Fear settled in my stomach as Martin put the car to a halt in front of his parents' house. In front of us was the beauty of a two-story Victorian home. It overlooked Redondo Beach, and the view was beyond spectacular. The house was secluded from the rest of the neighborhood and had its walkway to the beach.
I fixed my sweater just, and I unhooked my seatbelt. I wasn't sure why I even picked this sweater. It was so itchy. I pulled on the collar in annoyance and huffed.
I didn't say anything on the drive here, and Martin's eyes were glued to my direction. How could I even say anything without giving away any hint of nervousness?
I called Indigo more times than I could count. I asked her about tips on how to make a good impression.
Of course, she was helpful, but she took the opportunity to throw a couple of jokes my way.
My distress must have been so obvious, and Martin knew better than any attempt I had in concealing my worries.
"Are you okay?" Martin asked. He reached for my arm and gave a comforting grip.
"Of course. Why wouldn't I be?"
"It's just that you've been quiet the entire trip here."
"I just haven't done this meet-the-parents bit for a while."
"They're going to love you. And there's no pressure," Martin suggested. He leaned on his seat and glanced towards the house. "They're a pretty normal bunch. A bit crazy sometimes, but they're great people. We can still back out if you're not comfortable."
"Don't be silly. We're already here, but you might need to pull me out of the car for good measure."
Martin laughed at my joke and pulled me in for a kiss. In an instant, all of the nervousness was gone. All I could ever think of was how good this was, and I wouldn't do anything to screw it up.
We both realized that the kiss lasted longer than it should when someone knocked on Martin's window that had us both jumping on our seats.
A guy who looked strikingly similar to Martin did fast hand movements. He had the same pair of gray eyes. He had hair in the shade of chestnut brown, but it was all messy but still looked presentable.
He stood there as his hands moved faster with each passing minute. I realized that he was signing when Martin answered with similar gestures.
Martin got out of the car, and I followed him. Just after sharing a hug, he introduced me to the guy who just interrupted a memorable kiss. He had a smile on his face, and for a moment, the idea of meeting Martin's family wasn't scary at all.
"This is Aki, my boyfriend," Martin said. His hands moved as he talked. My heart somersaulted at the brief but very specific introduction. He never called me his boyfriend before. We haven't talked about labels and that sort of thing. Not that I would ever complain about anything he did. "And this is Travis, my older brother who has been a pain in the ass since forever."
I didn't know how to respond, so I reached out for a cordial handshake. In return, I was enveloped in a hug that he seemed to have liked giving. Travis had long, lean arms that wrapped around my shoulders so effortlessly.
He pulled back and signed. I stared blankly at him and then to Martin, who said, "No need for those formal handshakes, you're family." He continued signing and talking at the same time. "And I should thank you for keeping up with my brother's insanity."
I let out a nervous chuckle.
But Martin had a quick comeback when he replied, "It runs in the family." He offered me a wink and reached out to interlace our fingers together. Martin never failed to be affectionate in public, and it was a sign that he was comfortable enough to be with me. To be seen with me. It was enough to make me feel like my heart was about to burst at the seams.
Travis led us to the house, and each step we took made my knees weaker.
Once inside, two kids welcomed us, and they immediately wrapped their arms around Martin's legs. At instinct, Martin scooped them up quickly with both arms, giving them both a kiss on the cheek. I wasn't supposed to feel a certain kind of way seeing Martin with kids, but I couldn't help but smile. He looked good with kids, and I was giddy with the idea that we could have kids of our someday. Most definitely.
A woman who wore a maroon turtleneck followed the kids to the foyer to see what the commotion was about, and she stopped in her tracks upon seeing Martin and me.
"They can't contain their excitement when they found out that uncle Martin is coming today," the woman said. Martin let go of the kids, only for them to run to another part of the house. Their voices echoed across the hall. They were their chaos of radiant, youthful energy.
Martin introduced me to her older sister named Elizabeth. Just as I was to give another handshake, I was given a hug as well. Their family must be a fan of hugs. The lack of personal space ran in the family, but it was comforting enough to ease up my panicked heartbeats.
"Come on, mom and dad are waiting," Elizabeth said.
Elizabeth led us inside the house, which never fully described its beauty from the outside. A large staircase led to a hallway that overlooked the foyer. The hall stretched to different rooms of the house, one being the living room. The other side was the dining room with a table big enough for an army. There were floral arrangements spread around the house and a couple of framed photos on walls. Despite the place being all sorts of exquisite, the little personal items made it homey.
"Guess who's here," Elizabeth announced as we entered the kitchen.
"Martin, glad to see that you could join us," a woman wearing a cardigan who had to be Martin's mother met us with a grin. She was preparing dinner at the large island in the middle of the kitchen. There were a couple of helpers around her, but it was clear who was in charge.
A variety of ingredients spread throughout the counter. On the other hand, an older man was on the other side of the kitchen, reading from a tablet. He couldn't be bothered by whatever he was doing. I assumed that it was Martin's father.
We made our way around the kitchen while Martin nudged me towards the direction of his mother. It was like he was feeding me to the wolves without proper gear. So much for support.
"Mom, this is Aki."
"Hi dear," his mother said. Unlike his siblings, his mother went for a handshake, and I took it firmly.
"Thank you for inviting me for dinner, Mrs. Lewis," I replied, extending my other hand to give a wine I bought for this occasion. I was clumsy enough that it almost slipped my grip. I could just imagine the mockery I would get if this wine wasn't even near as good. I hoped that it was something fancy enough to bring for tonight.
"You didn't have to bring anything, and please, call me Rebecca."
Rebecca resumed her task, and just as Martin and I were about to leave the kitchen, she asked Martin to help her with dinner. His dad, however, never said a word other than introducing himself as Conrad. He gave us a nod and continued reading on his tablet.
Without hesitation, Martin wore an apron and took a chopping board from the cupboard. He moved around the kitchen with ease, opening the sizeable double-door fridge. He took out an armful of ingredients and placed them on the counter. I never knew that Martin being all domestic would be something I would like. It was a revelation.
I sat on the barstool to ogle at him more and how the apron fit snugly across his chest, only to be pulled aside by one of his siblings. I cast a look of horror and panic towards Martin, but he only a reassuring smile and then resumed peeling potatoes.
Elizabeth led me to the living room, where Travis played with her kids. To my surprise, the kids also knew sign language. People filled the living room with people. It wasn't crowded, but it sure was noisy. Three other guys were watching something on the television.
"While Martin is busy being mom's helper, I would like to get to know you better," Elizabeth said. My nervousness might have been too apparent when she followed up with, "It's nothing serious, just a quick chat. Come on, sit."
I took a seat on the opposite side of the wide sofa so that I could face her, but I was too far away that any attempt at maiming wouldn't be possible. Elizabeth looked harmless, but I got my fair share of a protective brother. I generally got an idea of what this talk would entail.
"Why are you sitting so far away?"
I adjusted myself in my seat, and Travis was immediately behind me, pushing me towards Elizabeth. I was now sandwiched between two older Lewis siblings. Elizabeth gestured for Travis to say something and the other scoffed as it offended him.
Nonetheless, I was taken aback when he signed, and Emily said, "We're delighted that Martin finally dared to bring someone home again."
"I'm glad that I'm here," I replied. I had a hand on my chest like it would mean something. I really was, but it didn't mean that I wasn't scared. However, I felt stupid not knowing how to sign. Emily had to repeat everything I said for Travis.
"Travis wants to know how you and Martin met," Emily said, looking at me and then back at Travis.
I opened my mouth to say something but held back the minute I realized that Martin and I met under questionable circumstances. I didn't know how close Martin and his siblings were. He never mentioned much about them when I asked him questions about his family. He never really said anything specific about his family, really. I just knew that he came from a big family and was the youngest of six siblings. He often talked about his colleagues at the firehouse and the next misstep in Sam's adventures in the city.
Then it clicked. He might have been guarded about telling me anything personal. I didn't know anything about him—aside from the fact that he worked as a lieutenant firefighter at one of the busiest firehouses in LA, his love for chicken wings and all things spicy, and that he was excellent in bed.
I didn't even know that he could cook until the minute he wore that apron.
I was unsure where I even stood in Martin's life, right until he introduced me as his boyfriend. We never defined this relationship. We never had boundaries. We never said that one was overwhelming, or the other seemed to have been overstepping.
So I settled for the safest answer.
"We met through a mutual friend."
"Which mutual friend? Was it Logan, his buddy at the firehouse?" Erin asked for Travis. She had a similar level of interest like Travis did.
"I don't think they're still friends," the other guy who was watching television diverted his attention to us. He turned his head to speak, but his eyes remained glued to the television. He had tapered jet black hair. He looked intimidating with his piercing blue eyes. He tapped the shoulders of the other two guys, and they made their way to our part of the living room. He stood in the middle of them. Instantly, three guys towered over me while they sent me scrutinizing glances.
"Oh right, the dating fiasco from last year," Elizabeth recalled, drinking from the glass of wine she had in her right hand. She crossed her legs and made herself comfortable on the sofa. Travis looked at his other brothers, and one of them signed for him. In between their words was more sign language.
"He even transferred firehouses. He told me that last time we talked," another guy, who looked the youngest among the group, spoke. He was the shortest among the guys but was a bit taller than Elizabeth. He wore a white shirt that contrasted his tan skin. He had a beer in his hand, and it made me wish that I had something to get me through this unsolicited interrogation.
"Must have been one hell of a breakup," the guy in the middle suggested.
I didn't know what that meant. Martin never divulged about his exes. I made a mental note to ask him about it. My gut told me that it was something serious. Perhaps, Martin would tell me when he was ready.
"So, which friend is it?" Elizabeth asked. I was startled by the sudden question when I was observing the way they bantered with each other.
"It was Erin. My best friend, and not so much of Martin's friend," I replied. When Elizabeth raised an eyebrow, I explained, "Erin had renovations done for their family bar, and Martin was the one who did the fire safety check and some stuff he could only understand."
"You're not talking about Redmond's, are you?"
"I am."
In unison, the siblings looked at the other guy in the plaid sweater like it was some sort of revelation that he knew about Redmond's.
"That place has been the talk of the town since they reopened. The place looked great when I went there, which is too many people for my liking, but it's nice to see them open again."
"Wait, is this Erin Perkins? Small and a strong force?"
"Yeah. You know her?"
"Of course! She's been around lately. And, have I introduced myself? I'm sorry that my brothers and I are rude. I'm James," said the guy in the middle. "And the one in the white shirt is Wyatt, and of course, our little Grayson."
"Little?" Grayson mocked, sending a quizzical look to James. Travis rolled his eyes like it was second nature for the brothers to joke about his height.
"You have quite a huge family," I exhaled, overwhelmed with the introductions.
"Do you have any siblings?" Grayson asked.
"It's just my older brother and me. And of course, there's my dad. So, it's just the three of us."
"What do you do?" Travis signed. James groaned and buried his face in his hands. "What? Martin never told us about him, only the fact that he introduced him to me as his boyfriend."
"Shut up! Really?" Elizabeth asked, gripping my arm. She looked at me squarely in the eyes, waiting for an answer.
They seemed to be interested in getting to know me, so I answered every bit of their questions. Little by little, they started to warm up to the idea that I was their youngest brother's boyfriend.
I couldn't help but feel a little envious at the idea that Martin's family was open to him being gay. But I also couldn't deny that my family was coming to terms with my sexuality as well. I was glad that supportive people surrounded us.
The hour passed by with Elizabeth sharing stories about Martin, like that one time Travis defended Martin from a homophobic comment directed to him that time in high school. She also showed baby photos of Martin that I might not have captured on my phone. A young Martin looked adorable with huge ears he outgrew and a pair of thick-rimmed eyeglasses.
At dinner, all of us were able to fit comfortably around the dining table, with Martin sitting beside me. Rebecca sat opposite Conrad on the two ends of the table. The Lewis siblings sat beside each other, with Elizabeth in between her kids.
The food was delicious. I should make Martin cook more often. Pasta piled my plate while the rest had steak and a mix of stir-fried vegetables and mashed potatoes.
Dinner was also all about conversations. Rebecca asked about me, mostly similar questions that the Lewis siblings already knew the answers to. Nonetheless, I was enthusiastic enough to answer every question she threw my way. I told them that I lived in New York, and that was when Martin's father finally spoke.
"You're working as a photographer? That's not your actual job, is it? How do you even sustain yourself? And with living in New York, that's quite the distance from here."
The condescending tone in his voice made me shudder. I have always valued my work. I didn't make much to what I have now, but I was comfortable enough to live independently. It was such a sensitive topic for me. One that Brad and I used to argue about.
Everyone had their attention to me for my response. It was unsettling that no one put their foot down on the prominent display of intimidation. While looking at Martin, I said, "It is. But we're making it work."
"Is that what Martin needs right now? Making it work?"
Martin tensed beside me. His entire demeanor changed, and his smile dropped from his face. From under the table, I offered a reassuring grip on his thigh.
"You don't even make a lot as a firefighter," Conrad continued. He put his wine glass down. "You run into burning buildings and live in that apartment that can fit in our living room. Then your friend here wants you to support you by taking photos?"
It was no secret that their family was affluent. Judging the many utensils in different sizes that I could use for dinner, the tacky chandelier that hung above us, and the expensive jewelry Rebecca wore. I suddenly felt small. It wasn't even an issue that we had before. I didn't think that it was even a big deal.
All of these were a part of Martin's world. A rich and influential family with large living rooms and expensive dinners. Siblings who ran their own companies with their ambition and money. A patriarch who was controlling at best. Those were the little details I didn't know about Marin.
"To be fair, dad, they're still just dating," Elizabeth said, glaring at Conrad. "It shouldn't be even a matter of discussion how much money Aki makes. That's low, even for you."
Conrad was taken aback by Elizabeth's comment. And soon after, it was a tirade of support from the Lewis siblings. I didn't expect them to offer support, and then I realized this was less about me and more about Martin.
"Why would it be even a big deal?" Grayson asked, clueless. "Martin is old enough to make his decisions. I'm sorry, but we're all adults here. Let Martin make his own choices."
Travis and James nodded, while Rebecca remained silent.
"There's something I needed to say," Martin announced, setting aside his cutlery. The tension grew as the silence prolonged. "I'm planning to move to New York."
I didn't expect him to say that. We didn't even discuss it. Suddenly, everyone had their questions but now directed towards Martin. I was glad that the attention was no longer on me, but questions filled my mind with the sudden concern shown by his family.
"What do you mean moving to New York?" Rebecca asked for everyone.
"I'm moving to New York to be closer to Aki," Martin explained. "I already passed my certification for New York, and there was a recommendation for me to move there. It's just a matter of having my captain approve the transfer."
"But you've been dating for only two months," Travis signed.
"Isn't this a huge step?" Elizabeth followed with her question.
"As long as you're happy, I support you," Grayson said.
Martin's explanation did nothing to lessen the worry of his family.
"Did you put him up to this?" Martin's father asked me. He sent a glare in my direction, and I couldn't help myself to stare at him back.
"I didn't even know that he had plans, to begin with. But by all means, blame me for his decisions," I snapped. The Lewis siblings all looked at me with amusement on their faces. I must have struck a nerve when Conrad excused himself from the table, and James followed his father right after.
To say that the remainder of dinner was awkward would be an understatement. No one said a thing until we finished our meals. I couldn't help but notice the longing glances Elizabeth sent to her mother and Martin. Having a cop for a dad made me good at observing people. It didn't take a genius to figure out that there was something else beneath the surface, and I was willing to find out.