In the last installment of One and Only
In the first installment of One and Only
Ethan rushed through tidying up. The kids would be there any minute. He hadn’t been able to pick them up after school because of a work issue. Joanne was bringing them around.
It would give them a chance to talk.
Jacob had joined him. He’d taken off early from work to be there for Ethan. This was going to be a tough conversation, but it was necessary.
They’d both been dating Mateo for two months now. Their relationship, the three of them, was progressing in unexpected directions. Ethan had asked Mateo to move in with them. The same arrangement as Jacob. Monday night to Friday morning. The rest of the time, Mateo could return to his condo or stay with Jacob. He’d opted to sell his condo and move in with Jacob.
They’d decided it didn’t make sense for Mateo to be there with them this evening. The kids had no idea he existed. They’d need to introduce him to them slowly. Pepper him in when Jacob showed up to see the kids and play with the boisterous puppy they’d rescued.
Sometimes Jacob would come by on a Saturday and help with lunch. Take the kids out with Ethan. Spend time as a family.
Ethan hugged Jacob. They were—they were a family. Bizarre as their arrangement was. It worked for them.
He took a deep breath when the doorbell rang.
The kids ran straight past him and down the stairs to the family room. Video games were more important than dear old Dad. Joanne shrugged. “Have fun with them. Oliver has another cold.”
She handed him a small paper bag. “Cold medicine.”
“I’ll take that.” Jacob took the bag Ethan passed to him. He stepped back from the door. So did Ethan. Joanne tipped her head, a frown on her face.
“What’s going on? Are you two getting married?”
Ethan shook his head. “No. But we need to talk.”
“I only have a minute. I have a date. I’m already late.”
“This won’t take long,” Ethan said.
The three of them headed for the living room. The kids were busy. Ethan could hear them arguing downstairs. He wasn’t sure how Joanne would take this.
Jacob took the first step. “We’ve expanded our relationship.”
Joanne took a seat on a big wing-back chair. “What does that mean?”
“We’ve brought in another person,” Ethan said.
“Again …,” Joanne said. “What the hell does that mean?”
“His name is Mateo,” Jacob answered. “We’re in love with him.”
Jacob had recently proclaimed his love for Mateo. They’d had an incredible night that night. The love had flowed between them. It had brought a whole new level to their lovemaking.
“We? As in both of you?” Joanne’s voice had turned piercing, ramping up in shrillness at the end of each sentence—and volume. Predictably, she was shocked.
“Shh,” Ethan said. “The kids.”
“Oh … so you agree this is deviant enough that the kids shouldn’t know.” She crossed her arms. “That’s good to know. This absolutely cannot affect them.”
“It wouldn’t,” Jacob said.
“Mateo is moving in here, though,” Ethan said.
“Jeezus Christ, Ethan. What the fuck happened to you?” She looked at Jacob. “This all started when you came back on the scene. I’m holding you responsible.”
“I’m an adult, Joanne,” Ethan said. “I can make my own decisions. I fell in love with two men. Two men who love each other. Our lives are so rich, you have no idea.”
“This Mateo better not be here on weekends.”
“No more than Jacob has been.”
Which was more and more each week, and Joanne knew that.
Joanne rose to her feet. “Oh, no … absolutely not.”
“Maybe if you met him,” Jacob suggested. “He’s the sweetest guy. The kids would love him.”
“No.” She shook her head. “I won’t have this in my kids’ lives.”
“He’d just be Uncle Mateo. The kids wouldn’t have to know he sleeps here during the week.”
“It’s the same arrangement I have,” Jacob said. “Mateo would live with me on weekends.”
Joanne paced the room. “You two are unbelievable. Weren’t you enough for one another?”
“That’s not what this is about,” Ethan said. “Jacob brought him in one night … we instantly connected. I wasn’t able to stop thinking about him.”
“Brought him in?” Joanne’s hands went to her hips. Ethan hadn’t meant to let that slip, but since they were exposing their life, they may as well lay the whole thing out.
“We had an arrangement,” Ethan answered. “An open relationship.”
“Which involved bringing men in?” She shook her head. “What does that even mean?”
Jacob crossed his arms and exhaled hard. “We brought Mateo in and fucked him together.”
“Oh, God.” Joanne turned away from them. “Now, that’s just gross.”
They would have to continue this later. The argument downstairs was escalating. Ethan excused himself and headed for the stairs. The disagreement was over who would use which controller. Apparently, there was a better one amongst the four.
Ethan left them with a “Try not to kill each other.”
Joanne was back sitting in the chair. She was breathing easier.
“I know you don’t understand,” Ethan said. “But you have to believe me when I tell you this is driven by love. The fact that there are three of us is beside the point.”
“The kids can never find out,” Joanne said.
“We can’t promise that,” Jacob replied. “If they find out, we can make it appear as natural as possible. But we can’t shut Mateo out like that. It wouldn’t be fair.”
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