Page 81 of After Midnight

Ashton’s eyes darted to Jeffrey, then he turned to me and sighed.

“Kid, everyone in this room has made a mistake regarding love. I’ll let Rita tell her own stories, but Jeffrey and I have datedoff and on for many years. We let circumstances break us apart. Circumstances that all seem sort of silly now, in retrospect.” Jeffrey reached over and took Ashton’s hand.

“You should learn from our mistakes, all of them,” Jeffrey said. “If I hadn’t let hurt feelings and my pride get in the way, Ashton and I would’ve been married and probably still be in a loving relationship as strong as your dads’.” Ashton placed his other hand atop their joined ones, and they shared in a smile. Despite them not being together, at least not officially, they obviously still cared deeply for one another. “If we’d married, it’s also highly possible I wouldn’t have lost Dominic and the girls. Their lives would’ve been much better as the godchildren of Ashton and me, and it’s my biggest regret.”

“Understandable,” I said, thinking about how different my life would’ve been had I not been raised by my two loving parents. Through my dads, I saw what a happy marriage and family life could be, so I knew it was possible for myself. I just needed to find my person to complete that equation.

“Sometimes you have to strike when the iron is hot, even if it feels too early by society’s standards,” Ashton said, then waited a moment as if he were choosing his words carefully. “But other people’s opinions on that shouldn’t matter. You aren’t in a relationship with anyone but that man upstairs. You both turning to each other now rather than away, after all you’ve both been through, should be sign enough you’re building something special together.”

“Maybe I should confess I love him first, though, don’t you think?” The three adults all looked at me at the same time. “I mean, before we move in together?”

Ashton just shook his head. “You kids wear me out.” He kissed Jeffery before standing up from the table, and said to him, “I’ll talk to you tomorrow. You should probably tell Dillon about our plans since this new development will probably include him.”

“What, no, you can’t drop that bomb, then leave,” Jeffrey said, sounding stressed.

Miss Rita chuckled. “He’s right. Sit yourself back down and spill it, brother.”

Jeffrey immediately relaxed when Ashton took a seat. Ashton looked annoyed at having been called out by his sister, but Jeffrey beamed. “The incorrigible and obnoxiously sure of himself Ashton Pipkin has asked me to marry him, and I’ve said yes.”

My mouth dropped open, and I stared at the two men for a moment before I could get my wits about me. “Married? I didn’t even know you were actually dating.”

“We rekindled things after Ashton called me out of the blue to help with Dominic’s fashion emergency for your dads’ gala. Only in my wildest dreams did I ever think we’d find ourselves back together, and now this.” Jeffrey held his hand up and showed us a delicate and beautiful engagement ring. I launched over and gave him a hug.

“Have you told Dominic yet? He’s going to be over the moon about it.” I said, and both men shook their heads.

“Well, Jeffrey literallyjustsaid yes, so not yet. We’re also not sure if it’s the right time for that, given everything is still so fresh. The focus needs to remain on Dominic and the girls, and getting them through this.”

“Okay, now it’s time for me to call bullshit,” I said. “You know he and the girls are going to be thrilled. I’m willing to bet that you’ll have to fight over who gets to claim him as their best man. At least you can have two flower girls, though, and don’t have to flip a coin.”

All three adults chuckled. “Best to not even have flower girls if it meant having to choose,” Miss Rita mused. “Although, speaking of bucking conventions, why not have one be the flower girl and the other the ring bearer?”

Everyone seemed to ponder that a moment while something Ashton had said earlier came back to me. “What did you mean when you said this will probably include us though? Are you two planning to move the whole family to Chicago still, or not at all?”

“Well, we consider the girls and Dominic a package deal. We’d have better luck prying superglue apart,” Ashton said. “Relocating to Chicago remains the plan. He’s already made arrangements to transfer colleges, and that’s still in motion.”

“So, we’ll need adjoining apartments?” I asked, not wanting to give up on the possibility of living with Dominic.

“Well, how do you feel about living with a big family?” Jeffrey asked.

“You mean, like, living with all of you?” I asked, feeling a little overwhelmed by the turn in the conversation. “I don’t know.”

“Well, mother owns a huge house not far from Boystown. She bought it back when real estate in the area was dirt cheap, but it’s become too big for her to manage and it’s more space than she needs. She’s considering selling it and moving into an independent living place nearby. I’ve already asked to buy it from her. There’s plenty of room for us and the girls, and I helped her convert the attic into an apartment years ago for an additional income stream. It’s currently vacant and would be perfect for a couple who need privacy but still want to live with family.”

“You’re teasing me now,” I said in disbelief. “You’d really just let us move in upstairs? Besides, that income stream would be a lot to give up. I mean, I could pay you rent, but I’m not exactly flush with cash, despite my dads being loaded.”

Jeffrey looked at me aghast. Clearly, I’d stuck my foot in my mouth somehow. “First of all, don’t insult me with that paying rent nonsense. Second, I’ll give you my mom’s address and phone number, so when you get back to Chicago, you can go seethe space. Then you and Dominic can decide together if it’s right for you both, but I’m pretty sure it will be.”

I jumped up and hugged Jeffrey, then Ashton. “I don’t need to see the place to decide. Assuming Dominic is game, count me in,” I said, smiling. Then I hugged Miss Rita and was about to head out when I turned back around. “Are you coming too?” I asked.

Miss Rita looked pained, and I could tell I’d stepped on a land mine.

“She is, and she’s going to stop this ridiculous argument about being settled here,” Ashton said. Miss Rita gave him the stink eye but she couldn’t hold it, and she chuckled.

“We’ll see,” she said.

I hugged them all again before saying goodbye.

“I can’t wait to tell my dads. They’re going to be impossible to live with when they hear the news.”

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