"I can't believe you did this to her."

Kique harshly whispered, taking Lee away from Rhys. 

"Look at her. Her hair is not even styled or anything."

"It was hard enough getting into the dress."

"Don't you worry Lee. Aunty Kique got you now."

"When did you get to be Aunty?"

"Since I said so."

Rhys rolled his eyes but followed closely behind her. Eli, who seemed glued to his side, watched skeptically at all the intense glances that were being casted their way.  Rhys tries his best to brush off the stares like he did at the house party.  

Rhys was starting to get annoyed at this point. Can't they keep their eyes to themselves. He doesn't blame them for being curious. Not everyday a white boy like him comes to this type of church but there is no need to be rude with it.

"I'm going to help my dad get ready real quick. Don't mess my little niece up too much." Kique quickly chimes, handing the blissful baby to her father.

Rhys shifts

"You okay?"

Rhys is about an inch away from clocking Malik's lights out.

"If you don't fu-" his eyes cast down to the two kids staring at him. "Freaking stop sneaking up on me I'm putting a bell on you."

"Challenge accepted."

"You- ugh! Whatever. Thought you were in a mood."

"Feels better if both we in a mood."

"Malik, if you weren't….you...I would knock you on your behind."

"Like to see you try."

Malik grinned and led the small family to an empty bench. Eli made it abundantly clear that he was not interested in this whole church thing and shifted his head in his daddy's lap accordingly. Ming Lee voiced her displeasure of such a tight space by kicking her little feet in protest.

"I'll take her."

Malik whispered as the congregation began to fill in. Rhys gave a slow nod and allowed his cub to be handed over. The little girl settled instantly in the new found space. She fell victim to the intoxicating scent and settled in a daze like state. A small tentative smile peaks from the corners of Maliks mouth. For just a moment, Rhys allowed himself to imagine. Imagine that they were actually a family. That this was the plan all along. 

What a silly image.

A silly but hopeful one.

The sound of a piano being played drew the red heads attention to the front. A man entered through the side. His purple robe with gold trim flows behind him like an elegant cape. Salt and pepper hair frames his face and arms. In his right hand held a bible that looked more used than Rhys' father's dinner pants.

"Good evening my blessed people. Thank god for bringing you to another Sunday."

A collection of amends and hallelujahs engulf the room. Rhys shifted uncomfortably in his seat, pressing his body close onto Malik's shoulder. 

"Todays a special Sunday. Today our church celebrates 60 years of nonstop service with the lord. Can I get an Amen! For god has pushed us through a storm "

A small nudge distracts Rhys.

"Or the free tax breaks .", Malik says 

Rhys smiles at the cute distraction and pokes his arm in a playful jab. The pastor seemed to finally get to the point of the service as he was pulling out his bible.

"We wouldn't have gotten this far if it wasn't for family. This church has been in my family for 4 prosperous generations. It was the lord that kept this family together but it was my father who instilled in me the virtue of respect and the value of having a true family."

Rhys wrinkled his nose at that. 

"Yes, a true family! One that has existed throughout time through the union of a man and a woman."

Rhys could feel the sympathetic look from Kique who was sitting on the stage with the other church family. The amens that followed that statement made him feel much more unsettled. Who was he to say that? Did God not choose for him to be this way? To be forcefully impregnated and made to make the family that he claims to hate.

"As the scripture states, 'Honor thy father and mother.' not thy fathers or mothers"

Rhys didn't realize Malik was bringing him closer. He bristled at that man. If he was not Kique's father he would have had some choice words , and fists, for him.

"What a dick."

A new voice joins the bench.

Jordan, who was sitting in the back with Trent, Henderson and Ty before, now was almost kneeing the bench. An older lady who overheard the crude remark shot a sunken in glare his way which he met with one much more deadly.

"You know what you should do?"

"What? Ask him if he likes little boys?"

"No. But that question would be valuable later. I think you should totally fuck in the bathroom."

"Not around Eli!"Rhys covers the child's ears.

"C'mon just for spite!"

"Maybe if I didn't have my kids with me."

"Just an Idea."

Slow piano music takes over the conversation. The pastor seemed to have moved on from his bashing of queer familes to complete misogyny.

"Families lack the head. The head be it dictated by the lord above to be his first and perfect creation. The man. And he made it so that women are his equal. He plucked the rib of perfection and made women the womb of creation."

A hand shot up from beside Rhys. The pastor barely hid his sigh as he sent out a wayward hand.

"Yes Brother Jordan."

"Pastor Jones! If God made the women of creation. Why can some men have a womb?"

"Young Brother, sometimes a person is misplaced. Misguided in this world. Born in the wrong body."

"Thought you didn't support transgenders?"

A Jordan sized vein puckered at the top of Pastor Jones forehead. Rhys felt a small vibration of laughter erupt from his lap. 

"We can discuss this after church in my office, young brother."

A cheeky grin prints on his face as he fixes himself back on the bench. The pastor carried on with his sermon  for what felt like twelve hours. A sermon that devolved into singing. Rhys has never heard any of these songs. They were song with so much joy and optimism that Rhys almost forgot what the discomforting sermon made him feel.

"Castle…"

Eli says in his usual hushed tone. True to his word, a large bouncy castle is set up on the church lawn. Other kids seemed to have noticed as well, as their line of disgruntled parents also surrounded the plastic playhouse. Eli pulls Rhys' arm expectantly.

"I don't think so kid." Rhys says checking his watch, "Got to give Ming her bottle."

Eli's face skewed in knots. His tugs on his daddy only increased as did his whines. They soon gain more attention from the other church goers. Some mutter, "They kids always know no respect" or "Can't be my kids." were some of the comments at the display. 

"I'll take him.", said the saving grace, Malik.

He handed over the newly woken up Lee to her mother, father? Rhys is still unsure what she will choose. Hopefully for the sake of his pride it would be father.

Daddy.

Father most definitely not.

The pair of brown skinned boys walk over to the bouncy castle. Malik helped him take off his little sneakers and lifted him in the castle. A rare smile comes to the little boy's lips. Rhys believes he has seen this look on Malik before. Complete concentration on the object of his fixation. 

It was...at football practice.

His eyes are completely devoted to his objective. And this is how he's looking at Eli. Rhys wants to slap the dumb smile that appears on his face but doesn't have the free range to do so. 

"He your baby daddy?", an elderly the voice says.

Rhys raises an eyebrow at the lady's comment. "Excuse me?"

"Nothing personal. Just saying you young folk like to lie down with in and everybody. Just wished you didn't take one of the good ones. Such a shame. My grand niece would have looked nice."

"Lady, shut the fuck up."

"Excuse me?"

"Heyy, Ms. Peterson. Have you tried Ma's sweet potato pie? It's wonderful." Kique says with a grin. While she's ushering the old lady forward he saw her mutter, "Sorry carrot-top."

'These people are crazy.'

Rhys rolled his eyes with little want to continue with his current train of thought. He shifts his daughter to a more comfortable position and begins searching for a bathroom. He's sure he would knock some old lady's pension out of her if he heard a comment on him breastfeeding. It wasn't hard to find the small area nearing the back of the building. Rhys took a seat on the small wooden stool at the exit.

Lee, who smelt lunch was near, began to cry.

"Don't worry Cub. I got this."

With practiced movement that he acquired from his old manhoe days, he unbuttoned his shirt with a single hand. Once his chest was exposed he positioned his daughter for her lunch. Lee latched on with glee and within a few moments she happily content drinking her lunch against the beat of his carer's heart.

A small hiccup followed by a messy burp brought a grimace to the Rhys' face. A mess of white sticky liquid now laid waste on his chest. He shoots a small glare down at the unaware child who is trying to latch back on to the nipple.

"No...we are not doing this. Clean first, milk later."

He lifts his daughter away from the sticky milk dripping down his chest. Last time he had something dripping down his chest like this was at a bar and it was some tight clothed girl licking up his chest. Turning the knob he opened the bathroom and immediately wished the handle had melted in his hand.

There, on his knees, was Jordan. His head thrown back in pure ecstasy as he is plowed into the second coming by Pastor Jones himself. The pastor, who's still ringed finger was clasping over Jordan's mouth, froze mid blow. 

"Can I get an Amen?"