Flare (45 page)

“She’s never going to be able to put herself to sleep after this weekend,” Kevin said with a smile as he joined Hugo on the deck, placing an ice-cold beer within arm’s reach. “That’s okay, though. They’re only young once. Hold her as long as she’ll let you.” Kevin smiled and watched Hugo and Zoë as Hugo rubbed and patted along her back and diapered bottom.

Summer’s pregnancy had gone well, but her labor and delivery were long and exhausting for both her and Russell. Hugo had gotten a text telling him that labor had started just as he was about to go onstage opening night in the lead role of Max in the play
Bent
. He had no clue how he was able to stifle his excitement about the news for the next few hours as he played the extremely dark and emotional role, but he managed it, even getting a huge standing ovation at the end. He didn’t even bother removing his concentration-camp costume and makeup before he was out the door and headed toward the hospital.

Kevin had gotten the same text and was in the audience that night, and during intermission, he’d headed home to grab clothes to bring for Hugo to change into at the hospital. Taking the makeup off in the bathroom was a little harder with only soap and water until Summer remembered she had makeup remover in her hospital bag.

Hugo was in the birthing room taking over in the coaching role every so often so Russell could use the bathroom, get a drink of water, or even sit down for a breather as the long night wore on. When Summer started to push, Hugo had every intention of leaving the room so that moment could be about Russell and Summer, but Summer had refused to let go of his hand and said, “I want you here with me. This is our baby, all three of us.” Russell had looked at Hugo with the same aqua-blue eyes Erin had and smiled at him, telling Hugo that he loved him for helping make this happen.

Legally, Zoë was Russell’s daughter. Hugo had signed his parental rights away so Russell could adopt her, and at the same time, he was appointed as Zoë’s guardian in case something horrific happened. Summer and Russell had insisted Hugo somehow be more included in Zoë’s life, so Mark had presented them with the option of third-parent adoption. In the end, they decided not to pursue that. Instead, Mark drew up legal documents similar to what he’d first done to make sure Hugo could speak for Brooke and Finn before their adoption had been finalized.

Russell was Zoë’s dad, plain and simple. Hugo was Papa, just like he was to Brooke and Finn. Kevin was really like a fourth parent because of all the time he spent with her. Hugo’s little girl was going to grow up feeling very loved, just like Brooke and Finn felt. Considering how tragically they lost their mother, they certainly had a lot of adults to love them and make them feel secure. Their unconventional family was an amazing one.

Hugo watched as Kevin’s eyes drifted toward Brooke. She was less and less a little girl now, only allowing short moments of immaturity to slip through her heavily fortified sophistication. Hugo could still manage it, from time to time. He’d get her giggling about some ridiculous thing, and then became relentless until she lost her entire mask and became that wide-eyed little girl he’d met three years prior. He loved those moments, mostly because afterward she’d be too tired to maintain her defenses and would open up, telling him all the secrets in her world.

That was how Hugo found out about Greg, the boy she thought was pretty cute who was in her math class. He kissed her and she kissed him back, but she thought it was pretty weird Greg wanted to stick his tongue in her mouth. “You won’t always think it’s so weird,” Hugo promised with a grin.

Things had gone very well in Brooke’s first year at her new school. Hugo could tell simply by the way she’d carried herself and how easily she got through her homework each night that life was good, but to hear her say it out loud was what Hugo really needed. She was excited about starting eighth grade, excited to get back to seeing her friends every day.

“Did you call Gilbert about his set design questions?” Kevin asked.

“Yeah. We talked this morning. Oh, that reminds me. He and Frank are hosting a wine tasting next weekend. I think he invited half of Uptown. Do you wanna go?”

“Sounds like fun. I’ll probably need it after what’s on my agenda for this next week.”

Hugo still did his acting and directing thing. Nothing was too different there except that he’d started his own narration business with the help of Russell and had cut out the middleman, making more money than before, thanks to Kevin’s business expertise. Kevin still worked the same job and only occasionally complained about his commute.

Their social circle had blossomed with the move. Hugo already had so many friends in Uptown, and it didn’t take Kevin any time at all to make friendships in a way he’d always craved. He had friends, true and genuine friends who got him and made him happy. They were kind to him and cared about him and supported him. No façades. No plastic smiles. It made Hugo so happy to see Kevin grow because of the move. He was more content than he’d ever been.

They didn’t keep in contact with any of the country club set. Apparently there had been some slow blowback from Hugo’s dramatic night when he refused to answer who topped or bottomed, according to Mike and Dena, but nothing too awful. Kevin and Hugo hadn’t stuck around long enough or socialized in the right circles to feel the full effects. Their focus at the time had been on their family, right where they’d both wanted it.

Finn ran by, wet feet slapping on the deck and sending a spray of water close to Hugo. “Slow down, Pickle. Zoë’s sleeping,” Hugo said in a low voice.

“Sorry, Papa. Uncle Russell and Auntie Summer are going to take us water-skiing. He said he’d drive the boat until I couldn’t ski anymore.”

“Be careful out there. Don’t exhaust yourself, and make sure your life jacket is cinched up tight.”

Finn. Always so excited about life and all it had to offer. Nothing ever seemed to get that kid down. He was the epitome of resilience now. Of everyone in the Magnus family, he was the one who transitioned the best to their new home with “a garden in the sky,” as he’d tell all his friends and anyone else on the streets of Uptown who would listen.

Hugo watched as Kevin stood to help Finn haul all the ski equipment to the boat. Finn kept up a conversation all the way to the garage, the whole time Kevin dug for things, and the entire way back to the boat. All Hugo could do was smile and feel grateful that Russell and Summer were helping burn a little of Finn’s ever-present energy off before bed. Hugo could happily hold his little girl on his chest until she woke up hungry and needed her mama again.

“He’ll sleep like the dead,” Kevin said as he plopped back in his seat and took a sip of Hugo’s beer.

“Hey. You brought that out for me,” Hugo argued.

“Finder’s fee.”

Hugo shrugged. It wasn’t worth fighting over. It was beer.

“Myles and Gloria invited us over for supper tomorrow night. I was thinking about heading into town so we could bring over some celebratory meat of some sort and to get some corn on the cob for the kids before the corn truck drives away for the day. They go through that stuff like crazy.”

“Celebratory meat? Are you kidding?”

“They’re carnivores over there, you realize.”

“That’s right. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Myles eat a fruit or a vegetable. And lemon bars don’t count.”

Zoë stirred again, moving her head from one side to the other.

“Hey, Lovebug,” Hugo said when her eyelids finally cracked open. Bright-blue eyes shone back at him, and Zoë’s face lit up with a smile. She palmed Hugo’s face and then scooted forward for a sloppy wet kiss.

“Here, let me help,” Kevin offered, instinctively knowing how sweaty Hugo was where Zoë had been napping. Kevin took the little bundle of girl, and Hugo stripped, pulling his shirt over his head. They looked good together, the man he loved and his daughter.

“Oh. So much better,” Hugo said as the breeze drifted over his chest.

Kevin eyed him, gaze trailing down and up Hugo’s chest and stopping at his lips. Hugo licked them unconsciously, and Kevin leaned forward for a lazy kiss.

“Come on. Let’s head to town so we can feed our family.”

Hugo couldn’t help the smile that crept across his face. He looked toward the lake where the sunlight glinted golden, warming the colors of his family’s skin in that enchanting way that only happens on the water. Then he looked at Kevin holding Zoë in his arms.

It might not be a family that was easy to explain, and it might take paper and pencil for strangers to understand their complex connections, but it was a wonderful, beautiful family.

I never dreamed I’d have any of this
.

Hugo stood and pushed sweat-damp hair away from Zoë’s eyes, and she reached for him, silently asking him to hold her again. As Kevin transferred her back to Hugo’s arms, she reached for Hugo’s North Star pendant and immediately put it in her mouth. Kevin gently tugged it away from her, and she replaced it with a fist.

Kevin ran his thumb over the spiraling words as he gazed into Hugo’s eyes, and Hugo whispered, “So you’ll always know your way.” Kevin smiled and then leaned in for a long kiss.

And with Kevin beside him, Hugo always would.

Rowan’s Soft-boiled Eggs and Soldiers

What you need:

Eggs—preferably from free-range chickens

Toast

Butter

Eggcups or shot glasses

Spoons

In a pan, bring about two inches (enough to
eventually
cover an egg) of water to a rolling boil. With a slotted spoon, gently place 1-4 eggs into the boiling water and cook for 5-7 minutes. I cook mine for 6 minutes because I prefer a firmer white but a runny yolk.

While your eggs are cooking, toast some bread of your choice, butter it, and then cut it into
soldiers
that you can easily dip into your egg yolk.

As soon as your egg timer goes off (and I suggest you use one so you don’t forget and end up with hard-boiled eggs), bring your pan to the sink and immediately run cold water into it. This will stop the cooking but won’t make the egg cold.

Place eggs in eggcups or shot glasses if you haven’t shopped for amazing eggcups yet. Crack and then remove the tops of the shells. You don’t need fancy egg toppers. You can simply insert a spoon into the shell and remove the top of the egg in one scoop, peeling away as much shell as you desire. I have found there is no need for salt or pepper because the salt in the butter adds just the right amount of flavor, but feel free to add seasoning to taste.

Hugo’s Cotton-Candy Champagne

What you need:

Cotton Candy—the bagged cotton candy will work wonderfully, but if you want this to be extra fancy, I’d suggest getting the freshly spun variety.

Champagne, sparkling cider, or even lemon-lime pop

Champagne flutes

Loosely stuff your flute with cotton candy and then gingerly pour your beverage of choice over the top. Be careful not to fill the glass too quickly because the cotton candy will fizz and expand. Top off the glass and enjoy the bubbles.

In my photo, I used blueberry cotton candy, so the drink ended up blue with a hint of blueberry flavor.

Cheers!

About the Author

P
OSY
R
OBERTS
lives in the land of ten thousand lakes (plus a few thousand more). But even with more shoreline than California, Florida, and Hawaii combined, Minnesota has snow—lots of it—and the six months of winter makes us “hearty folk.” The rest of the year is heat and humidity, with a little bit of cool weather we call spring, and autumn, which lasts about a week.