At first, Graeme thought he was seeing things. His parents lived closer to London, not in Cornwall. It was a Thursday morning in early September, nobody’s birthday or anniversary or anything. But there they were, chatting stiffly to each other by one of the windows.
“Hurry,” Graeme whispered to Art as they joined a small queue near the buffet. “We have to get out of here.”
“Hmm?” Art glanced back at him with a smile that was still warm and sated from earlier.
It was too late. Graeme’s parents’ table wasn’t far enough away for them to go unnoticed. The sudden clatter of a fork falling against a plate told him he’d been seen.
“Graeme?” his mother’s voice cut through the low buzz of morning conversations.
Graeme winced, his shoulders dropping but his heart pounding.
Art looked around more intently, but he didn’t have to search for the disturbance for long. Graeme’s father stood from the table as soon as he saw Graeme standing there. There was nothing to do but face the uncomfortable situation and to try to stop it from spinning out of control.
“Hi, Mum, Dad,” he said nervously, stepping out of line and going over to their table.
A horrible, cowardly part of Graeme hoped Art wouldn’t follow him. That part was quickly overshadowed by the part of him who wanted Art by his side desperately. Fortunately for him, Art was doggedly protective and strode over to stand firmly by Graeme’s side, preemptively confrontational for his sake.
“What are you doing here?” Graeme’s mum asked, looking like someone had let in a wild animal.
Before Art and Ryan, Graeme would have buckled and hung his head in shame in front of his parents. The transformation he’d felt earlier seemed to swell to its completion, though, giving him strength. He had absolutely nothing to be ashamed of. In fact, he had so much to be proud of.
“I had a meeting with Mrs. St. Ives, the owner of Penwith Grange, yesterday,” he said, shoulders squared. “I might be contracted to redesign the gardens here. It would be a tremendous boost to my business.”
“We’re very proud of him,” Art added.
Surprisingly, Graeme didn’t want to cringe at the interjection, even though he knew it was meant to provoke. He was so happy that Art was proud of him, and he knew Ryan was, too.
Graeme’s parents didn’t feel the same way. His mum actually reached for her neck, like she had pearls she wanted to clutch. His dad narrowed his eyes and said, “This isn’t the man you came to the wedding with.”
The comment hit Graeme in all sorts of incendiary ways. He’d known his parents were at Mavis and Benny’s wedding, but he’d only seen them briefly. He hadn’t thought they’d noticed him at all, but apparently they had. They’d noticed enough to know Art wasn’t Ryan, but they hadn’t tried to speak to him or face him or anything. Not even to dismiss him.
“Ryan is back in London,” he said, going one step farther and taking Art’s hand. “We’re just here to grab some breakfast to eat in the car as we drive back. Ryan is a high-level fashion designer, and he’s showing a collection at London Fashion Week today. It’s incredibly prestigious, and we want to be there for him.” He glanced to Art with a smile to underline the unspoken point he was making to people he knew would condemn him all the way to Hell for it.
“Isn’t it bad enough that you would forsake everything good and holy for your wicked lusts,” Graeme’s dad hissed, leaning close like he thought he wouldn’t be overheard. That wasn’t likely, given how small the dining room was and how everyone was now watching them. “Are you saying you are committing the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah withtwomen?”
“The sin of Sodom and Gomorrah was selfishness and inhospitality,” Graeme said, squeezing Art’s hand harder. “And taking advantage of strangers seeking shelter. But none of that matters.”
“It most certainly matters,” Graeme’s mum said, looking more concerned about what people would think of her than angry with Graeme. “We didn’t raise you to be an abomination.”
“No,” Graeme agreed, head spinning in the surreal moment. “You raised me to be a good man who treats people fairly and loves unconditionally. I mean, you certainly weren’t that way with me, but you made me see what I didn’t want to be. And if you read the Bible that you waved at me all the time correctly, it gave me all the tools I needed to be a genuinely good person.”
“That’s blasphemy, son,” Graeme’s dad glowered.
“It’s the truth,” Graeme said with a shrug. “So thank you for everything you did and didn’t give to me, but I don’t believe the same things you do now. I’m happy. I’m in love.” He glanced to Art for a moment and smiled. “I have a wonderful life and an exciting future ahead of me. But I don’t think I need you in it. Not unless you’re able to love me for who I am.”
“I’ve heard just about enough of this,” Graeme’s dad said. “Come on, Elizabeth. We’re leaving.”
Graeme’s mum didn’t say a thing. She barely reacted to the command. She turned and walked off, following her husband, not once looking back at her son.
And it didn’t matter. As much as Graeme had thought his parents’ complete rejection would land like a heavy blow on hisheart, it didn’t really make an impact. The damage had been done a year ago, and thanks to Art and Ryan, he’d recovered so much of himself since then.
“Are you alright?” Art asked as the conversation in the dining room rose up again to fill the stunned silence the confrontation had left.
Graeme took a deep breath. Then he let it out and turned to Art with a smile. “Yeah,” he said. “I think I’m more than alright.” He still held Art’s hand, and he gave it a squeeze as he turned to face him. “What do you say we grab something along the way instead of getting breakfast here.”
“I am all for the idea,” Art said, already in motion, tugging Graeme away from the people who still stared at them, even though they tried to pretend they weren’t, as they left.
The rush of adrenaline left Graeme feeling wobbly as they made their way out to Art’s car. Graeme was grateful he wasn’t driving, and as he sank back into the passenger seat while Art pulled out of his parking space, then sped away from Penwith Grange entirely, he said a quick goodbye to everything he’d once been…and hello to everything he was on his way to being.
