Epilogue: One Year Later

Arlo

Laughter fills the air, along with the delicious smells coming from the barbecue. Kids run around, chasing each other with little water pistols, and music pulses from the speakers set up in several places. I sit at a folding table with a baby on my lap, trying not to become overwhelmed by all the love I feel.

Thomas has a big, noisy family that I adore. So many cousins, uncles, and aunties and women who apparently aren't related to anyone, but we call them auntie anyway. Everybody talks to me and asks about my work at Thomas's foundation. I love the genuine passion that wells up every time I talk about working with the kids and giving back to the community.

Who knew that work could be something to enjoy and be proud of? It's crazy how different my life is compared to just last year. And it's all thanks to Thomas.

My husband.

Apparently, neither of us wanted to talk the other out of it, and we did end up legally marrying only a couple of months after I moved to America. It just made everything easier for me to stay, and it closed a door with my parents for good. This isn't the 1800s and I doubt they really could have married me off. It was more metaphorical than that. It was me telling them that they don't have any control over me anymore, and if they want to be a part of my life, they have to find a way to accept and respect me.

So far, I haven't heard anything back from them, and that's okay. I don't want to have a relationship with them if they're not going to change. But they know where I am if they ever do want to reach out.

In the meantime, I look around the roof of our building that Thomas booked out for the day, seeing so many happy people smiling, eating, and drinking.

My name is Arlo Beltran, and I belong here.

I'm still getting used to the culture shock of moving to a big city after all my sheltered rural living. Thomas is still a little terrified about letting me use the subway by myself. But together we're both learning that I'm tougher than I seem and can handle a lot more than I ever thought possible.

New Yorkers can be frighteningly loud and argumentative, but it's authentic in a way that I deeply appreciate. I feel like the people I work with and I see in my everyday life are more genuine than the circles I used to move in around my parents. I'll take a feisty cab driver or a noisy bar of sports fans over the mind games that come from stony silences any day of the week.

And then there's my work. It's so hands on. The only options presented to me for employment until now were sitting on boards, going to meetings, and shuffling money and emails around. I know I would have really hated it. Now, I split my time organizing travel for the kids in Thomas's hockey program and working at a local daycare his foundation sponsors. I sit with toddlers on my lap as they fingerpaint and stop them from pushing lollipop sticks up their noses. It's messy and chaotic and I couldn't love it more.

Thomas's mum reminds me about once a month that gay couples can have babies, too. Often, his sister, Camila, comes to my rescue, but I really don't mind it.

My parents would remind me that it was my duty to produce an heir. Thomas's mama gets starry-eyed and talks softly about how much she'd love grandbabies. It makes me think about having children in ways I never have before. I know I'll always be Thomas's baby boy. But we have room in our hearts for love beyond ourselves, I'm sure.

As proven when Thomas came home in the rain one day with a shivering gray tabby kitten bundled up in his coat. We looked around to see if anyone reported her missing, but when the vet said she wasn't microchipped, we pretty much adopted her straight away. I was worried how Jolly might react to Zheng Yi Sao joining our crew, but it turned out he absolutely loved having a little minion trailing him around, learning all his tricks.

The two of them are currently downstairs in our apartment, away from the chaos of such a large family gathering, probably plotting world domination. I send regular updates to Kirana as we soon became friends on Insta after I moved. She calls the cats her babies and always asks after them before me or Thomas. I'm looking forward to seeing her when we fly back to Bali in a couple of weeks to celebrate our one-year anniversary.

I would never have dared to think my life could be so perfect, but as I look across the crowded roof at my husband, I take a breath and remember that I'm a good person who deserves good things.

Thomas glances over and catches me looking at him, a grin spreading over his face. He reaches down to one of the tables and grabs a spoon, tapping it to the beer bottle in his hand. "Hey, guys," he yells out.

Someone turns the music down. Another person gently takes the baby from my lap with a wink, so I rise to my feet to go stand by my Daddy.

When he has the group's attention, he puts the spoon down, wrapping his free arm around me, and raising his drink up in a toast. "Thank you all so much for coming. For some of you, this is the first chance you've had to meet my partner, Arlo." I blush as several people whoop and cheer, but I do love how loud they are with their approval of me. "As you probably know, we got married last year for several different legal reasons. But…it wasn't especially romantic."

He glances at me, and my stomach swoops. What's he doing?

I watch as he places his bottle on a nearby table…then gets down on one knee.

I blink as people scream and gasp. "Darling," I say in confusion. "We're already married."

He jerks a thumb over his shoulder. "You think I was going to get away with stopping this pack of wolves from throwing a party?" He reaches into his pocket and laughs. "Besides, I didn't get to do this. And, baby, you deserve everything."

The box in his hand is lined with black velvet. He opens it to reveal a rose gold band inside. I peer closer to make out the details on it.

"It's a compass," I whisper in awe.

He nods. "So you'll always be able to find your way home to my love."

I sniff, momentarily frozen, unable to comprehend how my life could possibly get any better right now.

"Arlo!" Mama cries in frustration. "Is that a yes?"

It's all ridiculous. We're already married, for heaven's sake. But I still burst into tears as I nod. "Yes," I splutter. The entire rooftop goes wild, cheering, clapping, whistling, banging cutlery on crockery, the works. My parents would deem it completely uncouth, and that's what makes it so bloody perfect.

"Wedding!" Camila is yelling at the top of her lungs over the New York skyline. "My baby brother is getting hitched, y'all!" One of the aunties pops a bottle of Champagne that's appeared from nowhere. In fact, there seems to be a lot of Champagne all of a sudden. Then people are pulling party poppers, sending streamers flying through the air.

I turn and look at Thomas. "Welcome to your engagement party," he says to me. I laugh and kiss him on the lips, but then he looks thoughtful. "If only we had some CAKE," he shouts. I flinch, no idea why he'd do that when I'm literally so close I'm in his arms. But his uncle Leo opens the roof door with a flourish, and out steps…

"GINNY!" I cry, more tears immediately falling from my eyes.

"I told you I'd come visit," she crows, sashaying toward us with a huge cake in her hands. It's got sparklers crackling all over it, but underneath the lights, I can see all the little pirate ships and mermaids and parrots. I love that Thomas doesn't make me try and hide the things I love in front of other people.

"Matelotage," Thomas whispers in my ear.

I nod at him. "I'll marry you on all the seven seas if you like."

He grins. "You're on."

Once the sparklers fade out, Mama takes it upon herself to start cutting the cake and sharing it out. I watch as Camila introduces herself to Ginny, both women grinning like maniacs.

"Should we be worried about that?" I ask.

"Absolutely," Thomas replies.

"Is there any way to stop them?"

"Nope!" Thomas says, laughing and kissing my neck.

This is my family. My big, messy, chaotic family, full of fun and games and most importantly…love and respect. This is where I belong.

With my Daddy at the top of the world.

Thank you so much for reading Arlo and Thomas's story! If you enjoyed their summer adventure, please leave a review on your favorite bookish site. It makes a big difference for us indie authors!