To the Moon and Back

by N.R. Walker

Drew wasn’t happy with anything Gideon had suggested: themes, colours, designs. As it turned out, Drew wasn’t happy with a lot of things. Gideon could see that now.

In the end Drew had said he didn’t care about the ‘stupid theme’ and for Gideon just to do whatever he wanted. So he had.

He’d lost his boyfriend of six years, the family he’d wanted, the family they were. The life they were supposed to have.

“Uh, I’m his dadda,” Gideon said quietly.

Big deal

“I’m not asking for you, pretty gay boy who can get anyone he wants,”

most nights they’d watch Drag Race or Great British Bake Off reruns together. Gideon liked those nights best.

He reached for Benson’s hand, frowning again, eyes wet. “To the moon and back,” he mumbled.

“He wants out of the mortgage. Wants to sell or for me to buy him out.

But he saw his lawyer to make it all official, taking me out of his will and whatever. Wanna know why? So if something happens to me, he’s not in any way responsible for Benson.

He said he still loves me and he misses me, but he didn’t want to be a dad. He said taking in my nephew ruined our relationship.

I had friends. I think Drew got them in the split.

I have Lauren and Jill, of course, but I leaned on them a lot when Benson arrived, and then when Drew left, and . . .” He shrugged. “I was trying to spare them.”

She was funny and said whatever was on her mind. Maybe she was a little uncouth, but it was part of her charm.

Toby was a whole bunch of things that Drew never was.

Toby made Gideon happy, and even if it was a professional obligation, Gideon would take it.

“You need to go out tonight, get drunk as fuck, and hook up with some rando.”

Umm, no

Jill’s frown said she didn’t exactly agree with that. “Complicated, yes. And being sensible is probably the right thing to do. But Gideon, what if taking that risk turns into the best thing to ever happen to you?”

“Bien sûr.”

“I don’t think you understand,” Toby hissed at him. “This means you’ve basically been adopted, brought into the brood, worthy enough to consume the family’s sacred holy grail. My nonna makes the sauce, my nonno bottles it. It’s a whole thing.”

Epilogue 2

“Monique’s pregnant,”

I knew it!