Milo & Judah

Chapter 24 - Family Dynamics

Milo opened his eyes in an unfamiliar room. It took his travel-weary mind a moment to catch up and remember where he was. His head felt like someone had stuffed his brain with cotton. It was that feeling of sleeping way too long that left you just as tired as when you went to bed.

Was it the next morning, or later that same day? Milo wasn't entirely sure, and he couldn't find his phone to check.

Despite the light being off, he could see just fine. The curtains were barely thick enough to filter any light. Milo tossed the covers aside, releasing all the warmth he had built up. He instantly regretted getting out of bed when his feet hit the wood floor. They were cold even through his socks. He hugged his arms around himself as he walked around the room, examining Judah's things. The room was so neat and organized, if not fairly small, furnished with only the bed, a nightstand, and the tall dresser.

Photos hung on the wall, perfectly spaced in three rows of three frames. Bottles of cologne and aftershave on the dresser sat in perfect lines according to size. In a silver tray next to that, Judah had two watches, some rings, and a few necklaces, all perfectly placed. The stack of books on the bedside table formed a perfect pyramid, topped with a small wooden box. There was nothing out of place in the entire room. Even Judah's suitcase was tucked neatly into the corner, just as he'd done at Milo's house.

Below an array of hanging medals from swimming competitions—most of them for first place—Milo spotted his drawing. It stood up on the back of a shelf behind several framed photos, all slightly angled in the exact same way toward the door. There were a few small trinkets sprinkled among the frames. A hockey puck, a toy car, a ticket to a Green Bay Packers game, and a coffee mug with a crude drawing of what Milo assumed to be a dinosaur, and the words "Uncle Judah" written sloppily across the top.

"Be careful with that." Judah said.

Milo returned the mug to its spot and turned around. Judah leaned against the doorframe, his arms loosely crossed.

Judah straightened up and pushed the door shut before walking over to give Milo a quick peck on the lips. He adjusted the position of the mug ever-so-slightly. "My nephew made that for me."

"I figured." Milo said. Milo looked around again. "Your room is so much neater than mine."

"Uh-huh." Judah seemed distracted. His eyes raked over Milo. "You know, I don't think I've seen someone make long johns look so sexy."

Milo rubbed his hand up and down his arm, feeling self-conscious. He'd removed his outer layer of clothes last night, not even thinking about what he'd look like in the tight white thermals that were basically just full-length underwear.

Judah placed his hands on Milo's hips and drew him into a kiss. He sighed against Milo's lips, giving them one more quick peck. "The things I would do to you if my parents weren't right down the hall." He shook his head, biting on his lip.

It suddenly occurred to Milo that he had to meet Judah's parents, which brought on a nervous churning in his stomach. "Do you think they'll like me?"

Judah brushed his fingers through Milo's hair. "I think they'll love you, because I love you."

Milo pulled away from Judah and went to put something on over his thermals. He couldn't meet Judah's parents in his current state of undress.

Judah took his hand as they walked down the narrow hall. The floorboards squeaked louder than Milo remembered from the day before—or earlier that morning, he still wasn't sure.

In the living room, a man sat in the wingback chair facing the television. His right leg, swathed in a white cast, propped on a matching ottoman.

Through the wide archway that led to the kitchen, Milo watched a stout woman, with her blonde hair piled into a messy bun on top of her head, flit about from stirring a pot on the stovetop, to chopping vegetables on the counter, to fetching ingredients from the refrigerator.