Dichotomy of Love - 7. Part One. Chapter Seven.

There were only a couple of cars in Mo’latte’s parking lot when Kyan whipped his Honda Pilot into one of the spots next to Max. The blond with his hair coiffed perfectly jumped out of his SUV and waved wildly.

“Is Miss Wild Thang with you?” Max asked, shouting over the roar of traffic from Highway 211. Kyan nodded, then laughed as Max bolted to the back seat, where he took a wide-eyed and slightly terrified toddler from her car seat. “What in the hello jello is going on here? Where’d the wild thang from last week go?” he asked, staring at Gracie, who was dressed in a bright red sequined pageant-like dress with all the frills and had her hair pulled back in a high, tight pony with a giant red bow. “All I see is the most beautiful princess girl in all the world.”

Gracie just had to have the fancy dress because she’s three, and yet hated the attention. She kept her brows pinched in displeasure until he set her on the asphalt. Once freed, she sprinted straight to her dad’s legs, shoving her face between his thighs.

Max laughed, then noticed Kyan. “She’s not the only one looking fly today. Daaamn.”

Kyan blushed. It was true. He had taken a little more effort today. His khakis and blue cotton polo were no red sequined dress, but it was better than the jeans he still wore from high school. It wasn’t like Max made him feel bad or anything, but he was always dressed so impeccably. It inspired Kyan to try a little harder. And it had been a relatively smooth morning with the kids, so finding an extra five minutes had been easy.

Gracie refused to look at Max until ten minutes later, when Max held up a tiny cup of hot cocoa, summoning her good graces. Her eyes lit up, and her mouth formed an ‘O’, and then suddenly, he wore the new best friend crown.

But Max was no one’s fool. He held the prize just out of reach. “Sit in the chair like a lady,” he instructed. Gracie climbed onto the chair and then reached for the drink. Max wiggled his finger. “No way. I said, ‘sit like a lady’.” He put the drink down and helped Gracie cross her little legs and then set her hands in her lap. “Now say, ‘thank you, Mr. Max.’”

“Fank you, Mitter Max.”

Max swooned at the pronunciation, then handed her the drink and looked at Kyan. “She is precious.”

She was, when she wasn’t being an absolute terror. He wasn’t about to say that, not with Gracie sitting next to him like such a little lady. Never would he intentionally use his words to hurt his children anyways, but he wanted to encourage this lovely behavior, not discourage it.

Kyan leaned over and gave her a kiss on the head, then looked at Max, who still held Kyan’s drink hostage. He sat up straight and put his hands together on the table. “Where’s my drink Mitter Max?”

Max looked at the cup in front of him and laughed. “Oh jeez! I’m sorry.”

Kyan sipped his coffee. “How is Keegan?”

He brightened at the mention of his nephew. “It was a good week. School is helping him so much. He’s a very social boy. His little battery charges like a nuclear plant when he’s with other kids.”

“Does that mean he comes home wired?”

“The opposite, actually. He’s so much calmer.”

Kyan thought of the energy his four kids produced every single day and sighed dreamily. “Amazing.”

“It is. Of course, now that he’s getting in the rhythm of things, I worry his mom will disrupt it. I want him to be with her, but only if she is good for him and I just don’t see that happening.”

“All you can do is show him you’re here for him. He may gravitate towards his mom, but it sounds like he will always need you.”

“And I will be there for him, always. I’ve worried about her bad choices catching up with her. Luckily, she was smart enough to make me his legal guardian, should that happen. That does make me feel better.”

“Sounds like she’s not all bad.”

“She’s not bad. I know I can be hard on her, but it’s just because I love Keegan so much. I love my sister, too. I just don’t think she’s the best version of herself right now. She doesn’t think logically when she’s high. The last thing I want is for Keegen to be a pawn in her drama.” Max sighed, as if the weight he bore was unimaginable. “But that’s enough about that. Tell me about your B-I-L. What’s the 4-1-1?”

Kyan played it cool, like he hadn’t had the best week annoying Perry with all the questions, laughing at the way he got flustered and minutely annoyed at each mini-interrogation. Kyan should have never sat back and let Dayna fill in all the facts about Perry. She did not do him justice in the slightest. The worst part was all the years they’d lost, not being as close as they could’ve been.

But that was in the past.

All Kyan wanted to do now was talk Perry up—to gush about his amazing friend. He took a long sip of his coffee and began. “He’s not a ‘Grindr guy’. He’s done it before, but it’s not his thing, and he has since deleted the app. He’s definitely a relationship kind of guy. Prefers commitment over convenience. He wants kids, just not with his ex, which is why they broke up. He’s in his early thirties and has built a very successful business as an industrial electrician. He’s great with finances; I don’t think he has any debt except maybe his house, which he designed himself, and it’s gorgeous. He goes to the gym three days a week. He’s active every day, but definitely enjoys vegging out with his nieces and nephews. He hates cottage cheese. It’s a texture thing. He’s never been to Disneyland. Oh, and here’s a picture—”

He unlocked his phone and turned it so Max could see.

Max fanned himself. “Damn.”

“Yep.”

“No, seriously…damn.”

Kyan laughed and looked at the picture. Perry was holding Noah upside down. They were both laughing. Perry’s backward cap was crooked and his hair was messy after wrestling with the kids. It was a good picture because Perry was smiling. Like, really smiling.

Kyan took the phone back and scrolled through his pictures. “I don’t have a lot of pictures of him without the kids.”

Max stole the phone back for another look. “God, men with kids are my weakness.”

“He’s pretty great.”

“You mentioned before that he goes to a club in Portland. Do you know which club? CC Slaughters? Or Scandals?”

****

“Daaad!” Ava came around the corner. Her ponytail was a complete mess and tears ran down her face. She bent her arm and shoved her elbow out for Kyan to see. “Gracie bit me!”

He stirred the sauce with one hand and looked at her arm with the other. Sure enough, a tiny but mighty bite mark. He pulled Ava to his side and comforted her. “I’m so sorry, baby. That wasn’t nice of Gracie.”

“She’s in big trouble! Right?”

Once Kyan figured out why she was biting, maybe.

More screaming in the other room. Kyan shut the burner off at the same time the front door opened. Perry stopped, assessed the situation, then went straight to the living room, where all hell was probably breaking loose. Especially if Gracie was biting.

Ava stayed attached to Kyan’s side as he finished dinner while Perry wrangled the other three kids, mostly Gracie, since Noah and Henry went to the table willingly. When they finished dinner, Perry made Kyan sit in the blue plaid glider while he single-handedly got the kids put to bed.

Kyan craned his neck, trying to see what Perry was doing. The house was quiet. No one was begging for the bathroom, or a drink, or to offer a last-minute recap of their day.

When Perry finally came out from the hallway, Kyan chuckled. “It’s frowned upon to dose kids with Benadryl for personal gain.”

Perry winked and headed to the living room without a word. Whatever. Kyan wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth. He hopped out of his chair and hurried after Perry.

“Do you think Ronald is going to figure out he’s being filmed?” he asked as he jumped on the sofa next to his friend.

Perry shrugged and got the reality show queued up. “Nah. He seems pretty clueless.”

“Yeah, but there is no way all this insane stuff happens in real life. He has to think something is up.”

Kyan slung his arm over the back of the sofa and pulled his legs up. “CC Slaughters? Or Scandals?”

Perry dropped his head back and laughed. He wore his good smile, the one that changed his entire face and made his green eyes light up. “Always with the questions,” he groaned, then shook his head as if Kyan was too much. “CC Slaughter is great for dancing and fun. Scandals when I needed to get laid.”

****

Max grinned, and Kyan knew Perry had answered correctly. The blond had his next question ready. “When he’s on vacation, is he the type that lays around the pool and does nothing or does he have to have a packed schedule?”

****

Gray storm clouds loomed all day, silently threatening to unleash the first rains of the season. They should’ve stayed inside, but the kids begged to play at Perry’s house.

Kyan put the SUV in park and looked at the raindrops splattering against the windshield, then at the kids in the back seat.

With a ‘little rain never hurt anyone’ attitude, Kyan released the kids.

Perry was already on the porch, looking at the sky, probably thinking the same thing. He disappeared inside the house and returned with an armful of throw blankets before motioning for Kyan to join him.

“If you were on your dream vacation,” Kyan asked as he stepped onto the porch. “Would you rather relax by the pool or explore everything the area has to offer?”

Perry arched his brow, then smiled. He liked the questions, Kyan could tell. Or at the very least, he found Kyan’s sudden interest amusing.

“Both,” he said as Kyan sat next to him on the bench swing. “My dream vacation would be equal parts relaxation and exploration.”

“By relaxation, you mean sex, right?” Kyan waggled his brows. “Sex and exploration?”

“I mean, sex falls under both categories, does it not?”

Kyan held out his fist for a bump. “Touché.”

****

Max lit up. Another right answer. He started to pull a list out of his pocket. “I have so many questions—”

Kyan stopped him. “I’m not dating Perry for you. If you guys hit it off, you can ask him yourself.”

He might’ve been firm on the outside, but inside, Kyan was preening. He was proud. Not of himself, but of Perry for being epicly awesome. He wanted to show Perry off. It was a powerful feeling to know you had the gold standard of a man as your brother-in-law.

They were trying to find costumes for Halloween. It was only a couple weeks away and neither of them had anything to show for it.

“Then when do I get to meet him?” Max asked as he continued scrolling on his phone for ideas.

“Whatever we do, it has to be organic. If Perry thinks it’s a setup, it will be an automatic no. He’s so weird about being set up. I was thinking, maybe we can run into each other during trick-or-treating? It’s the perfect cover since everyone is out and about.”

Max looked up, his blue eyes sparkling with awe. “He’s going trick-or-treating with you guys?”

“Well, I’m assuming? He did last year. So did Jessica.”

“God. You have the dream family.”

Kyan thought about his own parents, who he’d barely talked to this year. A few emails here and there when he took the initiative. Parents who never found the time or compassion to come to Dayna’s funeral. “Well, Dayna has the dream family.”

Max smiled. ”You have to talk them into going to Greg Anderson’s. He has the best Halloween parties.”

****

Noah lay on the arm of the sofa with his arms wrapped around Kyan’s neck as he watched the iPad with rapt attention. When Kyan scrolled past a line of Minecraft characters, Noah gasped. “I want to be a pig zombie!”

Henry bounced on his knees beside Kyan. “Oh! Me a villager. Pa-leese dad!”

“What about me?” Kyan asked. “Who am I?”

“Diamond Steve!”

Ava and Gracie crowded his lap. Ava huffed at the annoying gaming characters. “I want to be Rufio,” she announced, which didn’t surprise Kyan. His girls were obsessed with the movie “Hook.”

“Tinka Bew!” Gracie shouted, then slid off Kyan’s lap and ran across the room to Jessica. “You Windy.”

“I can be Wendy?”

“Ya! Pearwy be Peder Pan.”

Perry, who was answering work emails from his phone and ignoring the entire Halloween subject, looked up and blinked. “What?”

“You get to be Peter Pan,” Jessica told her brother with a barely contained smile. “I’m Wendy. Gracie is Tinker Bell and Ava is one of the lost boys.”

“Rufio. With the mohawk!” Ave clarified.

“Oh.” Perry seemed surprised. “I was just going as Uncle Perry.”

Kyan booed. “Don’t be lame. The girls want you to be Peter Pan.”

Perry looked at his nieces, who were pouting and giving him big sad eyes. He let out a breath. “I’m not wearing tights.”

****

Kyan held his bulky blue sword and watched as dozens of kids ran around Greg Anderson’s spooky spectacular Halloween party. Kyan didn’t know the host personally but his parties were epic and inclusive. Everyone in town was invited.

Kyan adjusted his helmet to stop it from falling over his eyes again and glared at his sister-in-law, who wore only a simple flannel nightgown. “You have it so easy.”

Jessica flicked her jet-black side braid. “It’s not my fault the girls love me.”

“What am I?” Perry asked. “Chopped liver?”

Kyan moved his glare from Jessica’s outfit to Perry’s, which would never win awards because it was the worst kind of Peter Pan knock-off. It wasn’t even a knock-off. If it had been, it would have meant he tried. Instead, he looked like some lazy teenager who rolled out of bed on St. Patrick's Day.

“Oh, are your green joggers and hoodie so uncomfortable?” Kyan scoffed, sarcasm dripping off each word. He flicked Perry’s cap, which had his company logo, until it sat cockeyed on his head. “And for the record, I don’t think Peter Pan was an electrician.”

Perry smiled and re-adjusted the aforementioned logoed hat. “But it’s green.”

Kyan was a little green too, with jealousy. He had fancied himself a Martha Stewart when he built his costume from a cardboard box. Now that his range of motion was impeded, he was regretting his decision.

He huffed, about to lay the guilt on thick when he saw Max enter through the side door. Once Keegan ran off with the other kids, Kyan waved his friend over.

Max looked like the old man from Pixar’s UP with gray spray-painted hair and suspenders.

Kyan met him halfway. “I thought you and Keegan were going as ‘The Greatest Showman’?”

Max pushed his thick-rimmed glasses higher on his nose and narrowed his eyes. “So did I.”

Kyan laughed at the far less attractive costume, then dragged Max to where his family was standing around. “This is my friend, Max,” he said. “This is Jessica and Perry.”

Max subtly glared at Kyan before smiling at Jessica. “Nice to meet you…both,” he added, his gaze lingering on Perry for a beat.

Jessica grinned. “Ahh, nice to finally meet the other member of the stay-at-home-dad group.”

“Well, I work from home mostly, and not really a dad’s group. I am an uncle, after all.”

“Super uncle,” Kyan corrected.

Max looked Perry up and down. “And we are? The Jolly Green Giant?” His voice held a hint of flirtation. It was so slight, it was almost undetectable.

Without a word, Perry struck Peter Pan’s pose next to his sister. Max laughed and looked at Kyan. Ohmygod. Can I take him home? The look only intensified when Tinker Bell—in her green tutu and Rufio—in her carefully constructed mohawk and tattered clothes—came over to show how much candy they collected.

“Are you serious?” he whispered in Kyan’s ear. “He dressed up with his nieces? Swoon.”

“If you call his outfit dressing up, then sure.”

“Peter Pan in and of itself is an interpretation. Why can’t his outfit reflect that?”

“Don’t start siding with him already.”

Max gazed at Perry with the fondness of a blossoming crush. “I can’t help it. He’s dreamy.”

Kyan nudged him. “C’mon, let's go talk to him.”

Max, who was no stranger to talking Kyan’s ear off every Thursday, kept unusually quiet. Instead of talking to Perry, he kept glancing at Kyan with knowing grins and subtle smirks every time Peter Pan did something cute.

Kyan returned the subtle looks, teasing Max.

Max glared back, telling Kyan to fuck off.

All the while, the kids ran around like heathens until it came crashing down.

A broken-winged Tinker Bell threw herself at Kyan’s feet.

He tried to bend over and pick her up, but couldn’t. Stupid costume. There was nothing he could do unless he took it off, which was a production‌ itself.

Perry picked her up and cradled her against his chest. “What happened to your wing?”

Gracie’s words were swallowed up by the cries of utter devastation.

While Perry tried to soothe poor little Gracie and her broken wing, Ava came over crying because Henry stole a piece of her candy.

“What if Henry gave you a piece of his candy in trade?” Kyan reasoned. But oh no, that would not do. The damage was done. Henry had dishonored the sacred twin bond when he took Ava’s candy without asking.

Kyan pleaded with Jessica. “Can you grab Noah and Henry? I think it’s time to go.”

Ava had barely calmed down when Henry dared show his face. Out of nowhere, she embraced her lost boy character and lunged at her backstabbing brother. Kyan panicked, angry that he was physically unable to do anything.

With Gracie in one arm, Perry grabbed the nape of Ava’s costume with the other hand and dragged the murderous child outside.

Jessica came back, her hand on a glaring, arms crossed, angry at the world, pig zombie. “So I have to leave because everyone else is babies?”

Kyan blinked at Max. What was going on?

Max laughed. “Have more kids, they said. It will be fun, they said.”

Jessica took Noah and Henry’s hands and led them toward the door. “Being the oldest sucks sometimes, doesn’t it?” she said to Noah. “I was the oldest, too. Perry and your mom were so annoying.”

When she was a safe distance away, Max turned to Kyan and put his hand over his own heart. “He is…” he breathed out, like there were no words to describe Perry. “The way he swooped in with the kids. You didn’t even have to ask for help.”

Kyan grinned. “I’ve never even seen him have to count to ten.” Perry was amazing. No doubt about it.

“So, what are you going to arrange next?” Max asked. “Because if you drop the ball now, I will kill you.”

“I’ll figure something out. The twins' birthday is coming up. Maybe a party is in order.” Then he asked, “How did you think it went?”

Max nodded. “Good. I definitely want him to see me when I’m not dressed like a ninety-year-old man, but I think there is interest there.”

Kyan had watched them talking and had not noticed any love connection. Admittedly, he had never been good at picking up ‘vibes’, as Dayna had called them. She was the one who approached Kyan, and when he didn’t see what was happening, she showed him exactly how she felt.

Resulting in Noah.

Max was far more equipped to decode the ways of attraction. If he thought it was good, then it must be good.

In the car on the way home, over the sounds of screaming and fighting, Kyan turned to the passenger seat. “Remember when you said they could have a sleepover at your house?”

Jessica laughed. “I love you, but not that much.”

He glanced in the rearview mirror at Perry, who was smashed between two car seats. Before he could say anything, Peter Pan discreetly wiped the corner of his eye with a very specific finger, making Kyan and Jessica laugh.

“I’m happy to stay and help,” Perry clarified. “I’ll even sleep over, but I’m not throwing myself in the front line of this battlefield alone.”

“Deal,” Kyan said in a rush.

Jessica made a face at her little brother. “You’re such a chump.”

“Nah. Just the best uncle ever. Right, kids?”

No one responded. Ava was taking vengeance out on Henry by messing with his Minecraft block villager helmet, Gracie clutched the broken wing to her chest and whimpered, and Noah glared out the window with his arms crossed. Perry looked at Kyan through the rearview mirror and laughed.

Kyan didn’t need the kids to confirm that his brother-in-law was the best. It was one of the few consistent things in his life.

The sun rose.

The sun set.

Perry was a badass.