Her voice rose so hard and high that it sounded like it might shatter. But at least her worry made sense. She didn’t care that he was gay, but she cared about the kind of company he was keeping.
“No, Mom,” he said. “He’s one of the team leads. I’m on his team. We fell in love.”
“Oh,” she said. Another pause. “Is that ethical?”
The question made him laugh because it was a mom type of question. More, it was a good question, one he didn’t know how to answer himself.
And maybe Marston didn’t either, because when Kell looked up at him, Marston’s eyebrows had risen on his forehead and he shrugged. Still, what had grown between them surely hadn’t gone unnoticed by anyone else in the valley, so maybe it didn’t matter, only that they were circumspect about it.
“We’re still figuring that out, I think,” he said, feeling very wise about it all, slipping into a familiar place of exasperated love for a mom who just didn’t get it, how important a brand new iPhone was to have, or the latest style of sneakers, but who had gotten them for him just the same.
“Can I see you?” she asked. “I know Dot will understand if I take some time off.”
“Maybe at the end of summer,” he said. “I need to finish the program first.”
“But Kell—”
“I need to finish this,” he said as firmly as he could. “It’s important. It’s so that when I see you, I’m done with my parole, a free man.”
“I love you, Kell,” she said softly. “More than anything.” She paused and seemed to be talking to someone, Aunt Miriam perhaps. “Miriam says you can come stay with us when you’re done with your parole. There’s plenty of room.”
“Maybe,” he said, not wanting to commit, not liking the feeling of heading back east, being stuck in Aunt Miriam’s guesthouse. Leaving Marston behind. “Marston and I need to figure out what we’re doing when the season ends.”
The small smile Marston gave him was sweet, and the way it lit up his beautiful eyes took Kell’s breath away.
“I have to go, Mom,” he said. “But I’ll call you, like, on the weekend? That’s when we have our day off.”
“I have your number now,” she said. “Can I call you?”
“Not during the day,” he said. “But maybe let me call you the first few times.” He took a breath, a deep one. “I’m still working things out. What I want to do. How I feel.”
“That’s fine,” she said, her voice filled with warmth. “As long as you are safe and happy. That’s all I ever wanted for you. You know that, right?”
He did know that and maybe it’d been cruel of him never to call her from the road, but the hurt from her betrayal, what had looked like betrayal, had been so bad, it was like spikes poking up through skin at every turn.
“I do know,” he said finally. “I’m figuring that out, along with everything else. But I have to go now.”
“Wait,” she said. “What’s the name of the town you’re in? I won’t come visit you till you say, but at least I can look on the map. And then maybe one day you can tell me about where you’ve been.”
“Farthing,” he said. “It’s a town called Farthing, and I’m in Farthingdale Valley.”
The words felt sweet as he said them, the kiss from Marston to his temple, even sweeter.
“Okay,” she said.
“I’ve got to go. Maybe I’ll call you this weekend. Bye for now.”
He made himself click to end the call, which wasn’t the hardest thing he’d ever done, but it was up there. However, folding himself against Marston’s waiting body, feeling those arms come around him, was the easiest thing in all the world.
“Thanks for being my lifeline,” he said, the words pressing into Marston’s strong chest.
“I’ve never been anybody’s lifeline before,” Marston said, the words a whisper in Kell’s ears.
“Well, you are now,” said Kell. “Only don’t tell anyone you saw me crying over my mom. I don’t want that.”
“No, I won’t,” said Marston, holding him tighter. “I won’t, and that’s a promise.”
Marston had never lied to him, and had never broken a promise to him, so Kell knew he was in good hands. The best hands, the safest arms.
