Coda 05 -Paris a to Z

Angelo.
Angelo, who until me hadnt even been out of Colorado except for once as a child when his foster family took him to Yellowstone. In the last two years wed been to Vegas, and Oregon, and to Chicago to meet my family (a trip that wasnt nearly as enjoyable for him as it should have been because he was so damn nervous the entire time). If we were lucky, wed be able to afford a road trip this year—maybe to the Grand Canyon or Lake McConaughy. If we saved for a couple of years, we might be able to go to New York or Florida. But we would never, ever be able to afford Paris.
I didnt even need to ask him. I knew he would want to go. And I had never been able to deny him anything.
“Yeah,” I said. “Were going.”
But I couldnt shake the feeling that Id end up regretting it.
    I MAY not have been thrilled about having to face Jon again, but once Id decided we were going, I was childishly excited about getting to tell Angelo.
    I was making dinner when he came home. It was snowing outside, and he was still shaking the snowflakes out of his thick black hair when he walked into the kitchen.
    “Hey,” I said as he pulled a bottle of Dr Pepper out of the fridge. “Did you know Jon and Cole have been seeing each other?”
He closed the refrigerator and turned to regard me with a wary expression. “Matt told me.”
“Theyre getting married.”
He crossed his arms over his chest and glared at me through his hair. “So what?”
“You dont find that interesting?”
“No. Why should I?”
I didnt believe him. It wasnt that he didnt care. It was that he was annoyed that I might.
“Weve been invited to the wedding.”
That actually elicited a scowl, and I had to turn away so he couldnt see what a hard time I was having keeping a straight face. “You sayin you want to go?”
“Dont you?”

    “Hell no!”
“Okay,” I said. “Ill tell Matt and Jared that they can go to Paris without us.”
The only response was a stunned silence, and I finally turned to smile at him. “Do you want to reconsider?” I asked.
“The weddings in Paris?”
“Yep.”
His dark eyes were huge, and I could see so much in them. He was excited, almost giddy. I could see it bubbling up in him, but he was trying to stay calm and not get his hopes up. “Can we afford Paris?”
“No,” I said, “but it doesnt matter. Coles footing the bill.”
He grabbed my shirt and pushed me back against the countertop, almost as if he was going to kiss me, but he stopped short, looking into my eyes. “Are you serious?”
“Would I lie about something like this?”
“No.”
“Do you think Id make it up just to tease you?”
“No.”
“Yes.”
He backed up a step. “Yes what?” he asked.
I could hardly keep from laughing that Id finally managed to turn the tables on him with his own backward form of communication. “Yes,” I said, “Im absolutely serious. Cole offered to fly us all to Paris.”
“Oh my God!” But then he stopped himself. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, and when he opened them again, he had his excitement contained, bottled up inside while he tried to be rational. He stepped closer to me again and looked up into my eyes.
“You want to see Jon again?”
“No,” I said, and I could tell it was the answer he was expecting.
“Youd rather not go.”
“If it were just me, then yes, but for you, I will.”
His enthusiasm was starting to leak through again, but he kept it in

    check. “Well be okay, right?” he asked. “You and me? Seein him again wont hurt us, right?”
“Seeing Jon cant change the way I feel about you.”
“Are you sure?”
I took his hand and turned it over to kiss his palm. “Im positive.”
His expression was so full of hope, I thought it was a good thing I hadnt tried to say no. He put his hand against my cheek and looked into my eyes. “Tell me what you want to do.”
All I had to do was tell him the truth. I brushed his hair out of his eyes and said, “I want to do whatever will make you happy.”
He smiled at me, the huge, excited smile of a child who woke up from his nap to find himself at Disneyland. “I want to see Paris.”
“Okay,” I said as I leaned down to kiss him. “Then you will.”
    T HE eight weeks leading up to the trip passed quickly. We had to scramble to get our passports, and when they finally came, Angelo looked at his with a mixture of awe and excitement that made me glad Id agreed to go. Even if it meant facing Jon.
    We went to Boulder the week before Christmas