“Do you still love him?”
“Not like he loves Adam. And not like Adam loves him. You can see when they look at each other. I didn’t know people could look at someone else like that. I mean, you see it in the movies, but I always thought that was crap.” Dane turned back to the mirror and stared at himself, touching his face in different places. “It’s still me? Even though I look different? I was afraid I’d look like my dad or something. But I don’t. And I feel like me.”
“Is that a good thing or a bad thing?”
“To feel like me? Right now it’s good. Ru and Tommy are okay with me as I am. You like me as I am, right?”
Bas nodded. “I do. I want you to be healthy, so you need to keep eating. And if you begin seeing something in the mirror that feels off or scares you, you need to tell me.”
“Even if I feel ugly and fat and see a monster?”
“Especially if you feel ugly and fat and see a monster.”
Dane turned and yanked Bas into a hug. “I’m not ready yet. But maybe we can try again soon?”
“You mean the kiss?”
“Yeah. And I like touching you. Is that okay? I want us to be friends, and I like that you’re not afraid to touch me. It makes me feel human. Real. I dunno. On TV they show people touching all the time. Hugs, holding hands, parents cuddling their kids. I never thought any of that was real, but I’d like it to be.”
“Sure. Touch me all you want, sweetie. I’m not too proud to turn away a hug.” The sound of the door opening downstairs let Bas know that Mrs. C had arrived. “Time’s up. Wanna go back to rehab or get groceries?” Bas pulled away but held Dane’s hand.
“I’ll go with you, and we can cook when we get back.”
“I bet Mrs. C has a lot of recipes that you’d like.”
