“My parents struggled to get pregnant again after Monica. My mom had a miscarriage…more than one, and things were tough for a while. My parents fought and went to counseling and for a while Monica and I weren’t sure what would happen to our family. We’d lie awake at night texting each other because we could hear them screaming in their bedroom.” I let out a breath. “And then Gabrielle came along and it’s like everything was better. She was what was missing. Somehow, she fixed everything. I know they say children rarely fix the problems, but she did. She was this tiny little angel that made us whole again.” I cringe at my own words, knowing that my vulnerability is brought on by the whiskey and the tequila coupled with the overwhelming feelings I have for Gabrielle. This also means now I’ll probably be leaving my car here for the night. I curse myself, knowing that I should have brought her here in an Uber. “Look I get it, alright. I know this isn’t exactly normal. But…this is real with her. I wouldn’t be doing this if I didn’t think she was it for me.”

“When you say it, you mean like…marriage and shit?” He shrugs. “I mean I guess you don’t have to worry about your kids since you’re not blood related?”

“Technically it’s not incest, it’s just frowned upon,” I tell him. I did some research on it, and since Gabrielle and I don’t share blood, we wouldn’t have any issues when it was time for us to take our relationship to the next level. My dick jerks in my slacks thinking about her left ring finger and what I plan to put on it.

“You think? Look, if you didn’t know her well or your parents adopted her when you were already out of the house that’s one thing. But you’ve had this close relationship for years.” He leans forward and stares at his empty glass. “You’re going to have to sell it better than that.”

I shrug, not caring about having to sell anything. “I have nothing to sell, man. This is just where we’re at. I love her.”

“Do your parents know?”

“No. Only Monica.”

“How’d she take it?”

I wince. “Not the best, but I think that’s more because of how she found out. We were sort of…in the middle of something.”

A hearty laugh leaves him as he tosses his head back. “You’re shittin’ me. You guys were fucking at your parents’ house? Ballsy as fuck.”

“No, well, wait, yes we did, but surprisingly that’s not where we got caught. Monica walked in on us here in New York.” I changed my locks after that, just in case my parents got the same idea that they were welcomed unannounced and without knocking.