Page 121 of Heartstring

I hold on to him so tight his breath catches, but he doesn’t make me release him. He holds on just as tight.

Shortly after we met and Mik found out my dad was fostering me and hoping to adopt me as soon as he could, Mik asked how come we had the same surname. If it was a coincidence.

It wasn’t. He picked me to be part of his family, and since we couldn’t change my name before the adoption, he decided to change his. Even if he was never allowed to adopt me, I was already his son from the day I walked into his house, skinny and weary but a little hopeful.

Life’s taken so much away from me, but it’s given it all back and more. No time on this planet is guaranteed, but I had time with my dad, and I had time with Porter. Now I have a bigger family.

The boy with no family now can’t fit them all in his house.

If that’s not a blessing, I don’t know what is.

“How do you feel about the open mic night at Stu’s?” Mik asks after a while.

“What do you mean?”

“They’ve got one happening tonight.”

I laugh. “Are you serious?”

“For old times’ sake.”

“We don’t even have anything on us,” I say.

“I rented two guitars yesterday. They’re in the trunk. They’re not great, but they’re Stu’s Bar good enough.”

“This has bad idea written all over it.” I shake my head.

“Nah, baby. Let’s play our old classics and tug at their heartstrings.”

“You mean make them cry? I don’t think Stu has a therapist on retainer.”

“Oh, ye of little faith.” He takes my hand and drags me back to the car.

Okay, so we’re two forty-six-year-olds about to embarrass ourselves in front of an audience, but there’s no one in the world I’d rather do it with than my very own sexy Viking.

“Okay, Thor. I’ll do this if you promise to let me play with your hammer later.”

He snorts.

“That’s a given, baby. The pool house is all ours, and I stashed a bottle of lube in there.”

“You think of everything.”

“I think of you. All the time. It’s a little inconvenient, you know?” He doesn’t sound inconvenienced at all.

“I love you so much, Mik.”

“Love you too, baby.”

He pulls into the parking lot at Stu’s Bar.

“Now, let’s go make some fucking music together.”

“Lead the way.”

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