Swopna onto her lap.
“What’s up?” Nik asked.
“Take a walk with me?”
Nik lifted his eyebrows but followed Trent outside. Trent slipped his hand into Nik’s as they walked deeper into the garden. The coconut and banana trees provided a modicum of privacy in the deepening twilight, not that Trent expected anyone to spy on them from the house. Still, he didn’t want an audience.
“This may be my favorite place in the world,” Nik said as they walked. “Every time I smell jasmine, I’m right back here.”
Trent smiled. He’d made the right choice, bringing Nik outside.
“I had a good time at the party this afternoon. I didn’t expect to, and it was overwhelming at times with all the people, but I enjoyed myself,” Trent said.
“I did too. Muthassan likes you.”
“I like him too,” Trent said. “I like your whole family. I was worried what they’d think of me.”
“They love you. Muthassi already asked when I was bringing you back to visit,” Nik said. “Think you’d want to come again?”
“Anytime you come,” Trent said. “I, um, I wanted to ask you something.”
“What?”
Trent’s pulse picked up as he reached for Nik’s hand. “This is probably presumptuous of me, but….”
“What, Trent? You know you can ask me anything.”
He took a deep breath and dove in. “Will you marry me?”
Nik blinked once, and then again. “You want to…. Really? My crazy family comes with the package.”
The butterflies in Trent’s stomach exploded. “Really. I know it’s sudden, but I love it here. I love your family. I love you. And I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”
Nik pulled Trent into an embrace, kissing him wildly. Trent took that as acceptance and kissed Nik back, all his nerves dissolving at the touch. Nik wanted him too. He kissed Nik again and then threw his head back to shout with joy.
Nik shushed him. “They’ll come out to see what’s wrong if they hear you shouting.”
“I wasn’t planning on keeping it a secret from them.”
“Me either, but I’d rather kiss you some more before we go tell them.”
Trent grinned and lowered his head to kiss Nik again. He took his time now that his nerves had faded. Nik’s lips moved beneath his, parting in silent invitation. Trent licked his way into Nik’s mouth and pulled Nik against him so their body heat mingled in the balmy air.
The boom of fireworks over the temple interrupted them.
“I thought Chirappu was over,” Trent said.
“It is, but it’s Christmas Eve. Our neighbors are celebrating tonight, so we celebrate with them.”
“Shall we give your family one more reason to celebrate tonight?”
Nik grinned. “Yes, but after that, you’re all mine for the rest of the night.”
“I’m all yours anytime you want me,” Trent promised.
They walked back inside, hands still clasped.
“Is everything all right?” Leelavati asked. “I thought I heard shouting in the garden.”
“Everything is fine, Amma,” Nik said. “We were celebrating.”
“That’s right. It’s Christmas Eve. Trent, we didn’t even ask if you wanted to go to Midnight Mass.”
“That isn’t what we were celebrating,” Trent said.
“Oh?”
Nik squeezed Trent’s hand more tightly. “Trent and I are getting married.”
Nandini’s excited shriek drowned out whatever Leelavati said in response, but she hugged Nik and then turned to Trent and embraced him as well. “Welcome to the family.”
“Thank you, aunty.”
She quirked her lips disapprovingly. “If you’re marrying my son, you’ll call me Amma like all my children do. Is that understood?”
“Yes, Amma.”
“And you realize you’ll have to come back next year so we can have a reception for you here. I know the wedding will have to be in Chicago, but the family will want to celebrate with you.”
“We will come back as often as you can stand for us to visit,” Trent promised.
“Oh, kutta, if that were the case, you’d never
“What’s up?” Nik asked.
“Take a walk with me?”
Nik lifted his eyebrows but followed Trent outside. Trent slipped his hand into Nik’s as they walked deeper into the garden. The coconut and banana trees provided a modicum of privacy in the deepening twilight, not that Trent expected anyone to spy on them from the house. Still, he didn’t want an audience.
“This may be my favorite place in the world,” Nik said as they walked. “Every time I smell jasmine, I’m right back here.”
Trent smiled. He’d made the right choice, bringing Nik outside.
“I had a good time at the party this afternoon. I didn’t expect to, and it was overwhelming at times with all the people, but I enjoyed myself,” Trent said.
“I did too. Muthassan likes you.”
“I like him too,” Trent said. “I like your whole family. I was worried what they’d think of me.”
“They love you. Muthassi already asked when I was bringing you back to visit,” Nik said. “Think you’d want to come again?”
“Anytime you come,” Trent said. “I, um, I wanted to ask you something.”
“What?”
Trent’s pulse picked up as he reached for Nik’s hand. “This is probably presumptuous of me, but….”
“What, Trent? You know you can ask me anything.”
He took a deep breath and dove in. “Will you marry me?”
Nik blinked once, and then again. “You want to…. Really? My crazy family comes with the package.”
The butterflies in Trent’s stomach exploded. “Really. I know it’s sudden, but I love it here. I love your family. I love you. And I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”
Nik pulled Trent into an embrace, kissing him wildly. Trent took that as acceptance and kissed Nik back, all his nerves dissolving at the touch. Nik wanted him too. He kissed Nik again and then threw his head back to shout with joy.
Nik shushed him. “They’ll come out to see what’s wrong if they hear you shouting.”
“I wasn’t planning on keeping it a secret from them.”
“Me either, but I’d rather kiss you some more before we go tell them.”
Trent grinned and lowered his head to kiss Nik again. He took his time now that his nerves had faded. Nik’s lips moved beneath his, parting in silent invitation. Trent licked his way into Nik’s mouth and pulled Nik against him so their body heat mingled in the balmy air.
The boom of fireworks over the temple interrupted them.
“I thought Chirappu was over,” Trent said.
“It is, but it’s Christmas Eve. Our neighbors are celebrating tonight, so we celebrate with them.”
“Shall we give your family one more reason to celebrate tonight?”
Nik grinned. “Yes, but after that, you’re all mine for the rest of the night.”
“I’m all yours anytime you want me,” Trent promised.
They walked back inside, hands still clasped.
“Is everything all right?” Leelavati asked. “I thought I heard shouting in the garden.”
“Everything is fine, Amma,” Nik said. “We were celebrating.”
“That’s right. It’s Christmas Eve. Trent, we didn’t even ask if you wanted to go to Midnight Mass.”
“That isn’t what we were celebrating,” Trent said.
“Oh?”
Nik squeezed Trent’s hand more tightly. “Trent and I are getting married.”
Nandini’s excited shriek drowned out whatever Leelavati said in response, but she hugged Nik and then turned to Trent and embraced him as well. “Welcome to the family.”
“Thank you, aunty.”
She quirked her lips disapprovingly. “If you’re marrying my son, you’ll call me Amma like all my children do. Is that understood?”
“Yes, Amma.”
“And you realize you’ll have to come back next year so we can have a reception for you here. I know the wedding will have to be in Chicago, but the family will want to celebrate with you.”
“We will come back as often as you can stand for us to visit,” Trent promised.
“Oh, kutta, if that were the case, you’d never
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