“Rose and Herb’s place?” Carmine’s brows pulled together. “Shame about Herb. Good guy.”
“Yes,” I answered, my voice catching in my throat. “Yes. She said she needed help, and today was very busy. I’d gone to buy more flowers for the house and found them swamped with customers, so I pitched in and helped. I guess she appreciated it, ’cause the next thing I knew, she asked me if I wanted to work there.”
“Isn’t that great?” Frankie’s gaze shifted from his father to Jeannie, his voice high and challenging. “Exactly what Aaron wanted.”
“Good for you. Glad it worked out.” Carmine gave me an approving nod.
“Mom?”
I could already hear Jeannie’s not-so-subtle digs.“Hope it works out better with Rose than it did at the other place. Maybe you’ll keep this one a little longer.”
“I’m happy for you, Aaron. I knew you’d fit in perfectly at Rose’s shop.” For the second time that day, my world rocked.
“You…you did?”
Her eyes bright, Jeannie left her seat to join Frankie and me on the wide sectional couch. “Well, I’ll tell you. It bugged me when you lost your job for no other reason than you’re gay. And then I see you doin’ such a good job on my mother’s house.” She stopped to address Carmine. “Didn’t I say that to you, Carmine? Didn’t I tell you how good the house looks and what a good job Aaron was doin’?”
“Yeah. She ain’t lying. She don’t shut up about it neither. Says her sister-in-law is gonna be so jealous when she sees it finished.”
I bit back a smile, and Frankie snorted.
“Ma. Again? You and Aunt Angie still goin’ at it?”
“It’s true. Angie didn’t want the house. Said it was too old and broke down. Shows what she knows.” She sniffed.
“Ma,” Frankie said patiently, “you wanna finish this story before Christmas comes?”
“Don’t be so fresh.” Jeannie glared at Frankie for a second before addressing me. “Anyway, it was the garden that did it. All the time you spent taking care of her flowers and her roses really got to me. I’d drive by sometimes and see you on your knees, workin’ on trimming the bushes. You knew how much my mother loved her garden, and even though I wasn’t so nice to you, you still did a beautiful job.”
I couldn’t have been more shocked if someone had told me I’d won the lottery.
“So last week I stopped by Rose’s place to ask her if you’d come by there to get your flowers. I might’ve mentioned that you ’n Frankie were together.”
“And that I went to jail.”
Her face flushed red, and she broke eye contact. “Well, yeah. She asked me how long you two been together, so I told her.”
When would I ever stop getting judged? Never, probably. Another consequence of my former bad behavior I had to learn to live with.
“But,” she said more urgently, “I also told her you was looking for a job and that you’d be perfect to work with her. I told her how you helped me in the garden here. And how careful you were with my mother’s place. I knew your dream was always to work with plants and flowers.”
With each word, I felt we were building a block in our relationship apart from Frankie. Earning Jeannie’s respect meant I’d begun to move past the old Aaron. From now on, all my successes and failures would be measured against the man I’d become, not the one I’d left behind.
“Thank you don’t seem like enough, but it’s the best I can do. And to say that I won’t prove you wrong. I…I almost can’t believe it.”
“Ma. Thank you. What you did means everything to me.” Frankie hugged her, and while her arms were around him, her eyes remained on me.
“You’re my everything. But it’s your life, not mine to live. I told you when you brought Aaron back around that I’d wait and see. I’ve seen enough.”
Frankie’s strong thigh pressed against mine, and he squeezed my hand tight, but I barely felt it.
Jeannie took my other hand. “I know I been hard on you, but I did what I thought right to protect my family. It’s not often I’m proved wrong, but I gotta say I’m really glad you did. If you’d let me, I’d liketa give you a hug.”
“She gives the best hugs. I say go for it.” Frankie dropped my hand and nudged me, his eyes shining.
It had been a long, hard road, one I sometimes wanted to veer off from and give up. But when Jeannie’s arms came around me and she held me close, I’d finally come home.
