Trifecta: Labor Day, part one
If you chose to lance your blisters (less painful than trying to walk on an full one), always make sure you clean the needle right before you use it and don't try to guess which one you'd cleaned the night before. Instead of being healed, my little toe still hurts. No weird lines or pink or swelling, so I guess it's on the mend, but it still hurts more than it did on Monday when I was lazy/stupid.
And that thing between my mom and my sister. It was all a misunderstanding. My sister is fine coming to my mom's to eat a meal. I'm glad I didn't let my mom talk me into saying anything.
Title: Trifecta
Chapter: Labor Day, part one
Status: WIP
Genre: Romance, Triple Slash, businessmen, jobs, friends, working
Length: 1 k
Summary: Kenneth plays host
Masterlist
Kenneth opened the door wide. “Come in, Miss Amelia, come in.”
Ty’s aunt had insisted on getting her own ride from the airport. Kenneth gave her a hug and left her in Ty’s hands while he helped the cabbie get her luggage out. Kenneth glanced in at the cab’s meter and paid the cabbie.
She came back out of the house as the cab driver got in his car. “I forgot to pay you.”
The driver looked at Kenneth and opened his mouth. Kenneth look the bills from Ty’s aunt and handed them to the driver. “Consider this a tip.”
The driver grinned. “Thank you, sir. Ma’am.”
He drove away.
Ty’s aunt frowned. “Was that enough? I was so excited to finally be here that I failed to ask.”
Kenneth took her arm and led her back to the house. “I made up the difference.”
Ty’s aunt smiled. “Thank you, dear.”
Ty lifted both suitcases and the carry on bag. “We could have got you.”
“I know that.”
“Or you could have rented a car.”
“But why? You’ve got three. And I’m only here for five days.”
Five long days.
“My dear Damien, you’ve grown.” She pulled him into a hug.
He grinned. “Not very much.”
She looked him over. “You're filling out. They must be feeding you well.”
“Kenneth is a good cook.”
She laughed. “I knew he had to be. Ty wouldn’t settle for anything less.”
She knew Ty’s eating habits from his years living with her.
“I have to go, Aunt Millie.” Damien picked up his bag. “Kenneth has tickets to my performance tonight, if you’d like to come.”
Ty’s aunt pursed her lips. “I was hoping to cook for you.”
“Tomorrow.” He kissed her cheek. “Tonight you can see me act.”
“I wouldn’t miss it.”
And then he was gone.
Ty’s aunt sighed. “He goes to work early.”
“He has a matinee this afternoon.” Ty picked up his keys. “Do you need anything at the store, Aunt Millie?”
“I don’t know yet.” She looked around. “I don’t feel as if I’ve stopped traveling yet.”
Kenneth would be playing host all afternoon. “Coffee?”
“Yes, dear.”
Kenneth sat her in their most comfortable chair and went back into the kitchen and poured her a mug with cream and sugar. “How was your trip?”
He kept her talking for two hours. Ty hadn’t yet returned. Whatever Chloe and Flannigan had heard at their prenatal appointment yesterday couldn’t have been good.
“Would you like a tour of the house?”
Ty’s aunt’s face lit up. “I’d love it. I’ve never been here before, you remember.”
Kenneth started with the spare room that he and Ty had cleaned out for Damien all those months ago. “This is your room.”
She looked around and out the window and into the closet as if she were thinking of buying the place. He showed he the bathroom she would be using and then down the hall. “And this is our room.”
He stood just enough in the doorway that she’d have to elbow past him to get in. She was the kind to look through drawers, wasn’t she? He gestured to their office and she was satisfyingly distracted guessing whose workstation was who’s. They all brought paperwork home and this room made sure plays, blueprints and legal briefs weren’t piled up in the living room. When she’d had her fill, he suggested more coffee and they moved back to the kitchen, so he could start another batch.
The garage was right off the kitchen, so they restarted the tour there. Then they went outside and back around to the front door. They ended in the kitchen just as the coffee machine stopped sputtering. He poured her a cup. “I’m about to start dinner. Would you like to rest?”
“How can I help?”
He pushed all ungrateful thoughts away and set her to making the salad. He didn’t say anything when she cut the carrots, lettuce, and peppers differently than he did. Her salad, her shapes.
Ty returned and gave him a kiss. Then he talked lively with his aunt about everything but what he’d been doing all afternoon.
She finally went to freshen up for dinner.
Kenneth turned on the timer then pulled Ty into a hug. “Bad news?”
Ty rested his check on Kenneth’s shoulder. “Yes and no.” He sighed and leaned back against the counter. “The babies are fine. Strong heartbeats. Growing well. All that, but the doctor sat them down to go over the facts, which all look rather grim.”
“Twins making the pregnancy less likely to succeed?” Kenneth was glad these weren’t his children. Bad enough to live this through a friend.
“With one, she has a not too terrible chance of getting far enough along for the lungs to develop,” Ty ran his fingers through his hair. “Twins not so much.”
Kenneth took Ty’s hand.
Ty sighed and held on tight. “And all I could do was pat shoulders and pass out tissues. Her mom and sisters were there last night with lots of advise. I have none.”
Kenneth leaned on Ty. “Maybe that’s why they needed you. They know we’ll back them whatever they choose?”
Ty nodded. “With homemade dinners and house cleaning if it comes to that.” He sighed again. “Complete bed rest is in her future even if she doesn’t keep them both. She’ll probably lose her job.”
“They can’t fire her for that.”
Ty nodded.
The timer went off. Kenneth poured the water out of the pasta and dumped in the sauce. He had so much to say, but Ty’s aunt came back out and Ty pretended nothing was wrong.
Ty didn’t have to pretend with Kenneth.
And that thing between my mom and my sister. It was all a misunderstanding. My sister is fine coming to my mom's to eat a meal. I'm glad I didn't let my mom talk me into saying anything.
Title: Trifecta
Chapter: Labor Day, part one
Status: WIP
Genre: Romance, Triple Slash, businessmen, jobs, friends, working
Length: 1 k
Summary: Kenneth plays host
Masterlist
Kenneth opened the door wide. “Come in, Miss Amelia, come in.”
Ty’s aunt had insisted on getting her own ride from the airport. Kenneth gave her a hug and left her in Ty’s hands while he helped the cabbie get her luggage out. Kenneth glanced in at the cab’s meter and paid the cabbie.
She came back out of the house as the cab driver got in his car. “I forgot to pay you.”
The driver looked at Kenneth and opened his mouth. Kenneth look the bills from Ty’s aunt and handed them to the driver. “Consider this a tip.”
The driver grinned. “Thank you, sir. Ma’am.”
He drove away.
Ty’s aunt frowned. “Was that enough? I was so excited to finally be here that I failed to ask.”
Kenneth took her arm and led her back to the house. “I made up the difference.”
Ty’s aunt smiled. “Thank you, dear.”
Ty lifted both suitcases and the carry on bag. “We could have got you.”
“I know that.”
“Or you could have rented a car.”
“But why? You’ve got three. And I’m only here for five days.”
Five long days.
“My dear Damien, you’ve grown.” She pulled him into a hug.
He grinned. “Not very much.”
She looked him over. “You're filling out. They must be feeding you well.”
“Kenneth is a good cook.”
She laughed. “I knew he had to be. Ty wouldn’t settle for anything less.”
She knew Ty’s eating habits from his years living with her.
“I have to go, Aunt Millie.” Damien picked up his bag. “Kenneth has tickets to my performance tonight, if you’d like to come.”
Ty’s aunt pursed her lips. “I was hoping to cook for you.”
“Tomorrow.” He kissed her cheek. “Tonight you can see me act.”
“I wouldn’t miss it.”
And then he was gone.
Ty’s aunt sighed. “He goes to work early.”
“He has a matinee this afternoon.” Ty picked up his keys. “Do you need anything at the store, Aunt Millie?”
“I don’t know yet.” She looked around. “I don’t feel as if I’ve stopped traveling yet.”
Kenneth would be playing host all afternoon. “Coffee?”
“Yes, dear.”
Kenneth sat her in their most comfortable chair and went back into the kitchen and poured her a mug with cream and sugar. “How was your trip?”
He kept her talking for two hours. Ty hadn’t yet returned. Whatever Chloe and Flannigan had heard at their prenatal appointment yesterday couldn’t have been good.
“Would you like a tour of the house?”
Ty’s aunt’s face lit up. “I’d love it. I’ve never been here before, you remember.”
Kenneth started with the spare room that he and Ty had cleaned out for Damien all those months ago. “This is your room.”
She looked around and out the window and into the closet as if she were thinking of buying the place. He showed he the bathroom she would be using and then down the hall. “And this is our room.”
He stood just enough in the doorway that she’d have to elbow past him to get in. She was the kind to look through drawers, wasn’t she? He gestured to their office and she was satisfyingly distracted guessing whose workstation was who’s. They all brought paperwork home and this room made sure plays, blueprints and legal briefs weren’t piled up in the living room. When she’d had her fill, he suggested more coffee and they moved back to the kitchen, so he could start another batch.
The garage was right off the kitchen, so they restarted the tour there. Then they went outside and back around to the front door. They ended in the kitchen just as the coffee machine stopped sputtering. He poured her a cup. “I’m about to start dinner. Would you like to rest?”
“How can I help?”
He pushed all ungrateful thoughts away and set her to making the salad. He didn’t say anything when she cut the carrots, lettuce, and peppers differently than he did. Her salad, her shapes.
Ty returned and gave him a kiss. Then he talked lively with his aunt about everything but what he’d been doing all afternoon.
She finally went to freshen up for dinner.
Kenneth turned on the timer then pulled Ty into a hug. “Bad news?”
Ty rested his check on Kenneth’s shoulder. “Yes and no.” He sighed and leaned back against the counter. “The babies are fine. Strong heartbeats. Growing well. All that, but the doctor sat them down to go over the facts, which all look rather grim.”
“Twins making the pregnancy less likely to succeed?” Kenneth was glad these weren’t his children. Bad enough to live this through a friend.
“With one, she has a not too terrible chance of getting far enough along for the lungs to develop,” Ty ran his fingers through his hair. “Twins not so much.”
Kenneth took Ty’s hand.
Ty sighed and held on tight. “And all I could do was pat shoulders and pass out tissues. Her mom and sisters were there last night with lots of advise. I have none.”
Kenneth leaned on Ty. “Maybe that’s why they needed you. They know we’ll back them whatever they choose?”
Ty nodded. “With homemade dinners and house cleaning if it comes to that.” He sighed again. “Complete bed rest is in her future even if she doesn’t keep them both. She’ll probably lose her job.”
“They can’t fire her for that.”
Ty nodded.
The timer went off. Kenneth poured the water out of the pasta and dumped in the sauce. He had so much to say, but Ty’s aunt came back out and Ty pretended nothing was wrong.
Ty didn’t have to pretend with Kenneth.