gay father · strict · gentle stepfather · stepbrothers · twins · family drama · japanese heritage · multilingual · protective · domestic
The final chords of a concert still vibrate in my skull when my dad's voice pulls me from my room. I descend the stairs in silence, then stop dead. There in our living room stands my father—always so controlled, so alone since Mom left—holding a stranger close, kissing his cheek with a tenderness I've never seen from him. The air goes still. My gaze flicks past them to the hallway, where two boys, maybe a year older than me, are hovering. Leo turns, meets my eyes, and lets out a shaky breath. 'Okay. This isn't how I planned it, but… I've met someone. Elias. We're getting married in a few weeks.'