“I’llprobably be here for another hour,” Beau said, grabbing his towel and swipingit across his forehead.
“Seeyou at home then.”
Withthat, Beau hung up the phone and glanced around the gym. No one was thereexcept for him. Not even the owner who tended to hang out in the evening. Thatwas one of the reasons Beau enjoyed working out at that time of day. He figuredmost people were heading home for dinner which gave him some time to himself.
Toobad he was having a hard time focusing on what he was supposed to be doing.
Glancingdown at the phone he was still holding, Beau looked back up at the reflectionin the mirror. For the last several days, he’d been contemplating making thatone phone call. The one that would give him closure, one way or the other. Hedidn’t bank on the outcome being a good one, but he knew it was inevitable.
Grabbinghold of the courage before it eluded him yet again, Beau dialed the number heknew by heart.
“Hello?”
Beauclosed his eyes at the sound of his mother’s voice. At least he wouldn’t haveto deal with his father right off.
“Mom,”he replied.
“Beau,”she answered, sounding oddly happy to hear from him. Or maybe that was justwhat Beau wanted to hear.
“Youmind if I stop by in a bit?”
“Forwhat?”
Nowthat was what he expected from his mother. They acted as though it wasn’tnormal for him just to want to stop by and say hello. Another reason he’dstopped doing so over the years. It made him uncomfortable, and it was badenough that he already felt like an outsider by his own family.
“Justto talk for a minute.”
Therewas a brief pause, followed by, “All right. Your father will be home in a fewminutes. What time will you be here?”
Beauglanced up at the clock and figured he might as well get it over with. “Fifteenminutes?”
Again,another brief pause followed by, “Ok.” Then the call ended.
Beausucked in a breath, let it out slowly.
Hehated this. He didn’t want to do this, but he knew if he didn’t, he would beplagued with the questions for the rest of his life. And now that he was movingforward, it was time he overcame the last hurdle. No matter what the outcomewas going to be.
Twentyminutes later, Beau was walking into his parents’ house, his mother closing thedoor behind him. He’d had to knock when he arrived because, as usual, the doorhad been locked and they had never given him a key since the day he moved out.
“Yourfather is in the kitchen,” his mother informed him, getting right to the point.
Beaunodded, making his way through the small, dimly lit house. It still looked thesame as it did when he was a kid – same dull, brown furniture, same dingy, tancarpet; even the walls had taken on a yellow tinge over the years. Almost likehis parents didn’t like change, so they kept everything exactly the way it hadbeen.
“Dad,”he greeted his father when he stepped into the kitchen.
BenBennett glanced up at him, his hand stopping on its trek to his mouth. Theywere having dinner. Great.
“Whatare you doing here?” Ben asked gruffly.
Thanks,Dad. Way to make me feel welcome.
“Sit,”his mother said firmly, directing him toward one of the empty chairs at thetable. She didn’t offer him food or even a drink, just told him to sit.
Withouthesitation, Beau sat, his stomach suddenly churning from the idea of what hewas about to do. This was not going to go well, and he couldn’t help but wonderif he could just move through the rest of his life without having to endurethis final falling out. He knew it was coming.
Asmall – very small – piece of him prayed that it wouldn’t go the way heenvisioned it would, but when it came to his relationship with his parents,Beau had learned not to get his hopes up.
Hisfather continued to eat, not paying any attention to Beau, but that wasn’tunusual.
