“It smells like perfume in here. Did Aunt Summer burn incense in here again to clear it of ghosts or something?”
“No. I told her she wasn’t allowed to do that anymore. Not after the Palo Alto incident.”
Owen took the scenic route home, enjoying the extra time with Avery as he listened to his stories from camp. Avery pulled out a target practice sheet to brag about his archery skills and made Owenonly slightly concerned with tales of flipping canoes during afternoon water time.
“Did you make any new friends?” Owen asked. Avery made friends wherever he went. He took after Maddy’s social nature.
“Yeah, there was this new kid, Carter, from Augusta. He hung out with me, Aiden, and Zach a lot. He was really good at kickball. We won every time.”
“That’s great,” Owen said. They drove past the welcome sign for Cedar Falls, entering the city limits. “I’m glad you had fun.”
“Yeah,” Avery responded. His feet swung back and forth, bumping against the seat as he came down from his excitement.
They approached town, and Owen flipped down his visor when the glare of the sun lit up the truck, sending a strip of paper fluttering to the floor. Avery bent down to grab it from the floorboard before Owen could.
“What’s this?”
Avery turned the paper over to reveal the photo strip Owen took from the cabin. The sequence of images capturing Ava and Owen when they were teenagers.
“That’s an old photo I found while you were at camp. Back when I was a teenager.”
Uncertainty filled Owen when Avery stared at the pictures, saying nothing. His eyebrows pinched as he pieced together what he was looking at. He hadn’t intended to have a conversation so soon about Ava. But Avery was a smart kid, and he’d make the connection soon enough.
“How old were you?”
Owen glanced at the photo still gripped in Avery’s hand before returning his eyes to the road.
“Think I was about eighteen. You haven’t seen many photos from me back then, huh?”
Avery shook his head. “That looks like Ava. Aunt Summer’s friend.”
And there it is. Anxiety bloomed in Owen’s chest, at the truth he had to reveal to Avery. “It is Ava. We used to date when we were younger.” Owen held his breath, waiting for Avery’s reaction.
“You guys look really happy,” Avery said. His voice sounded so small, and so uncertain, like his worldview was changing in an instant. “Hey, Dad … did you miss me while I was gone?”
Owen jerked his head to look at Avery, surprised by the question. “Of course I did. The house is too quiet without you. I don’t know what I’m going to do the day you finally move out.”
Avery still stared at the photo strip in his hand. His features smoothed out, but he worried his lip between his teeth, as if debating his next words. Something he usually only did when he was about to confess to something. Owen let Avery work out his thoughts without interfering.
His swinging legs turned into absently kicking at his backpack in front of him.
“You don’t have to be alone, Dad. Carter was telling us about his new stepmom. He said he liked her a lot and his dad was happier. His mom is gone a lot. Like Mom,” Avery said.
Owen’s heart ached at the longing in Avery’s voice, and how sweet his son could be. They’d never discussed the idea of Owen dating or getting married. He kept his dating life private, not that he had much of one.
Except now I have Ava. And Avery knows we dated.
“You know your mom loves you so much, right? She’s not gone because she doesn’t love you. We have a different relationship than most parents your friends have.”
Avery continued staring at the picture, his thumb twiddling with the bottom corner. “Yeah, I know. But if you wanted to be with someone, I think I’d be OK. It could be nice.” Avery shrugged.
Owen pulled into the driveway and put the car in park. Neither of them attempted to leave just yet. Owen reached across the bench seat to put a hand on Avery’s shoulder. “Hey. Look at me.”
Avery turned his way, his big brown eyes a mirror image of his own. Not only did he seem taller, but he had a few more freckles from the sun.Need to remind him more about wearing sunscreen.“If I ever date someone, it will be a someone we both like and who cares about both of us. I will never bring someone into our lives you aren’t one hundred percent comfortable with.”
Avery fidgeted in the seat before nodding his head. “Like Ava.” Avery said it like it was a fact and not a question. He looked up from the photo strip to meet Owen’s gaze. “We both like Ava.”
Owen swallowed down his anxiety, and the spark of hope that flared in him. He squeezed Avery’s shoulder once more and let go. “Yeah. We do. And she cares about us, too.”
