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There was a lull in conversation in the room, and for just a moment Diego imagined his brothers would shrug, his sister would laugh and congratulate him, and his father would tell him how happy he was that Diego had finally found someone.
None of that happened, of course.
“You’re… gay?” Oscar asked, his nose scrunching up as if he’d smelled something bad.
“Why would you turn yourself into a guy if you just wanted to get fucked by a dude,” Miguel asked. His voice was more curious than cruel, but it caused Antonia to burst into giggles and his father’s face turned a deep purple.
“So… you ran off to the city… refused to come home and see your mother, refused her calls, and didn’t come home until after she had passed, all so you could play housewife to thisgringo?” his father spat.
“¡Tío!” Sofia shouted and the group oftíasandtíosnear them turned to see what the commotion was.
“Sofia, you knew about this? ThatDiegowas off running wild in this city, sleeping with men to get ahead and run a… a coffee shop?” his father shouted.
Diego felt the exact moment his heart shattered, and it was when his father said his name, except he didn’t say Diego. He said his dead name, the name Frankie had never heard and was never supposed to hear.
Diego had never had his heart broken before. He’d never dated anyone before Frankie, and while the incident with his mother at his graduation had been bad, it had been a long time coming and he’d built up a protective shell around his heart by the time it happened. He had no such shell today.
Diego slowly turned to gaze at his boyfriend who looked almost as bad as Diego felt. He looked a little like his heart had just broken too.
“¡Tío!” Sofia shrieked. “That is not Diego’s name! That has not been his name for years! And you,” she wheeled on Diego’s siblings, “you’re just going to stand there while your father tears down your brother?”
Oscar crossed his arms, accentuating his bulging muscles. He’d been born into his masculinity; he hadn’t had to fight for it like Diego had, so he often took it for granted. It was one of the many things Diego envied about him.
“What brother?” he said coldly.
“Oscar! You fucking ass—”
“Enough!” his father boomed, slicing his hand through the air. For some stupid reason, Diego flinched. Frankie stepped up to his side and wrapped his arm protectively around Diego’s side. For just a moment, he considered pulling away. Frankie was taller. Diego felt tiny and insignificant, and he felt like the small child his family had never seen clearly.
As his father’s eyes bore into him, though, Diego gave up all of the toxic notions of masculinity and strength that had been drilled into him as a child. He shrank into Frankie’s embrace.
His father shook his head and scoffed. “Your mother would have been so disappointed in you. I’m glad she doesn’t have to see this.”
Diego heard his cousin’s outraged voice, and his brother responding in kind. He heard Antonia tittering anxiously, and Miguel trying to calm everyone down. Well, at least he knew without a shadow of a doubt that nothing had changed. His sister always tried to play the peacemaker, while Miguel was the class clown who tried to divert attention away from the problem and pretend like everything was just fantastic all the fucking time.
As the disapproving voices of several of histíasandtíosbegan to rise,Diego realized he couldn’t make out a single word they were saying. The only thing that made it through the fog that was descending over him was Frankie’s strong grip on his shoulder and his soft, measured voice.
He spoke confidently but didn’t yell. To Diego, it sounded almost like he was whispering. As if anyone worthy of listening would stop their own talking to listen. “We came all the way here, left our business and left our home, so Diego could pay his respects, and give his condolences to the rest of the family. He has done that, and he has weathered more abuse than any one person should ever have to bear. Now, we are leaving, and I do not think we will be coming back. Good day to you all.”
Dozens of pairs of eyes turned to look at them and Diego realized maybe Frankie hadn’t been speaking so quietly after all. Maybe the ringing in his ears had made his voice seem softer than it was. Thankfully, the ringing seemed to be blocking out all the words his family tried to fling at him as Frankie led him out the door.
“Franklin,” Diego whispered, and Frankie squeezed his shoulders tight.
“Yes, my love? What do you need from me?”
“I want to go home.”
“Okay. I’ll take you home. Right now. We’ll get our things and I’ll call the airline on the way.”
“Okay.”
Diego followed Frankie to the curb where thankfully several taxis were waiting. He let Frankie help him into the backseat, and a moment later, after Frankie sprinted around the car to the other side, Diego let Frankie buckle him in. As they sped across town to their hotel, he let Frankie pull him into his arms, and when he started to shake, he let Frankie cradle his head against his chest, and whisper promises Diego wasn’t sure he would be able to keep.
Chapter7
Frankie
As time provideddistance from that horrible day, Frankie watched his boyfriend slowly turn into a ghost.
