Page 57 of Love Lessons

He couldn’t help but laugh. Uh… no. It was just the first bizarre animal I could think of. At any rate, he doesn’t experience sexual attraction, but he really likes physical contact, so I cuddle with him a lot. People always used to think we were dating in college, and we still have a really close friendship. It’s not romantic but… he’s important to me. And we spend a lot of time together.

Dustin waited, nervous about how Landon would respond. Both of his exes had been jealous of his time with Zhong and he hated that.

That’s really sweet, actually. I wish I had a good friend like that.

Thank goodness. If you wanted to snuggle with him, too, I’m sure he’d be delighted. It was always the first thing he said, whenever anyone mentioned his relationship with Zhong. But now that it was Landon… He wasn’t sure if he wanted Landon all to himself, or if he wanted Landon to share everything that he had.

He kind of pathetically wanted Landon near him all the time, even when he wasn’t doing anything. Or just hanging around. Like when he was cuddling with Zhong. But only if Landon was his. Wasn’t that a confusing mess of emotions.

He started putting dishes away to give himself a moment. Landon pushed in beside him, putting away a bowl and bumping him intentionally on the shoulder.

Watch it, brat. He gave Landon a soft swat on the ass.

Make me.

It was a good thing Zhong and Ash weren’t waiting for them.

Chapter 11

Lena

The vibrating buzz on Lena’s dresser almost made her hand shake, but she pulled the eyeliner back just in time. She looked down at her phone.

It wasn’t a text, but a Facetime call from her sister. Or more likely, Maggie’s kids.

She was sure that she looked a fright like this, but Maggie and the kids wouldn’t care. She accepted the call to find, as expected, two grinning faces crowding into the small screen, one of them bouncing up and down.

Hey! I think I caught a Pokémon! She mimed snapping them up into a giant ball. Two Pokémon!

They giggled and Matt disappeared from the frame, probably running away from the concept of an imaginary ball dispensed from the other side of town through a video screen.

Matt crashed back into his sister. I escaped!

I’ll have to try harder next time. What are you guys doing tonight?

Watching Frozen. Meaning that Maggie wanted the kids out of her hair for a few hours so she could relax at the end of the week. Friday night their screen time restrictions were lifted. Lola’s mouth started moving in the shapes of what was undoubtedly “Let it Go.”

The kids were both fluent in ASL, something all of Lena’s siblings made sure of with their children. Because they were responsible like that. Her whole family was pretty good at doing the right thing and she was lucky to have them.

The cute part was that sometimes the kiddos still forgot that she couldn’t hear.

Lola paused mid-phrase, turned her head to ask something, and then turned back. Mommy says to ask you if you’re coming over tomorrow.

I think so. Maybe in the afternoon.

Then Lena was subjected to a nausea-inducing tour of the ceiling and underside of Matt’s chin as he took off with the phone. She turned back the mirror and finished up her eyeliner.

Maggie’s face appeared, looking a little tired but still beaming her perpetual smile. That was the way it was in their family. You just smiled and made the best of it, no matter how hard it was.

Maggie certainly didn’t have it easy raising two kids as a single parent. She made it look easy, though. Fun and effortless. It’s just how it was in their family. Lena reminded herself that she should really hang out with the kids more often. Give Maggie a few more evenings to herself. She could surely fit that into her schedule.

Hey Lena, Maggie greeted her. It was weird to address people by name in ASL, a layer that was unnecessary since you could only communicate if you already had somebody’s attention. But Maggie always made a point of doing it. Letting her know that she saw her gender and identity, no matter who she was.

Hey, what’s going on tomorrow?

Not much. Shopping. Figuring out where to take the monkeys to get them out of the house. I just wanted to know if you were coming so I could figure out our day.

I have a lot of work this weekend, but if you need me, I can always make time.