Page 24 of Their Little House Tristan
Bellamy raised a brow.
“Someplace…maybe we can talk and get a good meal?” As opposed to the restaurant downstairs that was already jam packed, thanks to it being open-mic night.
“Is everything okay?” James asked. “You seem nervous.”
“Shouldn’t you be all relieved and stuff?” Bellamy saw it too. Great. I was making them worry when what I wanted to talk about was something good. At least, in my mind, it was good, but regardless, it was hardly bad.
“Yeah, but…I’ve been considering something. I thought maybe we could talk about it.” The second the words left my mouth, I realized how ominous it sounded. I’d somehow managed to make it worse. There was no way I hadn’t just sounded like I was about to break up with them or drop some bad news like I was offered a job in Antarctica or someplace equally far.
So, as usual, I blurted it all out at once. “I don’t like us living apart anymore. I love you both, and I want us all to live together.” I was speaking a mile a minute.
Daddy crossed the room to me and placed his hand gently on my shoulder. “Say that again—maybe this time a little slower?”
I sucked in a deep breath and did my best to speak at a more decent rate. “I don’t like that you have your place and we have ours. I want us all to be together.”
“We understood that part,” Bellamy said, touching my chest. “Can you do the other part again?”
“What part?” Now I was confused.
“The part where you said you love us both.” Bell gave me my favorite grin.
“Oh, the part where I said I love you.”
“Yeah. That part.” Bell watched my face. “Can you do it again?”
“I-I thought I just did.”
“Yeah, I think we need one more time.” Daddy tapped my nose.
I smiled. They weren’t going to let me botch this too much.
“I love you, Bell. And I love you, James. And what I don’t love is spending nights apart. This hotel room—cheesy and dated as it is—has me so ridiculously happy, because I know at the end of the night, we’re going to tumble into that bed together. And in the morning, no one’s sneaking out early for work, or heading home to shower, or worrying about the right toothbrush or if we packed the right clothes. It’s just…us here together.” I took a breath and expressed my fear. “I don’t know—is it too fast?”
“No, my sweet boy,” James said, brushing hair from my face. “I don’t think it’s too fast. I’ve been thinking about it too.”
“Me three,” Bellamy added, kissing my cheek.
“So…are we gonna do this?”Please let us be doing this.“All of us under one roof?”
“Yeah. Let’s do this.” Bell squeed.
“Excellent.” Daddy kissed first me and then Bell.
“Let’s go celebrate!” I started for the door, but they hung back. “Are you two coming?”
“First,” James said, “we bought you something. A present.”
“Of course. The present.” Bell bounced on the balls of his feet. “You graduated and need prezzies.”
Daddy placed his suitcase on the bed, opened it up, and pulled out a gift bag. “This is from Bell and me.”
I reached inside, pushing aside the tissue paper until I found the frame. I pulled it out—it was a photo of the three of us, together. Nothing too fancy or formal and yet absolutely perfect.
“I love it, guys.”
“We figured you needed a picture of your family in your room,” Daddy said. “Or, I guess, now…our room.”
“Family,” I whispered, smiling. “I love the sound of that. It’s absolutely perfect.”
