This was something that both churches had in common. Two men making a life together wasn’t accepted the way he would like. It didn’t matter. His family was welcoming toward the idea and that was what counted. His mother flashed him a smile from where she stood talking to the pastor. Craig knew that no one would dare say or do anything untoward for fear of feeling her wrath.
“The best is yet to come. I can smell Mama’s roast chicken from here.”
“The law of physics says otherwise.” Merlin stepped up beside them, tugging at his tie. “Can I take this thing off now?”
Alun looked at Craig to deal with the question. “You can loosen it now and take it off entirely once we’re at my mama’s.” He didn’t mind being the disciplinarian. Since their return from Syria, Alun had been working hard to forge a better relationship with his son. From what Craig could tell, Merlin was making a similar effort. Keeping that going was all to the good. Let Merlin resent him instead. Not that the kid was giving them a lot of trouble. He was surprisingly docile, from all accounts.
Tugging at the knot, Merlin groused, “I don’t get why we have to put on the glad rags anyway. It’s just church. What’s the big deal?”
“It is for the folks who come here every Sunday. Dressing nicely shows that you respect them and their beliefs.”
“Whatever.” The boy might have matured during his time in Syria, but he was still a teenager, with all the sullenness and contempt for older generations that was standard for the age group.
Craig didn’t add, though, that he was proud to show them off. Alun and Merlin were wearing clothing and shoes that probably cost as much as his car. The shades Merlin was taking out of his pocket were easily a few hundred dollars. These aliens had money to burn and that was one issue that gave him pause. On a cop’s salary, he had far less to offer them. Although, if he and Alun made it permanent—something he was determined to make happen—the man came with a dowry. That was the only way to really explain it. Alex had pulled him aside shortly after their return and had explained to him how he was ‘settling’ some money on Alun for his future, as if Alun was some medieval princess or something. Weirder still, when Craig had asked Alex why he was telling him, he’d appeared surprised.
‘You’ll need to manage it, naturally, and use it to provide for Alun and Merlin.’ He’d said it as if it were obvious.
Craig supposed it was. Alun had no experience with taking care of himself, not when it came to creating a budget and paying bills. Although given the eye-popping sum, a budget was probably unnecessary. Even so, when Alun did him the honor of becoming his husband, Craig intended to make sure that he knew what to do, to make his own decisions. No way Craig was going to leech off him and dictate what he did with his money or anything else. He’d help Alun learn to be a partnership. Anything else would be taking advantage of his vulnerability. At least, that was how he saw it.
Mama came over, her lovely face glowing with happiness. “So, Alun and Merlin, how did you enjoy your first time in our humble church?”
“It was wonderful, Mrs. Jefferson,” Alun replied, ducking his head and leaning into Craig. He hadn’t gotten used to being out and about, and even something as small and intimate as meeting Craig’s family made him uncomfortable.
Mama didn’t seem to notice. “Oh now, you have to call me ‘Mama’.” Not waiting for a reply, she turned her attention to Merlin and beamed, waiting for his answer with the same intimidating patience that she’d shown her own sons. Finally, the boy murmured something like, ‘great’. It wasn’t much, but Mama knew how to pick her battles.
“Well, that’s fine, then. Let’s go home. I need to get dinner on the table. Are you driving your own car, Craig?”
“No, ma’am. It’s such a nice day that I thought we’d walk.”
“All right. Your father has his ‘let’s go’ face on. See you at home.”
She walked the rest of the way down the steps to where his father already waited for her. He gave Craig a brief wave. His quick, first meeting with Alun and Merlin had been rather inscrutable, to say the least. He worried that with his sexuality on full