Andre Nile

Because she really wanted to, Adrian had dinner with us and she just like, went with everything and it was a nice meal. And I heard her after dinner, helping dad out because she wanted to be helpful because she's at that age.

"Hey, Dad."

"Yeah, munchkin?"

"What do you think about boys dating boys and girls dating girls?"

I saw it. I saw that split second of panic because he's sort of (I think) with Tyler, but hasn't actually told us yet officially and it especially hasn't gotten to Adrian yet. She wasn't here.

"I think," Dad told his youngest. "That if they're happy, then it doesn't matter who they're dating. Your brothers are both happier with their boyfriend's just like your mom is happy with her boyfriend."

"Okay, good," she remarked. "Andre said you were like, cool with it, but I wanted to make sure because he said Mom isn't. Am I like... Ever going to have a step mom like Warren is going to be our stepdad?"

Did Dad need that reminder?

No. None of us did.

"Well... Maybe." Dad told her. "can we negotiate?"

"For what? A dog?"

"Well maybe in a few years, but no," he figured, which made me smile. "How about a step dad? Not Warren, a different one. A second one, if you will."

And then she realized it.

Dad isn't straight.

"Oh!" She remarked. "well like, yeah, that's fine. If he's not mean. Also, I don't need more siblings that are younger than me. The twins are kind of annoying."

Dad laughed.

"I'll keep that in mind. Come on, kiddo, we should get you home before your mom gets too mad." He told her. "do you want to come over this weekend?"

"Yeah!"

"Alright, then I'll pick you up at school on Friday, okay?"

She thought about it. .

"Can we get ice cream?"

"Maybe."

"It's a deal."

So with that, Dad and Adrian left, and Lionel commented on something.

"I like your dad a lot more than your mom."

I smiled, messing with his hair a bit as we were laying on the couch, just talking about whatever came to mind.

We talked about sleeping beauty for like ten minutes earlier.

"Yeah, he's a lot nicer." I agreed. "What uh... What time is it? Do your parents want you home at a time?"

"Well... Probably before midnight," he figured, shrugging. "they haven't texted me about it yet and I mean, I have my school stuff so it's not like spending the night would be the worst idea out there. Do you have a meet this week?"

"Yeah, on Thursday!" I told him. "why?"

"Can I come and watch and like, be a supportive boyfriend?" Lionel asked, which made me smile. "or like, will the team beat you up?"

I rolled my eyes.

"You can come and watch and like, be a supportive boyfriend," I told my boyfriend, which got him a little excited. "the team can either grow up or like, be chewed out by coach or the principle or something. If they want to try and be mean and bully either of us, I'll just report their asses. I don't really want to be in the closet anymore. It sucks."

"It does, it's super cramped."

"Eh, not really, Narnia is super big, but I'm too much of a coward to fight the snow queen lady to stick around. It's super annoying."

He laughed before my phone vibrated, a text, I'm sure.

Ride or Die: hey so dad and I were having dinner tonight right?

It was Daniel? Talking about his dad?

My motherfucker: yeah?

Ride or Die: and I asked about last night because I still am confused on the situation and so I just asked like, what was going on with him and your dad. Like, I asked why I didn't really know what was going on.
Ride or Die: and I shit you not, Andre
Ride or Die: my dad looked at me
Ride or Die: and told me that I didn't know because he also doesn't really know
Ride of Die: I guess they've been flirting for like, a year and a half now, and they mess around when they hang out (I didn't want to know how much that entailed so I didn't ask), but they've never actually gone on a date
Ride or Die: they're not dating
Ride or Die: please ask your dad what in the fuck is going on with them because they need to just get over themselves and make it official before one of them dies

My motherfucker: 😂😂😂 will do

I ended up driving Lionel home because they wanted their kid back, I guess, and also to say hi, which was nice. But Dad was home when I got back, just sketching something out. He just got hired as an interior designer which is like, what he's always wanted to do.

"Hey, kiddo," Dad said as I closed the door behind me. "welcome back."

"Hey," I said, taking my shoes off. "Uh, can I ask you something?"

"Always." He told me, putting the paper and pencil down. "what's up?"

"So what..." I started off. "What's the situation between you and Tyler?"

My dad gave me a weird look.

"The situation?" He asked me in return. "well I mean we text one another and sometimes send funny posts and sometimes we hang out or do something fun. Why?"

"Well considering the kiss in the kitchen that wasn't subtle at all," I wasn't about to sugar coat what I saw. "And also, I don't know, the fact that he slept in your room instead of on the couch or at his home next door, I figured that maybe something happened that I missed because I haven't been here. Life gets busy, you know? You didn't really say anything about it yesterday. Or this morning."

I got him there.

"I mean..."

He really had to think about it.

"It's not like we're dating or anything." Dad told me, and I challenged that. "he's not my boyfriend, Andre, you didn't miss anything."

"Would you be comfortable going on a date with somebody else?" I asked, and he shrugged.

"Probably not... Why do you ask?"

"Because Dad," I elaborated something that I thought he could figure out. "If you wouldn't be comfortable dating somebody else, then ask him out. For Christ sake, you told Adrian that she's more likely to have another step dad and then told her that don't worry, he's nice. That makes it sound like you're dating, or that you would like to be."

And he couldn't argue with me on that because I was right about this. I knew like three things in this world for sure, and this was one of them.

The other two were that I really like Lionel and he cares about me.

But Dad was getting tired of this w weird gray zone where they weren't dating but they were having movie nights and weekends retreats and bonding and talking and cuddling and kissing and being intimate.

Not as a couple.

Which, platonic intimacy is fine. There's absolutely nothing wrong with it.

This wasn't that, though. This was both of them being afraid of rejection and just stalling here for at least a year.

That's so long!

So what did I do?

Make my dad pinkie promise to ask Tyler out by Friday.