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Leo thinks it’s too early in their development stage to incorporate knocking on his boys’ shared bedroom door. And then he has to pause at the doorway because two things are happening at once; 1) Gabi is not in his bed—the safari-themed blanket is rustled but Gabi is not where he should be—and 2) there is a second head peeking from underneath Kai’s the Milky Way galaxy-themed blanket.
Tiptoeing further into the room, Leo heaves a sigh of relief at the sight of his youngest clinging to his oldest’s back like a koala. He swears this didn’t happen just last week, as this is his routine to wake them up for school.
Oh, well. No need to fret. Gabi is only eight and naturally, he likes what Kai likes, cries when Kai is upset, and copies what Kai does. Okay, except for his obsession with animals, which differs from Kai’s obsession with outer space. He might just be having a nightmare and needed comfort last night, and the closest he can get is from his older brother. What did Leo do when he was eight, by the way? He was an only child.
Leo sits at the foot of the bed, gently shaking both Kai and Gabi’s legs. Gabi whines, tightening his arms around his older brother, as Kai cranes his neck to send Leo a sleepy smile.
“Morning, Ma,” he says, sniffing. “Morning, Gabi.”
“Nooooo~” Gabi mumbles, making Leo and Kai laugh. “No. Ugh.”
“No? No breakfast for Gabi, then.” Leo pretends to tut, opening the curtain and letting the early spring sun filter in through the windows. Kai is coaxing Gabi out of bed patiently.
“Want a piggyback ride?” Kai asks, ever so accommodating. Leo has developed a habit of thanking whatever higher power up there for gracing him with two sweet boys, especially ever since his colleagues in the squad exchange horror stories about their own children. So he basks in the feeling of pride at Kai doting on Gabi and makes sure they climb down the stairs safely.
Again, no fuss. Kai and Gabi eat what Leo cooks for them, which is any type of egg with veggies and a glass of cold milk. No sweets in the AM. To save time, Leo still bathes Gabi in the shower while Kai showers by himself. They’re all buckled in the car in under half an hour, and it’s a ten-minute drive to drop them off at school. Leo will clock out at four, meaning they are always the last to get picked up but the school understands his position as a working, single mum whose job is to catch the bad guys.
Today, at 4:17 PM, Gabi is extra giggly.
“Had a lot of fun, Gabi?” Leo asks from the rearview mirror, and his youngest is scrunching his nose cutely, covering his mouth with a tiny hand. “Kai?”
“I don’t know, he was like this when I got him.” Kai smiles at Gabi, ruffling his curls. “Did B share his Twix with you again?”
Ah, that’s a plausible explanation. B is short for Bukayo, Gabi’s classmate slash his major crush who might be Twix’s biggest fan. It is extremely important to note that B doesn’t share his Twix with just anyone , according to Miss Johnson, their grade 2 teacher. The first time B shared his Twix with Gabi, he made sure he told Leo and Kai about it during the ride home.
Gabi pouts at the mention of his crush.
“B was not in today, Miss Johnson said he caught something and had to rest,” he says, crossing his arms. “Can we buy Twix, Mama? Can we visit B? I hope he’s okay.”
“Oh, no,” Leo frowns, only reaching one arm backward to stroke Gabi’s knee when he’s stopped at the traffic light. “Mama will text B’s mum later, to see if B is allowed a visitor. Alright, sweetheart?”
“Promise?” Gabi blinks his big brown eyes, the effective disarming weapon, and Leo gives a reassuring smile in return.
“I promise,” he agrees, and asks, “now tell us what is so fun today!”
Gabi giggles as he looks at Kai, who just grins in confusion.
“It’s Kai!” Gabi exclaims, clapping once and kicking his legs.
“Me? What did I do?” Kai sits up straighter, obviously curious.
“Mama, a girl kissed Kai today!”
Leo raises his eyebrows, mostly at Kai’s seemingly endless confusion.
“A girl?” Kai repeats, meeting Leo’s eyes in the rearview mirror. His oldest is ten years old and already kissing? Leo didn’t have his first kiss until he was around fourteen. At this rate, Gabi might have his even sooner.
“Yes! Golden short hair!” Gabi is getting desperate because neither his dearest older brother nor Mama shares the same excitement.
“That’s Jules, Gabi,” Kai smiles, visibly sighing in relief. “My best friend. He’s been to our house, remember?”
Kai’s loud wheezing is enough clue for Leo to know how cute Gabi must look with the earth-shattering information. Jules is Julian, Kai’s best friend, who never minds Gabi following them around like a puppy whenever he visits. Before cutting it short, he used to have long hair (what is the hairstyle called Bob?).
“Jules is not a girl?” Gabi shrieks. “You kissed your best friend?”
Kai blushes and sputters, avoiding Leo’s gaze.
“That’s alright, sweetheart,” Leo chuckles, concentrating on the last five minutes of driving home. “Aaaaand, yes, Gabi, best friends kiss each other. As long as you ask.”
Gabi gapes cutely. Everything he does is cute.
“Did Jules ask before he kissed you?” Gabi asks in the earnest naivety only kids could muster.
Kai scratches his arm. “Umm, not really.”
“Mama!” Gabi gasps, and Leo laughs. “Wait, wait, are you and Jules boyfriends, now?!”
“Uhh,” Kai clears his throat, pinching the skin on the back of his hand. “I dunno. I just like him.”
“I like him, too.” Gabi parrots without hesitation. “But I don’t want to kiss him.”
“You can’t kiss Jules,” Kai huffs, “I won’t allow you.”
“Yes, no. Oh! You can’t kiss B!”
“I won’t kiss B.”
“Promise?”
“Only if you promise you won’t kiss Jules.”
“Okay!”
“Okay.”
Leo wipes the lone tear that slips from the corner of his left eye and parks the car.
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“I think Kai has a boyfriend.”
“The next thing you know, he’s off to build a family of his own.” Benjamin smiles fondly before he takes a drag of his cigarette. They’re at a long-overdue smoke break. Leo quit when he found out he was pregnant with Kai a decade ago, and he’s only here to go outside.
“Who’s the lucky boy?”
“Jules, his best friend.”
Benjamin hums in approval.
“Good, yeah? Childhood sweethearts and all.”
“You think so?”
“They’re ten, Mama,” Benjamin quips, “bet they’re gonna break up over the latest episode of some Disney+ show. Now, how’s Gabi?”
That’s a valid example. Besides, Jules is a good boy.
“Oh, bless him,” Leo answers, sipping on an orange juice box he wrongly bought last week. This isn’t Gabi’s favourite brand. “He thought Jules was a girl this whole time.”
“Is Jules blonde?”
“Yeah.”
“Figures. How’s Gabi’s crush on B, then?”
Benjamin always loves to listen to updates on Leo’s kids, and he’s actually Gabi’s godfather. He gets birthday presents for Kai’s and Gabi’s birthdays, is always willing to babysit them, is on Leo’s speed dial, and Leo said he would have been such a perfect parent—only once, a long time ago. Because back then, freshly out of an exhausting relationship, Benjamin confessed that he might decide to be childfree. He’s been adamant about not settling down ever since, but a certain younger man he’s been dating is shaking his lifelong resolution.
They gossip about Gabi and B and the current fraud case they’re working on. Leo invites Benjamin and his boyfriend to have lunch on Saturday, stating that it’s about time William gets properly introduced to the first younger men in Benjamin’s life.
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When Leo tells his sons that Uncle Benjamin is coming over for lunch this Saturday with his boyfriend, Kai asks if he can also bring his boyfriend, which prompts Gabi to want to invite Bukayo.
“But B is not your boyfriend.” Kai can be a tease, and Gabi sobs dramatically. As a punishment, Kai has to do the dishes and he gets no dessert. Gabi pleads to sleep with Leo that night, and he shouldn’t relent, not really, but Gabi does look so heartbroken. He texts the invitation to Martin, B’s mum, and Kai and Gabi reconcile when they brush their teeth together.
In the end, the three of them are sleeping in Leo’s bed.
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Bukayo’s dad dropped him off. Very handsome in the golden age Hollywood way, a total 180 to Benjamin’s younger boyfriend, who might be the exact epitome of tall, dark, and handsome, but his boyish grin and twinkling eyes are canceling such an illusion. The kids gravitate towards him, yelling for his attention, hungry for his sincere oohs and ahhs whenever they show him a silly trick.
Except for Kai who seems upset because Jules is absolutely smitten by Willo—short of William.
“Someone’s popular.” Benjamin muses, sipping on his Stella. He’s in charge of making the salad dressing from scratch.
“That a news to you?” Leo asks, checking the timer of the salmon.
“I’ve hung out with his younger brothers,” Benjamin answers, tone unreadable. “Just didn’t know he’s this good with literal children.”
Leo hums, hiding his smile. “Is your uterus on fire?”
Benjamin rolls his eyes, but he’s not denying anything.
It is on their agenda to take the kids out for dessert. The adults make them vote between frozen yogurt or gelato, and gelato wins because Jules persuades Willo to pick gelato (yes, Willo’s vote counts, he’s one of the boys, apparently.) Kai doesn’t show his jealousy that much, but he stays silent during the ride to Soho.
“Remember you said Kai might break up with Jules over some Disney+ series?” Leo is whispering as he and Benjamin walk two steps behind Willo who has Gabi on his back and Bukayo and Jules on either side, with Kai solemnly eating his strawberry gelato next to Jules.
“Yeah?”
“Yeah, no, it’s not Disney+. I’m afraid it will be over Willo.”
Benjamin snorts, loud , and Willo is already grinning boyishly when he turns his head to him. Clicking his tongue in exasperated fondness, Benjamin takes long strides to plant an equally loud smooching on Willo’s lips, right in front of the kids, who are all ewww!! -ing just as loudly.
(Leo is happy to report that Kai and Jules are still boyfriends by the time you read this!).
The End ☺️