Carlos

I got home from the University earlier than usual so I decided to clean around the house a little and turned on the radio. Cecil's show should be starting in a few minutes.

Easter was in a week and I was excited. My parents and maybe Alex, my older sister, should be here on Friday or Saturday. If was Monday right now. We lost contact and I finally was able to make contact with them. They sent an email I received a few weeks ago. Saying they'd be coming to Easter, wondering where I was and so on and I emailed them the address and somehow how to get here. So that exciting.

It was 8:07 when somebody knocked. I was expecting maybe Abby or Steve saying something came up, can Janice stay for the night. Its happened a few times before. No big deal.

"Its open!" I yelled from across the house and it was unexpected. Very unexpected.

My mother, father, and Alex were there.

"Are we are the right house?"

At first I stood there, surprised they were here so early when they said they wouldn't be here for another 5 days or so.

"Yeah, you... What are you guys doing here so early?" I asked as I step out of the kitchen, just about to start making dinner.

"There were only a few open places for 3 people." Mom explained to me. "We figured if we showed up early it couldn't be that bad. A nice surprise. It'd give us a chance to look around town more, too."

True.

We talked for like 20 minutes before they went to go check in at the hotel and around 8:45 Cecil got home and we had dinner and I forgot to tell him my parents were already in town.

My parents and Alex aren't aware I'm gay. Or in a relationship. Or living with somebody else.

So that was great.

Anyways, we finish dinner and go out to the living room.

"What time did you tell everyone to arrive on Sunday?" Cecil asked me.

"5." I tell the.. "And then I recalled that clocks really don't work. So I told them at the start of sunset."

We just relaxed and go in for a kiss and somebody knocked on the door.

I turned my head.

Like not now, please.

My parents and Alex walk in and it became very awkward as I stood, praying to God they didn't see me and Cecil cuddling before I had the chance to tell them we were together.

They forgot a bag. That was their reason.

And earlier they came into porch when they came 'inside.' So they haven't seen the actual house yet.

"Sorry." Alex said as they came in. "I forgot one of my bags."

Okay.

Cecil just kind of sat there, in a bit of an awkward spot at the moment. Not asking why they were so early.

I'm not rude. I introduced him.

I pulled up Cecil and introduced my boyfriend.

"Okay, um..." I said and pull up my boyfriend. "Well. Welcome to our home. This is Cecil, he broadcasts at the radio station here in town. He's also my boyfriend."

Silence fell upon the house. Nerves started to overwhelm me. I had no idea what to expect out of any of my parents. Or Alex. At all. We were always a close and happy family growing up. But things like this were never really discussed.

"Hi." Cecil attempted and I appreciate that, but if didn't work.

My dad started hyperventilating, my mother said hello in return, Alex asked why on Earth I didn't tell her I was gay before.

I just shook my head at my sister's remark.

"Father, please." I said. "Calm down."

Worst thing I could've possibly said to him.

Because shit hit the fan.

Before I knew he would start saying something and ruin the night I suggested a nice tour of the house.

He ignored the suggestion and spoke his mind.

"WE TRUST YOU TO GO YOUR OWN, BUT YOU DISAPPEARED TO SOME FUCKING TOWN IN WHO KNOWS WHERE." My father was only started and I already noticed he was terrifying Cecil. Which never ends well. I always try to keep him calm, mainly because he has depression and I don't want to find out what happens when something like fear gets out of hand and I squeezed his hand, attempting to assure him. "WE EXPECTED MORE OUT OF YOU, CARLOS. FOR THREE YEARS. NOT... NOT THIS. NOT HIM."

Shit hit the fan and he agitated me. He called Cecil a him and assumed he was some asshole would destroy my life. Like he was a posion.

I gripped Cecil's hand a little more. It was silent for a moment as my rage built up and released.

"Dear, just please." Mom tried. "Calm down."

"No!" He shouted at her. And triggered me.

Nobody has ever yelled at my father. Spoken against him in something like this. It just doesn't happen. He's a scary guy. And plus he was a war veteran. Nobody wanted to push his anger. Ever.

I didn't want to. But he forced me to.

"Father." Was his warning to leave. My voice scarily calm."Don't you dare call him a Him. His name is Cecil and if you can't accept it, then I'll be damned you speak to either of us, especially him, that way ever. You are taking this out of ration. You'd never approve even if it was your dream child-in-law. I love Cecil. That is final."

Cecil looks shocked for a few moments. I've told him stories about my dad. He knows nobody speaks against my dad.

My father just huffed, sighed, and walked out of the house.

We gave Alex and my mother a tour of the house and I figured they were staying here. And we went out for an actual dinner. We just had something small. We need to get some more food tomorrow. Go to the store.

"Oh, by the way." Alex told me before we got into the car. "I forgot to tell you earlier. I'm expecting in December."

I just had to stop for a second and looked at my sister.

That would make me an uncle. Like yeah, Janice calls me Uncle Carlos all the time. But one, Cecil and I aren't even engaged, much less married so the first time she called me that it was the weirdest thing in the world and I couldn't speak for like 5 minutes. None of us could but Janice, really. Even Steve was shocked. And she's been really clingy and close with Steve lately. For the past like 2 years she has been. And she said it... Maybe a year ago she started calling me that. Then again she started calling Steve 'Dad' so I mean I'm not the only one who got that shock.

"Does the Dad know or like...?" I asked. "Who is the Dad?"

"I'm not sure if you'd remember him that well, he was new my senior year." Alex explained. "Mason Reybik. He does know. And our Dad knows. He's not very happy about it, but he's starting to warm up to it. I hope. We found out last week."

Anyways, we got into the car and started driving.

And it dawned on me.

"Did you get food for Khocheck?" I asked Cecil.

"Yeah." He told me. "I also got shampoo and conditioner being we were low."

Mom was silent for a moment, then spoke up.

"I didn't see any animals in the house." Mom remarks. "Or is there like a fish in your guy's room that I didn't see?"

"Khocheck doesn't stay with us." Cecil explained. "He's the radio station pet cat."

"Interesting." My mom comments. "Is he a nice cat?"

"As long as you don't try to move him from his spit four feet in the air, yeah he's pretty nice."

I sighed.

"Cecil, love." I said. "Recall they are strangers to the town. A floating cat might scare them a bit."

"Well they're going to be here for a week." He agreed on that part. "They won't survive if that scares them."

"I'm so confused." Alex remarked.

"Floating cats, clocks don't work, wheat and wheat byproducts are illegal." I explained. "Its gets complicated and strange. You'll warm up to it. Hopefully."

We pulled up to Big Rico's and got a table and while they were distracted by something or another, and I pulled Cecil off the side and gave him a quick kiss.

"Sorry." I apologized for the earlier events. "I didn't think they'd be here so early."

He returned the kiss and smiled at me.

"Its fine, Carlos." He assured me. "I know you didn't expect them here so early. And plus, Alex and your mother seem to be wonderful people. We'll just have to hope and be patient with your dad for the week."

"Um, yeah." I agreed. "Sorry about what I said to him earlier. He agitated me."

"Its no problem." Cecil told me and gave me another kiss. "C'mon, they can only be distracted for so long."