"Lente hora, celeriter anni." -Medieval Sundial motto
An hour passes slowly, but the years go by quickly.
"Congrats on graduating, Brett! You deserve it!" Eddy said, petting my head.
After all these years, he was still taller than Brett. Not that Brett minded, it had always been like that for them. Oh, and it's been years but Brett ISs still in love. Hopelessly in love, but in love nonetheless. They're still together, too. Even if Brett was happy for Eddy, he still felt like he couldn't date anyone else.
Who wanted an emotional baggage when they were supposed to date someone new? Brett certainly didn't. So, he just let it be for a while. If they were supposed to be together, the world would fix that by now.
Jordon and Dan approached Brett and congratulated him too. He was glad to have this two as his other companions throughout the uni journey. He would've gone insane without the two. He was happy.
After that, Brett's family went to dinner as a celebration. Of course, they picked a family-style, Chinese restaurant for the celebration.
"Lah, why do you not have a girlfriend? You certainly have time for that now, don't you?" Mama Yang asked, testing the waters.
"Ma, a girlfriend isn't gonna suddenly appear." Brett replied, Alexander tried to not laugh.
"Don't sass me, lah. What about boyfriend?" Mama Yang cautiously asked.
Brett and Alexander choked on whatever they were consuming in the moment. Brett was full on coughing but mama Yang's stare isn't faltering. She handed him a glass of water and Brett drank it, immediately thanking his mom.
"Ma, I don't like boys..." Brett said, wiping his mouth with the serviettes near his side of the table.
"Are you sure about that?" Papa Yang asked, looking at Brett.
"Yeah, where did you get the idea I liked boys, anyway?" Brett tried to ask, covering up his nervousness.
There was a moment of silence, an awkward one. Alexander was avoiding the awkwardness by looking at his plate of food. Brett was doing the same thing and everything was quiet until mama Yang chuckled.
"Ah, you both got the habit from your father..." Mama Yang said, lightening up the conversation.
"I did not." Alex said, defending himself immediately.
"You did! You three should've seen the way you looked like." She added, laughing completely now.
Papa Yang was quiet, just looking at his wife with a soft expression. Brett observed his father and felt a pinch in his heart. This was exactly how Eddy looked at Toni, even after all these years. Brett looked away, even if the gesture was sweet it reminded him of a place where he may never be.
Brett suddenly looked back at the past few years of his life. Whatever he had called this feeling for Eddy for the past few years, was it even real? He knew it was, but was it valid? Is it as acceptable as him loving someone who was of the opposite sex? Is he ever going to-
"Brett and Alexander, it's time we have to talk about this. Because if not, when are we going to?" Papa Yang said, looking at his boys. "It is okay to love anyone you love, whether be it a boy or a girl, you can't stop yourself from falling in love..." Papa Yang added, smiling at his boys.
"And we're having this conversation because you feel that I'm gay?" Brett asked again, utterly confused.
"No, Brett. We're having this conversation in order to reassure both of you, that whoever you may bring home for dinner in the future, we will accept you as a couple. Of course, approval is different but whether be it a boy or a girl, I'll have to see how they fit you well." Mama Yang said, laughing.
"Your mom fell in love with a girl before. Thank God I'm her soulmate." Papa Yang stated, still giving her the same look of softness from a while ago.
"What? No way mom fell in love with a girl..." Alexander replied, still a bit weirded out from the information.
"She did! Oh my, you should've seen The Woman..." Papa Yang responded.
"The woman?" Brett asked, raising his brow in disbelief.
"The Woman... She was basically every man's dream woman." Papa Yang said, quite amused.
Mama Yang cleared her throat. Papa Yang's laughter died out little by little.
"Except for me, of course. I already have her, why would I want anything else?"
The lines were simple but it resonated with Brett quite a lot. Why would I want anything else? It wasn't as grand as a poet's craft or anything else. It was both honest and simple. As though nothing would suffice but having your beloved by your side.
In this case, Brett was not the beloved. Eddy was his beloved and he's the lover. Brett's the lover because he isn't loved back. That was a fact that remained up until today.
So, Brett went quiet. He decided to listen to the chatter instead of just engaging himself in it. He was pondering Eddy and what he felt. He was not always certain that he loved Eddy, but now that he's older he is more certain.
"Ma, pa, I know it's about Brett today but I have something to say since we're here together..." Alexander said, quite nervous.
"It's not completely about me! Go ahead Alex, tell us." Brett replied, coaxing Alex to say his thing.
"I'm dating this girl..."
"That's great!" Brett exclaimed, excited for his brother.
"But..."
"But what, son?" Mama Yang asked, getting impatient.
"She's older than me by five years." Alex finally spit out.
"Oh..." Mama Yang said, unsurprised nonetheless.
"You aren't mad or anything?" Alexander asked, looking up at them.
"Your mom fell in love with a girl, right? She's also seven years older than her." Papa Yang said, smiling at Alexander.
Alexander let out his breath, he was nervous and too aware of the nervousness. He felt relieved when papa Yang said that. He took a glass of water and downed it on a single gulp.
"Easy there boy, you might choke." Papa Yang warned.
"Did you think we would look at you differently when you said you dated someone older than you?" Mama Yang asked, looking at his son with disbelieve.
"Maybe? I haven't even told you who yet..." Alexander argued, looking at his mother.
"Who is it then, son?"
"Belle Chen. Eddy's older sister..." Alexander admitted, everyone suddenly got quiet.
Mama Yang was so happy about the news that she couldn't hold it in anymore.
"Oh that's good! It's wonderful that you have a great girl with you... Very, very strong and beautiful." She said, beaming with so much excitement.
"That is great son. I am happy for you." Papa Yang added, patting his son's shoulder.
"Yeah, that's great news! I'm glad it's Belle." Brett said, ruffling with his younger brother's hair.
Now, they were only a year apart. They might be opposites but they get along quite nicely. They balance each other well. He's the one who's more analytical and loves sciences. Brett's the one who's more creative and musical. It made sense because their parents are exactly like that.
Brett got a lot from his mom even if he looks like his dad. Alexander got a lot from his dad even if he looks like his mom. It's a good family balance and both their parents were thankful. It was imperfectly the Yang family.
When they went back home, Brett was talking to Alexander on his room. He was sitting on his younger brother's bed as he just questioned him.
"Bro, I never knew... I feel like a horrible brother." Brett exclaimed.
"That was kinda my point, Brett. I didn't want you to know yet. I mean, you wouldn't judge me but yeah, me and Belle were playing it safe." Alexander explained.
"You've been dating for how long?" Brett asked.
"Well, we've just dated when I turned eighteen but I was courting her for years. Remember the first time she went here? The second or third time, I started courting her. I think I was fourteen."
"Well, she rejected you quite a lot I guess?"
"Yeah, she always put me in the friend zone even if I was persistent. She knew I wasn't gonna give up, so she gave me a chance when I was eighteen."
"Horrible choice." Brett joked and Alexander laughed.
"I would say that, but we've been together for almost a year and a half so I wouldn't doubt so..." Alex replied.
"Well, how are you coping with long distance?"
"It's hard, but it's worth it because I love her so much."
"That's good, Alex. I'm glad she gave you a chance..."
"Me too... Me too."
Brett went up and almost left the room until Alex spoke up.
"Better tell him soon too, right? You're going to Sydney in a few months."
"I know. I'll tell him but not now."