Calling how our relationship started a date, might be a bit of a stretch, but I was grateful Theron
said it in a way that didn’t cheapen what we’d shared. And the only reason we’d jumped right into
playing together was because I’d chickened out when he wanted to take me to lunch. If we’d done
things his way, I imagined it would have taken longer to get to where we were because he was a
noble man who didn’t want me to feel pressured into anything. I loved him for that, but in this case,
my way was definitely better.
“I could see that.” Dad hugged me tight. “I’m glad you have friends who look out for you. It makes
it easier to let you live the life you’re building. Are you planning on staying at the club after
graduation?”
“I am,” I admitted. It didn’t feel as scary anymore. They knew where I worked and what I was
doing. They saw me take charge when I needed to. They had both told me they were proud of how I’d
handled myself.
We all made our way into the living room once Mom had her cup of coffee. They sat on the couch
and didn’t say a word when I crawled into Daddy’s lap. Mom practically had hearts floating over her
head as she cradled her mug, watching Daddy rock me to sleep. It was a bit odd, but it wasn’t like
he’d pulled out my bottle or changed me into a diaper. I loved my parents, but I couldn’t wait for them
to go home so we could get back to our normal lives.
I listened to Daddy talk about his students and the end of the school year. Mom asked him for his
opinion on some initiatives she was involved with back home for underserved students. I smiled as I
drifted off to sleep, finally believing that everything was going to be just fine. There were no more
secrets and my parents seemed to love my Daddy almost as much as I did.
This was the life.
18
Theron
By the time Sam’s parents left the weekend of his birthday, my boy was exhausted. His mom had,
understandably, felt the need to make sure he was unharmed even though we hadn’t been anywhere
close to the original altercation. Before we’d walked them out to the car, she and I exchanged phone
numbers so we could work together on a graduation celebration for him here in Annandale. As she put
it, his life was here now, and she wanted him to understand how many people cared about him so that
he’d never doubt himself the way he had in the past.
