a hobby of mine.”
Brady rolled his eyes before eying me. “Damn it, Charlie. You’re an artist, you’re a damn awesome chef, and you’re a sweet person to boot. You’re like my dream person.”
“You’re gay?” I asked, even though I was pretty sure he was. What I wasn’t sure of, though, was whether he’d meant what he’d said in a I-want-to-date-you way or a I-want-to-be-your-friend way. I hoped it was the first one.
He shook his head as he spoke, “I’m pan. Pansexual, that is. I find people’s personality attractive.”
I nodded as I processed what he’d said, biting my lip as I asked the question running through my head, “So…you can be attracted to anyone? Man, woman…”
