Page 30 of Finding Basil
“Hmm, let me think. The family and the godparents do most all of it. There’s nothing you have to do, per se, and the don’ts? I can’t think of any. I’ll be with you the whole time, so don’t worry. I know these things can be intimidating. But my family already likes you.”
“Don’t leave me, anyway. I’m sure I’ll do something wrong. My luck hasn’t been the best of late.”
“I know, but it’s okay. I wouldn’t leave you.”
Herb squeezed his hand again and then said, “You’re really sweet. I like that a lot about you.”
“Thanks. It hasn’t always been in my favor.”
“I’m sure.Nice guys finish last, and all that. Believe me, I’ve been attracted to my fair share of bad boys. When I was in college, man, I had a string of them, each one treating me worse than the one before.”
“We all go through that. I doubt one teenager or even people in their early twenties gets a great partner right off the bat.”
“It’s good though. Then when we find a guy who is good, and sweet, we know to appreciate it.”
Basil glanced over at him, blushing. “I know that feeling.”
His blush made Herb crazy. It was the sweetest part of him, and it made his flawless skin even more beautiful.
The ceremony was a Mass at the Catholic church in town. It had been decades since Herb had gone into a church. He wasn’t Catholic, so he watched and listened as those around him went through the Mass. In the receiving line outside the church, Carla was grinning from ear to ear as everyone greeted her and kissed her cheeks or hugged her.
She took one look at Herb’s shirt, tie, and pocket square and squealed. “Oh, wow! You’ll match!”
“Match?”
“You’ll see,” she said, and then threw her arms around her Uncle Basil’s neck. “Thanks for coming and bringing your new boyfriend.”
“Carla, he’s not…we haven’t even talked about that yet.”
After rolling her eyes, she pushed him down the line. “I’ll yell at you later.”
Driving to the hall for the party, Basil tried to explain and ended up tripping over his words. “She’s young and doesn’t understand, you know? I mean, kids meet and the next day they’re going out, like steady or whatever. I…I never said that, I mean, you know…”
“Basil, yes, it’s early for labels, but I’m not upset over it. I’m flattered your niece would consider me that.”
“I mean…Herb, it’s…I’d love to, but yeah, it’s too soon, and…”
“Stop explaining. I’m not upset. Unless you never want to be that, you know, a boyfriend to me.”
Basil laughed as he relaxed a little. “You know I want that.”
“Then, when it’s time, it will be time. Until then, we won’t mind being considered that by your family or anyone else.”
“Deal,” he said with a sigh. “This is weird, though, right?”
“Very. It’s like we’ve been together for years right from the start, but…if we go too fast and ruin it, it would kill me.”
“Me too.”
That settled, Herb was determined to have a good time at the party. Basil was already smiling, so getting that talk out of the way helped, he thought. Though it wasn’t much of a talk, and they had decided nothing. With the two of them, they didn’t seem to need to.
The moment Herb walked into the hall, he saw what Carla had meant by his matching. The entire place was done in purple.
There was purple tulle on the walls, purple twinkle lights, candles, and tablecloths. In the bouquets, purple roses were the stars, surrounded by brilliant white baby’s breath and lilies.
“We have one thing in common, your niece and I.”
“What’s that?”
