Alex (while Cecil and Carlos are off to the side)

"They're really cute together." I remarked aloud as I looked at the menu with Mom. "I wonder how long how long they've been together."

Mom contemplated either that or her food choice or both before she put down her menu.

"They are." She agreed. "I think one of them remarked that they knew each for some time before they actually started dating."

"True." I agreed and I thought about it for a minute before saying it. "I wonder where Cecil's parents are. I don't think he said anything about them. I wonder if they'll be at Easter."

"Probably." Mom said as they came back over.

"Hm?" Carlos asked.

"Oh, just talking crap." I said. Not wanting to ask right now, when things were starting to let up after Carlos and Dad argued.

Mom didn't think that way and we all looked at the menu.

"So, Cecil." She said, putting the menu back down. "Are you parents residents of Night Vale or around the area at all?"

Cecil froze for a second, I barely caught it and Carlos frowned, whispering something to Cecil. Probably that if he didn't want to, he didn't need to answer, and Cecil insisted it was fine.

I knew something horrible was about to come out of his mouth as soon as I heard No, its fine. I will.

My brothers boyfriend cleared his throat before speaking.

"My mother was." Cecil told us. "I imagine my father was, although I'm not entirely sure."

And this is why I didn't want to ask.

Mom carried on the conversation.

"Oh, God." She remarked. "It must be a touchy subject."

"Um, a little." He agreed after contemplating that idea. "Its worse for my older sister, though. Sometimes. Some days she could care less about it."

It fell silent for another moment before our waitress came over, introduced herself, and took our orders.

Now with how they acted I figured Cecil and Carlos had been together 2 years at tops. Or at least, that's how long they've gotten to know each other and eventually date. A year and a half or a year seemed more realistic to me.

So I asked how long they've been dating.

"Well you came here four years ago..." Cecil said, thinking a long ass time back. "So almost 3 years. A little over 2 ½ years."

Hold on.

Hold the fuck up.

I've been with Mason for almost 2 years and we just got engaged and are expecting a kid. But they have a full year on us pretty much and they're not even engaged.

Like what the fuck, honestly.

Mom nudged me.

"I can see why Carlos lost his call with your father now."

"I would have, too." I agreed on that, although with Dads problems the past couple years I probably wouldn't. "But if you guys knew each other before you got together when did you meet? Or like how?"

"I lost my cool because he agitated me." Carlos stated.

"Your father agitates everyone." Mother simply adds on and you could tell Carlos was taken back by the remark. But I suppose they were happily married, right?

"And I was just new to town and work got around." Carlos answered my question. "Not many new people come around with the intent to stay around here."

We told a few stories from back home and they told us a few stories and just...

"This is an odd town." I remarked.

"We're aware." Cecil assured me.

"So its pretty much just every day life I'm guessing?" Mom assumes.

"Basically, it is." Cecil agreed as we got our food and started to eat.

I learned that Cecil has a niece. And a brother in law.

"You invited Steve?" Carlos was shocked.

"No." He was simple about that. "I invited Janice. But with how clingy she's been with him I'm guessing he'll end up being there, too."

"Steve is your brother in law, right?" Mom has the same relationship with my dad's brother and sister. They're married. Can't stand either of them.

"Yeah. I can't stand him, either." Cecil confirmed. "He married my sister like 7 years ago."

I was stupid and asked about his brother.

"He's not in Night Vale currently." Cecil told us as I could tell he was remembering something or another. My god, his family was just all over the place. I wonder if we could meet his mom though. She must've moved. He said she wasn't here anymore. But he didn't know his dad. Which has to suck. "I haven't seen him in a while. I should probably call, his birthday is coming up."

Not much more was said as we finished eating dinner, paid, and got back into the car and Carlos made a remark wondering if Dad would still be at the house when we got there, but he just said he. And Cecil thought he meant his brother and probably got himself in an explanation for later that night.

"Hopefully." Was all he said.

"Yeah, hopefully he's calmed down." Carlos agreed. "Otherwise he isn't sleeping under our roof."

This is where Cecil thought he meant his brother.

"I said call the man, not invite him over." My maybe one day brother in law said, and this got everyone's attention. "And how did you find out about what happened before he left? Did Abby tell you? I don't think I ever did."

"I was talking about my dad." Carlos clarified. "I didn't invite Steve... What on Earth are you talking about?"

" I'll explain later."

"Yeah, you will."

We pull up the house and Dad's still there.

"Five heads... It... Um..."

I just went inside, not asking.

Carlos

"That would be Hiyrum." I told my dad. "Did its green head burn you?"

He tried to think.

"...maybe?"

"Well its too bad." Mom remarked. "You missed dinner."

And from here on our the night kind of went downhill.

Cecil and I went inside and I acted like I didn't see my dad scowl. I had perfect sight of my parents through the window in our bedroom.

But anyways, I took off my shirt and climbed into bed. Ready to fall asleep.

Of course, it wasn't that easy.

"Dear." Mother addressed my father. "You can't just assume-"

"Yes I can." Dad insisted and I just sighed.

Mom tried to reason. She really did.

I crawled into bed and gave Cecil a kiss on the cheek, apologizing for my father.

"They are happy together." Mom told him, just trying to calm him down and soothe him into it. "They've been together for-"

"I don't care how long they've been together, Carlos knows better." Dad insisted. "As of whatever his name was, his parents should be ashamed from raising the disgrace they had."

That's what pushed the line and forced me to re-dress and go outside. Cecil followed, but only to the closed in porch. Not actually outside, where they were.

"I can hear you in my damn room." I tell my dad, starting to get pissed off my it. "I can and will personally escort you out of this town if need be it bothers you so damn much."

He, as always, had something to say back to me.

"Well I'm sorry for raising you better than that to have you ignore everything we taught you." And his voice quieted down. "Is this really you, Carlos? Is it what you want? Is he what you want?"

"Yes, it is." I assured my dad. "I really have everything I'd love to have right now. And how you raised me wouldn't have changed a thing that I ended here and that I love Cecil. Nothing would've changed that."

Dad actually had a decentish question.

"Then what about his family?" Dad asked me. "If you love him so much, where did he come from?"

Mom almost protested the questions and decided it was a bad idea to say something now.

"I accepted a long time ago that he doesn't come from a perfect family." I told him. "Its an odd family, but it's still family. A brother, sister, niece, and a brother in law."

Dad caught what I didn't say. And I guess I would've asked too. Because we're 28.

"What about his parents?"

Thank god Cecil wasn't actually out here. He already had to talk about his parents once. He doesn't like thinking about talking about them. At all.

"I haven't met them." I explained. "But I know damn well not to pressure him about them. In the next few minutes I may only have one parent though. Because the other refused to just accept the situation."

And suddenly he tried to play victim.

"Carlos, I..."

"No, don't." I strictly told him. "You can either learn to accept things with a better point of view or you can walk off of this property without a son. The choice is yours, but I will not leave Cecil because my dad doesn't like us being together."

And then I was confused. Dad looked at Mom, seeming confused but not at the same town.

"Did you not tell him at dinner?"

You can't do that to me.

"I thought you sent it in the email." Mom remarked.

"What didn't you tell me?" I dared ask as dad took out a vanilla envelope and handed it over to me.

"I planned on making this to you maybe a year ago." He tells me. "But we didn't have your address or any way to get a hold of you, and I forgot to type it up in the email. Just read through it, the three of us all have something in there. I do intend on seeing you again, Carlos. I really so. Its been a long day, I'm going to sleep on it, maybe it'll be easier tomorrow. We'll see. If there's anything, our numbers are all in there, anything at all I'm just at the motel down by the Arby's."

And with that him and Mom walked towards the motel as I walked inside and Cecil and I sat down.

Now I was kind of terrified.

"Cecil." I said as we sat down. "Whatever is in here changes nothing with us. Understand?"

He nods his head and I opened up the vanilla package.