"So, wait, tell me again, because I don't get it," Elliot asked, hanging backwards off the edge of Matthew's bed, his head pressed to the floor. "You're going on a date with that guy you almost stabbed? I need to know the story because I'm telling Danny it tomorrow."
"It's not a date," he insisted, despite glancing over his appearance hanging off the closet door for the fourth time. Every single article of clothing he had was stained, too small, ripped. Details of his evening with Mr. Reyes were brief, but in following messages Matthew insisted on something casual and relaxing.
Mr. Reyes agreed without issue, saying he would plan it all "so you don't have to."
The thought made Matthew's stomach turn.
"But you did almost stab him?" Lilliana asked, thumbing through some of the books that sat against the wall. "I was there. You almost stabbed him."
Elliot grunted. "If he wasn't holding the box, I could've seen blood. Do you know how long I've needed blood for a curse?"
"Stop it, you're not harvesting any blood from anyone unless..." Matthew paused expectantly.
"Unless it's consensual," Elliot droned, crossing his arms over his chest. "Stupid, though."
"Quiet," Matthew chastised, fixing the collar of his shirt. He paused for a moment before sighing. "How is it possible to look like an ugly, blah burrito?"
"What about burritos?" Lilly asked. She tossed the book over her shoulder, landing open on the floor, and hummed. "Matt, you have boring books. Why don't you have any good books?"
He turned back to them, wondering, for a moment, where Audrey was. "Isn't it your bedtime?" he asked.
"Audrey isn't around, so we don't have one," Elliot said on cue, throwing himself upward. He pressed his hands to the wall, a glare crossing his face and he steadied himself. "It's logic, Matt."
"No, it's wishful thinking," he said, swinging open the closet door and reaching in for something else. 'What do you even wear for a not-date?' Matthew wondered, panicking as he shuffled hangers around left and right, sifting through his awful collection of outdated clothes. Grunting, he withdrew a semi-decent printed shirt and replaced the stained khakis with a pair of dark jeans that were too long on him. "Bed. Now, the both of you."
Lilly groaned. "But Matt, we wanna see him again!"
Elliot swung his legs off the bed. "I want to see if he's got a bruise from where you almost – "
He was tempted – so deeply tempted – to call Mr. Reyes and tell him something came up, to take over the children's bedtime routine and suffer Mr. Yang's wrath another day, but he didn't have the strength. "No, bed. Even if Audrey isn't here, that doesn't mean you disregard everything we've done. The rules are still in place. 'Bedtime without reasonable complaint.'" Matthew shooed them towards the door. "You won't see him, Lilly, because he can't drive up to the house."
"Why?" she asked. "I can buzz him in. I know how."
"Same," Eli added.
"Bed."
Pursing her lips, Lilly turned on her heels and stomped theatrically out the door to the carport. Elliot followed suit, lingering for a moment giving him puppydog eyes – though this did not sway Matthew's opinion – before he finally gave up. He did still wish Matthew "goodnight" before closing the door behind him.
Then silence. The quiet humming of a vacuum cleaner in the distance. Matthew scoffed, realizing how much he suddenly missed them pestering him.
Where was Audrey?
Matthew shook his head, glancing back into the mirror, hating his reflection. He checked his phone before realizing how late it had gotten. Checking himself for keys, wallet, and his phone's portable charger, Matthew threw on his faded parka, locked the door to his room, and trotted towards the gate, squeezing through and taking the shadowed path down towards Cherry Street. A long walk of crisp autumn breezes, whistling branches, and the occasional bird chirping accompanied him.
His stomach would not settle. His mind ran rampant with a 'To Do' list that was ever growing despite his boss' request.
When he finally reached the street, it was deserted, a few streetlights illuminating golden casts of hazy light. A stray cat wandered towards a house. The sunset was now gone, washed out by the cooler, darker colors of night.
Matthew grimaced every second he waited. He regretted ever agreeing to this.
At 7:30 exactly, a truck clattered off Willamette Street and three-point turned, backfiring so loudly the sound ricocheted into a boisterous echo. The driver's side door opened with a thud, and out came Edward, his expression brighter than the streetlights.
He definitely regretted ever agreeing to this.
"Hi, Matt!" Edward called, stepping down from the truck. "Glad to see you!" He grinned, crooked as ever.
Matthew swallowed. "Hi, Mr. Reyes."
Edward shook his head. "Please, Matt. Mr. Reyes was my father. I'm just 'Eddie'."
'No. Never,' he wanted to say, but was too distracted by Edward's green eyes fixed on him. The warm grin adorned on his lips. The brightness that seemed to ooze from every crevasse of his being. All of it left him uneasy, uncomfortable with the attention. Something in his stomach fluttered, angry and giddy. "What punishment did you plan for me tonight?" Matthew asked, fumbling over his words. He glanced down, biting the inside of his cheek.
"Punishment?" Edward raised a brow, his smirk undiminished. "What, did your friend set this up for you after they handed back your phone? Is that who I was texting this whole time?"
YOU ARE READING
It's Definitely Not All Mary Poppins
General Fiction[A Slice-Of-Life LGBTQ+ Story about Found Family] Matthew Robinson's career as a teacher seemed to have stalled, yet when the winds in the East suddenly lands him in the employ as a nanny, Matthew realizes he's probably signed up for more than he ba...
