Later that day, after giving a few more lessons and playing guitar in the park for a while, I received a call from Eileen.
"Heya, Sascha!"
I blushed. "Are you going to call me that from now on?"
"If ye don't like it, then no. How about ye come over for a while? I'm makin' potato-jackets. Tino's coming, too."
"That'd be great! Should I come now?"
"Yep! I'll text ya my address."
Thankfully, her home was within a mile of the park (she lived in a beautiful part of LA), and I reached it on my bike quickly. Eileen and Aeden's house was lovely- the garden had rose bushes that blossomed with lilac, pink, yellow, and orange flowers. The yard, lush and green, smelled of sweet lavender and dry stalks of green beans.
Tino and Eileen greeted me at the door, ushering me in. While the twice-baked potatoes were cooking, the three of us sat on one of the sofas in the living room, listening to an old Maroon 5 CD while chatting.
"I have some good news for ye both," Eileen could hardly contain her wide grin, "Aeden and I are both thrilled."
"What is it?" Tino and I seemed to ask simultaneously.
Eileen, still smiling, pulled a photograph out of her wallet. It was of her, Aeden, and a small child at a playground. The young girl had curly black hair, mocha-colored skin, and wide, happy eyes. She wore a red dress and knee-high socks and hugged a hunched-down Eileen. Aeden watched the two ladies, smiling.
"She's beautiful…" Tino breathed, "What's her name?"
"Amelia. Isn't she lovely? She is the smartest child I have ever met, and she's wonderfully sweet. Aeden and I have been meeting with her and her foster family for the past year, and in a month, she will be our daughter. I'll quit working at the club, of course, and Aeden will take longer hours off during the day. Ah, I'm so excited! We've already prepared her room- she loves 'Aladdin,' so we gave it a Middle Eastern theme."
"Congratulations!" I hugged the Scottish woman next to me, "You and Aeden will make the most amazing parents."
"Oh, I really do hope so. Lord knows I adore this little girl. She's been calling me 'mama' for the past few weeks, and I nearly die! And Aeden fawns over her like nothing else. We've wanted a child for years, and I'm so pleased that we'll finally take care of her. I just wish that we could have raised her for all the other years she's been alive…Well, what do we o'tta do? Would ye both like to see her room?"
Tino and I nodded. "Absolutely."
Eileen led us both to a room upstairs that had a spacious bay window in its far end. The bed covers were amethyst, ruby, and gold-toned, and various portraits of desert landscapes and woven squares of carpet hung on the wall. A small silver cross with a loop on the top hung in the corner- a Celtic symbol. A dream catcher rested above the bed's headboard. A small Jamaican flag was framed and set on the wall, as well.
"This is incredible, Eileen. She'll love it. What is the Jamaican flag for, though?" Tino's fingers ghosted the gilded frame.
The Scottish woman beamed. "Amelia's parents were Jamaican immigrants. I've never met them, but I heard from her foster mother that they gave her up as a babe due to financial problems. They loved her very much...I'd like ta find out who they are someday, if Amelia would like ta meet them."
"Will you have any means of contacting them?" I asked. She nodded.
"If there's a will, there's a way."
...
"Mathias?"
The Dane glanced up from his book. "Hm?"
Berwald grinned. "I've got som' good news for ya."
Mathias nodded, urging his husband to continue.
"I took th' liberty of appealing to a few foundations, including the Danish-American Community. I told them about the work you've done, both as a lawyer and Danish translator. They want to pay for your surgery in full."
It took Mathias a moment to let this information settle. "Y- you're serious?"
"Absolutely."
Mathias nearly leapt off the couch. "Ahh, you brilliant man! I can't believe that you coordinated this. Thank you!"
"'f course. How're ya holdin' up?"
"I've been feeling great. In fact," he looped his arms around Berwald's neck, "I feel better than great. Why don't you and I go upstairs so you can feel great, too?"
Berwald didn't need to be asked twice.
...
"hey. r u busy tonight?"
Heracles glanced at his buzzing phone, reading the text. He smiled- it was from Sadik.
"Not really. What do you have in mind?"
"how would u like to go swimming with me? :)"
Hera chuckled. "Tonght? It's pretty warm out, I suppose. Where?"
"i have a spa at my house. any time is good!"
"I'll be there. :)"
Heracles headed over to Sadik's home in Pasadena, grinning as he found the place. It was indeed nice- a white picket fence around a rose garden, with a porch and lawn in front. He knocked on the door and was greeted almost instantly by his swim-trunk-clad boyfriend.
"You look cute," Hera laughed, "I wish I looked that good in trunks." He kissed Sadik, pulling his shirt over his head afterward.
"But you're adorable! Let's go outside-the spa is warmed up already."
Sadik's backyard was just as nice as his front porch. Banyan trees and birches swept the yard with drooping branches, and a clear sky opened overhead. Though it was dark, the thin moon lit the murky Los Angeles sky.
"You have a really nice place."
"Thanks! I just moved in a few months ago, so it's not too messy yet."
Hera grinned. "It looks pretty tidy..." The two settled in the jacuzzi, chatting idly for an hour or so. Though it was windy out, the warm water kept the chill from reaching their bones.
"I'm really glad I've gotten to know you better," Sadik offered, "It's rare to meet someone as contemplative as you are. I'm not a very deep person, but you are, and that makes me want to be more so."
"I'm not very deep," Hera laughed, "I just like to think things through...I'm decisive."
"It's a nice quality to see, especially in Southern California." The couple grinned.
"It's nice to meet someone as genuine as you, Sadik."
He blushed with the compliment. "I appreciate that."
"Any time."
The two were silent for a moment, before Sadik ventured;
"...What's something you've always wanted to do?"
Heracles smiled at the random question. "There's a few things...I've always wanted to run a marathon. I want to go to Kazantip someday. I want to travel to so many places...I want to go skinny dipping."
Sadik laughed. "Then you should!"
Hera's eyes widened. "Right now?"
"Why not? I'll join you."
Heracles contemplated this for a moment. Would it really be wise of him to bare it all? Then again, when was the last time he did something impulsive?
"You have to go first."
"Okay, but I need music! One moment-" Sadik brought his iPhone out from inside the house, and began to play a familiar song from its speakers.
"Right Said Fred?" Heracles chuckled. "You're funny."
"I like to think so! You have to dance with me, though." Sadik climbed into the spa, taking Hera's hand in his.
"What have I done?" Heracles groaned facetiously. Sadik only laughed, twirling him around.
/"I'm too sexy for my shirt, too sexy for my shirt, so sexy it hurts..."/
"Welp." Rather unceremoniously, Sadik tossed his trunks out of the spa. Heracles felt like a complete pervert. "Your turn!"
Heracles blushed before quickly doing the same, eliciting a whistle from his boyfriend. The two laughed awkwardly for a moment before Sadik seized Hera's beret from the table and flitted about the yard.
"Catch me if you can!"
Prudence be damned, Heracles realized as he chased after the other.
...
"Ye ought to tell him," Eileen sighed over the line, "Ye really do, Tino."
"I know. I will after a few more matches. It's sneaky, but the money is really adding up. This summer, I'll hopefully have graduated and start at a job. Aleksi and I will move to a suburb. All will be better."
"I don't know...I still think ye should let him know. Yer fight tonight will be a hard one- honestly, how do ye hide yer injuries from him?"
"Lots of facial powder. Luckily, Finns are known for getting bloody noses regularly."
"Well, I suppose. Just...trust him. He's a good man, and he'll understand."
The Finn sighed. "You're right. Thanks Eileen."
"No problem. Now, get ready for yer event!"
"Will do."
Our opponents tonight were huge- probably the most intimidating people I'd ever encountered. Sascha and I crouched low, prepared to take them down. Punches alone were not going to help either of us, but my speed sure would.
The round began surprisingly. The two were fast, and immediately tried the same methods as we were about to- attack quickly, and get the other to the ground. I resisted the hard blows delivered to my chest, and instead worked on attacking my opponent's relatively thin legs. In his excitement, he didn't balance his weight well. Still, once he was tripped, he immediately got back up. I had to act fast- I assailed the top of his head with a series of hard jabs. Angrily, he threw his arm at my rib. I was able to block the attack, though my arm reverberated with shock. He could have broken something, had I not been alert.
I continued to wear him down, flitting about the ring. However, it didn't measure up to enough- with a few strategic hits to the side of my face, I felt my vision grow blurry. I had to stay in...
Deciding to pull a risky move, I grappled his ankle while attacking his hips. He swayed, and I aimed a fierce punch to the side of his head. It worked as expected- he fell backward, and was out for the count.
I aided Sascha with his far fiercer opponent, but as soon as I reached their vicinity, Sascha brought him down with a high kick. Damn, it was brutal to watch.
"Aon, dha, tri! Let's hear it for our Saschas!"
We waved at the crowd, bowing our heads modestly before leaving the ring. We entered the office with Eileen, only to recive her congratulations.
"Incredible work, men! I can't believe how difficult that round must have been."
Sascha reached for a tissue to place on his bleeding nose. "I'm just happy neither of us broke anything."
"Yer fight next week should be easier- good job to both of ye. That was a great show of skill!"
"Thanks, Eileen." I settled back into a chair, completely exhausted.
"How would the two of ye like to get drinks with me? We'll go to my place. I'm done for the night."
Though I felt awful, I didn't want to turn down the kind offer. A beer might settle my stomach, anyhow.
"I'd really like that. How about you, Sascha?"
He nodded. "That would be great. Thanks, Eileen."
"Not a problem, boys. Let's ditch this popsicle stand, eh?" She laughed heartily at her joke.
…
"Sho then I said- F-fuck 'em!" Sascha and Eileen laughed uproariously before the Finn continued, "F-fuck 'em all, 'f they don't hire me!"
"W-who-" the Scotchwoman cracked up, banging her fist against the table, "who did you tell this to?" Eileen had only had two beers, but she definitely seemed as though she couldn't hold her liquor well. Though, our "swine flu" masks, as Eileen called them, disguised their inebriated smiles well. I was still on my first drink.
"Ah, I told my boyfriend that they should fuck 'emselves. An' he told me, you know what he tol' me? He said he'd pay twice 's much for an hour wif me!" They burst into laughter again, and I groaned. This was getting embarrassing.
"An' then I think to myself, ya know what? I'm gonna be a grreat scientist som'day, an' all 'f them can kiss my pale ass!"
Scientist? I thought Sascha told me that he wanted to be an actor. Perhaps he knew Tino and Eileen even better than I thought.
"An' then what did ye do?" Eileen was struggling not to giggle.
"I-" Sascha paused, "I don't remember. I think my boyfriend was watchin' the Kardashians, an' I fell asleep on top of him. An' he kept shakin' his head and mumblin' stuff in Armenian whenever Kourtney talked."
And he was dating an Armenian? My exhausted mind seemed to perk up and run at a thousand miles a second. Sascha was definitely not who he said he was.
"Your boyfriend speaks Armenian?" I glanced at Sascha, whose red cheeks raised in a smile.
"Yessir! I sspeak a little, too, though not much!"
"That's interesting…" Interesting was an understatement. Things were all starting to piece together in my mind. How could I have been so oblivious? There was only one more thing I needed to check.
"So, in the Finnish football tournaments, do you root for Helsinki, Sascha?"
"No, way! Those Helsinki buggers ain't nearly as good as Joensuu."
"Uh-huh. Excuse me."
I rushed out of the room, thanking Eileen for the drink and tossing "Sascha" a ten for a cab before bolting out the door. I had to get home. I had to confirm to myself that it wasn't true…
"Wha's his problem?"
Eileen shrugged. "Damned if I know!"
…