Page 104 of Seasons of Love
“Feels like that sometimes, but it’s twenty. Why are we talking about my work? You,”—I point at all of them—“said I need to chill. No work talk. Besides, it’s bummer seak…summer break.”
“Fletch is feeling broody,” Harrison says.
“Broody as in…” I prompt.
“He wants a baby because we bumped into Milo last week at the craft fair and he got to hold his baby daughter for a millisecond.”
Fletcher nods fiercely.
“How did he get his baby, anyway?” Fletcher asks. “As far as I know, he’s single, and he didn’t have a baby, and then boom…baby.”
“You do know how babies are made, right?” Levi asks.
Fletcher holds out his hands, arguing back, “Yeah, but he’s gay.”
I’m staying in my corner and away from the conversation between them because Milo’s personal life isn’t my business. What does it matter if he’s single or gay or how he got to have a baby? That’s surely his business.
“Hello,” Levi waves. “I’m also totally one hundred percent gay.”
“I can vouch for him,” Arlo interrupts.
Levi gives him a kiss and continues, “And I have a kid. All I’m saying is…I don’t know, I need another frink…drink…”
“And all I’m saying is, we’ve been together for two months, Fletch,” Harrison argues. “I’m not ready to be interrupted by a crying baby when…you know…every five minutes.”
“You have sex every five minutes?” Arlo asks and then whispers, “Do you take like…medication?”
“What? Fuck no.”
I laugh at Harrison’s shocked expression that his manhood might be questioned even if what’s at stake is an impossible five-minute refractory period.
“Aw, the baby phase is the best,” Levi says, leaning against Arlo, who’s giving him a weird side look. “That’s when they’re all cute and smell nice.”
“And puke all over you when you’re about to go into a meeting to ask your boss for a raise,” Harrison interjects.
Levi waves him off. “Pfft, it’s when they learn words and use them to ask you for a tartant…turt…tarantula.” He punches the air when he gets it right. “It’s when they ask you for vemonous pets that you have to worry.”
Arlo rolls his eyes. “Ava didn’t ask for a venomous pet. She asked for a brother because Megan now has George.”
Penny brings more drinks I don’t remember anyone ordering, but they look different from the Spiky Roses.
Fletcher downs a shot of something that looks vile and then kisses Harrison to the point he has to not-so-discreetly adjust himself in his seat, probably far too gone to remember he’s sitting right next to me, and then points at Levi. “My son is not a vemo…nous pet.”
“He does have a new sister though,” Harrison adds, and the way Fletcher looks at him could melt the most frozen of hearts.
Not my heart though. Mine has been signed, sealed, and delivered to the ice caps. Lost forever. At least as far as love is concerned. And I’m not drunk enough to consider admitting to myself that I may be a tiny bit jealous of them and their perfect relationships.
“This is all your fault,” Levi says.
“Who? Me?” I ask since he’s pointing in our general direction and it’s hard to tell.
I raise my hand to get Penny’s attention and ask for a new round for the table. If I’m going to be blamed for poisonous pets and extra children, I need more alcohol. In for a dime, in for a dollar.
“No. Them,” Arlo says. “They had to go and get together, and now Megan and George have each other.”
“So, are you having a baby?” Fletcher asks.
“We said we’d get married first,” Arlo says pointedly.
