A long lane at night

2.6. KEEP IT TOGETHER Part 2

'Engagement. Engagement lunch party, Uncle Brian. Jack ... uh ... Jack confessed his feelings for me yesterday and ... uh ... after saying we were always so close it felt like we had been dating all our lives, he proposed to me instead of asking me to be his boyfriend.'

'Now, isn't that sweet?' Dad Brian's face changed completely in one second when he opened up his arms for the two, actually, three of us, for I was still holding my baby girl, and a sweet smile cut through, putting away the daggers in his eyes. I still couldn't move, though. So, he came to us and hugged us all, saying in a soft voice between our heads, 'I am so happy you're finally together as I know you have always wanted to, boys! And, Nate, I must thank you for being patient enough with this clueless boy over here and, please forgive me for not rubbing the truth on his face sooner.'

Being only a bit shorter than me, he placed a kiss on my cheek and another one on the top of Nate's head. He let go of me and hugged only Nate.

'I'm sure you'll both be very happy together, Nate. And now we can finally have you as an official Altridge-Leech!' He looked thoughtful for a second, then turned to me and asked with a genuine curious voice, 'have you thought about this? Because your father and I both wanted to keep our names, but I'm afraid Altridge-Leech-Wyatt is a little bit too much. It's starting to sound like a law firm.'

'Well,' I said, finally finding my voice. 'I agree with the sentiment. Both of them, if I'm honest. I don't want Nate to give up his name, nor I want to do the same. But it is indeed getting a little bit too long.'

'I think we can do both things,' Nate said as dad Allan got close to us with a calm face, finally knowing the storm was over. We all looked at Nate with raised eyebrows. 'We can officially sign the whole name and you guys can call us whatever way that it makes you comfortable. Altridge-Leech-Wyatt, just Wyatt, just Altridge, just Leech, Wyatt-Altridge, Wyatt-Leech, Altridge-Wyatt, Leech-Wyatt, Leech-Wyatt-Altridge. The combinations are plenty, we can have some fun with it!'

'As long as you don't ask us oldies to call you "Munchkin", Nate, that's actually a great idea.'

Nate went beet red at dad Brian's tease. I thought maybe I could rescue him.

'No, dad. That's an honour bestowed upon myself and myself alone. Sorry, you'll have to stick to your ... wait a second ... all these years, I've never heard you guys having a pet name for each other.'

'That's because we don't have pet names for each other, dingus,' dad Brian said. 'Why would I want to call your father anything else when his name is already the best word to ever cross my lips?'

He reached for his husband and they shared a passionate kiss. I know some kids get grossed out when they remember their parents are also people, but I always loved seeing how madly in love with one another my dads had always been. My heart swells up when I think that maybe I will be just as lucky to have something like that. I decide to lighten up the mood as well and say when they finally part, 'too much! I can't take it! Here! Hold the baby!'

I give Alice to dad Allan, turn to Nate, throw my arms under his armpits, hold him up to reach my height ('Jack! What are you doing?') and kiss him just as passionately. Nate kisses me back and I ignore everyone else around me.

'Ew,' dad Allan jokingly says. 'Get a room, you pervs. There are children present.'

'As if that ever stopped the two of you,' I say when I put Nate down on the floor again. 'Who do you think made me learn that I need to tell people I love them when I do?'

'Ah,' dad Allan said, giving my daughter to Nate, who had stretched his arms, finally managing to get hold of the baby girl, 'the best lesson I ever taught you.'