“You’ve seen him,” Gus said, turning to look up at her. “He’s scary!” Gus turned back to Lois, who sat on the chair to his right.
She looked at him, and he thought he saw something in her eyes. One brow went up, and Gus knew he was in trouble.
“We need to tell them.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“No! We don’t,” Gus said firmly.
Just then, Stacy walked in from the hallway. “What don’t we have to do?”
Lois looked up at her sister-wife and grinned. “It’s time, sweety. We’re gonna tell my folks about you.”
Stacy’s face went pale, and Gus chuckled ruefully. “See?” He pointed at his sister standing across the table from where Lois sat. “She feels the same way.”
“They’re coming down tomorrow, and are gonna be around overnight. They want to meet up with Gus and I. It’s time they knew the truth.”
“Oh, shit,” Stacy said quietly, earning a chuckle from Gus.
“Yeah, exactly,” Gus sighed. He looked over at Lois. “He’s gonna castrate me. You know that, right?”
Lois patted his hand and smiled at him. “That’s okay, my love. We’ll still love you,” she grinned up at Stacy, then at Demi. “And, we have two other guys to take care of us if he does.”
—***—
They spent most of the next day cleaning and making the place look as good as it could. Everyone helped, and it was decided they would all be there to greet Lois’ parents, but then leave Lois and Gus to have dinner with them.
Stacy asked if she should stay, but Lois thought it would be best if she and Gus broke the news to her old-fashioned father first, then, if Gus was still intact, they could all meet tomorrow for lunch before her parents flew back.
At exactly five, there was a knock on the door. Lois opened it, flanked by Gus. Grace screamed when she saw her daughter, and pulled her close, kissing her and hugging her tightly. Lois giggled at her mom’s enthusiasm.
Gus leaned around them and extended his hand to his future father-in-law, and hopefully not his executioner. “Hello, George. Good to see you,” Gus said warmly as they shook.
“Gus! Great to see you!” He looked around the place, nodding. “Nice place you have here,” he said appreciatively. Grace let Lois go, then wrapped Gus up in a hug. George moved behind her and wrapped his arms around his diminutive daughter.
“Hi, Daddy.” She beamed up at him.
“Hi, sweetheart. How are you?” he asked her, smiling broadly.
She smiled back. “I’m great. So glad you guys could come over!” She looked around and noticed the others crowded in the hallway, and beckoned them over.
“Come on, guys. Come and say hi.” She stepped back as the others filed into the living room, forming a rough semi-circle.
“I think you know everyone here,” Lois said, but pointed out and named each person.
They all stood there, smiling, until Sam spoke up. “Please, come in,” she chuckled. Gus closed the door once people started moving.
Lois took her parents around, showing them the house, leaving out the playroom. Her father was impressed with the backyard, and her mother loved the long, wooden kitchen table.
“I know, right?” Demi gushed as Grace ran a hand over the old wood. “Just like in the Walton’s!” she giggled. Grace laughed along with her.
“It is! You’ve made a wonderful home for yourselves. I’m so happy to see you all together. I know how close you all are.”
Mick stifled a laugh, earning him an elbow from Demi.
After a few minutes of chatting, the others got their things and said their goodbyes. Once they’d left, Gus and George tended the grill as Lois and her mother got the other food ready. It was a warm evening, and they ate outside.
“One thing I always loved about this area,” George said, looking around the yard.
“What’s that?” Gus asked.
“No bugs!” George said, laughing. “Up there, the mosquitos will eat you alive in the evening.”
Gus grimaced, unable to picture a place where he couldn’t sit comfortably outdoors. Just then, the soft outside lights came on and the sliding door opened. Lois and Grace brought out some bowls of food, and set the round outside table.
The steaks were ready in short order, and everyone seated themselves. George said the blessing, then they dug in.
After a wonderful meal and friendly conversation where everyone got caught up on what was going on, Lois cleared her throat.
She looked at her mom, then dad. “Um, there’s something we want to tell you…” she began.
Grace gasped, her hand going to her chest. “You’re pregnant!” she almost screamed.
Lois started, then laughed. “No, mom! I’m not pregnant,” she shook her head, grinning at her mom, who was getting herself under control. Her father smiled at his wife, then looked at his daughter, his eyes focusing on her.
Crap! That’s the look the recruits get when he stares at them. Oh well, you can only die once.
“I don’t know how to tell you this, so I’ll just say it. Gus and I are in love, and will get married sometime soon.” She paused and looked over at Gus. He took her hand and looked at her father, returning his gaze with more confidence than he felt.
“But our relationship is a little… complex,” Lois said softly.
Her father scowled. “What do you mean, complex?”
She seemed to falter, and her grip on Gus’ hand tightened. He gently squeezed her hand.
“It’s not just Gus and me,” she said, looking her father in the eye.
“What does that mean,” her mom asked, shaking her head.
“I mean… Stacy is a part of what we are,” Lois said, looking at her.
“Stacy?” her mom asked.
Lois nodded. “Yes,” she said, turning to her father. “We’re a throuple.”
“A throuple,” her father said slowly, a light coming to his eyes. After a moment, he sat up straight. “You mean…”
“Daddy! Don’t get mad, please!” Lois begged her father. “I’m happy. Very, very happy. So is Gus, and so is Stacy.” Gus nodded beside her, looking her father in the eye when he turned to look at Gus, his expression unreadable.
Lois continued. “Yeah, so, we wanted you to know. This is permanent. We’re together, and are going to be for the rest of our lives.”
Gus nodded and smiled at Lois. She smiled thinly back at him.
Her father took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. Her mother spoke up. “What’s a throuple?” She stumbled over the strange word.
“It’s a kind of relationship where three people are together, equally,” Gus told her.
“Three,” she said, trailing off. Gus nodded.
Gus heard her father make a sound and looked at him. “So what do you have to say for yourself?” George asked Gus, using the tone of voice that had brought tougher men than Gus to tears during his years in the service.
It was Gus’ turn to take a deep breath. “Sir, I love Lois with all my heart. Completely and without reservation. I know in a traditional relationship that precludes loving anyone else, and for some time, that’s how it was between us.
“Then, Stacy came to live with us when we were in the apartment. She was in deep trouble. Her dad was messed up and into some shady dealings. She was afraid for her life, and came to me one night, soaked after walking two miles in a storm after her car ran out of gas.
“The guys and I took her in, and the girls helped her get on her feet. Over time, my feelings for Stacy grew, all the while I was falling deeper and deeper in love with your daughter.
“I know that sounds crazy, and I agree. It took me a long time to realize what I was feeling.” He turned and looked at his love.
“It was Lois, actually, that got Stacy and I to understand how we felt. We did nothing behind her back. Ever.
“If it wasn’t for Lois, Stacy and I would probably not have gone down this path, being romantically in love. It wasn’t planned, and it’s unconventional, to say the least,” Gus chuckled softly.
“But it works for us,” he said, looking at Lois, who nodded and smiled at her parents.
“It feels really good to finally tell you both. I hated hiding it from you. It felt like we were lying, and that’s not something that comes easy to me.” Gus still squirmed inside, not being able to tell the entire truth to them about his relationship with his sister. That was something best left where it was.
report George stared at Gus, who sat still and didn’t look away. After an interminable time, he sighed, then looked over at his wife. “What do you think?” he asked her.
Grace looked at him, then at Gus, then at Lois. She looked back at her mom, her eyebrows drawn together, a small smile on her face.
“Mom,” Lois said softly, “I’m so very happy with them. This works for us. I don’t know why, but it does. I love Gus with all my heart and soul, and can’t wait to marry him.” She lifted his hand and kissed it.
“Stacy is part of us. She’s our third half,” Lois said, chuckling.
Grace looked at her daughter and smiled softly. “It sure does seem like you’re happy.”
“I am, momma.” She turned to her father. “I am, daddy. Please believe me and Gus. What he told you is true. I saw how their relationship grew and knew somehow we had to include her.
“I love Stacy like a sister. She means as much to me as Gus does.” She noted her mother’s raised brows and laughed. “And I don’t mean I love her like that, mom!” Lois said, laughing as she admonished her mother.
Grace’s full-throated laughter broke the tension. “Well? After all you two just told us, nothing would surprise me anymore!”
Gus smiled at Lois, both of them knowing there was definitely something surprising they could tell her.
George sighed, then smiled at his daughter. “Sweetheart, I don’t know what to make of all this,” he said, looking around. “But I can see you’re happy.”
He leaned forward and extended his hand. She reached for him, and they held hands over the table. “Happier than I’ve seen you for several years now. Since before… your brother passed.”
Lois’ breath caught in her throat, and she made a small sobbing noise. She let go of the two men and got up quickly and hurried around the table, throwing herself at her father, who’d just gotten to his feet.
He held her close as she cried against his chest. Gus sat back, exhaling, then looked over at Grace, who was smiling at him.
“Gus,” she said softly, looking him in the eye. “I won’t pretend to understand what you two… you three, are doing together, but it’s clearly good for her.”
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