Arthur Sakho

I pulled up in front of my family house. It was a large, modern mansion with lots of immense windows. It was bright and airy with mostly lighter colors, windows, lights and open space. It was dark outside, but it was lit brightly through the windows. The backyard had an enormous swimming pool that curved, had a small waterfall, blue tiles and lots of lights. The weather was still warm enough that they probably hadn't covered it yet.

This beautiful home wasn't where I grew up. We had moved here after my mom's bestselling book became a successful movie. I had just started freshman year in highschool. I had to change schools. It was the same as the old school - made some friends, made some enemies, met people who accepted me, met people who didn't. The only thing different was that I got my first boyfriend in my junior year. We secretly dated through junior and senior years.

I opened the front door and stepped inside. I could hear the muffled voices of my mom and sister from the other room, but couldn't understand what they were saying.

"I'm home," I called out.

There was a loud shuffling and then my sister was sprinting into the foyer. She jumped over a chair to get to me faster and threw her arms around my neck in a hug so tight it almost choked me.

"All right," I patted her back. "You can let go now."

Eva pulled back and took both of my hands in hers. "Why didn't you tell us you were coming home?" she asked.

"Surprise," I said.

She slapped my shoulder playfully and smiled. "Mama! Arty's home." But my mom stood behind Eva so there was no reason to shout.

"I know, Eva. Now move so I can hug him."

Eva complied and my mom pulled me into a gentle hug. "Are you home all weekend?" she asked.

"Yes," I said. I was surprised my dad hadn't joined us yet.

"Dinner's almost ready," my mom said. She took my hand and pulled me into the living room. I sat next to her on the couch. Eva sat in a chair cross legged across from us. "We are just waiting for you papa to get home."

"Where is he?" I asked. He would normally be home from work hours ago.

"Oh, he wants to build a gazebo in the back and you know how he is," my mom said, "he wants to build it himself."

I must have cringed because Eva nodded knowingly and my mom patted my hand. "I know," she said, "but David and Joseph said they would help him build it."

That put me at ease a great deal. My brothers were definitely better at building things than my dad or I were. My dad was good at many things but DIY projects was not one of them. He always had fun doing them though. Even if he did break his thumb with a hammer once and stepped on more than a few nails that went clear through the soles of his shoes and into his feet. We had to make sure he was up to date on his tetanus shots.

"Dave's with him at the store," Eva said. She took her phone out of her pocket. "I need to text Marie and tell her you're home."

"Leave her be," my mom gently chastised. "It's her first date in months."

"Marie is on a date?" I asked. The last time I had spoken with her she had sworn of men. I suggested she try women and then she suggested I try women and we left it at that. Apparently neither of us were attracted to women.

"A blind date," Eva said. "She'd rather see her baby brother."

My mom sighed dramatically, but didn't argue.

"What about Joseph and Lizzy?" I asked. Only Eva still lived at home, but the rest of my siblings lived in town so they were over all the time. Joseph's wife got along better with my family than her own so she was over all the time too.

"Lizzy is working tonight," Eva said with a slight pout. Lizzy was a nurse. "But Joseph said he and Jade were coming."

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"Good," I said. It had been weeks since I had seen my niece.

The front door opened. "No, papa," David said, "that wood is too soft. Trust me."

"Dave," my dad started, but he froze when he took a step into the living room and saw me. The biggest grin split his face and he held his arms out wide.

I rushed to him and hugged him as his warm, safe arms enveloped me.

"Arty," David said. He rubbed the top of my head while I still hugged our dad. "When did you get here?"

"Just barely," my mom said. "Let's eat."

"What about Joseph and Jade?" I asked.

"They are going to be late," Eva said.

I helped Dave and Eva carry the food to the dining table and then we were eating and it was just like old times. I always felt safe with my family.

"Arty!" Marie said from the door frame and then she rushed to my chair and hugged me from behind.

"Hi, Marie," I said. She sat at the table next to me so I was now between my two sisters. "I thought you were on a date."

"It wasn't going well," she said. "I'd rather see you. So, Arty, do you have a new boyfriend?"

Everyone's attention was now on me. "Yes," I said.

"You have a new boyfriend like every time you come home," David said.

"This one is going to last," I said. "He isn't a jerk like the others."

"How long have you been dating him?" Eva asked.

"Just a couple of weeks, but I can already tell he's different."

"How can you tell?" Marie asked. My mom and dad exchanged a loving glance as my brother and sisters interrogated me.

"A lot of little things," I said. "He respects me. He doesn't push me to move too fast. Just...the little things."

"How long did it take you to sleep with him?" Eva asked.

"He said his boyfriend doesn't push him to move too fast," Marie pointed out.

"Yes, but this is Arthur we're talking about," Eva said. "If it was you I'd assume you hadn't done anything yet because you're a prude."

"I am not," Marie said.

"You kind of are," David said.

"Anyway, we were asking Arthur not me," Marie said. The three of them turned back to me while my parents just watched it all unfold. "How long until you slept with him?" Marie asked.

"That's irrelevant," I said.

"First date?" David asked.

"I don't have sex on the first date."

"Second date then," Eva said.

"He must be hot," Marie said.

"He is." I pulled a picture up of him on my phone to show them. I handed it to Marie first.

"He is hot," Marie said. She passed the phone to David.

"He doesn't look gay," David said.

"How is a gay person supposed to look?" I asked slightly offended although I knew he didn't mean anything by it.

"Like you. A feminine dancer," David said as he passed the phone to Eva.

"Excuse you, but you have to be masculine to be a male dancer. Do you want to see all my muscles." I started to pull off my shirt at the dinner table.

"No," everyone said. My sisters restrained my arms.

"There are plenty of male ballet dancers that are straight," I said. "It takes a lot of strength to be a male ballet dancer and a lot of them like the women to men ratio. Don't make assumptions. Anyway, Trevon's bi not gay," I said. "I'm the first and only man he's dated."

"He's bi? Maybe I have a chance with him," Eva said. She passed the phone to my dad.

"You are not stealing my man."

My dad looked at the picture and then passed the phone to my mom.

"Who is stealing whose man?" Joseph asked from the doorframe.

"Uncle Arty!" Jade squealed and squirmed out of her dad's arms. I stood so I could pick her up as she ran to me and tossed her into the air.

"No one is stealing anyone's man," my dad said pointedly to Eva.

"I was just joking," she said.

I squeezed Jade to me in a tight hug. Joseph came up and hugged us both. "When did you get here?" he asked.

"Just in time for dinner," Eva said.

"Why didn't you tell us you were coming?" Joseph asked. He rounded the table to sit in his usual spot. I still held Jade. I set her gently on her feet.

"It was kind of last minute," I said. "My new boyfriend is going home to tell his parents that he is bisexual and has a boyfriend so I thought I'd come home and spend time with family."

"Uncle Arty," Jade pulled on my pants leg.

"What is it?" I asked looking down at my 4 year old niece.

"Look what they taught me in ballet." She put her heels together, her toes out and her arms curved in front of her in a clumsy first position. Her hazel eyes looked up at me expectantly.

"It's perfect, Jade," I clapped. "You did so well."

Her beautiful smile lit her face and threw her arms around me and squeezed in a tight hug.

"When did she start ballet?" I asked Joseph. I picked her up and sat back in my chair with her on my lap.

"Today," he said with a proud dad smile. Jade picked the food off my plate and started eating it.

My mom passed my phone to Joseph.

"Who's this?" he asked.

"Arty's new boyfriend," my mom said.

"Handsome," he said and handed the phone back to me across the table.

"I wanna see," Jade said so I gave her the phone.

"Handsome," she echoed her dad's words. She handed the phone back to me.

"Should we take a picture and send it to him?" I asked her.

She nodded eagerly and smiled into my phone. I put my head close to hers and took the picture. Then I sent Trevon a text with the pic.

He responded immediately.

Tall Dark and Handsome: Who is this beautiful girl?

Me: my daughter

Tall Dark and Handsome: sure she is.

Me: my niece.

Tall Dark and Handsome: she's adorable.

I smiled at that.

"You're not supposed to text at the table," Marie said.

"Let him be," Eva said. "He looks so happy right now."

Me: Good luck tomorrow. Let me know how it goes.

Tall Dark and Handsome: I will. Have fun with your own family.

Me: I will, sweetie.

It felt good to be back home and to have someone special I could text and call sweetie. I hoped this would last a long time.