At least a month has gone by with our two lovebirds. They are now on the way to Jonathan’s parent’s house for Independence Day. This is the first time Evan is going to meet his fiancé’s parents.

Jonathan walks up onto the porch on his North Carolina home. He smiles as his mom appears behind the screen door. “Johnny!” She cheers and wraps him into a big hug. Evan smiles at him. Evan is then pulled into a hug, “I’ve seen amazing photos of you young man. I hope you’re as good as Johnny describes you to be.” She pulls Evan away from the hug and smiles at him.

The couple regroup and walk into the house of young Jonathan together. A man, a little taller than Jonathan appears in the living room with a grown female and a little baby asleep in his arms wearing an adorable strawberry colored overall with a polka-dot shirt underneath. The man smiles when he sees the couple, “Johnny!” His hair is a sandy brown, but it’s a little hard to tell with the buzz cut. The baby quietly wakes and smiles at Jonathan. Evan nearly melts. Jonathan grabs her little hand, “Hello Daisy.” She doesn’t really respond so the man says, “Look Daisy, it’s Uncle Jonathan and…” he stops and stares at Evan. “Evan,” he sticks out his hand. The man grabs it tightly and shakes it, “I’m Samuel, Johnny’s brother, and your possible brother-in-law.” They both nod and smile at each other. Evan notices that Samuel has brown eyes instead of blue like Jonathan. His mother has blue, maybe their father- “Burgers are done boys and girls!” A tall man with wide shoulders and brown hair peppered with gray busts through the screen door leading to the backyard and pool. “Evan! Hello! Welcome! Welcome! Make yourself at home my man!” Jonathan smiles at Evan and leans in, “His burgers are to fucking die for.”

They all chow down on the delicious burgers grilled by Mr. Dennis. “So, Evan and I are getting married,” Jonathan blurts out of nowhere. His mother spits out her tea, his father chokes on the burger for a little bit, but gets it down his throat. Even little Daisy seems surprised. “That’s awesome!” Jenny, Jonathan’s only sister cheers. “That’s amazing Jonathan,” his father smiles from the end of the table. “I am very happy for you two. Now we need to get to know Evan a little quicker,” his mother states. “Do you have a wedding planner?” Jennifer questions. Evan squeezes Jonathan’s hand under the table. The photographer turns to his love. He smiles, “Not yet, but we’ll keep you posted.”

The rest of the night is full of backyard games and pool games. Jonathan dominates everyone in badminton. “Ball hog!” Evan shouts, trying to hit the birdie before his fiancé does. During the game, Daisy wonders away from her toys and in the middle of the game. Before Jonathan can swing down Evan grabs Daisy and rolls out of the spray on court lines. She looks up at him, her brown eyes shimmering with giggles. Evan breathes heavily and laughs with her. She then lays her head onto his chest. Samuel’s wife sprints over and grabs her, “Thank you Evan! Daisy! I told you to stay here with your toys!” Jonathan walks over and offers a hand to his fallen model. The brown-eyed man chuckles and grabs the hand. Jonathan lifts him up, when he does their hands intertwine. Both hands with rings on them. Evan pecks him on the lips quickly. They continue with a game of corn hole.

Suddenly Mrs. Dennis comes out with a homemade strawberry cheesecake. Jonathan cheers, “Yes! Your cheesecake is the bomb Mom!” Everyone chuckles as she easily starts down the steps. A weird pain goes through her neck and chest. She tries to ignore it, but it happens again, but worse. This pain makes her fall down the steps. “Mom!” All three Dennis children shout at the same time. A chirp even falls out of Evan. “Cassandra!” Mr. Dennis yells and falls to the ground with her. The cheesecake falls on the ground. “Call an ambulance Sam!” He sprints inside, obeying his father. Jonathan watches as his father does CPR on his own wife. Tears threaten all the family. Evan wraps Jonathan into a hug. What makes Evan start to sob is the next few words that come out of Mr. Dennis’s mouth, “Come on Cassandra baby…”

Sirens wail as the family wistfully waits for the paramedics to grab Mrs. Dennis. Mr. Dennis hops into the back of the ambulance with his beautiful wife. He pets her long grayish brown hair. Everyone else watches him until the doors are slammed shut. “She was so healthy…” Samuel depressingly states. His wife clings around him as they watch the ambulance drive away. Evan does the same to Jonathan. Jenny squeezes the sleeping Daisy.

Before everyone goes to bed Jenny gets a message from their father, “Dad says stay home and rest until tomorrow. He’ll keep us posted over night and let us know when we can visit.” The two other siblings mumble an “okay” and head to bed.

Jonathan hops into bed and notices Evan dialing a number into his phone. He wonders, “Who are you calling?”

“My parents to tell them we might be late for the family picnic.”

“Evan-” The model stops his photographer with his finger, “I’m not leaving until your mother is well and healthy again,” he answers and grabs Jonathan’s hand. The blue eyes sparkle as he kisses his love, “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

Everyone in the Dennis household sleeps wonderfully, but with dark thoughts about their mother in the back of their heads. That night each sibling has a terrible nightmare about their poor mother.

Melissa, Samuel's wife, has to cling onto Samuel so he stops kicking. He occasionally groans.

Jenny sleeps alone and kicks and sobs all night.

Evan stays up, not able to sleep at all, but he rubs Jonathan’s head, trying to soothe his terrible nightmare.

Mr. Dennis stays up all night at the hospital, holding Mrs. Dennis’s hand. Never letting go. He stares at her face thinking it’s still beautiful, it’ll always be. He wishes he could see those beautiful blue eyes once again.

***

I'm 16 beauties!!

I don't know when I'm going for my permit. Oof.

I LOVE YOU ALL!

OH AND HAPPY PRIDE MONTH!

LESBIAN IS TOMORROW! ;) ♥️🏳️‍🌈