Balancing Acts

Chapter 19: Back to Us

            After Brandon and I returned back to our lives in Calhoun Heights, I noticed subtle changes in his behavior. He was definitely more at ease and he was spending even more time at home with me and the boys. We went to the park on warm days and took the boys to fun age-appropriate events. We also hung out with our respective friends a lot more, going on dinner dates and having drinks at bars and at Apollo's Secret. However, we still hadn't had that special date that Dr. Carver told us to go on. It was important to me to designate some time to having that special date, but it always slipped my mind because I usually had a million things going on at once. I'm sure it was the same for Brandon. With work and our personal obligations, it seemed damn near impossible to get the time for it.

            "What did you do for spring break?" I asked Caiden as he helped me grade midterm tests in my office.

            "Something crazy," he replied with a big smile. "I brought Marquell home to my family and introduced them to him."

            "Whoa, are you serious? How did they react?"

            "They didn't mind at first, but then I told them he and I eloped."

            "Oh my God. It didn't get violent or anything, did it?"

            "No, but I could tell they were disappointed. My sister was excited and wants me to have a big wedding but that's not going to happen. I like the way me and Marquell did it. It was quiet and intimate and just about us."

            "It was very courageous of you to tell your family and to introduce them to Marquell."

            "My family accepted me being gay a long time ago and I'm not underage, so there wasn't much they would've been able to do about me getting married. I understand their frustration though. I married someone I've only known for a couple of semesters. But I still know it was the right thing to do."

            "How has Marquell's teammates been taking everything?"

            "He told me some of them have been supportive, while others have been either unbothered by it or have stopped talking to him. No one has said anything hateful. Spring training has begun and the team has been getting along so I think it's safe to assume nothing will change."

            "It's amazing how much things have changed since my college days. Had a football player come out back in those days, he would've been immediately pushed off the team. I'm glad that Marquell will get to play one last year with the Cougars."

            "He'll still be involved with the team after next year since we'll both be grad students here. We still have our dream of being teachers at the same school once we get our master's degrees." He laughed and added, "Well, he'll be a coach and a teacher."

            "I'm so happy for you two. I wish you the best of luck."

            "Thanks, Julani. And I mean thanks for everything. You've been a great mentor to me this semester, and I just want you to know that I really appreciate it."

            "Well, believe it or not, you've been a world of help to me as well. Now that it seems like my life has balanced itself out, I feel like the rest of this semester is going to breeze by smoothly." I smiled at him and he smiled back as we got back to grading the midterm tests.

            After teaching my last class of the day, I decided to go to the gym and fit in a quick workout. I was still feeling guilty for all the stuff I ate while in Texas. I'd brought a pair of shorts and a tank top with me to work so after changing in the locker room, I went over to where the treadmills were and stretched. Then I got on one and ran on it as I listened to a workout playlist I put together on my iPhone. I'd just finished about an hour of running and was moving over to the free weights so I could do some squats, when Tyree popped up out of nowhere. He was shirtless and covered in sweat.