Adam’s parents join us not long later. Apparently, Liam has been cleared to go home and is being discharged. Maisie and Liam identified the man who punched him. They will have to decide if they are going to press charges, although criminal charges might be filed after the investigation. I’m not quite sure what the difference is and Adam’s parents don’t give more details.

“Thank you for being here, Caleb,” his father tells me. “You really are a good friend to Adam.”

“I am also a friend of Liam’s,” I say almost automatically.

“Of course, you are. We were thinking about having a pizza night tomorrow. To have a nice evening after all of this. Would you like to join?”

“I wouldn’t like to impose, sir.”

“Please. Call me John. And you wouldn’t be imposing. You’re always welcome at our house. You know that, right?”

I am about to thank him and accept the invitation when his wife suddenly says, some tears in her voice, “Why is he doing this to himself?”

“What?”

“Liam… surely he always knew something like this could happen. Why would he choose this life when there are people ready to attack him for it?”

“Mom…”

“You know I’m right. This has nothing to do with me having a hard time accepting what he told us. The man who attacked him is an awful person and deserves to be arrested and thrown in jail, but… people like him exist, and is it really that wrong of me to wish that my son would have made a safer choice?”

“All due respect, Anne,” I say, not knowing if Adam’s father asking me to call him by his first name extended to his wife. She doesn’t seem upset about it, so I continue. “The only choice Liam made was to stop pretending to be someone else and to let the world know who he really is. But he isn’t gay because he is chasing it as a lifestyle. Because you’re right. It isn’t the easiest way. And if we really could choose, I think a few of us would have chosen otherwise.” The words make it out before I know it and it is too late to take them back. A few of us. I think I just came out. To Adam’s parents. In a hospital waiting room.

Anne looks at me, eyes widened by surprise. “You mean that you are… you too?” I nod, too stunned to form words, and she looks at Adam. “Are you two…”

“No, Mom. He can still have male friends and not date them.” Adam doesn’t sound surprised. It’s as if he already knew. I don’t know if that means he guessed or if he is just this ready to accept me as I am. Either way, I am happy.

Things get a little awkward after that so Adam and I decide to go to the vending machine. I am not particularly hungry but I really don’t mind walking away from his parents.

"I'm sorry about blurting that out," I tell Adam as we are far enough so his parents can't hear. "It wasn't planned"

"Really? My mom wasn't your go-to person for coming out?"

"It's not just that… I also really wanted to tell you first."

Adam shrugs. "I know. But here we are. You know it doesn't change anything, right? Neither that you're gay, nor that you came out in the most awkward way. Plus you were stepping up for Liam. I really appreciate that. Speaking of… you didn't stay for me, did you?"

"I did."

"But not just."

"No. I guess not."

"I'm going to be honest with you. I had noticed a couple of looks. You guys could have told me."

Us guys? "Hmm… there is no 'you guys'. I don't think your brother really pays me that much attention."

“I do,” says someone behind us and we both jump. Liam is there, looking at us with an expressionless face.

Adam’s eyes travel from him to me. Then he says, “I’ll give you two a minute. Don’t be too long, Mom will come looking for you soon. Plus we have to pick Sam from the neighbors.”

Liam nods and then it’s just the two of us. I feel almost petrified. I don’t know what he is thinking, and I don’t know how to talk to him. But there is one question that is more important than anything else. Including my ridiculous social awkwardness. “How are you?”

“I’m fine.”

I look at his eyebrow and it genuinely doesn’t look so bad. But Maisy was physically alright and yet I wouldn’t say she was fine. “Does it hurt?”

“I don’t want to talk about that.”

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to pry.”

“It’s not that. It’s just… I want to talk about something else.”

“Like what?” I ask. I know exactly what he wants to talk about but I am so nervous about it that I am using the most absurd techniques to try to postpone it, even just a little bit. It also doesn’t help that I don’t know what he is thinking.

“I want to talk about what I just heard.”

“How much did you hear?”

“Did you just come out to my mom?”

“I did. I’m sorry, I didn’t think. Is that going to make things harder for you?”

“Probably not. Besides, from what I gathered, you did that for me, somehow. Adam isn’t the only one who appreciates it.”

I shrug. “He made it sound more epic than it was.”

“Which leads me to the most important question… Is Adam reading too much into things or…”

He seems unsure about how to finish this sentence, so I gather every bit of courage I have, and I do it for him: “I don’t know what he picked up from you. But I definitely like his brother. A bit more than like, actually.”

For a second, nothing happens and my heart beats so loudly, dreading and awaiting the response at the same time. Liam’s face relaxed and a small smile appears on his face. I think he is nervous too. He takes a couple of steps forward, until he is right in front of me, and I have never been so happy about someone being in my personal space before.

“Apparently this evening is going to end much better than it started,” he says and that makes me giggle.

“How are you?” I ask again.

This time, he seems happy to answer me. “Fine. It did hurt, it still does a bit, but I’m alright. Maisie seemed more upset than I was.”

“She was really worried about you. Maybe you should call her tonight.”

“I will. I definitely will. But I don’t know what I should tell her.”

“What do you mean?”

“Did I just find out that there is a guy who ‘more than likes me’, or did I score a hot boyfriend?”

“Boyfriend?” I repeat, surprised.

He seems a bit uncomfortable. “I don’t know, I just thought… Is it too soon?”

I slide my fingers around his with one hand. “It doesn’t feel like too soon.”

Perhaps not too soon but definitely surprising. I am about to ask him if he is sure about this when he steps even closer and I lose the ability to think. My eyes fall shut and his lips meet mine. Not long. We are not in the best place for this. Enough to fill me with enough awe and joy to last a lifetime…

“Let’s get back,” I tell him, thinking that I don’t really want his mother to come looking for us.

He nods, smiling, and starts walking, his fingers still linked to mine. He isn’t holding tight and I know I can let go if I want to. I don’t. Whatever his mother is going to think of it, I don't want to stop being his boyfriend, not even for a few minutes.

“Maybe we can do something this weekend,” he says. “You know. Without my brother around.”

“Like a date?”

“If you want to.”

“I do.”

Of course, I do.