WILLIAM (bxb)

5

               "Mom, I think I'm in love," Jamie sings out as he pours fruit loops into a bowl for himself. His mother hardly looks up from her book.

"Is that so?" she asks, and Jamie nods furiously.

"His name is William and he's about this high – " he demonstrates William's approximate height with his hand – "and he's in his final year for a bachelor's in mathematics and then he's going to get a degree for teaching and – "

"Wait," his mother has closed her book and is watching him, a half smile raising her lips. "How old is he?"

"He's twenty! He graduated two years early because he's a fucking genius, Mom!" Jamie feels like he could fly. He feels like he could soar. He feels otherworldly – William kissed him last night and he can't quite get over it.

"A genius, huh?"

"Yeah! And he has these like really really inquisitive eyes like he sees everything and he knows what you're doing before you do it and he knows exactly what you're thinking no matter what. It's like he looks right into you, you know what I mean? And he's really really nice, like super nice and he makes everyone feel so valid and so real. It's like he's the only nice person in a sea of awful people, Mom, I think I'm in love."

Jamie's mom sighs, "He's treating you right, then?" she asks, and Jamie knows she's thinking about Nicky. She would never say anything more, but this is enough for him to know that she never approved of his ex, it's enough for him to know that somehow she'd found out how awful he was.

He appreciates her concern. He appreciates her a whole lot more than he shows, really. "He's been nothing but great," he says dreamily, and takes a bite of cereal. He can't believe that William kissed him; he can't believe that William likes him of all people. Jesus, he's never been so lucky.

"You'll have to invite him to dinner one day, then," his mother smirks, and pushes her glasses up her nose, fixing him with her warm gaze.

"Is next week alright?" he asks immediately, and she laughs at the hope in his eyes.

"A little soon, isn't it?"

He shakes his head. William already wants to meet his family. William says he moves too fast in relationships but Jamie's okay with it. He wants to show William off to his mother, he wants to show William off to the rest of the world. He's not sure he's ever felt like this – so unafraid. So full of life.

"Alright," she agrees, and then Jamie realizes he hasn't put milk in his cereal.