mother blushed and smiled at me wryly. “Your father ate some bad pig’s feet.”
My stomach turned over and I felt bile rise. I put my hand up as my mom rushed over to me. I must have gone pale. “Nope, I’m good,” I choked out. I never could understand how people ate pig’s feet. I couldn’t even lick someone’s toe during sex.
“Is Terry still sleeping?” my mother asked, as she put another pie in the oven.
I nodded, inhaling the fresh-from-the-oven pie on the counter. It smelled like home. “Yes, I think he was jet-lagged.”
“Well, he is just cute as a button!” Mom exclaimed. “Wherever did you find him, sweetie?”
I smiled at my parents, thinking about that day—it seemed so far away now. Terry walking into my office with a package and those blue eyes and beautifully curved lips.
“He found me.”
“Well, I’m sure glad he did,” Dad said, setting the table. “You’ve never looked so happy, son.”
“Yes,” Mom nodded, agreeing with my father. “And Terry cares for you quite a bit.”
I poured myself a cup of coffee while it was still brewing and put some sugar in it.
“You think so?” I asked.
“Oh yes.” My mom wiped her hands on her apron and moved hair from her brow with her forearm. “The way he looks at you, sweetie,” she sighed.
Had I been so busy trying to get Terry to fall in love with me that I’d missed it when he actually did?
“We haven’t even been together that long. Less than a month in fact.”
My father snorted. “Son, I knew I loved your mother the second I set eyes on her.”
I sat down at the table and regarded my parents. “How did you know?”
“I just knew,” he shrugged. “When our eyes met across the lunchroom.”
I’d forgotten my parents met in high school. Wow, I was a huge ass.
“Good morning.”
I turned to see Terry standing in the kitchen doorway with a shy smile.
“Hi,” I said. “Did you sleep well?”
Terry nodded, walking in to the kitchen. “I did, must be the country air.”
My father laughed. “Well this is a good day. I have to say, there’s more days that you get the paper mill smell than fresh country air.”
“Oh? What’s that smell like?” Terry asked.
“Shit,” Mary said.
I laughed at Terry’s expression.
“No, it really does smell like sewage,” I said, grabbing some bacon off the plate next to me.
My mother coughed and looked at my father. I sat back munching on my bacon.
“What?” I asked.
“Well, you see,” my mother began. “We weren’t sure if you’d come, ya know? So your father and I made plans to go to a party tonight at the Wexlers. Would y’all mind being on your own tonight?”
I looked over at Terry and saw carnal need in his eyes. I swallowed hard and turned my attention back to my parents.
“Nope, not at all. Knock yourselves out. Terry and I can figure something out.”
“Good!” My father smiled. “In the meantime, can you come into town with me, son? I got some Christmas shopping to do.”
“If that’s okay?” I took Terry’s hand in mine.
“That’s fine, you go on ahead. Your mother and I can bake cookies.”
“You bake?”
I almost laughed at my mother’s shocked look.
“Why yes, don’t you know that all of us gay men bake?!” Terry squealed comically and might have even lisped.
I almost pissed my pants as my mother swatted his arm.
* * * *
I spent the day shopping with my dad in Columbus. I swear we were all over the mall. My feet were starting to ache. I didn’t shop in stores. I shopped online. I never had time to go out shopping. As we tackled the mall, I realized how much fun it was shopping for other people. We walked into one of the ritzier stores and I looked at the Rolex watches. I wanted Terry to have something nice. My father was looking over at a glass case of rings. I came up behind him and smiled.
“What are you looking for?”
“Nothing, just waiting on your mom’s ring. I got our wedding date inscribed in it.” My
My stomach turned over and I felt bile rise. I put my hand up as my mom rushed over to me. I must have gone pale. “Nope, I’m good,” I choked out. I never could understand how people ate pig’s feet. I couldn’t even lick someone’s toe during sex.
“Is Terry still sleeping?” my mother asked, as she put another pie in the oven.
I nodded, inhaling the fresh-from-the-oven pie on the counter. It smelled like home. “Yes, I think he was jet-lagged.”
“Well, he is just cute as a button!” Mom exclaimed. “Wherever did you find him, sweetie?”
I smiled at my parents, thinking about that day—it seemed so far away now. Terry walking into my office with a package and those blue eyes and beautifully curved lips.
“He found me.”
“Well, I’m sure glad he did,” Dad said, setting the table. “You’ve never looked so happy, son.”
“Yes,” Mom nodded, agreeing with my father. “And Terry cares for you quite a bit.”
I poured myself a cup of coffee while it was still brewing and put some sugar in it.
“You think so?” I asked.
“Oh yes.” My mom wiped her hands on her apron and moved hair from her brow with her forearm. “The way he looks at you, sweetie,” she sighed.
Had I been so busy trying to get Terry to fall in love with me that I’d missed it when he actually did?
“We haven’t even been together that long. Less than a month in fact.”
My father snorted. “Son, I knew I loved your mother the second I set eyes on her.”
I sat down at the table and regarded my parents. “How did you know?”
“I just knew,” he shrugged. “When our eyes met across the lunchroom.”
I’d forgotten my parents met in high school. Wow, I was a huge ass.
“Good morning.”
I turned to see Terry standing in the kitchen doorway with a shy smile.
“Hi,” I said. “Did you sleep well?”
Terry nodded, walking in to the kitchen. “I did, must be the country air.”
My father laughed. “Well this is a good day. I have to say, there’s more days that you get the paper mill smell than fresh country air.”
“Oh? What’s that smell like?” Terry asked.
“Shit,” Mary said.
I laughed at Terry’s expression.
“No, it really does smell like sewage,” I said, grabbing some bacon off the plate next to me.
My mother coughed and looked at my father. I sat back munching on my bacon.
“What?” I asked.
“Well, you see,” my mother began. “We weren’t sure if you’d come, ya know? So your father and I made plans to go to a party tonight at the Wexlers. Would y’all mind being on your own tonight?”
I looked over at Terry and saw carnal need in his eyes. I swallowed hard and turned my attention back to my parents.
“Nope, not at all. Knock yourselves out. Terry and I can figure something out.”
“Good!” My father smiled. “In the meantime, can you come into town with me, son? I got some Christmas shopping to do.”
“If that’s okay?” I took Terry’s hand in mine.
“That’s fine, you go on ahead. Your mother and I can bake cookies.”
“You bake?”
I almost laughed at my mother’s shocked look.
“Why yes, don’t you know that all of us gay men bake?!” Terry squealed comically and might have even lisped.
I almost pissed my pants as my mother swatted his arm.
* * * *
I spent the day shopping with my dad in Columbus. I swear we were all over the mall. My feet were starting to ache. I didn’t shop in stores. I shopped online. I never had time to go out shopping. As we tackled the mall, I realized how much fun it was shopping for other people. We walked into one of the ritzier stores and I looked at the Rolex watches. I wanted Terry to have something nice. My father was looking over at a glass case of rings. I came up behind him and smiled.
“What are you looking for?”
“Nothing, just waiting on your mom’s ring. I got our wedding date inscribed in it.” My
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