“Sorry,” I said immediately. “And I’m not…it’s not like that, Dad, okay? This wasn’t exactly somethin’ I was prepared for, alright? It’s new to me and I don’t even know if it’s somethin’ that’s gonna be…somethin’. I’m still figurin’ it out.”
“Well, it sounds like you’ve got some things figured out,” she said gently. “Otherwise, why would you bother telling us? If it was just…well, a bit of fun, then you wouldn’t need to tell us, right?”
“I guess,” I said, a little uncomfortable. It was one thing for my father to be his normal blunt self. It was something else entirely for my mother to express, in her delicate and careful way, that she understood that what was going on between Walker and me was definitely sexual.
“Well, then maybe you should consider that it’s important enough for you to bring up to us,” she continued. “And if thatmeans it’s a big deal for you, then you need to talk to him about it too. Is it…Walker?”
“Yes,” I said with a sigh. “It’s Walker.”
“Did you…know back then?”
“Um, no?”
“Now, why was that a question?”
“Because…” I began, and then sighed. “Because I knewsomethin’was weird about how I felt about ’em back then, but I didn’t really?—”
“Think too much of it at the time and because it didn’t seem like a big deal, you decided not to dig too deep into figuring it out.”
“Yeah, pretty much.”
“Why must I be cursed with two of your clones?” she asked, and I knew that question was directed at my father.
“Don’t go blamin’ me for this!” he complained, but it wasn’t like he had much of a defense. My brother, Dylan, and me were as stubborn as he was, not the type to talk about how we’re feeling, and while he had got more of my father’s wilder side, I had taken over in other ways. We even resembled our father, having got his green eyes, pale skin, and red hair, although my mother’s dark hair and eyes should have beaten his genetics. “I didn’t make the boy gay.”
“I’m not gay!” I exclaimed just in time for the door to open, and I found not just Walker standing there with a plate of steaming food, but Reggie as well. “Oh, perfect.”
“Should I come back?” Walker asked, glancing at the phone and then up at me with only a towel wrapped around my waist.
“I’ll definitely come back,” Reggie said with a snort, turning away. “I won’t be far.”
“Thanks,” Walker told him, stepping into the room. “Are you yelling at Clay?”
“Ooh, I recognize that smooth voice now,” my mother exclaimed, and I felt a lot better about what was happening when I saw Walker freeze like he’d just been told there was a sniper. “Walker, hello!”
“So you’re the one who made my boy gay?” my father asked, and I was right back to being exasperated and over this conversation.
“Hello again, Mr. and Mrs. Wilcom,” Walker said, his voice absurdly formal. “It’s lovely to speak to you both again.”
“Oh, I forgot how polite this one is,” she said, apparently thrilled to be talking to Walker. “Please ignore my husband. He was raised by animals and despite forty years married to me, he ain’t been taught proper manners.”
“I’m not gay!” I insisted again, though I suspected my dad was just saying it to get a rise out of me. That it was working just made it more annoying.
Walker was staring at me, and I couldn’t tell if it was confusion or accusation I could sense in his eyes. “As far as I know, he remains mostly heterosexual.”
“Gay enough,” my father grumbled. “Now, do me a favor and pin this one down? I’ve given up on the other one, dunno if anyone is gonna make that one behave, but Cade’s alright enough. Ya think you two could stop screwin’ around and just?—”
“Alright, that’s enough,” I said, reaching for the button on the phone. “I love you both, bye!”
“Now hold on,” my mother protested, and I heard something sharp in the background, followed by a muffled curse from my father, making me wince. “Cayden, don’t you hit that button before I’ve said my piece. Your father’s said enough. Let me speak.”
My finger hovered over the button, but I didn’t press it. “Okay.”
“I’m still tryin’ to absorb what you told me; it’s gonna take a minute. But don’t you dare for a minute think that means I think badly of you…or Walker, or…whatever’s going on between you. What me and your father both want is for you to be happy, so while your father might be an absoluteass…he’s right about part of it. You two need to have a little talk, I think.”
“Mom, he’s literally right here.”
“I know,” she said, and I sighed. “Now I love you, honey, and Walker?”
