Page 26 of Glass & Groundwork
“What?” Frankie was the first to ask. “Did I hear what I think I heard, because I was in the other room, so I need to be sure.”
I laughed awkwardly and pushed my glasses up my nose. “Uh, yeah. That’s the big news. Surprise.”
Jazz hands came out. I didn’t think I’d ever jazz-handed before, but the awkwardness of the situation brought it out of me.
Those that were standing, sat, and those that were sitting, stood. Everyone shifted as the words settled around them. Eduardo whispered, “Holy shit!” Nicky squealed and did a little clap.
Jasper looked up at me with a panicked expression. “Shit, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to just say it like that. It just popped out.”
“Maybe not exactly what I planned, but it’s okay.” My protective instinct flared up, putting my arm over his shoulder, and pulling him closer to me. Not that I thought he needed protection from my family, but that I wanted him to know he didn’t screw it up. The way he so naturally tucked himself into my body, made my heart do a little flip.
Scanning the room as my family all reacted to the abrupt news, I simply asked, “Soo… any questions?”
Yahir looked between us. “Is this like a shotgun wedding? Did you knock him up?”
I shot him a pointed look. “Inappropriate.”
He shrugged with a mischievous look. “We were all thinking it.”
Eduardo took a step toward us. He studied us carefully. It was his approval I wanted the most. We’d been together the longest and had seen each other through a lot. I drew in a breath and held it, waiting to hear what he had to say.
“This is fast.” They had all seen the state Jasper was in the day before. To go from that to this big news was bound to raise some hackles.
I nodded. “It is.”
“I think you misunderstood when we suggested you start dating. You seemed to have skipped over that part.”
Another awkward laugh came out of me. “I suppose so. I never was very good at the dating thing.”
Eduardo turned his attention to Jasper. “You’re not going to hurt him, are you?”
Jasper stepped away from me, closing the distance between him and Eduardo. He looked down at the floor for a moment, before lifting his chin and meeting his gaze. “I’m going to try really hard not to. I care a lot about Gio, and that’s the last thing I want.”
I felt my throat tighten at the exchange between these two men as everyone in the room watched with intense interest. Eddie’s eyes flicked past Jasper to meet mine. “You’re sure about this, Papa?”
A genuine smile stretched my lips. A week ago, I wouldn’t have thought I would be standing here, having this conversation. Hell, even yesterday morning. But now that we were, I felt really good about it. “I am, Eddie.”
With his attention returned to Jasper, he said, “I’m assuming there’s a reason this is happening so quickly.”
Jasper opened his mouth to say something, but Eduardo held up a hand, interrupting him. “You don’t have to say what that is, it’s your business. Listen, we're all here because we've had to make choices in our lives that weren't always easy, but any decision that brought us to Gio was the right one. Jasper, I hope you know how lucky you are to have found him, don’t forget that.”
Jasper shook his head and reached out to Eduardo, holding his hand. “I am, I know I am. And I won’t forget, I swear.”
Eduardo’s lips stretched into a smile. “All right, we’re with you. Now, what do we need to do to make this happen and how much time do we have?”
My heart felt like it would burst out of my chest as cheers erupted around the room. Soon Jasper and I were both being hugged, and the outpouring of love and acceptance from my kids made me feel so proud. I loved them all more than words could express.
Jasper met my gaze with tear-filled eyes, looking overwhelmed in the best way. I grabbed him and pulled him toward me, hugging him to my chest. Leaning down, I whispered into his ear. “It’s going to be okay.”
His head bobbed against my chest as he sniffled. “I think I’m starting to believe that.”
Jasper
The last few days had been a whirlwind. From the moment the kids were on board, things started moving. Their acceptance of me, of the situation meant so much more than I thought it would. In that moment, surrounded by people I barely knew, I felt loved. Loved for simply being me, or maybe for being with Gio, but it was far different than anything I'd ever known. No one knew about my family, or my background, and it was refreshing as hell. It also had me wishing this thing was real.
It was far too soon and unrealistic, but I could admit I got a little swept up in the love that seemed to bloom around Gio. It was infectious. I'd been bitten, aCordycephad taken root and was spreading within me.
Even knowing it was a marriage of convenience, or necessity, I couldn't help the excitement bubbling up in me as I looked inthe mirror. It wasn't real, legal and official, yes, but not really real. Maybe… maybe, I could pretend, just for today. I ran a hand over the lavender leisure suit, admiring the way it looked over the purple ruffled shirt and bow tie. It was something I found in a vintage shop in Palm Springs and fell in love with. After having it tailored to be form-fitting, hugging my body perfectly, it had been sitting in the back of my closet, waiting for the right occasion. Mostly, I'd planned to wear it at some big charity event my parents threw, knowing it would make their eyes twitch, but my wedding day seemed an even better use.
