Page 10 of Garlands and Gauntlets

He pauses, giving me a panicked look. I didn’t ever give him a last name.

“Please, just call me Alessia,” my mom says. “But please, come sit down–I don’t want you having to stoop like that all night.”

Theo’s hand still in hers, my mom guides him to the sitting room, where she has him sit on the too-small sofa. It’s more like an armchair for him–not that he’s complaining.

“You’re so kind inviting me over tonight,” Theo is saying. “Thank you.”

“It’s really no problem,” she says. “How did you and Vaelin meet?”

“Did Vaelin bring a boy home?” That’s my sister Calliope, poking her head out from the kitchen. There’s flour in her hair, probably from helping out my dad with the meal.

“It’s not like that,” I cut in.

“Oh, don’t be embarrassed, Vaelin,” my mom says. “I won’t asktoomany questions. This isn’t an interrogation.”

I beg to differ.

Calliope comes strolling out of the kitchen with a satisfied smirk on her face, looking into the living room. She does a double-take, her eyes wide as she looks back at me. “Gods, Vaelin, are you sure he isn’t…you know.Too big?”

Getting the implication, I scowl. “Aren’t you a little too young to be asking questions like that? And besides, he’s just a friend.”

“If you say so.”

“Keep that attitude up and you’re not getting your gift,” I chide.

She goes still, immediately putting on puppy dog eyes. She knows how to use them expertly–at her halfling height, it’s even more effective. “You wouldn’t come home and deny youronlysister a gift, would you?”

I snort, reaching into my pocket and passing over the box with the unicorn in it. “I hope you like it.”

I leave her behind to open her gift, anxious about leaving Theo alone with my mother. He’s handling himself admirably, though, smiling and nodding along–and being strategic with the answers he gives her about who he is.

“You chose a good time to visit Hearthwynd!” my mom is saying. “Yuletide’s our best season. Are you staying long, or just for the holiday?”

Theo hesitates, glancing at me as if he can find the answer in my face. “I’m not sure yet,” he says. “I’ve got some…things to figure out.”

That’s vague enough to keep her from prying further–and my dad comes to the rescue, big voice booming from the kitchen. “Dinner’s almost ready!”

We migrate to the dining room, all of us converging on the table. It’s already been set, courtesy of Calliope–the wooden unicorn marking her place at the table. To their credit, my family has set a place for Theo with our sturdiest chair.

He’s too big for this space–his broad shoulders nearly brush the walls, and his movements are comically delicate as he tries not to knock anything over–but somehow, he fits.

Not physically, not even a little bit.

But…it feels right.

I am so screwed.

My dad comes out of the kitchen with a flourish, carrying the centerpiece of the whole meal–a spiced roast, cooked to perfection. He puts it down on the table and only then does he size up Theo, who’s now sitting down. Even sitting down, Theo is bigger than my father, who stands at a little less than four feet. My dad extends his hand, beaming.

“Well, if it isn’t Vaelin’s boyfriend–”

“It really isn’t like that,” I interrupt. “I’m sorry, Theo, it’s pretty presumptuous of them to assume you like–”

“I do,” he blurts out.

Everyone goes quiet. Theo’s face turns bright red. “I mean…I like–I like all people. Not just–”

“What did you make, dad?” I interrupt.

---