Eventually, Katelyn stopped the car in front of a white and green house. Almost immediately,Connor tensed back into nervousness. The house looked exactly like the sort of house Theodore would have described if someone asked him to imagine what kind of house would be in a suburb. Or in the midwest. There was a maroon hatchback with a bumper sticker that said “UCM Alum” parked in the driveway and a basketball hoop fixed to the space between two garage doors.

“Did you play basketball?” Theo asked Connor. He kept his voice low and he wrapped an arm around Connor’s shoulders. This was the worst thing about Connor’s nerves: Theo was never sure if Connor needed space or support.

Connor smiled, waggled his eyebrows, and said, “Yeah, watch this.” He ducked out from under Theo’s arm, dodged Katelyn, leapt up, and grabbed onto the hoop. His peacoat gaped open and his sweater slid up, revealing his a sliver of abs. A smile had broken free across his face. Right then, he was thousand-watt Connor. Theodore doubted that he could touch him without getting shocked. Still dangling from the hoop, Connor grinned down at Theo and said “Pretty impressive, huh?”

“You’re a dork,” Theodore told him as Connor crashed onto the ground next to him. He kissed Theo’s neck and took ahold of Theo’s hand.

“Enough of that, Con, come on,” Katelyn called from the porch. She and Dylan were waiting for them. He had his back resting against the door and he was playing with the ends of Katelyn’s hair. “It’s time.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Connor said. He swallowed. Hard. His adams apple tugged down low on his neck. They climbed the stairs. At the threshold of the Eubanks’ house, Connor dropped Theodore’s hand. He stuffed both of his hands in his pockets before stepping inside.

Inside the house, a young family sat on a couch. The father held the daughter who was babbling as she turned the pages of a book. The mother stood as soon as they entered and wrapped Connor in a hug. She must have been his other sister--she looked a lot like Katelyn--but Connor didn’t bother introducing them. While Connor whispered with his eldest sister, Dylan whispered everybody’s name to Theodore and Theodore shook Malik’s hand. It was a strange introduction because everyone was so...tense.

“Good luck,” Elizabeth said, kissing Connor’s cheek. He started to cross the living room as Elizabeth introduced herself to Theo. Theo felt rushed and panicked because Connor was almost to whatever door he was about to go into.

“Connor,” Katelyn hissed. He looked back, perplexed, and then realized Theodore was still standing there.

“Shoot, sorry, Theo,” Connor whispered. He waited, and Theodore hesitated before following. Clearly, Connor didn’t really want him there. He shouldn’t have pushed Connor into introducing him to his family. It didn’t make sense though! Connor had asked Theo to marry him. Possibly out of desperation, but still. Connor must have sensed Theo’s unease because he took Theo’s hand and squeezed it. Quietly, he said, “I’m seriously sorry. I’m just nervous and not thinking. I promise I’ll be better having you here after my parents know.”

“Okay,” Theo said. Connor dropped his hand again and he followed Connor into the kitchen. Connor wrapped his parents in hugs before they ever noticed Theodore was there. When Connor stepped out of their embrace, he nodded his head at Theo, signaling him to come over.

As Theodore approached, Connor said, “Mom, Dad, this is Theo--”

“Oh!” his mother laughed. “When your sister said you were bringing someone, we thought she meant you were finally going to introduce us to a girlfriend.”

Theodore’s eyebrows drew together in confusion. Connor closed his eyes tightly, reached out behind him, and grabbed Theo’s hand. He let out a breath and said, “Yeah, well, I, um… Mom, Dad, this is Theo. My boyfriend.”

Connor’s father’s eyebrows slid up on his forehead and his jaw slacked forward, just slightly. Connor’s mother’s face pinched in confusion and she frowned.

“Sweetie? Are you joking?” She asked.

“Excuse us just a moment,” Theodore said. There was panic rising in his chest. Quickly, he pulled Connor back into the living room. As soon as the door shut behind them, Theo asked, “Do they not know that you’re gay?”

“Well, I mean, I think they know now,” Connor replied. It sounded like a joke, but it didn’t feel like one.

“Oh...oh...oh...Connor. Frick. Connor. How could you not tell me that?” Theo asked. The question came out in a hiss and Connor frowned at him.

Connor glanced over his shoulder to the living room where his sisters and brother-in-law were standing, eyes wide, watching. Dylan was sitting on the floor, taking blocks from a toddler with a poof of a ponytail on the top of her head. Connor’s expression darkened, and immediately his sisters mouthed sorry as Malik joined his daughter on the floor.

“Are you mad at me?” Connor asked. “Because you promised not to get mad at me while we’re here. You told me you’d be on my team.”

“I’m always on your team,” Theo said. “And I’m never mad at you. I’m sorry. I was just...caught off guard. And I didn’t mean to push you into coming out. I thought you already were out.”

“It’s okay,” Connor said. “My sister’s have basically been pressuring me to do this for years. And at least this way you’re here.”

Connor paused, frowned, and then asked, “Are they reacting okay?”

“Maybe? I don’t know,” Theo said apologetically. “Mine didn’t. Is...is it okay that I’m here?”

“Yeah,” Connor shrugged. “I mean…”

He squeezed his eyes shut and pushed the door open to yell into the kitchen, “Hey, it’s still okay if we stay here right? Like, you’re not going to disown me for the whole gay thing?”

“Connor,” Theo hissed. For a moment, neither of his parents said anything. Then, very calmly, his father asked that they come back into the kitchen.

“How long?” his mother asked, sniffling.

“Um, well, our flight back is for the morning of the 27th, so…” Connor started.

“No, I mean,” his mother squeaked.

“She means,” his father sighed. “Since when are you gay?”

His father asked so bluntly that the question feels more like a shrug or a punchline. Connor wrapped his hand around his shoulder and said, “Uh, I guess, since puberty at least.”

Red blotches had spread across Connor’s cheeks and neck. He smoothed a hand over his hair. Theo wanted to hold him. Or, maybe Theo wanted to run. Or maybe Theo wanted to figure out a way to do both.

“All right, then,” Connor’s dad said, stepping over to them. He clapped a hand on Connor’s shoulder, kissed his forehead, and asked him if he was still taking his anxiety medication. When Connor nodded, his father kissed his forehead again and said, “Good man.” Then, he extended a hand towards Theo and introduced himself. “I’m Jon, and he said you were Theo?”

“Uh, yes, sir,” Theodore stammered, taking Jon’s hand.

“Jon’s fine. It’s nice to meet you. And what do you do?”

“I’m, uh, a music teacher. In a middle school,” Theo answered.

“Excellent,” Jon said. Then he nodded at Connor, “And what does this one do? Because, honestly, I’ve been trying to figure it out. I mean, he must be making money somehow, because he never asks us for any. But he got his degree in literature, which is just a bonafide reading degree and what does someone even do with that?”