“Good night,” Tristan murmured a few moments later, well aware his lovers had already both fallen into sleep.
When he woke hours later, faint sunlight trickled through the blinds. The first sound he heard was silence. Blissful silence. Then swiftly afterward, another hushed argument.
“Do you have to go so early?”
“Yeah, I do. I never made it to my mom’s last night. And I want to have the talk,” even without opening his eyes again, Tristan could imagine Caity’s air quotes, “before I chicken out. It’s just going to be quick. Hey, Merry Christmas, I have two boyfriends. Pass the pudding. See? No problemo. You should do the same.”
Matt choked out a laugh. “I might’ve tried that, except my having a boyfriend at all is the part that I think may not go down well. Good thing Tris’s parents and your mom love me, since I may be an orphan soon.”
Emotion moved through Tristan, making it impossible for him to feign unconsciousness any longer. He opened his eyes and stared at Matt’s muscled back, already tensed and ready for a fight. “Thank you,” he said quietly, not even sure they’d be able to hear him.
They both turned his way. Caity stopped hopping around, pulling on her jeans, and lifted her head so that her wet hair dripped into her eyes. Matt noticeably relaxed his jaw, but his face still looked drawn.
What they were doing clearly wasn’t easy on them, but they were trying. For him. Because even if they were willing to take what they could grab behind closed doors, they knew he wasn’t.
He’d never loved either of them more than he did at that moment.
“We want to be able to share a bedroom when people stay over,” Matt said with a shrug. “Without worrying about getting up before dawn.”
“Yeah, and I want to be able to make out with you both at the movies.” She waggled her brows.
“Why don’t we make this easier on all of us?” Tristan suggested, rising. A shower could wait till after breakfast. He grabbed the jeans he’d left in a heap on the floor and pulled them on, his lips twitching at Caity and Matt’s sudden interest. He woke hard most mornings, no external or mental stimulation necessary.
But they’d get to enjoy that aspect of his physiology soon enough.
“We’ll hold off on telling everyone for a few days,” Tris continued. “Then I’ll invite your families to my parents’ place for New Year’s and we’ll tell everyone at once. That way there won’t be any concern over ruined Christmases.”
“We’re doing it today.” Cait flipped over and worked her fingers through her hair, undoing the kinks. “If we postpone it, it’ll only make the words harder to say. I want to get this over with so we can start living our lives.”
Matt crossed his arms and nodded. He’d donned boxer shorts and a scowl, his typical morning wear the past couple of days. “She’s right. Besides, I can’t wait to tell my mom I like boys too.” His fake smile made them both laugh.
“Not all boys. Just that boy.” Cait smacked her lips in Tristan’s direction. “Even if that’s not exactly true, just focus on the pertinent information. You’re in this for the long haul, so you’ll have to make do with this boy and this girl. Got it?”
“Oh yeah, I got it.” Matt’s grin transformed his face as he grabbed her around the waist and lifted her in the air. She pumped her feet and nearly toppled him over before dissolving into giggles.
Tristan’s smile lasted until he turned to pick up his discarded shirt. He sincerely hoped they would all still be in buoyant moods at the end of the day.
The minute Cait walked into her mother’s apartment later that morning, she knew something had happened. Though everyone was gathered in the living room opening presents, the cheerful carols playing couldn’t mask the tension hovering in the air.
She set down her gifts and removed her gloves with her teeth, trying not to let them chatter. Whatever had occurred didn’t affect her own announcement. She wouldn’t allow it to. She owed it to Tristan and Matt—and herself—to be forthright and confident about the choice she’d made.
At least when her family and her adopted families refused to talk to her anymore, she’d have her two men to keep her warm.
“Merry Christmas!” she said in her best happy-go-lucky voice, walking around to kiss everyone in turn. The kids bopped all over the place, unable to stay still long enough for her to drop an air kiss near their heads, but she tried. She saved the biggest kiss for Ginny’s baby, Tabitha, rosy-cheeked and curled up in her swing.
Stepping back, Cait realized she was smiling. Honest-to-God smiling. As if for the first time she could see her family exactly as it was. She had a strong mother and resourceful sisters and sweet nieces and nephews—what more could anyone want?
Then Marnie’s son, Peter, bonked his sister on the head with a toy phone, and the wails began.
“Good God, I’ve had enough.” Without another word, Cait’s mother hoisted herself off the threadbare couch and stomped down the hall.
Cait swallowed as she noticed Val hunched at the other end of the couch. Somehow she’d missed her baby sister entirely in her sweep around the room. There were a lot of people, granted, and noisy kids, but she couldn’t have overlooked her. Val must’ve just snuck in.
“Hey, Val,” she said, hip checking her younger sister as she plopped down beside her on the sofa. “I’m so sorry we haven’t had a chance to really sit down and talk. This past week’s been crazy.”
“It’s okay.”
Not by the sullen look on Val’s face, it wasn’t. “So what’s the scoop?”