Chapter 5
Edie bustled around the kitchen making far more food than could be considered necessary for a four person brunch. She’d started prepping the night before and had spent a good portion of her Saturday at the shops collecting ingredients.
As always she wanted to make a good first impression on her guest, and they always made a big production out of meeting a friend of Erik’s he’d always been such a solitary boy.
Who’d have thought one day he’d have a boy and a girl hung up on him?
As Jakob had said, “We all lost money on that bet.”
She’d swatted him away from the turkey bacon for sass talking her boy. But she was concerned, who was this young man? How had they met? Why hadn’t Erik mentioned him at all?
She’d been fretting since the phone call; Jakob thought Erik was worried they’d try to dissuade him from the boy-Charles-and push Magda on him again.
But Edie always sided with her boy, and though she loved Magda and would always care for her, she’d broken her baby’s heart and Edie wasn’t sure she could forgive that. Erik gave of himself so sparingly and he’d given his all to Magda and she’d thrown it away with both hands.
“Clearly he isn’t as sharp as you think he is,” Jakob had teased, “He thinks you want to be right more than you want his happiness.”
She shooed him away from the chocolate babka for his trouble.
“It’s my kitchen, it’s my house, why can’t I eat?” he protested playfully, openly eying the quiche.
“Jake, you know we’re expecting company, be on your best for goodness sake!”
“I always am!” he said innocently, taking the time to steal a kiss.
In return she let him steal a sticky bun. Fair is fair.
~~
Erik pulled up outside his parents brownstone with a sigh, Charles was a ball of nervous energy at his side. Equal parts scared and excited to meet his parents.
“Do you think they’ll like me?”
“Most people do,” Erik assured him absently as he searched for a parking space.
“Yes, but these are your parents, our baby’s grandparents, the only ones they’ll have! What if they hate me?” he frowned, clearly picturing some horrible future where in anyone could ever hate him.
“They’ll love you, darling, I do, and they know how rare that is,” he joked, wanting to lighten the mood only to glance over and see a look of surprise painted on the younger man’s face.
“What is it?”
“You love me?” Charles squeaked.
Erik mentally replayed what he’d just said. Crap. Well, nothing for it. “Yes, but I planned to tell you in a more romantic setting,” he sighed, irritated with himself.
“What, not while parallel parking at your parents place?” Charles laughed happily, a weight lifted off his shoulders.
“Not quite what I had in mind, no,” Erik grumped undoing his seatbelt with a frown that Charles lightly kissed away.
“I’d say it was perfect timing. I love you too, you know. I have for a while,” he said softly.
“I had my suspicions,” Erik said loftily, pressing another quick kiss on his smiling red mouth, “Are you ready?”
Charles took a deep breath and let it out, still flushed pink and grinning, “as I’ll ever be.”
~~
“They’re here, they’re here!” Edie hissed excitedly, hands fluttering as she gestured towards the front window.
“Finally. I hate brunch, we have to wait so late to eat,” Jakob called back, not looking up from the paper.
“Don’t be a grouch! You’ve had a sticky bun and coffee, the poor boys likely haven’t had anything!” she called over her shoulder. They’d better not have had anything, she thought, watching as Erik and a young-very young and oh-so-small man made their way up the steps.
She wondered if there was any way to ask for ID without coming across as disapproving. Erik had said 24, right?
She was distracted by the sight of the curtains fluttering across the street.
Jacqueline would have the whole block on notice before the boys even sat down to eat. Nothing to be done about that.
The doorbell rang. Erik had a key, but stood on ceremony from time to time. He was a sweet boy, knowing how much she loved to play hostess.
She swung the door open with a wide smile, “Good morning boys!”
“Good morning mama,” Erik gave his lovely smile, one she hadn’t seen in far too long as he pulled her into a warm embrace.
“Mama, this is Charles, Charles, this is my mother, Edie, and my father Jakob.”
“I’m very pleased to meet, you both. Erik has told me so much about you,” Charles said with a bright smile, blue eyes sparkling.
“I wish we could say the same, but the boy has no manners,” Jakob stepped in with a smile and shook his hand before clapping Erik on the shoulder.
“Hello, Charles, it’s lovely to meet you, and now that you’ve come ‘round I’m sure we’ll get to know you very well indeed,” she pulled him into a hug, clearly surprising him as he froze for a moment before giving her a gentle squeeze and stepping back.
She frowned at the feel of his delicate frame, they were nearly the same height but she’d bet she outweighed him. She frowned at Erik who was lost in conversation with his father about one thing or another.
“Does Erik cook for you, dear?” she asked, concerned. If he wasn’t cooking for the boy it wasn’t serious and if he was he wasn’t doing a good enough job of it.
“Oh yes, he’s amazing!” Charles gushed enthusiastically, looking at Erik with stars in his eyes. “He said he learned everything from you, I’ve been so looking forwards to trying your cooking, he says it puts his to shame!”
“It does, and from what I can smell you outdid yourself, mama,” Erik agreed, smoothly helping the smaller man out of his jacket and turning to hang it up beside his.
Yes, Charles was far too skinny; she’d have to send him home with a covered dish.
She blushed and smiled at their enthusiasm, “Come along and eat then, I’m sure you both must be starving.”
She looped her arm through Charles’ and escorted him to the kitchen, making light conversation, not missing a thing as his quick eyes took in every detail of his surroundings.
“Here you see where I marked his height until I couldn't reach anymore,” she showed him the marks on the frame of the kitchen door.
Charles was enthralled, “Oh, he was 15 and my height,” he laughed, “I’m still holding out for a growth spurt.”
Edie was charmed.
“You’re petite, there’s nothing wrong with that,” she smiled, “Now, take a seat and I’ll bring you a plate.”
“Is there anything I can do to help?” he asked anxiously.
“No, no, Erik can help me, you sit, you’re our guest.”
“Yes, come sit by me,” Jakob seconded, “tell me about this teaching gig Erik mentioned, you must be pretty sharp to be teaching kids older than you.”
Charles blushed prettily, “Well I graduated at eighteen with a double Masters in Psychology and Genetics. From them I achieved my PhD and went into teaching. I love the research side of things, but I wanted a bit of free time so I decided to take a break.”
“And become a professor?” Jakob and Edie traded a look, clearly impressed, “And here I’ve been telling everyone for years how smart Erik is!”
“Erik is smart!” Edie defended proudly, clearly not actually upset if she gave him another sticky bun and a cinnamon roll.
“Oh yes, he’s brilliant, most people have a hard time talking science with me, but Erik read through my thesis no problem,” Charles agreed readily, the stars making a comeback every time he looked at the other man.
“It was well written and interesting,” Erik smiled, setting a heaping plate in front of his boyfriend before sitting across from him and starting on his own portion.
“I’m sure it was,” Edie agreed, patting Charles’ hand comfortingly as he tucked in with an appetite that pleased her.
“So, Charles, tell me, how did you two meet?”
“Well, I was out one night at one of my favorite restaurants; I’m a terrible cook so I tend to eat out rather a lot,” he began excitedly.
Edie gave a worried frown, no wonder he was so slender.
“I’ll teach him to cook, mama, don’t worry, he’ll be fine,” Erik interrupted before she could voice her concerns.
“This is delicious by the way, I could eat this everyday!” Charles ate a few more bites, his plate half cleared already. He must be starving to put it away so quickly.
“You should,” Jakob agreed, “you’re too thin, a stiff breeze would take you away.”
Charles blushed at the statement, “Yes, well…” he and Erik exchanged a soft look before her son encouraged him to continue the story.
“Well I saw this handsome man sitting all alone at the bar and I thought,…”
Edie smiled, she loved a good first meeting story.
~~
“Ugh, that was amazing, the best food I’ve ever eaten!” Charles huffed, smoothing his hands over his slightly swollen stomach.
Erik grinned and palmed the boy’s belly in his broad hands, leaning over to kiss his temple and murmur something into his hair.
Edie smiled at the sight as Jakob stiffened slightly and sucked in a quick breath.
“Well, I’m sending you home with more, we’ll fatten you up yet,” she teased, taking delight in making the small man blush.
“Oh, I think Erik’s already taken care of that, if I’m not mistaken,” Jakob said, eyebrows raised.
She turned to him in confusion, “Well, yes, but Charles has been too thin for years and until he starts eating well every day-”
She broke off as Jakob started laughing at the looks on the boys faces, Charles looked mortified and Erik looked chagrinned.
“I was going to tell you before we left,” he protested.
Edie’s scalp prickled, “Tell us what?”
Erik smiled shy and proud as he slung one arm over his partners shoulder, “We just found out that Charles is expecting.”
Oh.
OH.
OH!
“Oh boys, my wonderful boys!” she rushed forwards and pulled them into a joint hug, tears filling her eyes. Erik had wanted this for so long.
She guiltily pushed thoughts of Magda from her mind before pulling Charles away for a separate embrace as Jakob pulled Erik into a rare hug of their own.
They had so much to discuss, so much more to learn about this young man and their plans for the future. She’d have to talk to Erik alone and see where he stood with all this, well she could see, but still this was a huge change in just under a year!
In the meantime though, she held Charles (and their grandchild!) to her chest, “Welcome to the family!”