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Stede gave himself a final once-over in the mirror. His hair, now a pale, silvery white was curled up at the ends and he sent a small thank you, once again, to the heavens or wherever for still having it all at 78 years of age. His skin was well moisturized, dappled with age spots and deepened wrinkles around his mouth and fanning from his eyes. The silver wire-rimmed glasses helped conceal some of the finer wrinkles and sat primly on his nose. His thin lips, pink as ever, broke into a shy smile at how he looked and hoped it was good enough after all this time.
It had been three days since his grandchild had scratched open the long-healed scar that had been the Lucky Charms Guy; three days spent on late-night phone calls and early-morning text messages. Three days of butterflies taking flight in his belly at every phone chime. Three days of feeling 48 again with a crush on a handsome man who was, miraculously, interested in him.
He picked up his keyring, smoothed the front of his baby blue cardigan down his chest, and hoped he was dressed appropriately for a breakfast date. He’d paired it with a crisp white collared button-down, charcoal gray fitted pants, and his favorite pair of white walking shoes. He briefly considered pulling the dress shoes he saved for special occasions, but the early March weather called for a chance of rain and the fancier shoes tended to be slick in the best of weather and it would do no one any favors if he fell and missed his date with Edward Teach.
“Call me Ed,” he’d said after his formal introduction that first day on the phone. “Ed,” Stede had repeated as Alma and Sam slipped out the front door of his apartment, secretive, giddy smiles on their faces. “I’m Stede.”
He looked one last time at the large digital clock on his end table, 8:27, and decided he’d rather be early and wait than risk being late. Ed had texted the address of The Pancake House the night before and a quick search revealed it to be an approximately 16-minute drive away. Yes, he’d rather sit and wait for the agreed-upon 9:00 am meeting time than sit anxiously in his living room and risk an unforeseen delay on the drive.
~~~~
The vestibule had a worn, vinyl bench along one wall that Stede took a seat on when he arrived. He pulled his phone from his satchel, noticing a text from Ed ( on my way. see you soon ) and the time, 8:53, seven minutes early, or right on time as he liked to think about it.
He fired off a text to Alma, At The Pancake House. I’ll call later , and slipped his phone back in his bag. Another minor adjustment to the collar of his shirt and a quick run of his fingers through his hair helped pass the next few seconds, just enough time for him to look through the glass door and see Ed approaching.
It had been thirty years since he’d last seen the man but he knew without a doubt that the man in the deep purple turtleneck with a black cardigan, black slacks, black boots, and flowing white hair was the Lucky Charms Guy. His beard was shorter and as white as his hair, his wrinkles were a lot more pronounced than they had been, he wore a pair of Buddy Holly glasses, and he walked with a cane, a slight hitch to the giddyup in his left leg, but it was him.
Stede stood, a smile creasing his face, and greeted Ed as he entered the vestibule. “Hello, Ed.”
Ed stopped and gave Stede a quick once-over before matching his smile. “Hello, Stede.”
They stepped into each other naturally, a quick hug, as if they’d always greeted each other that way. Stede noted that Ed smelled like Ivory soap and something woodsy, his chest was broad and his arms were strong before he was released.
“Shall we?” he asked as he opened the interior door, allowing Ed to go in first.
“Very gentlemanly, thank you,” Ed said as he passed by.
They were led to a small two-top near the front windows. “You’re early,” he remarked as he pulled his seat closer to the table.
Ed shook his head and said, “If anything, I’m late.” Stede raised an eyebrow and Ed clarified, “Shoulda done this three decades ago.”
“Well,” Stede started but was saved from having to supply anything else ( true - too rude, we have time - do we?, you’re here now - what next? ) by their server approaching the table.
“Good morning! Welcome in. My name’s Danny. Can I get you something to drink?”
Ed ordered a vanilla oat milk latte and Stede asked for a hot tea. When their server turned from the table, Stede looked down at the menu. “Do you have any recommendations?” he asked, overwhelmed by the number of pancake options.
“Depends on what their Pancake of the Day is. It should be updated on the QR code menu.” Ed pulled out his phone and scanned it. “I like this place because it reminds me of when I was young, not to sound like too much of an old fart,” he said as he scanned his phone, glasses pushed up to his forehead, “real menus and servers. I guess it’s kind of kitschy and retro now, but it’s nice.”
“I agree,” Stede said, very charmed by this man sitting across from him.
“Ah, it’s their orange marmalade pancake.”
“What’s that?”
Ed read from his phone screen, “Traditional pancake batter mixed with cinnamon, a touch of clove, topped with a warmed orange marmalade glaze, candied orange peel, and whipped cream.”
“Sounds delicious. Though, I was looking at the blueberry stack as an option.”
“Want to split a flight?” Ed pointed to the option on the menu: any four pancakes of your choosing served with a side of bacon or sausage.
Stede nodded. “We each pick two?” Ed agreed and said he’d get the special and traditional while Stede said, “Excellent choices. I’ll get the blueberry and the apple cinnamon. Do you want bacon or sausage?”
“Bacon, but it’s up to you.”
Danny returned with their drinks then and asked if they were ready to order.
“Yes,” Ed replied. “We’d like to split the pancake flight, and we’ll have those be traditional, the special, blueberry, and the apple cinnamon with bacon for the side. And can we also get an appetizer order of the buckwheat silver dollar pancakes?”
“Sure thing,” Danny answered, slipping his electronic ordering pad into his apron pocket before gathering the menus up. “We’ll have those right out.”
A comfortable silence fell between them as they both took sips of their drinks and settled into the wait for food.
“Do you come here often?”
Ed laughed and leaned into the space between them, elbows on the table. “Are you hitting on me, Mr. Bonnet?”
“What? No,” Stede flustered and then, “I mean,” he exhaled and caught the wicked, teasing gleam in Ed’s eyes that were, yep, definitely sparkling like a cartoon character’s. “Oh, shut up. You know what I meant.”
“I did,” Ed agreed, “but it was too easy to tease and you’re cute when you get all red and flustered.”
Cute. He hadn’t been called cute by anyone in, well, maybe ever. He blushed and hid his smile behind a sip of his tea and indicated for Ed to answer.
“Sometimes. Not enough for them to know me, but it’s on the Queen Anne bus line so it’s easy to get to and the pancakes are really fucking good.”
Danny returned with the mini buckwheat pancakes followed shortly by their flight and a plateful of crispy bacon.
Conversation flowed as easily between them as anything. They delved deeper into the topics they’d skirted around or only scratched the surface of during their previous phone calls and text messages.
Ed had no children of his own but was uncle to his friends, Anne and Mary’s, son. He worked odd jobs throughout his 20s before taking a gamble on purchasing a rundown storage unit facility he was able to refurbish and turn into a successful, multi-location business ( Kraken Storage - More Secure Than Davy Jones’ Locker ). He had a cat, “the prickliest calico you’ve ever met named Jack who specializes in knocking shit off tables just because she can.” And he’d retired right after his 70th birthday, after 35 years of Kraken, and had been spending the majority of time since bored out of his mind.
Stede, for his part, had three grandchildren between Alma and Louis, ranging in age from 10-19. He’d worked at his father’s advertising firm until his 40th birthday when he quit, started pursuing something he was more passionate about, and started The Gentleman Reviews for You , an independent film and TV review service. Ed had been surprised as he’d often enjoyed reading those reviews and had found several of his favorite TV shows from those reviews.
“So, you never settled down with anyone?” Ed asked, setting his knife and fork down.
Stede swallowed the mouthful of pancake and wiped at his lips before answering, “Nothing ever serious enough to settle down.”
“How come?”
Stede leaned back in his chair and looked at Ed who had a slight, knowing grin on his face. “Now you’re just fishing.”
Ed mimed casting a line in Stede’s general direction and admitted, “I am but a humble fisherman.” He pretended to start to reel the line in.
“Ever catch anything good?”
Ed shrugged. “I don’t know. You tell me.”
Stede leaned forward and, emboldened in a way he never had been before, placed his hand, palm up on the table. As Ed placed his hand on top of Stede’s, warm and soft, he replied, “I think you might’ve. Yes.”
Ed settled the bill and glanced out the window for the first time. “Damn. I was hoping the rain would hold off until later.”
“Would you like me to drive you home?” Stede offered, following Ed back up to the entrance.
“You worried I’m going to slip and fall in the rain?”
“Hadn’t crossed my mind,” Stede said honestly, bravely reaching out and slipping his hand into the one Ed wasn’t holding his cane with. “I was just hoping to spend a little more time with you.
~~~~
Three weeks later…
They were sitting next to each other on the park bench, the pigeons gathered at their feet pecking at the seed they’d tossed out for them. The air was cooling as they neared the early spring sunset and Stede’s hand was clasped in Ed’s, resting on the other man’s thigh.
“Stede.”
“Yeah?”
“I’ve spent a lot of my life searching for what makes me happy. I ran a successful business, I have great friends and the best found family, but I’ve spent a lot of my life restless and bored, full of regret for walking out of that aisle that day.”
“And have you found it? What makes Ed happy?” he clarified.
Ed squeezed his hand and Stede flashed back over the last 21 days. There hadn’t been a day they’d spent apart, and only a handful of nights where they had. Walks along the lakeshore they sat by now. Lunches at quiet cafes. Dinners in Ed’s kitchen. Matinees in the afternoon. His 79th birthday was a surprise getaway to an all-inclusive hotel full of room service and laughter.
“These last few weeks have been the most fun I’ve had in ages, years, maybe ever,” Ed admitted. “So,” he continued, “so I guess what makes Ed happy is… you.”
The breath hitched in Stede’s lungs and he turned at the waist to more fully face his partner.
“I love you, Stede Bonnet. I’m so very much in love with you,” Ed confessed.
“Oh, well, that’s -“ but he was cut off by Ed’s lips on his own. The kiss was tender and full of the love Stede could feel, had been feeling for weeks, rolling off of Ed.
“I’m so in love with you,” he admitted on an exhale when the kiss ended. He felt lit up from the inside, warm and safe, and like he was casting that light far and wide, like a lighthouse calling ships, calling his lover, home. He could do little else with the feeling besides close the distance between them again by kissing his Lucky Charms Guy.