Sasquatch to the Moon

46: I Love You. Endlessly.

HAKON

Milo's family is almost exactly how I expected his family to be. Goofy, gentle, loving, a bit of a fucking wreck, but trying with all they have. It hurts me, just a little, but they roped me in so quickly I didn't really even have time to feel like an outsider. His dad served Helen and I some leftovers and Milo and Rey bickered back and forth in quick Czech, something I've never heard him do before, speak so naturally and informal with someone. Sure he speaks Czech with his mom but it's more of an english blend, this is just his language.

His sister is almost identical to Helen except her hair, she's smaller in frame and exceedingly kind behind a tough little front. She's got his hair and they're definitely siblings, sharing tiny mannerisms and seemingly warming back up to each other as fast as possible after years apart.

His father was a bit of a shock to my system. I opened the door for Helen and was met face to face with what I genuinely thought was Milo. I panicked for a moment, having an existential crisis, wondering how I could've possibly missed like 30 years, or wondering how he got his hair dyed salt and pepper without me noticing over facetime the night before.

Then I realized that Miloslav is a little shorter, his shoulders a little more downtrodden, eyes an odd shade of seafoam instead of glass bottle green. He's built the same, tall, gangly, long fingers and longer arms, high cheekbones, all of it. He's just older. A lot older.

But it's like staring into Milo's future, the grey hair, the wrinkle patterns around the corners of his eyes, the crease in his brow, it was weird as hell. It almost made me a little nostalgic.

Of course, that's not my Milo. My Milo practically knocked me over when he saw me, making my heart swell up and flutter a little, wrapping him up in a hug. My Milo is in a significant amount of trouble with his mother but not as much trouble as his dad is in.

I really didn't understand a single thing that happened that whole time. I caught him when he fell into me, pulled him back into a chair, held him tight, knowing he needed me there but not knowing why.

Then we ate a little, I listened to more Czech that I've ever been exposed to in my entire life, which, coming from Milo, is a whole lot more of a turn on than I wanted it to be. Especially with the only other context he speaks this fast in Czech around me being when he can't think straight: while he's angry or in a heavily sexual situation.

And his parents, who appear to be warming up to each other again, awkward as hell, yes, but... stealing little glances, bickering, flirting here and there, arguing about something and the next, letting each other get just a little too close before backing away.

I've never seen Helen Stojanović get awkward. This woman could face hell with just a wooden spoon and sheer fucking willpower and the devil himself would let her pass by, she could stare down any man (me included) and make him turn around and say sorry. But with Miloslav she's holding back from getting close, clearly hurt by him but working on it. He's working his ass off to try to sweet talk her but it's working just about as well as it does when Milo does something he knows he's gonna get in trouble for. Like finishing off my box of cereal in one sitting without telling me. Miloslav is awkward and clumsy and reminds me violently of his son, to a point where I find it somewhat entertaining watching Helen respond to her somewhat husband's antics in different ways than I respond to Milo's same exact antics.

It gets even better when Miloslav in one grand gesture asks Helen to dance to the radio that's been playing most of the time and she actually agrees (it was a shocker for the three kids)

And even better than that when I reach over Milo to ask Rey for a dance because why the hell not and I find it fun to irritate Milo. He complains the whole time, sitting on the counter and staring at the four of us.