Chapter 29: Chapter 28

LILLIAN

This wasn’t a barbeque this time around. Instead, they opted for a dozen pizzas and beers, lounging comfortably on the sofas. Brad and his husband were there too, much to Noah’s dismay.

Lillian hadn’t interacted much with them last time, and she couldn’t quite grasp why Noah had such a strong dislike for Brad. It couldn’t be because he was gay—that was a ludicrous thought.

She figured it might be Brad’s likable personality. Brad was an easy guy to like, and his good looks certainly didn’t hurt. But he was also the kind of guy that people didn’t take seriously, or at least that’s how it seemed on the surface.

She found herself sitting next to Maggie, who was on the verge of falling asleep after several slices of pizza and a glass of wine—she wasn’t a fan of beer.

“You look wiped out,” Lillian observed.

“I haven’t been getting much sleep lately,” Maggie admitted with a smile.

“You have a newborn at home,” Lillian pointed out.

“I do, and knowing what the first few months would be like didn’t make it any easier,” Maggie confessed.

“No amount of preparation can truly ready you for a baby. I learned that from my sister. But she’s still adorable,” Lillian added.

“Shush!” Maggie chuckled. “If Asher hears you, you won’t get a word in edgewise.”

“He’s being overprotective?”

“Of both of us.” Maggie rolled her eyes, but Lillian could tell she wasn’t really annoyed.

“At least he’s not neglecting you.”

“No, he’s not. He doesn’t have much free time, but when he’s home, he insists I rest and he takes over,” Maggie shared.

“That’s good. He’s helping with the baby,” Lillian praised.

“I’m not helping,” Asher interjected. “Our daughter is my responsibility too. Whatever Maggie does for her, I should be doing as well.”

“It’s refreshing to hear a guy say that,” she said, impressed. “My brother-in-law thinks he’s doing my sister a favor whenever he helps with the kids.”

“That’s pretty common,” Asher admitted. “My mom was more involved in our upbringing than our dad because he was always at work.”

“But you’re always at work too, aren’t you?” Lillian asked.

“Yes, but my mom didn’t work. Maggie does, and it’s not fair for her to work both at home and at her job,” Asher explained.

“Do you do the dishes too?” she teased.

“We have a dishwasher,” Asher and Maggie said together.

“I need to get one of those,” she laughed. “When I find a new job.”

“It’s a lifesaver, trust me,” Maggie replied, stifling a yawn.

“I think you should go to bed,” Noah suggested, speaking up for the first time.

Before that, he’d been busy ignoring Brad while engaging in a casual conversation with Leo.

“I could sleep right here. It’s comfy and I can’t move,” Maggie protested.

Asher wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close, planting a tender kiss on her temple. Lillian enjoyed seeing these small displays of affection between couples.

It wasn’t that she was envious or wanted a relationship, but it was nice to see people in one. Asher and Maggie were a perfect match.

She had noticed during her last visit that Asher and Noah were complete opposites in looks. She guessed that since Noah took after their father, Asher must resemble their mother.

She hadn’t seen any pictures of their mother, but it was a reasonable assumption. While Noah was tall, fair, and lean, Asher was shorter, stockier, and darker. He was handsome too, but in a different way and not her type.

She glanced at Noah, who was giving her a strange look. She just shrugged at him, not having anything to say. Moments later, Maggie actually fell asleep, and Asher carried her to their bedroom.

***

The only people left in the living room after Asher and Maggie’s reluctant departure were Noah, Brad, Leo, and herself. For a few minutes, there was complete silence.

Then Brad was the first to break it, and she wasn’t surprised in the least. They hadn’t talked much that night either, as she was more focused on Maggie and the baby earlier.

“Do you have a boyfriend, Lillian?” Brad asked.

“Not currently, no,” she replied.

“Would you be interested in a threesome?” he proposed with a sly smirk.

Lillian burst out laughing, but Noah shot Brad a glare, which only made her laugh harder. Oh, boy!

“I’ve never given it a shot,” she said, her voice dripping with amusement. “But I can’t deny the appeal of two handsome men like you. That is, if you’re suggesting what I think you are.”

“Consider it arranged,” he replied with a wink, earning an elbow jab from Leo.

“No arrangements will be made, you perv,” Noah retorted, his face expressionless.

“She’s a grown woman, you jerk. She can make her own decisions. Plus, she did say we’re attractive.”

“That’s true,” Lillian agreed, shrugging nonchalantly. “I’m single, and I’m not opposed to a little experimentation.”

“Really?” he asked, his words nearly grinding through his clenched teeth.

Lillian was finding it hard to keep a straight face. This was too amusing. In reality, she would never entertain the idea of a threesome. Not that there was anything wrong with it, but it just wasn’t her thing. She preferred to focus her attention on one person at a time.

“Absolutely,” she replied, not exactly lying. She did enjoy trying new things, but there were limits. Not that she needed to share that information. “But how would you know? You don’t know me that well.”

“I think I know you well enough,” he said, his tone flat.

“You’ve always been a bit full of yourself, Noah,” she responded, her voice dripping with sweetness.

“Fine, I’m leaving then.”

He stood up, ready to leave. She grabbed his wrist. This man seriously lacked a sense of humor. She was about to say something when another voice beat her to it.

“What’s happening here?” Asher asked, returning from his bedroom.

“Noah’s just being childish,” Lillian said, her grip on his wrist unyielding. “But it’s all over now.”

Reluctantly, he sat back down next to her. She’d have to talk to him about this later. Maybe even tease him a bit. For now, she let it go and turned her attention to the men across from her, while Asher resumed his previous position.

“I thought you two were into guys,” she said, turning to Brad and Leo.

She remembered Noah teasing Brad about being in love with Maggie, but she had assumed it was just a joke.

“We’re mostly into men, specifically each other,” Brad admitted, glancing fondly at his husband. “But that doesn’t mean we can’t appreciate a woman. For me, it has to be someone special, someone I admire.”

“Like Maggie?” she guessed.

Noah snorted beside her. Asher, on the other hand, seemed completely unfazed. He knew. He definitely knew.

What an interesting group of people.

“Yes, our sweet Maggie…let’s just say she holds a big piece of my heart. But you’re growing on me too,” he said with a wink.

“Well, thank you! But I’m not adventurous enough to try a threesome,” she confessed, feeling Noah relax beside her.

“Between us, it’s not something we’d do either—especially with two kids around who might imitate our actions without fully understanding the implications.”

“They’re growing up with two dads, though. That must be challenging in today’s world.”

“We love our children,” Leo stated simply.

“I don’t doubt that. But the problem is that society hasn’t evolved enough to accept all types of families as normal. Single mothers and their children face similar issues.”

“That’s true,” Asher agreed. “But Brad and Leo are amazing parents.”

“I’m sure they are. But not everyone is cut out to be a parent.”

“We can’t control what other parents do,” Leo shrugged. “We just do our best for our kids.”

“Yes, and we’ve explained as much as they can understand at their age. But imagine if they started talking about threesomes to other kids. They need to be exposed to all types of families so they can learn not to judge or fear what’s different.”

“We’re trying to do that gradually,” Leo added.

Lillian had noticed before that he was quieter, but not in a standoffish way. He was just less boisterous than Brad and only spoke when he had something meaningful to say.

“When I saw them the other day, they seemed really happy,” she commented. “They’re such lovely kids. How long have they been with you?”

“We adopted Charlotte first, three years ago,” Leo explained. “But she had a brother, and she wanted us to adopt him too.”

“Two kids weren’t in our original plan,” Brad confessed. “But Charlie needed her brother, and we put her needs first, so we made it happen.”

“Turned out to be a good call, too. But we had to break it down for her brother as well.”

Noah rolled his eyes. “You just confused the kids.”

“No, we didn’t,” Leo interjected before Brad could respond. “Kids are more open-minded than you think. We did this right. We consulted a psychologist, and like Brad said, we’re exposing them to all kinds of family dynamics as naturally as possible. Asher and Maggie are normal, we’re normal, and so are Violetta and Andy, even though they don’t have kids.”

“The only people we’re trying to keep our kids away from are jerks,” Brad added, his gaze fixed on Noah. “But it’s impossible to avoid them completely, and sadly, they’ve already met you.”

“Brad,” Asher warned.

“You’ve forgiven him, Ash. I haven’t. It’s that simple.”

“Ever consider that holding grudges like this might not be something you want your kids to learn?” Lillian chimed in.

Brad’s eyes snapped to her. “You don’t know what he did.”

“I know what all of you did, except for Leo.”

They all looked at her in surprise, Noah most of all. He probably didn’t expect her to defend him. But the truth was, she wasn’t entirely defending him. She was certain Brad had good reason to dislike Noah, who was far from innocent. But no one was innocent. Anyone who claimed otherwise was either lying or worse—an idiot.

“Our motives were different,” Brad finally said, his voice losing its edge.

“Yes, but do you realize it’s harder to forgive those we love when they lie to us? A stranger can be more easily forgiven because they don’t have our trust, and they don’t owe us loyalty. Lies from loved ones always hurt more.”

“I know,” Brad murmured. “I regret it.”

“And Noah showed his regret by helping fix things. You don’t have to like each other, but you should give him some credit.”

“He’s not likable.”

“That’s because I’m not a people pleaser,” Noah shot back. “I only aim to please those I like.”

“Which seems to be everyone, since you flirt without even saying a word.”

Lillian shared a look with Asher. No more words were needed. Those two were a lost cause.