The conversation with Sean that morning was more troubling than waking up with him in his bed. Why were Sean and his sister separated? He had a feeling the happy-go-lucky face Sean portrayed to the world was a farce, and wanted to find out what lay behind the mask, but he had no one to ask…except Ray.
Whom he owed a call, and now seemed as good a time as any. They’d spoken briefly after he’d arrived, and Ray had apologized profusely for the mix-up and the delay in his start date. Tristan had assured him it didn’t matter, but he could use the excuse of finally starting the new job soon as a reason to call. He waited until the salad was served before placing the call.
“Tristan? How the hell are you?”
“Doing good. Looking forward to starting the job.”
“Things still going okay with Sean?”
“It’s fine. We’re getting by.”
God, he felt like a shit. Secretly lusting after his friend’s brother-in-law was not what Ray would want to hear.
Ray sighed. “It was a fuckup on both our accounts, which I blame on my crazy schedule of traveling back and forth so much. I told the chairman that with my kids so young, I have to be home more, so I’m staying put for a while and going into the city. If they need my help in London, they can get me on a Zoom call. But I should’ve called Charlotte instead of sending an email, and she forgot to text me. I can’t fault her. She had her hands full with the kids and then having Sean burst in on her unexpectedly.”
“Does he do that often?”
“Sean? No. Not at all. Not enough for Charlotte.” Ray’s silence was telling, and Tristan knew he was debating how much to reveal. “That was a crazy night, from what I heard. A massive storm and lots of damage. We’re just glad he wasn’t hurt physically when the roof caved in. He’s a great uncle to the kids. We wish he’d come by more often.”
Disappointed that Ray hadn’t revealed more, Tristan decided to probe a little. “He mentioned that he and your wife grew up apart. How did that happen?”
“It’s a sad story. From what we were able to gather, Sean was a very colicky baby who cried a lot and had trouble sleeping and eating. Around age two he couldn’t sit still and needed a lot of attention. His mother was very young when she had him, and the father wasn’t in the picture. She was overwhelmed and gave him up, and he went into foster care when he was three. I guess he acted out a lot and bounced from house to house.”
As Ray spoke, Tristan’s anger grew. “I’m not surprised he did. Who wouldn’t act out after being dumped and abandoned?”
“Yeah, exactly. What makes it worse is that about a year after Sean went into foster care, his mother reunited with his father and they got married. They had Charlotte a year after that.”
“And they never tried to find Sean?” Tristan’s jaw dropped even as his heart broke for Sean. He knew what it was like to be walked out on and forgotten. It wasn’t something you got over easily. “Bastards.”
“Yeah. And they kept it hidden from Charlotte. After her parents sold their house and moved to Florida, Char took some boxes and things of theirs to our place. Then we got married, and when we moved from the city to the house out on the Island she decided to go through them. She found a few photos, a copy of Sean’s birth certificate, and his mother’s termination of parental rights. When she confronted them, they admitted what they’d done. Naturally, Char was furious and went on a mission to find Sean. I’d say their reunion was a happy one, but as much as she’s tried to get close to him, Char knows Sean’s keeping lots of shit locked up inside.”
Sean’s childhood was eerily similar to his own in some respects, and his anger bubbled to the surface. “Son of a bitch,” he swore. His appetite gone, Tristan pushed away the salad.
“You two are getting along, right? Is it hard being in the same apartment? I know it’s not a big space, but at least there’s a pull-out sofa bed.”
Heat rushed through him as he recalled that morning and how he’d woken up with a very naked Sean wrapped around him like a winter scarf.
“Yeah, it really hasn’t been an issue. We’re working with it until I find my own place.”
“Any luck? I know it’s a sellers’ market.”
“You got that right.”
“Well, I’m not rushing you out. You’re taking the burden off me with the payments, so take as long as you need.” Ray chuckled. “Sean still hasn’t found a job, from what I know.”
“It’s no big deal. He’s looking, though, and said he has something in the works, so maybe he’ll be able to contribute more soon.”
Ray sighed. “Look. I hate saying this because I do love Sean. He’s got a good heart, and I know he’s been lost most of his life. He started out behind the eight ball for sure. But he’s not the most stable in either jobs or relationships.”
“I thought his old boyfriend cheated on him.”
“You seem to have found out a lot about him in a short period of time.” Ray’s questioning tone put Tristan in a more cautious mindset.
“Not really. Just trying to get to know who I’m living with.”
“Yeah. This guy Chad was a douche.”
“Looks like almost everyone’s let Sean down—his parents, his friends, his boyfriend.”
