Page 107 of The Home Game

“Kiss!” Alexis shouted.

Eli cheered too, then River hollered—because her siblings were, probably—and Matty turned Antoni so they faced each other.

“You want to?” he said and Antoni nodded, throat going dry.

Because yes, he wanted to. He wanted Matty. And well, it seemed stupid to deny himself this thing he’d wanted so desperately when it was offered to him.

Antoni sighed with relief when their lips touched and Matty tangled his fingers in the back of Antoni’s hair.

The kiss was chaste enough, only a tiny hint of tongue, but it still made Antoni’s toes curl and when Matty pulled away, Antoni buried his face against the curve of Matty’s neck and breathed him in.

He smelled so good. His cologne was rich and warm, comforting but a little spicy too. It did nothing to calm Antoni at all but he still breathed it in, sucking in lungfuls of the scent, clutching at the front of Matty’s suit jacket while the wind fluttered the hem of his own.

“C’mon, lovebirds!” his mom shouted. “We need to get a few more shots.”

So Antoni reluctantly pulled away.

There were more photos. Some with the kids. Some with his parents. Some with everyone that a stranger took. Antoni didn’t know if he was relieved or disappointed when they were finally done and Matty was no longer touching him.

Despite Antoni’s protests, his parents insisted on taking them to dinner. They had made reservations at a restaurant downtown already and had planned the celebration well. It was upscale enough to feel appropriate for a post-wedding meal but the booth was secluded so the kids wouldn’t drive the rest of the patrons nuts if they got a little squirrely.

With Matty pressed close to him on one side, Antoni didn’t focus much on what he ate. Although the food was delicious, Matty’s proximity and the glass of wine he drank went straight to his head.

He belatedly realized he hadn’t had lunch earlier, too nervous to choke anything down.

There was cake too, which Eli insisted they feed each other, and it was dark out when they finally left the restaurant.

They walked back to city hall, pausing for a few more photos in front of the brightly lit Toronto sign out front.

After, his mom corralled him, pulling him aside.

“I know that you and Matty don’t have time for a honeymoon,” she said quietly. “But we’ll take the kids for the weekend. You can have them back Monday after school. This morning, I had them pack their overnight bags and I took them with me when I went home to dress for the wedding so there’s no point in arguing.”

“What? Are you sure?” Antoni asked, confused. “This isn’t … we’re not …”

“I saw the way you kissed,” she said drily. “Even if you aren’t in love, there’s plenty of attraction.”

“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean we should act on it!” he hissed.

She snorted. “Why do you sound so scandalized? You’re a twenty-eight-year-old man. I know you’ve had sex before.”

“Yeah, but not with Matty!”

“Yes, well, you two did something very brave and very stupid today,” she said.

He opened his mouth to argue and she held up a hand. “I’m not saying it was the wrong thing. Not at all. But if you really think you can go years without sex when the two of you are living together and raising children together, then I’m going to tell you, you haven’t thought this through. You may not love Matty now but can you swear you won’t in six months or a year? In two or three or five?”

Antoni shook his head.

“You might have married for reasons that aren’t love but that doesn’t mean you can’t fall in love as you go. If you don’t feel right about having sex with him at this point, then don’t. Spend the weekend watching TV together! Read, go for a run. But enjoy having two full days off. Relax.”

“The kids …” Antoni said weakly.

“Will be fine with your father and me. And if for any reason they need you or we do, we will call, and you can jog over in five minutes. It’s not like we’re going to abscond with them and take them to Australia. I love my grandchildren but I’m not spending twenty-some hours on a flight with them.”

Antoni grinned, touched that she’d called them her grandchildren. “True.”

Even if the kids didn’t think of his parents as their grandparents yet, he hoped that maybe someday they would. But either way, he was glad that his parents loved the kids so much and vice versa.

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