Karen and ted shocked, speechless, staring at Holly's nervous yet determined face from their respective seats. Mike and will sitting close to the front with Nancy, Jonathan and Mrs byers, jaws dropped. No one seems to breathe.
Holly wrings her fingers tightly against one another, soft blue eyes pleading at the boys she's known all her life from across the courtroom. Her presentation was strong, with reasonable points and no unsolvable difficulties. Slowly, all heads turn to the two boys.
They've been living in their nyc apartment for nearly three years now, after making the first big decision of their relationship to move in together at the beginning of their sophomore year of college. They came out to close family and friends in the summer of senior year, spending the long hot days truly themselves in front of the people they care about the most, unashamed and carefree, before everyone slips away all over the country to start the next chapter of their lives.
Marriage is out of the question for them; kids, however, a silent agreement of a conversation for a later date. Holly hasn't mentioned any of this to either of them, nor to anyone else considering the shared look of surprise around the room.
The judge breaks the silence, snapping the attention away from them. "Mr Wheeler and Mr Byers, what are your relationships with Miss Wheeler?"
"I'm her older brother," mike supplies, "and will is my... my boyfriend." He swallows. "We've been best friends since kindergarten, so we've been in Holly's lives ever since she was born. Me and will have been together for years."
Will's stiff against the bench, eyes darting to holly to mike to mrs Wheeler to holly to his mom to Mike again. He couldn't have predicted this if he tried. It's legal, right? He and mike are adults. Mike is immediate family, and will by civil extension.
Do they have enough room in their apartment for her? He and Mike already share a room and a bed, but then that only leaves the second bedroom (which they've turned into a study/painting studio/music room/sunrise watching viewpoint). Would a bed be able to fit in there?
He and mike aren't exactly struggling financially, but they've fallen into a steady routine with part time jobs and classes and obscure eating times and squeezing in a date if they have the time. She'll need emergency money, probably, and they'll have to either start buying a bit more of the food the already get or just cut down their portions. Will they have to leave lectures early, turn down party invitations, evenings out with friends or each other? Will it affect their sex life?
Will feels a warm hand on his knee, bringing him out of his thoughts. He looks up at mike, who gives him a soft look that tells him he's also thinking similar things. Mike gently squeezes his thigh, whispering "the judge asked if we would be okay with it." Will hears Mrs wheelers voice further into the room, clearly losing a last-minute negotiation with Holly.
Will sees the fear behind the firmness in Holly's eyes, and for a moment swaps their places. What would he want, what would be best, if he only had the options to live with Jonathan and Nancy rather than his mom and lonnie?
Something shifts within him, and he sits up straight, sharing one last affirmative look with Mike.
"we can- we can do it." His voice echoes in the wood panelled room, "we're willing to take on the responsibility of having her live with us."
It's a blur after that, a tense but understanding conversation with karen, signing paper after paper after paper, discussions between the two of them about school and their future as well as Holly's - but then they're walking out of the building with Holly, tears brimming her lashes with the biggest grin on her face, each family driving in their respective cars to the Wheeler house for even more discussions.
But its worth it, and come two months later, holly is sitting with her big brother at the kitchen table in his nyc apartment while his boyfriend makes scrambled eggs, 3 school bags by the door and the smell of coffee lingering in the air. "decaf for you, I don't need school calling to say you've been bouncing off the walls" "I don't bounce off the walls! I just go really fast like sonic" "which is precisely why you cannot have any caffeine." "Awww man"
