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Resolutions (Part 11)

November: Significant Others and Significant Otters

By Al Song

November 26th, 2015

November had been a nice month, since there wasn't a strain between my roommates, my boyfriend, and me any longer. Arvin really appreciated that we all stood up for him and he was extremely thankful towards Nathan for protecting him and making sure that he was alright. The buck made his signature cherry lemonade cake for Nathan the next day and things went back to normal between us. We went on more double dates together but honestly it just felt like we were hanging out together as four close friends. I mean we got to kiss and cuddle in front of the kangaroo and buck, but for the most part things were serene again.

Towards the end of the month school work was getting a bit more hectic for Nathan and me. I felt like I had a million books and short stories to read along with writing essays in multiple languages. Nathan was also getting pretty busy since he needed to take care of a lot of projects and he had to spend a good amount of time in the labs around campus.

Two weeks before Thanksgiving my mom surprised me by saying that that she and my dad would be back in Washington for the week of the holiday. I was definitely excited to see them again.

I asked if it would be alright if Nathan could join us, since we were planning on doing a friends-giving with just the two of us. She told me that he was more than welcome. She asked if Arvin and Geo also wanted to come over, and I explained to her that the two of them would be at Geo's parent's place for the holiday weekend.

I asked Nathan if he wanted to do Thanksgiving over at my family's home and he gave me the keenest grin.

On the morning of the holiday Nathan and I went on a jog together through our neighborhoods and the UPNw campus. I had on about two sweaters and a muffler on top of my usual clothing. It was a chilly week for Seattle and I needed everything to keep myself warm. The wolf on the other paw only needed a thin jacket and athletic pants.

We jogged to Nathan's to grab his gym bag which had his clothes for the weekend and his backpack which contained his laptop, textbooks, and notebooks. We still had homework to deal with for the long weekend, but that was typical for most of my student career.

When we got back to my place my mom called to say that she would be at my apartment in an hour and a half. We took the time to make sure we had everything and then we washed up and made ourselves presentable.

After we cleaned up from all the cardio in the chilly November air I threw on a t-shirt, hoodie, and a thick jacket over it. I also wore a pair of yoga pants under my jeans. Nathan wore a cream cardigan with wooden buttons, a navy golf shirt, and brown pants.

"So, I was wondering," I said trying to sound nonchalant as I looked through my luggage.

"What about?" Nathan asked as he turned towards me and then perked his brow line.

"If telling my mom and dad about us is something you're comfortable with or not," I replied.

"Hmm... So, are they going to freak out?" he asked with slight concern in his voice.

"No, they're not homophobes and they like to know when I'm with someone so they don't have to worry about me feeling lonely," I said trying to extinguish the flames of anxiety.

"I guess as long as they don't ask me about my age then we'll be fine."

"Well, my parents are seven years apart. I think they might understand."

"Maybe, but I'm still afraid of the day I need to tell them that I'm thirteen years older than you," the wolf said scratching the back of his neck.

"Both my parents are going to like you. But, no pressure. We don't have to say anything if you don't want to."

"I think it'll be alright if we just tell them that we're dating, so I guess why not?"

We shared a kiss as we hugged tightly. I rested my head against his chest as he rested his against my head.

"Wes?" he said gently.

"Yeah?" I replied trying to match the tenderness of his voice.

"Thanks for helping me with coming out, and easing my mind about it," he said grinning at me.

"Hey, it's not a problem at all. I love you and I want to be there for you."

"Love you too," he said.

After that we kissed again, and we kept it up until my phone rang and my mom giddily announced that she was in the parking lot. Nathan and I grabbed our bags as we headed out of the complex.

"Good morning boys," the kind voice of a familiar otter said as she jumped out of the car to hug me. "It's so good to see you, Wesley."

"It's good to see you too," I said hugging my mom back.

"Hello, Mrs. Wexler. I'm Jonathan but most people call me Nathan," he put out a paw to shake hers.

"Oh, such manners," she said and shook his paw. "If you'd like you can call me Lila, dear."

"Alright, then. It's a pleasure to meet you Lila," the wolf said grinning.

Nathan and I hopped into the back seat of the minivan since my mom had a few boxes stacked in the front seat with different labels crossed out. I guess a part of her was in business mode even on vacation.

My mom asked us how school was and we talked about our classes, and then she gave us a run down on all the set up for getting a boutique in New York City.

When we got to a lull in the conversation I said, "Mom, I wanted to tell you something."

"Is something the matter, Wesley?" she asked.

"Well, I wanted to tell you that I have a new boyfriend."

"That's wonderful news," she gleamed. "Who's the lucky guy?"

"I am," Nathan said a bit shyly.

My mom suddenly parked the car on the side of the road and said, "You two are adorable together."

We made our way to the land of suburbia up north and Nathan gawked at the large houses in awe.

"You lived here?" he asked in awe of my childhood home.

It was a three story five bedroom home painted cream with a light blue trim. It was the same color scheme throughout my life.

My mom opened the garage and we stepped inside the large storage unit decorated with boxed energy drinks and protein shake mixes, which probably belonged to my uncle.

We stepped into a hallway and I heard the sounds of lasers, explosions, cheers, and announcers.

"Nathan this is my cousin Mitch and this is my uncle Will," I said as I motioned towards a skinny otter with a headset on intensely staring at a videogame and then a buff otter with a baseball cap on while intensely staring at a football game.

"Hey," my cousin said blandly and turned back toward the TV screen. He was currently in high school. I felt bad for him since he had to switch schools to live here.

"Mitch, pause the game card give your cousin Wes a real 'hello,'" my uncle said sternly. My uncle worked at a gym and sold various protein, diet, and energy drinks that most people could buy from a retailer with a different brand.

"You can't pause PVP dad," he retorted.

"I don't know what that means but fine, do it later," the fuming otter demanded, "and share your game with Wes if he wants to play."

"'Kay," the annoyed, skinny otter replied distantly.

"It's okay, I'm good," I said waving my paws in front of me.

"Hey Wes, how've you been?" my uncle asked. "Sorry for Mitch's rudeness."

My cousin kept ignoring him.

"I've been good but busy with school," I said back to him as he kept glaring at Mitch.

"Busy is good," he said as he clapped me on the shoulder. "It keeps the mind strong. And who's this big guy?"

"This is my friend Nathan," I said.

Nathan then quickly said, "I'm his boyfriend."

"Well, welcome to the family," my uncle said as he gave Nathan a tight hug. "Trading a fox for a wolf, huh?"

"William!" my mom shouted at my uncle.

"What? It was just a joke."

"We're not going to be insensitive and rude about the unfortunate events in my son's life."

"Smooth, dad, really smooth," Mitch said nonchalantly.

I then heard footfalls emanating from the stairs and I saw my dad wave at me.

"Wes, how're you doing?" my dad asked as he gave me a gentle hug. "It's been so long."

"I've been good. It really has been a while."

"And this is?" he asked staring at the wolf.

"I'm Nathan, your son's boyfriend," he said putting out a paw.

"It's a delight to meet you sir," my dad said meeting it half way and then shaking.

"Likewise Mr. Wexler, sir."

"We can drop the formalities and you can call me Roger."

"Alright, sir, I mean Roger."

We chatted for a bit together on the couches as my uncle intermittently screamed at the game on the screen. I took my mom aside a one point and asked if Nathan could stay in my room rather than the guest bedroom. She said that it would be fine. It lit a flame of happiness in my heart.

Nathan and I dragged our luggage to the basement where my room was and I was glad that they had kept everything the same and then it hit me and I ran towards a series of posters and I tried to take them down carefully.

"Woah, I didn't think you would be a fan of ABYPHHO."

"I used to like them. Used to. Past tense," I said panicked.

"A Band You Probably Haven't Heard Of. 'The most famous hipster band ever, who also totally sold out to mainstream media,'" the wolf said in a mocking annoyed voice. "Hmm... I thought I heard these criticisms of them from a certain otter."

"I said that I liked them. I don't like them anymore."

"Wow, and they're signed posters. Is this a picture of you and them?" Nathan asked as he picked up a picture frame of the band and me together.

"Yeah," I said defeated as if he were pouring salt in the wound by the bucketful.

"You don't have to take the posters down," he said gently.

"I'll put on some good music as we unpack."

"Sure then."

I went to the CD player on my old boom box and I pressed 'Play.' I then heard a familiar drum beat and then immediately stopped the CD player.

"Was that them?" Nathan asked with a grin.

"Yeah," I said with a sigh.

"You don't have to feel bad for liking stuff that others like too."

"I used to like them."

"Even if things are a little different now it's okay to like them," he said softly. "I really don't care whichever band you listen to."

"Thanks for not judging me," I said gripping the CD case in my paws.

"No problem, I'm your boyfriend. People change and tastes change. Not to sound too judgmental but your room here is kind of a bit more somber than the one at your apartment. You've traded in angst-y for artsy."

What Nathan said was true. I had a lot more emo music in my collections and my clothes were a bit darker and edgier. Back then I still didn't know anything about fashion so I guess a guy wearing dark gray jeans with a black hoodie didn't seem too out of place in a high school. The walls in my room were gray with band posters and movie posters, whereas my room at my apartment had black and white photographs taken by an art school friend of mine and my parents. I had wall decals of French saying along with figurines of famous French monuments.

"I think you've changed too," the black wolf said as he admired my old room.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, from when I first times I hung out with you and now you seem less... sad. You seem more willing to walk up to others and initiate conversations and you seem more confident."

"That's all thanks to you," I said.

"You did all the hard work," he replied.

"Thanks, Nathan. It's really kind of you."

We shared a kiss and then finished packing up. Later on we went back up since dinner would be finished in a while and we hung out with my relatives. As my dad cooked he asked my mom, uncle, and me for help with a few things in the kitchen. I mostly set up the table as quickly and elegantly as possible with direction from my mom. My uncle had the game on his phone and my mom told him to stop being so distracted in the kitchen. When dinner was ready I learned that Nathan completely owned Mitch at the games they played. We ate together and had a few laughs.

After we finished dinner my dad brought out pumpkin pies and a pecan pie. I wasn't a big fan of pumpkin pie so it was traditional that there would also be another type of pie that changed each year for me to enjoy.

I dug into my pecan pie and happily took a bite. The soft and sweet gooeyness with the crunch of pecans and crust delighted my tongue as Mitch piped up and said that he wanted a rematch from Nathan.

"You're on," Nathan replied.

"How'd you get so good?" Mitch asked.

"In the navy I played a lot of first person shooters with friends. I practiced a good amount."

"The navy, huh?" my uncle Will said. "I was in army for a couple years. It was four almost five. How long did you serve?"

"About a decade..." Nathan shut up right there.

"Wait, I thought you and Wes were in college together, right?"

"We are," I said.

"I joined the navy after I graduated high school and I stayed in for twelve years."

"What? Wes, is this guy taking advantage of you?" my uncle asked me.

"No, stop it Uncle Will. I'm twenty-one. It doesn't matter if he's older than me," I said sternly.

"By more than a decade!" he shouted.

"William," my mother said. "Calm down."

"Yes," my dad said calmly. "Lila and I are seven years apart and my parents are ten. I never would have guessed that Nathan would be in his thirties but if they want to be together then it's fine."

"Thanks dad. Thanks mom. May I be excused from the table?" I asked.

"Sure, Wesley."

"Hey, Nathan could you come with me?" I asked and he nodded and followed me.

We walked down to my room and we gave each other another hug.

"Hey, sorry my uncle's been a blowhard. I understand if you don't want to be here anymore," I said and looked towards the floor.

"It's fine. Your parents were great for defending us."

"Yeah, they are."

"It's okay. I love you, Wes."

"I love you too, Nathan."

-To be continued...