Luke walked them to the door, giving Eli a high-five. “Have a great day at school, buddy. I’ll see you later, okay?”
Eli beamed up at Luke. “Okay! Bye, Uncle Luke!”
As they drove to school, Eli chattered excitedly about his plans for the day. Noah listened, a smile on his face, but his mind was elsewhere. He couldn’t shake the feeling of unease that had settled in his stomach. This morning had been almost perfect. Too perfect. He wanted Luke there with them every morning now, but that might send Eli the wrong message. There was no handbook for this sort of thing.
“Dad?” Eli’s voice broke through his thoughts.
“Yeah, buddy?”
“Did you have a good time on your date with Uncle Luke?” Eli asked, his eyes wide with curiosity.
Noah hesitated for a moment, then nodded. “Yeah, I did. We had a really nice time together.”
He tugged at his collar. It suddenly felt hotter in the car as Noah remembered thenicetime they’d had. And once more in themiddle of the night. But he couldn’t let himself think about that when his son was right behind him.
Eli grinned. “That’s good. I like Uncle Luke. He’s nice and fun, and he helps me with my baseball stuff. I think you two should go on more dates.”
Noah’s heart swelled with love for his son, but the doubt lingered. “I’m glad you think so, buddy. We’ll have to see what happens. Sometimes, grown-ups have to think about other things too. Like making sure we’re doing what’s best for everyone, including you.”
Eli seemed to ponder this for a moment. “But Uncle Luke makes you smile a lot. And he helps me with stuff. Isn’t that good for everyone?”
Noah felt a lump form in his throat. Eli’s simple logic made it all sound so easy, but Noah knew it was far more complex. “It is, buddy. But sometimes, we have to be careful to make sure everyone’s happy and safe.”
Eli nodded, seeming to accept this explanation. “Okay. But I still think you and Uncle Luke should go on more dates. You both look really happy when you’re together.”
Noah pulled into the school parking lot, his mind a whirlwind of conflicting thoughts and emotions. As they walked toward the school entrance, Noah couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched. He glanced around and spotted Jimmy Crowley leaning against his car, a smirk on his face.
Noah’s stomach churned as Jimmy approached them. “Morning, Thompson. Heard you had quite the party at your place last night.”
Noah tensed, feeling put on the spot. “Oh?”
Jimmy’s smirk widened. “Yeah. Heard you and Luke Garrett went to dinner and then got distracted when you were going into your house.”
Noah’s face heated, and he felt a rising tide of anger and embarrassment. “Luke is a good friend, yes.”
Jimmy chuckled, his eyes gleaming with mischief. “Sure, sure. Just make sure you’re not causing any small-town scandals, huh? We all know how people talk around here.”
Noah’s heart pounded as Jimmy walked away, leaving him feeling exposed and vulnerable. The doubt that had been simmering beneath the surface now boiled over, threatening to consume him. He dreaded the thought of Eli being caught in the crossfire of small-town gossip.
As Noah watched Eli enter the school, his mind raced with thoughts of what Jimmy had said and the implications of their budding relationship. He worried about the potential fallout and how it might affect Eli. The weight of responsibility pressed heavily on his shoulders, and he found himself questioning whether he was making the right decisions for both himself and his son.
The drive to the high school was a blur of conflicting emotions and thoughts. Noah’s heart ached with the uncertainty of it all, and he found himself yearning for the simplicity of the previous night when everything had felt so right and pure. It sucked so much that assholes like Jimmy Crowley could hold something like falling in love over his head. And it was beyond fucked up that Jimmy’s words weren’t simply empty threats. If the wrongperson caught wind of him and Luke being together, they could raise enough hell to get him fired.
You’re being ridiculous. Maybe years ago, but…
Noah’s stomach churned when he realized he had no idea if Maple Hill was ready for an openly gay teacher. He’d assumed he wasn’t the only one, but the more he thought about it, he hadn’t heard of any other out teachers.
When Noah’s head was still a mess as they were dismissed from the staff meeting after school, he realized he needed someone to talk to, someone who could help him make sense of the chaos in his mind. He reached for his phone and dialed Jenna’s number, hoping she could provide reassurance and guidance. He needed her to tell him he wasn’t an awful, selfish father for wanting to have more in his life than Eli.
“Hey, Noah,” Jenna answered, her voice warm and comforting. Noah heard voices in the background. He glanced at the clock on his dashboard and did the mental math. It was only two in the afternoon out west, which meant Jenna was still at work. Probably out in the field. And yet she hadn’t sent him to voicemail, likely assuming he was calling about their son because it was absurd to think he’d be calling about his romantic angst.
“Hey,” Noah said, his voice heavy with emotion. “Do you have a minute? I can call back if this isn’t a good time.”
“Of course,” Jenna replied. “What’s going on? Is everything okay with Eli?”
Noah took a deep breath, gathering his thoughts. “Yeah. Sorry, I should have started with that. He’s doing great. Had a sleepover with Rachel last night and came home hopped up on sugar. Ijust… I need to talk about Luke and Eli and everything that’s been happening. I’m feeling really conflicted, and you’re the only person who knows what’s going on who won’t tell me I’m being foolish if my concerns are valid.”
“Well, that sounds ominous. Okay, tell me what’s been going on,” Jenna said, her voice filled with concern.
