A cool breeze came in through the window, and he momentarily closed his eyes to enjoy it, taking in the fresh scent of the air. He heard Cort moving around in the bedroom as he hung his clothes and put others in the drawers. He was making himself at home, and Grey couldn’t be happier about that. The comfort he felt with the man’s presence surprised him. Normally, he liked being alone when he wrote.
His fingers went back to work as he smiled. Already, Cort was a major part of his existence. He didn’t mind him being there at all, and that alone was proof of his feelings.
Cort walked into the small living room, holding his phone and grinning. “Can I bother you for a moment? Time to meet the family,” he said. He positioned his phone in front of them so they could both look at the screen.
A pretty Black woman stared at him on FaceTime, her hair a cloud of curls and her smile exactly like Cort’s. “Hi, I’m Abby,” she greeted. “And you are, apparently, the boyfriend.”
Grey glanced at Cort, who was nodding.
“This is him. Say hi to my sister, Grey.”
“Hello, Abby.”
“You are definitely a stunner. Cort tells me you’re a writer. Do you use a pen name? I looked up your name, and nothing came up.”
He dutifully gave her his pen name and watched her write it down.
“Great! Now I have something to read.” She paused, staring at him. “What exactly do you like about my brother?”
“Abby!” Cort complained.
“Everything,” Grey replied. “He’s a warm, compassionate man who takes care of people. He’s kind and yet he keeps me on my toes. What’s not to like?”
“Oooh, good answer.” She laughed, and it was a joyous sound that brought out an answering smile in Grey. He couldn’t get over how much she looked like her brother. The shape of her eyes and mouth were the same, but her eyes were slightly lighter than Cort’s.
“I didn’t introduce you so you could grill him,” Cort said as he placed one hand on Grey’s shoulder, the other still holding out the phone.
“You, hush. We’re getting to know each other. Like, do you know Cort talks in his sleep?”
“I thought he was supposed to be getting to know you?” Cort whined.
“Yes, I’ve heard him talking in his sleep.” Grey chuckled. “It’s adorable, but I won’t be repeating what he said. That’s private.”
She laughed, then focused on him. “Did he tell you about how we grew up?”
“That his mother was a nurse and worked long hours?”
Nodding, she made a little humming noise. “That and our grandmother partially raised us until she died.”
Grey nodded. “He told me.”
“Then Cort took over. He was like a drill sergeant when I was a teenager. Wouldn’t let me get away with anything. One time he even followed me on a date. The poor guy was so nervous, he never asked me out again.”
“He was probably just looking out for you. Like a good older brother.”
“I didn’t like that guy,” Cort grumbled. “Had shifty eyes.”
She shook her head. “Scared every boyfriend away, so I have some catching up to do.”
“Don’t scare this one away,” Cort said. “I like him.”
Grey turned his face to nuzzle Cort’s neck, smiling. “There is no way in heaven and earth she can possibly scare me away, and you know it.”
When he looked back at the phone, he found Abby’s expression was full of amusement. “I take it you like him too.”
“Yes, I like your brother with all my heart. He has been my rock and my joy. I don’t want to imagine life without him right beside me.”
Cort made a happy sigh. “Writers, huh? Yeah, I’m spoiled, and I love it.”
“If it is possible to spoil you with heartfelt words, then I plan to spoil you every day for the rest of our lives.”
Abby gave a matching sigh. “Yeah, okay. He’s a keeper. But you take care of him with more than just words. He’s the best brother anyone could ask for, and I love him like crazy.”
“Oh, Abby, I love you too.” Cort stared into the phone. “And I was happy to take care of you when I was a teenager.”
“I know,” she said softly. “I remember how caring you were, how you paid attention to my grades. It wasn’t all scaring away boyfriends. A lot of it was good. I was lucky.”
Cort’s expression smoothed into a beautiful smile, and Grey caught his breath. He stared at the man, so crazy in love, knowing it showed on his face when he looked at the phone and caught Abby staring at him. She nodded then, as if satisfied.
Someone knocked on the kitchen door, but Grey continued to look at Abby. “I promise, I have only good intentions when it comes to your brother. He’s my world.”