Youth: Special Epilogue

Tommy stares into the cavern of his bedroom. A veritable abyss, if you will. 

Strike that. He has no idea where his brain pulled those words from or if he used them correctly. 

His bedroom’s fucking empty is what Tommy’s getting at. 

Three-and-a-half months have passed since deciding to move to Miami to be with Eli and Jordan. Tomorrow, he’ll be leaving this apartment, his place for as long as he’s been able to pay his own bills, and he’s feeling nostalgic—and remorseful, surprisingly. 

Not about leaving the apartment, which is arguably pretty shitty and small. (Good luck to the place’s next residents.) 

No, if he’s being honest, Tommy’s remorseful for the many years of his adulthood spent here living in limbo. 

He’s never really talked about how he felt, not even to Goldie, and he probably didn’t realize what he was feeling. Tommy’s always been pretty easygoing. As long as he had a steady job, his family—problems with his father aside—and his martial arts, Tommy was satisfied. 

That all changed the day he invited a certain father-daughter duo to lunch. Finding a fellow foodie in the tenacious Jordan and opening his heart to the beam of light that is Eli... 

They’ve shown Tommy how wrong he was to settle for being satisfied. This move is the start of the life he should be living. 

A grunting noise pulls Tommy from his thoughts. Turning to find the source, he sees his boyfriend struggling with an overflowing box of Tommy’s martial arts trophies. 

“You need a hand?” Tommy asks. 

Eli lets out another grunt before answering, “No, thanks. I do have a few muscles under this colorful shirt.” Despite his words, he sets the box down with a graceless, heavy thud. “Hey, so, random suggestion here: be less good at taekwondo. Try not to win so much.” 

Tommy chuckles. “I think it’s too late for that. Although, I guess I’m at the age when I can stop caring about keeping in shape. I found my life partner, and I’m a co-parent now. Might as well start working on my dad bod.” 

Eli’s face morphs into a look of pure horror. “Don’t you dare! I need to show off those abs to everyone for the next two decades, at least. We’ll start locally: Jordan’s mother and stepfather, all my friends, everyone in South Miami. Then we’ll work our way up the peninsula—”  

Tommy holds up a hand to interrupt him. “Is that the only reason you’re letting me move in with you?” 

“Well, that and Jordan will finally stop asking for a puppy.” 

“Why’s that?” 

“Because with you, I’ll have the biggest puppy around.” 

“Haha.” Tommy sticks his tongue out to pant like the dog Eli accuses him of being, then wraps his arms around his boyfriend and licks a very wet stripe up the column of Eli’s neck. 

“Eww! Gross!” 

“You’re the one calling me your puppy, so I’m going to act like one.” 

Tommy keeps licking Eli’s neck and the side of his face, gradually turning the licks to soft presses of his lips. When he lands on Eli’s mouth, Tommy pokes his tongue back out to tangle with his boyfriend’s, which is ready and waiting. 

They stand there tasting each other for a long minute before the sound of the refrigerator door slamming shut catches their attention. 

“Where’s all the food?!” Jordan shrieks. 

Tommy and Eli pull apart to let out groans. 

“You know we’re eating at the party,” Eli reminds his daughter. Goldie and Teo are throwing Tommy a farewell party at Hank’s Bar tonight. “We’ll be leaving soon.” 

“But I’m so hungry!” 

Tommy is prepared for this. “Check the box marked Snacks,” he says. 

They hear some rustling and then: “OMG! You got my favorite trail mix with the yogurt-covered everything!” 

Tommy nods and waits for Jordan to describe what else she sees. 

“The five-pound tub?! And there’s the chocolate-covered ones too! Also in the five-pound tub!” 

Eli glares at him, but Tommy winks as he says, “Check what they’re sitting on top of.” 

After a beat… 

“A whole freaking case of every kind of Chewy bar!” 

“How many varieties are there?” Eli asks Tommy. 

“There might be more, but I got twenty.” 

“So, the case only has twenty bars?” 

“Oh, no, no,” Tommy says with a shake of his head. “The case has twenty boxes with ten bars in each.” 

“Twenty boxes, ten bars,” Eli mutters, doing the math. “That’s 200 Chewy bars!” 

Tommy nods. “Do you think that’s enough? I probably should have gotten more. It’s a long drive to Miami.” 

“For three people during a daylong road trip? That’s plenty.” 

“Wait, you’re going to have some too?” 

“... Yeah?” Eli says a little slowly. 

“Fuck, I should have definitely gotten more then.” Tommy thinks over their itinerary for tomorrow. “Costco won’t be open before we leave in the morning, but—” 

Tommy’s interrupted by Eli’s bark of laughter and lips smashing against his. The kiss this time has less heat with Eli murmuring about needing to get a bigger pantry and fridge when they get home. 

Home. 

Tommy’s not only moving away. He’s going to be getting a new home...with his boyfriend. The thought kicks up some pesky insecurities. 

“Regret letting me move in with you?” Tommy asks after they break apart. 

Eli quirks his head, chocolate-brown eyes boring into Tommy’s hazel ones. “Not one bit,” his boyfriend says. “I’ll gladly take the extra zeroes on my grocery receipts to build a life with my person.” 

Eli takes Tommy’s hand and places it over his heart, where the tattoo dedicated to the ones Eli loves is etched. “Tommy, your name’s not written on my skin, but you’re right here all the same.” He brings his free hand to cup Tommy’s cheek. “I love you.” 

Tommy can’t believe someone as beautiful and brave as Eli feels that way for him. He feels the skepticism is completely justified after desperately wanting to hear those three little words from Goldie, only to be denied and disappointed for more than a decade. He can’t fault his best friend for how she felt, though, especially now that he has Eli. 

“I love you too,” Tommy rasps. Determined to make up for lost time, he sweeps his tongue one more time against Eli’s mouth before calling out, “Hey, Jordanator?” 

“Yeah?” 

“Do you have those new headphones I bought you?” 

“You know I do. They’re so pink and awesome.” 

“Good, because you’re gonna need them for the next thirty minutes.” 

“What? How come?” 

“I think you can guess why.” 

A few seconds go by before they hear, “Ohhh, okay. But I want real food, so you have thirty minutes or as long as it takes for me to eat a whole box of Chewys.” 

Eli’s jaw drops in outrage, but Tommy covers his mouth with his hand. “Fine, it’s a deal.” 

With that settled, Tommy quickly shuts the door and sinks to his knees before Eli can complain about his daughter eating a whole box of glorified candy bars. 

His boyfriend lets out a pained groan, the sight of Tommy kneeling likely a sweet torture for him. 

“Babe,” Tommy rumbles, “I made sure to get Jordan the high-end, noise-canceling kind of headphones, but you still might wanna control how loud you can get when I take you in my mouth.” 

Eli snaps his mouth shut so fast, his teeth audibly click. Giving a satisfied nod, Tommy gets to work unzipping the fly of Eli’s jeans. As soon as he parts the denim to reveal boxer shorts covered in pink flamingos (Tommy was amused to learn that Eli’s affinity for bright and fun patterns extended beyond his shirts), Eli makes a stopping gesture, raising his hand with his palm out. “Take off your shirt first,” he commands. 

Tommy cocks an eyebrow. “We only have thirty minutes,” he reminds Eli. “Probably less since Jordan eats like the world’s ending.” 

“Yeah, I know. I still want you shirtless. Can’t waste this chance to see those amazing abs that are most definitely not the main reason I want you living with me but are a nice bonus.” 

With a smirk that surely shows off the dimples Eli also obsesses over, Tommy complies and pulls off his Superman T-shirt. He’s about to toss it to the side when a thought hits him. “Do I even need to take my shirts with me to Miami? Everyone just goes topless because of the heat, right?” 

Eli opens and closes his mouth a few times without words escaping and seesaws his head side to side. 

Tommy’s chuckle is low, quaking the abs that are so adored by his boyfriend. “You’re tempted to tell me to leave the shirts behind, aren’t you?” 

“It’s a totally valid option if we need to cut some weight from the moving truck,” Eli says with a face that’s barely holding it together. “All those martial arts trophies are really damn heavy.” 

Tommy shakes his head. “Sure, not taking my ten T-shirts would be a big help.” 

They snort and giggle over the ridiculous conversation, gazes dopey with love and affection. The moment is rudely interrupted, however, by the shouted declaration of Eli’s daughter. “Seven Chewys left!” 

Both men’s eyes widen, and Tommy practically tears off his boyfriend’s jeans and funny flamingo shorts. 

Because Tommy’s done with wasting any more time. 

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ 

The party at Hank’s is an intimate gathering, similar to the one thrown for Teo’s birthday a few months ago. Honestly, though, it’s probably smaller. There aren’t too many people actively part of Tommy’s life who are around to see him off. 

His mother is currently on a mission to visit every “must-see” staircase as recommended by Atlas Obscura, and his two younger sisters are at opposite corners of the country. The only family member nearby is his father, and Tommy knew better than to expect him here. 

The last time they saw each other was a painfully awkward encounter more than a month ago at a fishing hole on the outskirts of the county. Less than ten sentences had been exchanged:

“Hey, Dad.” 

Tommy was greeted with a side-eye as his father casted his line. “You come here to bitch at me some more?” 

“No, I just wanted to let you know that I’m moving to Miami to be with my boyfriend and his daughter.” 

For the briefest second, an emotion other than self-loathing and regret flitted across his father’s features. It had been so long since seeing anything else that Tommy couldn’t be certain of what he saw. 

“Wish you the best, son.” 

Surprised to get even that halfway-decent response, Tommy had simply nodded. 

“Now, hand me another beer, would ya?” 

He did not. 

Instead, Tommy kicked the cooler over into the lake—and left without looking back.  

Shaking off the memory, he notices Henry over by the tables filled with food and beverages. Of course, that’s the direction Jordan runs toward like a rocket, Eli trailing and waving at his uncle in greeting. Tommy hangs back, scanning the bar for who else came. 

Johnny Fresh and the Panty Rockers are here, setting up on the Helena stage. They just got back from their European tour, where Johnny was nearly arrested for inciting a brawl at one of the concerts. He claims: “Some wanker kept screaming for us to go back to America, which I ignored because I’m old and don’t give a fuck what anyone thinks, but then he called Dolly Parton a derogatory word, and that’s when I snapped. You don’t fuck with Dolly.” 

Tommy catches sight of two other regular performers at Hank’s. Ruby and her husband, Spade, are hanging out at the bar with one of Tommy’s co-workers.   

Besides Goldie and a few college bros he’s kept up with through social media and random visits, Tommy’s list of friends is mighty short. With how much he works, you’d think he’d have some pals from the dealership, at least, but everyone mostly stays in their lanes, keeping busy with customers and the controlled chaos of selling vehicles. 

Reyes, however, is an exception. As fellow sales managers, they built a strong bond over the stress of dealing with shitty customers, and Tommy truly feels bad for abandoning him. 

But with the way Ruby and Spade are fawning over Reyes, laughing at something he’s said and each resting a hand on his shoulders, Tommy’s leaving his work buddy in good company. 

With one friend accounted for, Tommy wonders where Goldie could be. She and Teo are supposed to be here already since the gathering was the couple’s idea. 

Surprisingly, Tommy finds himself just as curious about Teo’s whereabouts as he is of Goldie’s. They’ve gotten to know each other better these last few months, and the three of them have been regularly hanging out. Tommy’s made peace with only being Goldie’s friend, and without the blinders of jealousy, he can see how his best friend and Teo are good for each other. 

Still, it’s never not going to be weird that his best friend’s boyfriend is basically his father-in-law now. 

Continuing his search, Tommy finds Goldie’s mother sitting at a table with Penny, who’s dressed from head to toe in a sunshiny yellow. Her dress is loose and swells in the front, subtly showing her baby bump. 

He’s about to approach them to ask about Goldie and Teo when the back doors open, and the couple walks through hand in hand. 

“There you two are!” Tommy shouts as he arcs a path in their direction. “What kept you? Please don’t say you were busy doing it.” 

“Tommy!” Goldie shrieks and lightly punches his arm. 

Teo’s smirk makes Tommy think he was right until he starts rubbing Goldie’s back. “Trust me, I wish that was the reason. But Golds wasn’t feeling good.” 

Tommy does a quick up-and-down assessment of his friend. “You okay?” 

She tries to wave off the concern. “I’m fine. I drank some ginger ale, munched on saltines. It shouldn’t be a prob—” Goldie clamps her mouth shut, makes a telling gagging sound, and doesn’t waste time running to the restroom. 

After giving Goldie’s mother some words of assurance, Penny stops Tommy and Teo from following her. “I’ll go. She’s not going to want either of you seeing her like that. Besides, we have a history of dealing with each other’s vomit.” 

Tommy and Teo exchange similar expressions of disgust. 

“Ohh-kay,” Tommy starts slowly, addressing Teo, “other than dealing with a sick Goldie, how’s your day been?” 

Instead of replying, Teo’s gaze lingers on Penny until she enters the restroom, then he scopes out the bar. When his head stops turning, Tommy looks in the direction he’s facing and sees Jordan and Eli joining Goldie’s mother. 

The sight seems to satisfy Teo in some way because he nods and returns his attention to Tommy. “I need to show you something, but you have to promise not to say anything to anyone, not even Eli.” 

Before Tommy can get concerned, Teo turns his back to the others in the bar and pulls something from his pocket. 

It’s a ring box. 

Even though he knows it’s not meant for him, Tommy’s breath still catches. 

“Do you think Goldie’ll like it?” Teo asks. 

Tommy knows fuck-all about jewelry, but he takes note of the stones. They’re small and yellow, arranged in a cluster, with leaf-like shapes filigreeing the band—reminiscent of a flower. If Tommy had to guess, it’s not just any flower. 

“It’s a marigold,” he says, sounding breathless, a brew of emotions churning his gut. 

Teo nods. “I know she’ll get upset about the price, but I found a small-business jeweler who hand makes pieces from recycled metals and stones, so it wasn’t like I bought her something from Tiffany’s. And when I saw this, I knew it was meant for Goldie, you know? Even though she doesn’t really wear jewelry—” 

“She’ll love it,” Tommy says, snappishly interrupting Teo’s rambling. “Why are you telling me all this?” 

Teo purses his lips and probably has his jaw clenched too, going by the slight flexes of the muscles of his gray-bearded face. Popping his mouth open, he says in a rush, “I-want-your-blessing.” 

Tommy’s head jerks back. “What the hell? Are you mistaking me for Pastor Paul? Do you need your old eyes checked?” 

Teo gives an unimpressed glare. “No, asshole. I want to know if you’re good with me asking to marry Goldie.” 

“I’m not her father,” Tommy points out while his body shudders at the notion. “And Eli can tell you, I’m not into daddy kink.” 

“Oh God!” Teo exclaims with a shudder of his own. “I don’t need to know that!” 

“Well, I don’t need to give you my blessing to marry Goldie!” 

“You’re right,” Teo says, lowering his voice and scanning the bar again, probably to check if anyone overheard them. “If Goldie says yes, stampeding dinosaurs couldn’t stop me from marrying her, let alone you not giving your blessing.” 

Tommy needs Teo to get to the point, but he can’t help asking, “Why dinosaurs?” 

“According to Jordan, any stampede would be a challenge to get past, but one with an extinct species would be even harder to ignore.” 

“That does sound like her.” Tommy shakes his head, feeling completely at a loss. “Seriously, man. What’s with all this blessing talk? Of anyone, you should be over there with her mom begging for the privilege to marry Goldie.” 

Teo doesn’t dare move his head even a fraction to look in the direction of Goldie’s mother, although his eyes dart to the side. “I’m going to get to her...when I get the guts. You, however, are my priority since you’re leaving tomorrow.” 

“I shouldn’t be any kind of priority when it comes to this.” 

“You’re wrong,” Teo says with such blunt force that Tommy stands straighter, bracing himself. Teo rolls his lips inward before parting them to say the most shocking phrase ever uttered. “You’re family, Tommy.” 

Tommy blinks rapidly a few times, then stops and blankly stares at the father of his boyfriend/likely soon-to-be fiancé of his best friend. 

Teo runs a hand through the loose waves of his mostly white hair. “You know, since I stopped taking the Serum, I’ve been trying to embrace my true age without shame. But at the same time, I honestly still feel like the twenty-something Goldie thought I was. With her, that’s who I am. It’s like living two lives at once, which makes no damn sense.” 

Tommy bites his tongue to avoid agreeing. Despite reconciling, the asshole attitude he had when it came to the other man sometimes rears its ugly head. He’s grown these past several months, though, and won’t regress. 

“You have a special place in both those lives,” Teo says. 

“How so?” 

“You’re always going to be in Goldie’s life, right?” 

“Absolutely. This move doesn’t mean an end to our friendship.” 

Teo nods. “You might want to remind her of that, by the way. The bouts of puking have distracted her, but she’s been especially mopey today.” 

Tommy takes the suggestion seriously and makes a mental note. 

“And how long do you see your relationship with my son lasting?” 

“Forever,” Tommy says automatically. Easily. Without one shred of doubt. 

“So, like I said, you’re family. Goldie loves you. Eli and Jordan love you.” Teo’s mouth quirks. “And I love you.” 

Well, fuck. 

Just like that, a new most shocking phrase is uttered. 

“Despite our rocky start, you’re a dear friend,” Teo continues. “And this one’s gonna make you cringe, but you’re also like a son to me.” And, sure enough, Tommy feels a shiver squirm through his limbs. Teo snorts and lets some laughter spill into his finishing words. “So do I have your blessing to marry Goldie or not?” 

Tommy takes a beat to clear his throat, knowing emotion will crack his voice. “Before I say yes to this blessing BS, I should probably hear your intentions for Goldie first. Only seems fair since you asked me those questions before.”   

Teo’s response is just as fast as Tommy’s was. “I’m going to dedicate the rest of my life to loving her.” 

Tommy absorbs the words. Lets them bounce off his ear drums and soak into his brain matter. Trust the sentiment as undeniable fact. Because the assurance that Goldie will be loved as she should be—even if it’s not by Tommy—is an immense relief. 

That’s how much he loves her.   

Tommy sticks out a hand. “Old man, you better live till you’re a hundred, at least.” 

Teo huffs and meets the waiting palm with his, understanding without needing the exact words: He has Tommy’s blessing. 

Out of the corner of his eye, Tommy catches Goldie and Penny emerging from the restrooms then. “Hey, your soon-to-be fiancée’s back. Let’s go check on her.” 

“You go,” Teo says. “I want to give you and Goldie as much time as possible. Just don’t let my plans slip out.” 

“I’m not about to steal your thunder. Although, fair warning”—Tommy pauses and flicks his gaze to Eli—“I think I have some ring shopping to do in the near future.” 

A beaming smile stretches across Teo’s immaculately groomed salt-and-pepper beard, further crinkling the corners of his big brown eyes. Despite all the signs of aging, he’s amazingly boyish, no Serum necessary. Even the white wisp of hair that’s fallen over his forehead makes him seem younger. It looks soft, like a feather. 

The thought has Tommy turning around sharply…because maybe he does have a daddy kink? 

Nope. He’s not going there. 

“Hey, Golden Girl!” Tommy calls out in warning as he strides to meet his best friend near the bar’s small dancefloor. “How’re you feeling?” 

“I’m fine, Tommy,” Goldie answers while waving away Penny’s offered arm. “And, seriously, Penny, I’m not going to keel over.” 

“But you never get sick! Are you sure you’re not dying? Putting up a brave front so you can squeeze in a few final, precious hours with your best friend before he rides off into the sunset with his handsome boyfriend on his new Harley. They’re death traps, by the way.” Penny tosses the comment at Tommy. “Then you collapse prettily into Teo’s arms, gasping your love for him with your last breath.” 

Tommy shares a look of disbelief with Goldie, who clutches Penny’s shoulder. “Are you okay?” 

Penny scrunches her button nose. “It’s pregnancy brain. I’ve been trying to keep my mind occupied with reading.” 

“Reading what?” Tommy asks. 

“Gothic romance.” 

Tommy and Goldie release an “Ah” of understanding at the same time. 

“Anyway,” Penny continues, “I’m still not wrong about you. Why are you throwing up?” 

Instead of responding, Goldie sweeps her gaze across the room in a distracted way. Teo’s strumming a guitar, riffing with Johnny Fresh on the stage. Eli and Jordan are still with Goldie’s mother, who seems captivated by whatever story the pair is recounting. Her eyes then land on Tommy, whose heart aches over the downward tilt of her mouth and the clash of her eyebrows. 

“I’ll be fine,” she eventually says, not really answering Penny’s question. 

Penny’s eyes squint and her lips twist to the side, expression scrutinizing and judgy. “Well,” she says slowly, “if you’re sure you’ll be okay, then I’ll go make sure Jack isn’t letting our kids put all kinds of hot sauces on their chicken wings to test their heat-tolerance levels.” 

She rubs Goldie’s back, unable to leave her without imparting some comforting touch, then twirls around to find her family. 

Goldie’s eyes remain locked on Tommy, expression still sullen. 

“Talk to me, Golden Girl,” Tommy murmurs. 

Instead, she does what Penny said she would with Teo in her wild scenario. She collapses prettily into Tommy’s arms. 

“Please, don’t die gasping your love for me,” Tommy says. 

“I’m not dying,” Goldie grumbles into his chest, then tilts her head back to look him in the eyes. “I do love you, though.” 

That’s the third time today he’s heard the L-word. Tommy used to go weeks or months without someone telling him they love him, the sentiment usually thrown out at the end of conversations with his mother or his sisters. 

Tommy doesn’t think he truly understood the word until today. Its many nuances, and the weight it possesses. Three of the most important people in his life told him they love him. 

In varied, precious ways—in all the ways that count—Tommy is loved. 

He squeezes his best friend tight. “I love you too, Goldie. This isn’t the end of us. You gotta know that.” Goldie nods, but he knows better. She’s stubborn as hell and is going to need extra assurance. “I’ll still text you stupid memes every day. Send you voice messages of the latest dad joke I come up with. We’ll do watch parties for the latest Marvel shows and movies. I’ll even send you videos of every new thing I experience in Florida, especially the alligator wrestling.” 

“If you send me a video of you getting a hand bitten off, I’m blocking your number.” 

“You wouldn’t.” 

“And why’s that?” 

“Because you’ll need to call and message me just as much as I will with you. It’s your journalistic and civic duty, Ms. Hays. You know me: I’m a big man with big energy and zero impulse control. It’s going to get me in trouble someday, and then you’ll have to report on it. As my best friend, you balance my brashness.” 

Goldie beams one of her rare toothy smiles at him. “And you, Master Rhodes, expertly kick my troubles away.” 

They stay like that for a long time, gazing at each other with big grins while locked in each other’s embrace... 

Until Goldie zips her lips and her throat convulses. 

Tommy loosens his hold on her in case she needs to jump back and puke on the floor. “Okay, what’s going on with you? It’s like how Penny was a few months ago—” He cuts himself off as realization dawns on him. “ARE YOU PREGNANT?!” 

Tommy really does need to work on his impulse control. 

Goldie’s eyes grow wide and panicked—and she punches his arm for real this time. 

“Oww, Goldie!” Tommy rubs the meat of his bicep, where a bruise will definitely be forming. At least she hadn’t punched him in the face like he deserved. 

Goldie and Tommy look around the bar to take stock of the damage. No one moves a muscle, all jaws are on the floor, and all eyes are on them.    

Teo is the first to approach, movements slow and gaze laser-focused on his girlfriend. Meanwhile, Goldie’s as still as a statue except for the exaggerated rise and fall of her chest. 

“Goldie?” Teo says with hesitance—or maybe it’s reverence. Tommy catches the rapid movement of his eyes and thinks Teo is checking for any physical signs of the truth. “Golden Wonder?” he says this time, tone urging. Imploring. 

The squeak of a sob escapes her throat before Goldie utters the newest most shocking phrase ever: “We’re having a baby!” 

Teo’s enveloping Goldie in an instant, and everyone in the bar erupts with cheers and applause. Penny is especially loud with her squee of joy over having a “pregnancy pal.” 

Eli and Jordan join Tommy, while Goldie’s mother uses her short stature to squeeze between the couple to get to her daughter. That opens the floodgates of hugging between everybody. 

Teo and Eli are hugging. Jordan and Goldie are hugging. Tommy and Goldie’s mom are hugging. Then everyone switches like dance partners in Jane Austen adaptations. 

When it’s time for Tommy and Teo to hug, Tommy uses the moment to apologize. “Sorry, I guess I sort of stole your thunder after all.” 

Teo’s brain must be flying high over the baby news because he asks, “What are you talking about?” 

“You know, about the ring!” 

“Ring?” Goldie echoes in question over Eli’s shoulder, eyes narrowing on her boyfriend. “Teo, what ring?” 

Son of a bitch. 

Tommy needs to learn a way to kick himself in the mouth and shut himself up permanently. 

Teo’s hand reflexively covers his pants pocket. Like Goldie before, he’s wide-eyed and panicked while looking at her, but when he turns to Tommy, the expression morphs. He bares his teeth like a dog about to attack. 

While Goldie’s loved Tommy long enough to not seriously hurt him with a punch when she’s mad, Teo’s love for him is very new. Tommy might not just get punched for real again (and most likely right in the face this time). 

No, Tommy’s probably a dead man. And just when he was starting to appreciate how his life turned out. 

Oh, the irony. 

Tommy pulls his boyfriend to him by the hibiscus-patterned shirt he’s wearing and plants a surprise kiss on his lips. “Eli, babe,” he pants as he breaks them apart. “It was great while it lasted. I’m sorry that all I have to leave you with is a truckful of trophies and a Costco membership.” 

Then Tommy sprints for the exit with Teo hot on his heels. 

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ 

As his boyfriend and his pops continue to act like fools—running in and out of the bar, knocking over chairs, and almost crashing into the drums onstage—Eli and Jordan watch the spectacle from the food table. 

“I can’t believe Goldie’s having a baby!” Jordan says after a big bite of a Cubano. “That means I’m going to be a—” 

She cuts herself off and tilts her head quizzically. “If Goldie’s with Abuelo, and you’re his son, then I’m the baby’s...niece?” 

At that moment, Eli’s father finally catches up to Tommy with a brutal tackle that almost takes out the leg of one of the food tables. 

“Be careful!” Jordan admonishes, and Eli worries for a second that she’s interpreting the fight as something serious. Then she says, “I haven’t had any cake yet!” 

Meanwhile, the men on the floor roll onto their backs and groan. 

“Holy shit!” Tommy exclaims. “You’re fast for an old guy!” 

“You’re still dead, Rhodes,” Pops wheezes. “Just let me catch my breath first.” 

Eli shakes his head but smiles fondly. “Don’t worry too much about labels, Jordie. Somos familia.” 

The end