Page 36

Chapter 36

Surprise

Isaiah

“ G ood mornin’,” a low, raspy voice murmurs near my chest. Near my chest? My eyes open and Dell’s face is pressed between my pecs as my whole body koalas him.

“Sorry,” I say and clear my throat. “How long have I been holding you like that?”

“Just the last half hour. I’m starting to get sweaty, but I like it,” he says and nuzzles his nose through my chest hair.

After dinner, Steven, Brook and Liam went back to their home a few miles away, and we watched a movie with his parents. I couldn’t tell you what the movie was about because Dell was holding my hand the whole time and laying his head in my lap. When I started stroking his hair, he purred like a big, muscly kitten and fell asleep. When the movie ended, I led his sleepy butt to our bedroom and we both passed out.

“Your parents are so nice,” I say, lifting my leg off of him and shifting so we’re eye to eye. Under the covers, I find his toes and touch mine to them. “It’s not every day you hear about such progressive southern parents.”

“Yeah. They used to be a lot more closed-minded. But when I became a teen and started kissing boys and gettin’ in fights for just… having crushes, that’s when things started to change. My mom told me years later that the church elders came to my parents and said I needed to go to conversion camp. And they considered it.”

“They did? ”

He nods. “But my mom knew someone from childhood, a friend of hers, who went to one as a teen. I guess she called him up and they talked for a long time. He told her how he’d never send his own children there. Said it messed him up for a long time.”

“I’ve heard the horror stories.”

“Yeah. Well, he got through to her and she got through to my dad. I guess when the elders asked if they were going to send me to the conversion camp, my mother said ‘There’s nothing wrong with our son or who he loves. And if there is, then I’m going straight to hell with him and I’ll see y’all there.’”

“Did she really?”

“Yep. Marched right out of that church and never looked back. That’s why I got this tattoo,” he says, shifting his arm to better show me the old school American heart tattoo with a banner across that says Mom . “She’s the fucking best.”

“But they’re still religious?”

“They believe in a God who loves all people. They believe in nature and science. They believe we were given brains and we’re supposed to use them and not blindly follow a book that was written by men.”

“And how do they feel about throuples?”

He shrugs. “I don’t really care.”

My head rears back. “You just told me how much you love your mom and how you got a tattoo for her on your arm, but you don’t care?”

“Don’t get me wrong, I do love her, but it’s my life. I have never and will never live it according to someone else’s standard for happiness.”

“Your youngest sibling energy is strong.”

He chuckles. “You wanna go work out and swim in the pool?” He rolls over to check the time on his phone. “We have a few hours ‘fore we have t’start gettin’ ready for the—oh my god!”

“What is it?”

He twists back around, eyes locked on his phone screen. “Robyn just got picked up as the face of Adidas.”

“Holy shit! Call her!”

When she picks up she’s sobbing.

“Adidas, Robyn? Are you serious?” Dell exclaims as both of us sit up. “That’s huge!”

“I know,” she cries. “I just found out ten minutes ago.”

“This is incredible,” I smile. “I’m so proud of you!”

“They want me to fly to New York in a couple weeks for a photoshoot and everything!”

“Of course they do because you’re a fuckin’ knockout, darlin’!”

“Wow, that accent got a lot thicker since you’ve been gone,” she laughs. “S’cute.”

Then someone in the background with Robyn yells, “Mimosas for everyone!”

“Okay, we’ll let you go,” Dell smiles. “Sounds like you’re celebrating hard today.”

“I can’t believe it,” she squeals.

“I can,” I grin. “You earned it, Robyn. Enjoy it.”

“Thanks, guys. I miss you.”

My eyes find Dells before I say, “We miss you too.”

When the call ends, Dell leaps out of bed and with a grunt, throws a tight fist high in the air. “That’s our girl! C’mon, Zay. We gotta pump some iron in the gym before I get any more wound up. Whoo!”

“Dell,” I drawl, stepping out of an F-150 we borrowed from his dad. “What is this place?”

“This is Castle Gardens. It’s like a public park and event center. ”

“Let me guess, your family owns it?”

He just smiles and takes my hand. “Castle Senior Center is just down the way there. Gram likes to go there and volunteer.”

“Volunteer? She’s ninety. What does she do?” I ask as we step into the beautiful grand entryway. This place is exactly what you’d get if you put old money whiskey style with lush gardens. The chandelier above our heads is the size of a compact car, dotted with dim lights.

“About ten years ago, I taught her Zumba, and she fell in love with it. Now she teaches it at the senior center.”

“Currently? I thought you said she was frail and didn’t know how many more birthdays she had.”

Following a few other people, we step through the first set of doors into a motherfuckin’ ballroom with wide, expansive windows that overlook rolling hills of curated gardens and trails. More fountains. More sculptures.

“Do we ever really know how many more birthdays someone will have?”

“She’s super healthy, isn’t she?”

“Very. She walks five miles a day and drinks beet juice every morning. She’s constantly sticking her fingers in corporate purchasing’s business. And she’s been known to travel to our competitors’ whiskey tasting rooms to dissuade patrons and promote Castle Whiskey.”

“Oh my god.”

“She’s fuckin’ awesome.”

“There you are,” Brook says out of breath, coming to stand next to us with determination, an ear piece, and a clipboard in hand. She touches the button in her ear. “I got them. Isaiah, no thanks to my brother, but I didn’t plan for you. Do you have any dietary restrictions? I need to tell the catering staff immediately.”

It’s then that I remember Dell telling me she’s the General Manager here. I’m about to say no, but he cuts me off. “ Brook, are you okay?”

“No,” she hisses. “Everything is running smoothly and I just know something is going wrong. Something big . What are your dietary restrictions, Isaiah?”

Again, Dell cuts me off. “He’s a vegan. He’s also allergic to tree nuts.”

Brook's eyes blow and her jaw unhinges. “Oh my god,” she gasps and turns on her heel, running toward the door with her hand attached to her ear. “I have a code green! I need all hands…” her voice trailing off as she hightails it out of there.

“I’m not a vegan.”

“I know, but trust me when I say, it’s better that she has something like this to worry about. She derives great fulfillment in situations like this. Honestly, she won’t enjoy the party if she isn’t organizing or fixing something.”

“Yeah, but now I have to eat a vegan meal.”

He chuckles and brings me into a quick hug. “I’ll switch plates with you.”

Dell introduces me to all of his aunts, uncles, and cousins, all of whom are incredibly nice, and I can’t tell if they’re actually kind or that southern kind where they’re nice to your face but secretly judging you. I’d like to believe it’s the former. Especially since most of them seem to take sincere interest in Dell’s work. I watch as one-by-one they flex their arms and thighs for him to evaluate and ask him for advice on how to get rounder shoulders and better mobility.

It all makes me kind of miss having a big extended family like this. My mom’s sister lives in Poland, and I’ve only met her a handful of times. My dad’s brother and his kids live in Calgary, and we almost never see them. We didn’t have much money growing up, so going away for vacations and visiting family didn’t really happen. I guess I’m fortunate to have such a large immediate family.

An image of the baby journal my mom kept for me flashes in my mind. I know, I think to myself. I need to read it.

“She’s coming!” Brook softly cheers, dimming the lights to get everyone's attention. The room settles, and when the doors open, Dell’s grandma stands there next to his mom, holding her hand over her mouth when everyone yells Surprise!

There’s laughter and giggles as everyone greets her with hugs and kisses on the cheek. When it’s Dell’s turn to hug her, she grabs him tight. “You knew, didn’t you, Gram?”

“I love her, but your sister is about as subtle as a cactus chair.”

His smile is so real and genuine when he pulls away from the short woman with a straight white bob and fashionable glasses. “Gram, I’d like you to meet Isaiah.”

“Oh, I’ve heard so much about you,” she beams, bringing me into a hug.

“You have?”

“Of course. My Dell here called me up a while ago and told me all about his client he was fancy for.”

I stand up to look him in the eyes. “Did you?”

He shrugs. “She’s my best friend, I can’t keep secrets from her.”

“I heard you like true crime, Isaiah. I’ve got some books for you back home, so make sure you stop by before y’all head back, okay?”

“Yes ma’am.”

“Good. Now I gotta go mingle. But hey,” she says, placing her hand on Dell’s arm, “help me convince your sister to pass out ouija boards as party favors at my funeral.”

He seems unfazed by the casual way she mentions her own death. “Brook’s planning that?”

She cocks her eyebrow. “You know she is.”

“I’ll see to it,” he grins effortlessly, and she kisses him on the cheek before heading off. “Joanna Castle is gonna be running this family from the grave. ”

“I can see why she’s your best friend.”

We grab a couple lemonades and walk over to a set of comfortable arm chairs and have a seat in front of the windows overlooking the gardens.

“Does she know about your content?”

There’s a slight curve to his mouth when he takes a sip. “Yep. All of it. She watches every workout video and then calls me about ‘em. Suggests better angles. She’s somethin’ else.”

The next couple of hours fly by as we talk with his family and flip through old photos. Trips they’ve taken. Horses they’ve ridden. Standing in front of buildings they’ve acquired and two-story high Christmas trees decked out with glittering ornaments and crystal.

When couples start to leave, Steven comes up to us with a nudge to Dell’s arm. “Bunch of us are headed to The Front Porch. My parents are taking Liam for the night. You guys in?”

“What’s that?” I ask.

“Bar down the way,” Dell nods and looks to me for an answer.

“Sure, why not?”