He looks so confident out there, defending his right to be a fair trader. It makes me fall for him a little harder. But I can still see his shaking hand. He’s holding one of his wings, a bee, in his hand. It’s shaking so much that the wings look like they’re about to fly.
I want to be beside him, but I don't know if it'll provide more of a distraction, especially when I'm not exactly the witch's favorite person.
“I don’t understand what you’re trying to say, Mr. Remington.”
“I’m not trying to say anything, Mr. Sallow. I’m stating a fact. I received a letter formally stopping me from applying to sell at the fair. Why is that?”
Mr. Sallow goes a deep shade of red and looks at his two female companions.
As expected, Mrs. Martin stands up. “The committee has decided—”
“Yes,” Arlo interrupts. “Because I’m not a local, I cannot sell at the fair.”
There are a few whispers around the room, supposedly from people who were not aware of this ridiculous rule, and Mrs. Martin’s expression turns visibly sour.
“But that’s not the only thing that goes against me. Is it, Mrs. Martin? Mrs. Jenkins?”
“I know exactly what your kind wants with this town,” Mrs. Martin shouts, forgetting she’s in a room full of people. I can't see Arlo's reaction from where I'm standing.
There’s movement on the other side of the room as someone comes forward.
“And what kind is that, Mother?”
Dozens of heads turn to the back where Jayden stands, his eyes trained on the stage as if no one else exists.
He continues. “I’ve seen Mr. Remington’s website. He’s a talented painter as well as a master craftsman. His pieces are unique. In fact, I watched him give away dozens of samples of his work as you were walking in.”
Jayden holds up one of the small wings Arlo has been busy creating over the last few weeks. “Can anyone disagree that this is a stunning and well-crafted little piece? How about all the children of Stillwater who will want to have their own wings to wear when they’re playing? Who can agree that wherever Mr. Remington comes from, he’s an asset to Stillwater and the town should be proud to have him at the craft fair?”
There’s a rumble of people agreeing and nodding their heads.
“My daughter saw one of her school friends wearing them the other day, and she hasn’t stopped talking about it. I’ve been wracking my brains trying to find out how to get a pair,” one woman says, standing up.
“About time we have more than crocheted teddy bears and handmade greetings cards,” a man shouts from the other end.
I look at Arlo standing totally lost in the middle of the crowd. I can’t help myself, and I make my way to join him.
Mrs. Martin’s face is whiter than if she’d had a bag of flour dropped on her head as she sees me walk up to Arlo.
I nod at Jayden as I walk past him, and he gives me an imperceptible smile.
So this is thebusinesshe had in Stillwater.
When Arlo sees me coming toward him, he looks down at the floor. He must be a whirlpool of emotions, so I just stand next to him and breathe a sigh of relief when he lets me hold his hand.
“When I heard of Mr. Rem—I’ll call him Arlo because I hope one day we can be friends,” Jayden says. “When I heard of Arlo’s challenge and then saw his work, I couldn’t sit quietly any longer. I refuse to let the woman who is meant to love me unconditionally do any more harm to Arlo, Levi, me, and anyone else in this town that identifies as LGBTQ.”
More gasps around the room. Mrs. Martin stands up, but Jayden holds up his hand to stop her from saying anything.
“I think it's time this town knows exactly the kind of people influencing the decisions that affect its people. Ten years ago, I was a teenager in love with my best friend. Levi was the only person who could see through the carefully crafted image my mother created for our family. Most teenagers our age would have engaged in a lot more than light kissing, but we shared a connection that went beyond any sexual experimentation. The problem was that it was difficult to find a place where we could be together and have the privacy most teenagers take for granted.”
I feel like I’m being transported back to the past for the second time today with every word out of Jayden’s mouth. He needs to tell the truth, but I came to the meeting to support Arlo. I’m not ready to be put on the spot.
Arlo looks at me, and something passes through his eyes. He squeezes my hand back as Jayden continues our story.
“I was a stupid kid who didn’t think of the consequences of my actions. I have to apologize to Levi because I’m sharing a truth that isn’t just mine.” He looks at me. “I hope you forgive me.”
I nod, giving him permission to continue.
