came next with Char. The shelter had been sending him emails, telling him Sid and Ladonna surrendered ownership after being arrested, and asking if Jesse wanted to find Char a new home or adopt her himself. The problem was he needed a landlord’s signature to adopt a pet. “I don’t have a permanent address.”
“You could use mine.” Tomas kept up what he was doing, tugging hard at Chardonnay every time she pulled. It looked harsh but seemed to be working. She walked calmly for a little longer each time. “They already have my name and address. And now that you’re living there—”
“Temporarily.” Jesse crossed his arms, suddenly feeling much colder. He liked living with Tomas, but it was too much to expect Tomas to let him crash indefinitely.
“Well, anywhere you live is temporary. If you rented a room in a house or got an apartment, you may not live there forever.” Tomas pressed a kiss into Jesse’s temple.
Jesse’s cheeks heated against the damp air. “Yeah, but—”
“Do you want to pay month to month? At my place, I mean?” Tomas linked their arms and pushed his hand into his pocket.
It was funny how he did it so casually, as if it were already decided that Jesse wasn’t going to be leaving any time soon.
Jesse’s chest got warmer, and he was glad Tomas wasn’t looking at him because he couldn’t stop smiling. “Yeah. Month to month is perfect.”
Tomas had to go in to work the next morning, so when Jesse woke up, the house was empty. Bleary-eyed, he wandered into Tomas’s bedroom to flop down on his bed. Tomas’s cinnamony, warm scent was still on the sheets.
The night before, Jesse had fallen asleep there. But a few hours later he’d woken up clinging to the edge. Yeah, Tomas wanted them to sleep together, but Jesse just couldn’t get comfortable with both of them on a full-sized bed.
Despite the schoolwork calling to him from his backpack, Jesse buried his face in Tomas’s pillow.
A knocking sounded outside, like someone was hammering. It stopped after thirty seconds, and Jesse didn’t bother opening his eyes. Another sound ripped through the air—this time a buzz saw. At least that’s what Jesse thought it was. His father had never been handy, so he didn’t know the sound of one kind of power tool from another.
Tomas’s sheets were the perfect level of frayed, and their soft gray color was so calming in the faded light coming through the curtain. Jesse wanted to fall back into dreamland and let all his worries wash away in a cocoon of hormone-laden happiness, but the buzzing started up again. This time, the dogs in the backyard barked.
They lived not far from the airport, and from time to time a plane would pass directly overhead. Jesse had gotten used to it. Mostly. But when a plane taking off from nearby SeaTac Airport added to the din of the dogs and the power tools, Jesse pushed off the bed and trudged into the kitchen for a drink of water.
He blinked the sleep from his eyes and grabbed his shirt from where Tomas had folded it. Jesse dragged it over his head and lifted the shade on Tomas’s back door to peer outside.
Mr. Perez wore clear plastic glasses. He stood in front of a makeshift table and was using a small band saw—at least that’s what Jesse thought it was—to cut equal-sized pieces off a two-by-four.
Not wanting to interrupt, Jesse took a half step back, but Tomas’s father looked up right then, so Jesse had no choice but to say hi.
He opened the door and stepped in bare feet onto Tomas’s small wooden back porch. His sleep shorts and T-shirt didn’t do much to keep off the damp and cool air, but he was warm from Tomas’s bed. “Good morning, Mr. Perez.”
Tomas’s father pushed his glasses up his forehead and gave him a nod and a twitch of the lips that may have been a smile. “Good morning.”
Jesse padded over. “Are you repairing something?” He knew Tomas’s father had worked in construction and risen to a management position
“You could use mine.” Tomas kept up what he was doing, tugging hard at Chardonnay every time she pulled. It looked harsh but seemed to be working. She walked calmly for a little longer each time. “They already have my name and address. And now that you’re living there—”
“Temporarily.” Jesse crossed his arms, suddenly feeling much colder. He liked living with Tomas, but it was too much to expect Tomas to let him crash indefinitely.
“Well, anywhere you live is temporary. If you rented a room in a house or got an apartment, you may not live there forever.” Tomas pressed a kiss into Jesse’s temple.
Jesse’s cheeks heated against the damp air. “Yeah, but—”
“Do you want to pay month to month? At my place, I mean?” Tomas linked their arms and pushed his hand into his pocket.
It was funny how he did it so casually, as if it were already decided that Jesse wasn’t going to be leaving any time soon.
Jesse’s chest got warmer, and he was glad Tomas wasn’t looking at him because he couldn’t stop smiling. “Yeah. Month to month is perfect.”
Tomas had to go in to work the next morning, so when Jesse woke up, the house was empty. Bleary-eyed, he wandered into Tomas’s bedroom to flop down on his bed. Tomas’s cinnamony, warm scent was still on the sheets.
The night before, Jesse had fallen asleep there. But a few hours later he’d woken up clinging to the edge. Yeah, Tomas wanted them to sleep together, but Jesse just couldn’t get comfortable with both of them on a full-sized bed.
Despite the schoolwork calling to him from his backpack, Jesse buried his face in Tomas’s pillow.
A knocking sounded outside, like someone was hammering. It stopped after thirty seconds, and Jesse didn’t bother opening his eyes. Another sound ripped through the air—this time a buzz saw. At least that’s what Jesse thought it was. His father had never been handy, so he didn’t know the sound of one kind of power tool from another.
Tomas’s sheets were the perfect level of frayed, and their soft gray color was so calming in the faded light coming through the curtain. Jesse wanted to fall back into dreamland and let all his worries wash away in a cocoon of hormone-laden happiness, but the buzzing started up again. This time, the dogs in the backyard barked.
They lived not far from the airport, and from time to time a plane would pass directly overhead. Jesse had gotten used to it. Mostly. But when a plane taking off from nearby SeaTac Airport added to the din of the dogs and the power tools, Jesse pushed off the bed and trudged into the kitchen for a drink of water.
He blinked the sleep from his eyes and grabbed his shirt from where Tomas had folded it. Jesse dragged it over his head and lifted the shade on Tomas’s back door to peer outside.
Mr. Perez wore clear plastic glasses. He stood in front of a makeshift table and was using a small band saw—at least that’s what Jesse thought it was—to cut equal-sized pieces off a two-by-four.
Not wanting to interrupt, Jesse took a half step back, but Tomas’s father looked up right then, so Jesse had no choice but to say hi.
He opened the door and stepped in bare feet onto Tomas’s small wooden back porch. His sleep shorts and T-shirt didn’t do much to keep off the damp and cool air, but he was warm from Tomas’s bed. “Good morning, Mr. Perez.”
Tomas’s father pushed his glasses up his forehead and gave him a nod and a twitch of the lips that may have been a smile. “Good morning.”
Jesse padded over. “Are you repairing something?” He knew Tomas’s father had worked in construction and risen to a management position
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