I Always Really Love You
They got married on a Wednesday in Alaska in front of all of Franks family, their New York family all gathered around Emmeline's laptop to watch and give toasts over the internet waves. It had been sort of spur of the moment decision while visiting over spring break, though they'd been talking about it for months. Marriage wasn't truly important to Al or Frank. For them it didn't matter either way, but the courts and family lawyer seemed to feel it gave them a better chance at starting a family without extra red tape, and they wanted that.
They really, really wanted that.
Of course there was a huge party when they arrived back in the city. Of course there was a honeymoon and toasting and whispers of "I love you" and "I'm so glad we did this"... but as soon as they were able, they made the appointment for a home visit.
Harry was 6 now, and the twins were three. The time for talking and planning and longing was over. Now was the time for action and hoping. The time for keeping their fingers crossed and phones on at all times.
They got the call about Neville 2 months later. He was a pudgy sweet boy with honey brown hair and a dimple on his left cheek that Al was sure would be miles deep if they ever managed a genuine smile from him. His parents had died in a car accident 4 years prior and he was living with a great aunt who was truly too old to care for a 6 year old. She was the last of his relatives; there was no one left.
Neville said he was excited to have a new family, but was clearly nervous the first time they met. Their caseworker and his introduced them at a park on a Sunday in September. Frank and Al set up a picnic despite being too nervous and excited to feel hungry. Neville picked at the snacks and smiled at them. They talked about his favorite foods -macaroni and cheese and sweet potatoes- what his favorite subject was in school -art- and made plans to meet up again a few days later.
The caseworker encouraged them to bring things they liked from home and share them. Neville brought a book that detailed over 5 thousand different types of plants. Frank and Al brought a photo album filled with pictures of their family and friends.
They met 8 times at the park and restaurants before Neville agreed to come to their house. They had taken Harry with them shopping beforehand to pick out stuff for Neville's room, and a few toys a kid his age might like. His eyes lit up when he saw the basket of legos tucked away near the coffee table in the livingroom, and they spent 2 solid hours carefully building the tallest tower they could with all the peices before knocking it down with shrieks of laughter.
Neville didn't even go in the room they called his during that visit. Or for the 3 visits that followed. He slept on the small couch during his first overnight, Frank and Al tucked away on the big couch next to him. When he decided to give the bed a try, he woke up in the night wanting his great aunt. They drove him there at 3am and slept next to his bed on a pile of blankets in his room when he cried that he didn't want them to leave. He said he loved them for the first time through tears, clinging to their legs and they broke down from the pure relief and joy of that moment.
They would do anything for this boy. He was theirs. They loved him, and he loved them back.
It wasn't long before his great aunt had to be moved to a residential facility and he was living with them full time, though they made it a point to visit her at least once a week. The process of official adoption was long, but had been started months prior. They introduced him to people as their son, though he was still calling them Frank and Al 7 months in.
All of their friends absolutely loved Neville. Some of Franks family had even flown down from Alaska to meet him at the end of the summer too. The twins liked him a lot, and he enjoyed making them laugh, but none of the kids was happier to have Neville around more than Harry.
"This is my best friend, Neville" he would say to strangers at the park. "We're the same age but I'm one day older."
Harry and Neville spent a lot of time together. They went to the same elementary school and liked the same cartoons. They liked to tell everyone they were twins, but as they really looked nothing alike, no one was fooled.
"Why do you call your parents 'Frank and Al'?" He asked casually around a huge bite of cereal after a sleepover at Neville's the first week of winter break.
"I... don't know."
He shrugged the comment off and they moved on to planning what they could do with the last few hours of their sleepover before Harry was picked up, but he hadn't forgot. He made a decision to ask his parents about it before bed that night.
"I'm going to be adopted soon" he said matter-of-factly as they were putting dishes away in the sink.
"That's right" Frank chuckled. "Having second thoughts?"
"No" he replied quickly with a shy smile. "I just..."
He trailed off, suddenly nervous. Al and Frank shared a look of concern as they walked into the livingroom.
"What is it Nev?" Al asked, holding their arms open in invitation.
He went to them easily and rested his head on their shoulder in a cuddle. Frank moved to sit on his other side.
"I don't want to call you Frank and Al anymore."
"You can call us whatever you want." Frank responded, rubbing his back gently.
"I can?"
"Yea, Nev" Al agreed. "Whatever you are comfortable with."
"Frank is... dad?" He asked, hopeful.
Frank nodded with a smile. "I like it."
"And Al is my..." he trailed off, brows furrowed. "Um. Can I think about it?"
"Of course you can" they said, choked a little by the lump welling up in their throat.
"What's wrong Al?" He said suddenly, hearing the emotion in their voice. "I'm sorry...."
"Nothing to be sorry about, sweet boy. I just really love you."
"I love you too."
"And me?" Frank smiled.
"And you" Neville agreed.
-
"Bye dad!" He shouted over his shoulder, waving as he ran up the steps to Harry's room. "Bye Al! Love you!"
They were gone out of earshot before he could hear a reply, eager to start playing, despite having just seen each other the day before.
"I called Frank my dad" he said proudly in the hallway as they walked.
"I heard!" Harry gushed, throwing his bedroom door open and jumping excitedly on the bed. "Sticking with Al then?"
"No" he shook his head, "but I don't know what to call them just yet. Nothing feels... right."
Harry hummed in thought, plopping down roughly to sit.
"Why do you and Ry and Ky call them 'meow'?" Neville asked.
He realized he didn't actually know. It had been such a natural part of their world when he was welcomed in that he never thought to question it.
Harry proudly told the story of how Al had become Meow, pointing out the letter they had signed Your Al, rattling off the words as if he were reading, though really he just knew all the letters on his wall by heart.
"So basically I started it" Harry continued proudly" but you can call them Meow if you want. They are extra yours anyway now I guess."
"Extra mine" Neville giggled. "Mine mine..."
"My my Al" Harry added, giggling too. "Two my's!"
"My my" Neville said, smiling brightly. "I like that."
"Oh! I love that sooooo much!" Harry started jumping on the bed again. "Meow will love it too!"
"You think so?"
"Definitely!"
-
"I thought of what to call you" Neville said proudly in the car when Frank and Al picked him up together later that day.
"Oh yea?" Al smiled, giving a significant look across the console to Frank as they reached for each others hands. "Let's hear it!."
"I call you... Mymy" he smiled suddenly a little shy. "Because... because you're.... mine mine."
"Good one Nev!" Frank said cheerfully from the front of the car. He gave Al's hand a squeeze as they blinked back tears.
"Do you like it?" He asked Al, reaching up to put a hand on their arm.
They nodded, unable to find the words as they cleared their throat and placing their free hand on top of his.
"Are you sad, Mymy?" Neville asked tentatively, leaning up as far as his seatbelt would allow. "Or do you just really love me again?"
Frank and Al both laughed at the reference, and Al sniffed back a few unshed tears.
"I always really love you, Nev."
"I always really love you too, Mymy."
"And me?" Frank added, a few tears in his eyes as well.
"And you, dad."