When I came to America, the English I spoke was very proper and formal. It wasn’t something people used in everyday conversation. Then I met Theo Ramos in my first class. He young, outspoken Latin man. He immediately told me that, and I quote, “You’ll get your ass kicked if you keep talking to people like that.” He offered to help me speak less formally. Since then, he’s been like a brother to me. For ten years, we were there for each other for all the highs and lows in life. I was his best man at his wedding and he’s Ryan’s godfather. We couldn’t be closer if we were biological brothers.

Today, I’m going to murder my brother.

This dumbass has no filter. He just says whatever is on his mind without thinking about the consequences. He doesn’t care who it’d embarrass as long as it’s funny to him. I just never thought he would say something so blatant to a woman he just met. It’s not like she meant to do it either. I didn’t even know the bathroom door lock was broken. Dani isn’t the type to ogle someone’s body, especially not…there.

“Anog deba?” I was so flustered and frustrated I didn’t even bother to think about what language I was speaking. “Atin yang mali keng buntuk mu.”

“Yea, I don’t know what you’re saying,” Theo shrugged.

I pulled my fist back and punched his arm. It must have been harder than I thought because he went flying out of his chair. “Did you understand that?” I growled.

“Oh shit he actually hit him,” Mateo yelled as he jumped to his feet and ran over to his brother. “What I tell you about poking that bear?”

“Johnny, baby, watch for his face, ok?” Nico smiled as he picked at his food. Dani seemed a little perplexed that Nico was so nonchalant about his husband just getting punched. “He deserved it,” he said as if he read my mind. “Theo can be a bully, but it’s the first time Johnny actually hit him.”

“Can you help me?” Mateo whined as he helped Theo sit up.

Nico let out a sigh as he rolled his eyes and walked over to his husband and brother-in-law. “We keep saying you need to stop messing with him. You’re lucky he just tipped you over.”

“Tipped me over?!” Theo yelled. “This is assault!”

“Who’s the baby now?” I teased.

“Right now you’re both giant children,” Mateo grumbled as he pulled his brother to his feet. “Ya’ll mess around too damn much. Teasing and punching each other.”

“He hit me!” Theo argued.

“Yea and you’ve been askin for it. Let’s get a pain patch on your back, grandpa.”

I watched as Mateo and Nico helped Theo to the master bedroom, closing the door behind them, then turned my attention back to Dani. I wonder what she was thinking about right now. The last several hours have been eventful to say the least. Neither of us expected to see each other here of all places. Now she’s been subjected to Theo’s antics and my involuntary outbursts.

“You must think we’re crazy,” I chuckled as I poked at the food on my plate.

“Huh?” she asked, glancing up momentarily. “Oh. It was…interesting. But I’m used to yelling and punching. My brothers liked to play-fight all the time.”

“Yea.” I nodded. “I’m sorry about last night and what Theo said about…you know.”

“About your penis?” I coughed as I nearly choked on my food again, making her giggle. God, even her laugh is cute. It sounded like an angel’s melody. “I’m sorry, I was just teasing. But I am sorry for walking in on you. I didn’t see anything. I mean, I did…but I didn’t…I wasn’t looking…hard. You weren’t hard. Not that I was looking. I wasn’t looking at you…hard. I mean I wasn’t staring.”

I couldn’t help but smile as she rambled on. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her flustered. That’s usually my thing, but it was cute when she did it. I couldn’t stop looking at her as she began to blush as she still tried to explain herself. I could stare at her all day. But I knew this is all it’d be between us. This flirtatious banter, stolen glances, sly smiles; they all lead down a dead-end road. She didn’t want more than this so I have no choice but to oblige.

I’ll bury these feelings deep down inside until they’re nothing but a fond memory. Otherwise, we won’t even be able to sit here as we are now: two friends just enjoying each other’s company.

“I’m glad I ran into you though,” Dani said as she regained her composure. “I’ve been wanting to apologize to you for what happened last week…at the restaurant.”

“You don’t have to,” I insisted. I really didn’t want to think about what happened, let alone talk about it. I wanted to forget it ever happened and just move on from it. “I ignored your texts and made you cry. Let’s just call it even.”

“No, I have to say this.” She let out a heavy breath and looked me in the eye. “What I said about us not being friends was out of line. You had just told me some very personal things and I was afraid that I was getting too close to you. I’m guessing that your friends don’t even call you Seojun.”

“They do not,” I replied as I shook my head.

“So why do you let me?”

I let out a soft chuckle. How would she react if I told her it was because I liked the sound of my name coming from her rosy, full lips? Theo had exposed my feelings for her already, mocking me for his own pleasure. Would my honest response make it awkward again? I had decided already that I would let this flame burn out so I shouldn’t add fuel to the fire. 

“I told you, it’s been a long time since I heard someone say my name. It was comforting.” I wondered if she could read through this lie I desperately wanted to believe myself. “If you prefer to go back to calling me Johnny, that’s fine. Like I said, I don’t want there to be any more misunderstandings between us.”

I couldn’t look her in the eye. If I’m going to draw this line, I need to stand firm. I know if I look at her now, I’d buckle in an instant and give her whatever she asked for. I can’t let her keep toying with me like this. 

“Oh,” she murmured. 

I couldn’t help it. I snuck a glimpse at her. She looked so disheartened, almost as if she was expecting a different response from me. But what else could I have said? What did she want to hear exactly?

“If it’s ok with you,” she continued in a hushed tone, “may I still call you Seojun when it’s just us and Johnny in public since it seems that’s what you prefer.”

“You anticipate us being alone often?” I teased.

Her face burned bright red again. She wasn’t this easily affected before was she? I wonder if her accidentally walking in on me really had this much of an effect on her. I shouldn’t read too much into it. She’s just embarrassed that she saw me naked, that’s all.

“Seojun…”

The sound of four beeps followed by a click and the front door opening echoed down the foyer hall before she could say what she wanted.

“I’m hereeeee!” Ryan announced as he walked into the house.

My head immediately turned toward the front door. Everyone else in the room faded into obscurity. All that mattered was that little guy walking into the house. I couldn’t help but smile. I got up and crouched with my arms wide open as I heard his quick footsteps quickly approaching.

“Daddy!” he yelled as he jumped into my arms.

“Hey buddy,” he laughed in pure happiness as I hugged him tightly.

He buried his face in my neck as he squeezed me with all he had. “I missed you, daddy.”

“I missed you so much son.”

He pulled back and smiled at me with a big goofy grin. “Huh?” he gasped when he looked past me. “Appa, ninu ita? Dapat siya ay isang anhel.”

I looked over at my shoulder and realized he was staring at Dani. I wonder if she understood him. I mean, he was going from Korean to Kapampangan and finished in Tagalog, so not many people would understand him. She mentioned to me once that her mom spoke Tagalog, but she never mentioned if she understood or spoke it herself. It was time to test it out.

“Tama ka. Maganda nya.” Ryan nodded very enthusiastically. I looked back at Dani again with a smile and she just chuckled and shrugged. Yea, she didn’t know what we were saying at all. I laughed as I picked up Ryan and carried him in my arm to the table. “Dani, this is my son Ryan. Short stack, this is daddy’s friend Dani.”

“Daddy’s friend?” Ryan asked excitedly. “You’re his girlfriend!”

“His what?!” Adira yelled as she walked into the room. “When did you get a girlfriend?”

“Who got a girlfriend?” Mateo asked as he emerged from Theo’s room.

“Johnny.”

“What? I left the room for five minutes and you got a girlfriend?”

“What? No!” I yelled. “Ryan, we talked about this. She’s not my girlfriend. She’s a girl that’s my friend.”

“That’s what I said. She’s your girlfriend,” Ryan stated confidently. “She can be your girlfriend since the other girl doesn’t want to be your friend and makes you sad.”

I slapped my forehead. This can’t be happening. There has to be a full moon or something because the chances of every one of my secrets spilling out are zero any other day. It’s as if the universe wants Dani to know that not only did I have feelings for her, but I was also depressed enough to talk to my four-year-old when she rejected me. Oh yea, she also got drunk and climbed in bed with me then saw me naked the next morning. I’m pretty sure this can’t get any worse.

“What the hell is going on here?” Jelly asked angrily as she walked in.

I just had to tempt the gods of fate didn’t I? I didn’t think she would recognize Dani, but she clearly did. 

“Jells,” I tried saying softly and calmly as I stood, “stay calm.”

“Are we in time for a Jelly freak out?” Theo asked as he and Nico walked out of the room. 

“Shut up!” I hissed at him before turning back to Jelly. “This isn’t what you think it is.”

“Hi,” Dani greeted, oblivious to the fact that Jelly was pissed because of her. She stood and smiled at the angry Latin woman. “I’m Dani Loughty. You must be Ryan’s mom.”

Wait. What?!

“Ew, I’d never sleep with him,” Jelly gagged as she pointed at me.

“Again with the ‘ew’,” I groaned. “But she’s absolutely not Ryan’s mom. She’s more like the sister I begged my parents not to have, but they did anyway.”

“I’m positive you were an oopsie baby.”

“What’s an oopsie baby?” Ryan asked.

The room fell silent. Jelly’s face turned white as a sheet when she realized what she had said. We were good at keeping the dark and adult humor to a minimum around Ryan, but it did slip out at times. 

“Ryan, do you know what an oopsie is?” Dani asked calmly as she got eye level with Ryan.

Ryan nodded. “It’s when you make a mistake.”

“It can be. It’s also when something unexpected happens. Just because something happens that we don’t plan for or expect doesn’t mean it isn’t a good thing. An oopsie baby is a blessing we didn’t expect.”

Ryan motioned for her to move closer. He leaned over and cupped his hand to tell her a secret, but it came out a little louder than he expected. “I think you’re a very pretty lady. Can you be my daddy’s girlfriend?”

“You mean a girl that’s his friend, right?”

A grin crept across Ryan’s face as he continued to stare at Dani.

“Damn, he’s a better wingman than you, Johnny,” Theo laughed.

I chuckled and shook my head as I grabbed Ryan by the waist and tossed him in the air. “I gotta respect your game, kid,” I teased as I tossed him over my shoulder. He immediately started to climb on my shoulders like a monkey.

“Johnny, please be careful with him,” Adira pleaded.

“He’s fine, Ma. He won’t…”

Ryan suddenly slipped as he tried to sit on my shoulder and fell forward. Dani gasped as she held her arms out to catch him, but I instinctively caught him by the ankle as he started to laugh like a lunatic.

“JOHNATHAN!” Adira scolded.

“I caught him,” I said proudly as I lifted him by his leg like game I’d hunted down. “See, safe and sound. I’m a good dad.”

“You’re an idiot,” Jelly sighed as she sat at the table with her arms crossed. She stared at Dani, not even bothering to hide her distaste for the other woman.

Dani must have felt the icy glare as well because she shifted uncomfortably.

“Hey Dani, this is Jelly and Adira,” I introduced awkwardly. “Jels, Ma, this is Dani. She’s in my robotics class.”

“Why is she here?” Jelly asked bluntly.

“I work with Nico and had too much to drink last night. He offered to put me up for the night,” Dani explained.

“That was sweet of him,” Adira beamed.

“Where’d you sleep, Johnny?” Jelly asked as she bore a hole through me with her glare. “You don’t fit on that couch and I doubt you’d make her sleep on it.”

“I’m sorry,” Dani laughed inwardly, “what exactly is it that you’re implying?”

“Jelly,” Theo warned as he took a step forward, “take it easy now.”

“I’m implying that my friend here is thinking with other parts of himself aside from the head on his shoulders.”

“Seriously?” Dani asked in shock.

“Yes, seriously. You don’t think I remember you? You’re the one he was arguing with in front of the restaurant last week. How can you be so shameless and act like you didn’t completely sh…”

“Jelynne!” I shouted, putting an end to her tirade before it began. “That’s enough.”

“But…”

“I said that’s enough!”

Ryan wiggled out of my arms and ran over to Jelly to comfort her. He climbed on the seat beside her and gave her a hug. 

“It’s ok. She’s just Daddy’s girlfriend. You’re still his girl friend. And Uncle Theo, Uncle Nico, and Uncle Matty are his boyfriends. You can all be friends and play together!”

“Johnny, did your son just set up an orgy for us?” Jelly asked.

The first chuckle came from Nico. Theo elbowed him to try to get him to stop, but he could barely keep his laughter in. Then it was Dani. She tried to cover her face as she started to giggle. I held my laughter in as much as I could, but when Mateo snorted I couldn’t hold it in. I started laughing so hard, I was sure my sides were going to split. We all started cracking up, completely forgetting the tense moment that had led up to this point.