"Marco's not my daddy," Mr. Mendez stubbornly repeated in response to more taunting from Ric.
"Cut it out," Josh said finally, who had perhaps a slightly more tender conscience than Ric.
In fact, he was about to suggest to Ric they change Mr. Mendes back, but before any of them could respond, they heard the doorbell ring.
"Guess who's home!" Ric exclaimed.
Mr. Mendes felt his face redden. "I need some clothes," he pleaded. He looked at Josh. "Get me some clothes, please."
Josh looked like he meant to consider the request, but Ric had used the moment to open the front door.
Mr. Mendes felt like crying as he saw how different he perceived his boyfriend. Macro, who stood six feet and a half inches tall, walked into the house. He saw the three boys, the youngest one unclothed, and looked confused.
The 25-year-old man rubbed his dark goatee. "Uh, boys, where's Francisco?"
That's when Josh and Mr. Mendes saw the book in Ric's hand.
"Don't!" Mr. Mendes cried out.
But Josh had already recited the spell. Then, he turned to Marco. "You're supposed to look after us until Mr. Mendes returns from his trip," Ric said. "Don't you remember that he asked you to look after his three nephews."
And, magically, the memory popped into his head. "Yeah," Marco said. "I do."
"We're just having a little trouble getting..." Ric paused, trying to think of a passable name. "Getting Frankie to put on his clothes."
"Is that so?" Marco asked. He stepped closer to his transformed boyfriend and Josh.
Both boys stared at the man. His well-toned body looked good in tight jeans and a snug T-shirt.
"Marco, you don't understand," Mr. Mendes began, but he was interrupted when his boyfriend swept him off his feet.
Marco put his big hands under the naked kid's hairless armpits and swooped him into the air. "We need to get you some clothes, big guy," he said.
Mr. Mendes struggled in Marco's grip.
"We can take him and get him dressed," Ric said. "And then could you take us out for pizza, Uncle Marco?"
Marco placed his boyfriend back on his feet on the carpeted floor. "That sounds like a swell plan, guys," he said. "Go put on your clothes— scoot."
He swatted his transformed boyfriend's bare butt as he walked off, leaving Mr. Mendes back in the charge of Ric and Josh.
"You heard him," Ric said. He grabbed Mr. Mendes around a thin wrist. "Come on."