“Can we agree to leave yesterday behind us?”
“Yeah.” Matthew nodded. The conversation had gone better than he’d thought. “You’re going to get in touch with Damien, right? To talk things out? He’s feeling really low after what happened. He thinks he’s going to lose all of you as friends and it’s eating him up.”
“I’ll talk to him.”
“And, um, while we’re on the topic…” It was time to rip the last Band-Aid off. “Damien has asked me to move to New York to be with him. Emily and I are going to be moving soon. I don’t know when exactly, but…” He wanted to sigh, but he held his ground instead. “But we’d like to leave as soon as we can. Do you think that you and Alex can prioritize figuring out an arrangement for Violet’s care so we can go?”
“Yeah.” The pained look on his father’s face told a different story, but Matthew appreciated how hard he was working to be understanding. It was love in its purest form. “We’ll get it figured out. Speaking of the girls and childcare arrangements, I’m sure Clarissa is ready for us to take them off her hands. Do you want to come with me to go get them? I figure we can stop somewhere for breakfast.”
Matthew’s smile brightened. It wobbled no more. “I’d love that. You choose wherever you’d like to go. Breakfast is on me.”
34
Damien
Long after the city had lit herself up in defense against the night, Damien’s phone buzzed with a new message. Damien, who’d been nose deep in combing through the projections his analysts had drafted in his absence, eagerly pushed his workload aside in favor of a distraction.
He was glad he had—it was a private message from Gwynn.
Heart in his throat, Damien opened it.
Gwynning: I’m not angry.
KnotMyProblem: Are you saying that for Matthew’s benefit, or are you saying that because you mean it? Because there’s a period at the end of that sentence, Gwynn. It’s internet lingo 101 that ending your chat sentences with a period means you’re pissed
Gwynning: I mean it
Gwynning: I’m not exactly happy, but I think, in time, I could be. You’re not the worst man Matthew could have ended up with. I know you’ll take good care of him
KnotMyProblem: Know that I mean it when I say that all I want is to take care of him
KnotMyProblem: I love him, Gwynn. As long as I live, I swear he’ll never want for anything
Damien set his phone on his desk and closed his eyes, trying—and failing—to calm the fuck down. It was one thing to make grand gestures to Matthew, but another thing entirely to share his feelings with Matthew’s father.
Too nervous to sit still, Damien grabbed his phone and wheeled back from his desk, then scooted back and forth across the room while seated in his chair, propelling himself with his feet. The report could wait. Another fifteen minutes wasn’t going to kill the deal.
When he checked his phone again, another message waited.
Gwynning: I want you to promise me something
KnotMyProblem: Anything
Gwynning: I want your word that when he’s older, you’ll still love him as much as you do now. He won’t stay twenty forever. One day he’ll be old and gray, and the boy you love will be a man. I need to know you’ll still love him when that happens. I need to know you’ll take care of him no matter what.
KnotMyProblem: I swear it.
Gwynn started typing a message, but the three dots at the bottom of the screen kept flickering out of existence. It was fine. Gwynn could take as long as he wanted. When it came to Matthew’s well-being, Damien would wait forever, if forever was what it took.
Gwynning: Thank you.
Damien lifted a hand to his bruised cheek and managed a smile. Period or not, he knew Gwynn meant it.
Gwynning: If there comes a time when you change your mind about him, please don’t take it out on him. His heart is eager to love, but its willingness makes it fragile. Be gentle. Be compassionate. Bring him home to me and I’ll make sure he’s okay.
For as long as Damien had known the Single Dads, he’d never known Gwynn to be so paternal. The love he had for his son ran deep.
KnotMyProblem: I will
