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As the phone rang and rang, Mark tried not to regret this decision. Kenzi was the safest choice of people to “come out” to and tell about his relationship with Vex…and hopefully the other man would do most of the talking since it was his friend. He mouthed to Vex, afraid Kenzi would answer at any moment, “Speaker? You’re talking, right?”
Vex nodded, put his phone on speaker, and put his hand across the table, open for Mark to hold if he wanted to.
Kenzi answered after just a few more rings; “Vexyyyy, did you miss me? Or do you need one of my many talents?”
One of Vex’s classic smiles broke across his face and Mark took his hand above the table.
“I always miss you, love, I just wanted to share some news. How’s parenting? You’re getting Dagny into all kinds of mischief, right?”
Kenzi chuckled on the other end of the line.
“Oh, you know it. The other day she tried to sneak her pet snail into the house. But what’s the news? Don’t keep me in suspense.”
Vex exchanged a quick look with Mark, then took a deep breath. “Well, you know how Mark and I have been friends for a while now?”
“Yeah, of course. You guys are tight.”
“More than that, actually. We’ve been together… romantically, for a few months now.”
There was a brief moment of silence before Kenzi spoke again. “Wait, seriously? You and Mark? I had no idea.”
“Yeah, we’ve been keeping it under wraps for a while. But we wanted to start being more open about it.”
Mark could practically hear the gears turning in Kenzi’s head. She was always the most perceptive person in the room. “Wow, okay. This is big news. But why did you feel like you had to keep it a secret?”
Mark could feel the nervousness creeping up on him, but Vex was quick to respond. “Well, we just weren’t sure how everyone would react, you know? We wanted to make sure we were ready for any pushback or negativity.”
Kenzi hummed thoughtfully. “I get that. But you guys know I’m always here to support you, right? No matter what.”
Mark felt a warmth in his chest at Kenzi’s words. They had only been friends for a few months, but she had already become such an important person in his life. “Thanks, Kenzi. That means a lot.”
Vex chimed in, “Yeah, we really appreciate it. We just wanted to start with you because you’re such a great judge of character. And we were hoping you could give us some advice on how to tell everyone else.”
Kenzi laughed. “Oh, you guys. You don’t need my help. Just be yourselves and don’t let anyone else’s opinions get in the way of your happiness. And if anyone gives you trouble, you know I’ll be the first one to shut them down.”
Mark and Vex both grinned at each other, relieved and grateful for Kenzi’s support.
“Thanks, Kenzi. You’re the best.”
“Of course, babes. I’ll always be here for you. And hey, now we can double date without any weirdness if I find a new fling in between cleaning up toys.”
Vex laughed. “Yes! Finally, we could all go on a proper date and you can see how seductive I can be in the proper setting.”
As they hung up the phone, Mark felt a sense of lightness in his chest. They had taken the first step towards being more open about their relationship, and it had gone better than he could have hoped. He squeezed Vex’s hand, feeling grateful for his partner’s support and courage. They still had a long way to go, but they were on the right path.