Jericho Candelario’s Gay Debut

Jericho Candelario’s Gay Debut (2018) R. Cooper

He and Jerry had argued once, in their way, about the difference between Lincoln working for his dream and doing what he loved, and why Jerry might be tired at the end of each day. Mostly, Lincoln had gotten loud, Jerry had gotten quiet, then said, “I love them. They’re my family,” and Lincoln had given in except for the occasional mumbling.

“Aw.” Lincoln smiled in sympathy, in a more playful mood than he had been a second ago. “You poor thing. But it was bound to happen sooner or later. Kids grow up. Next thing you know, you’ll be driving her to college and she’ll be— oh no! Jerry, don’t panic. It’s okay. Please don’t make that face.”

“What face?” Jerry felt a little frozen.

“I was kidding.” Lincoln leaned closer and spoke soothingly.

Susanna burst into the room and Sofia swung toward her. “Mom—”

“Oh, thank God,” Susanna exclaimed immediately. “I thought someone was injured and bleeding out on the kitchen floor, but it’s only my daughter with short hair. Think of the money I’ll save on shampoo!”

Hoping someone would know so he wouldn’t have to say it was a feeling he was intimately familiar with.

“When you told me you’d never dated, I thought a lot of things. Probably a lot of wrong things. But now—” he paused long enough to make Jerry tense “— were you trying to tell me you have literally no experience at interpreting romantic signals for yourself?”

Rating: 9.5/10

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