Page 5 of Ice Around the Edges

“They’re actually on a cruise for the holidays.”

He nodded. “Did you call them?”

“No. They’ve been waiting to take that vacation forever. I didn’t want to ruin it.”

“And your brother Craig and his wife?”

“They have a new baby, so they’re not traveling this year. They wanted me to come to Atlanta, but… I have a lot to do at the shelter.”

“You mean you had a lot to do at the shelter. Who’s taking over for you?”

“I… the assistant director. He’s got everything under control; he came by today and gave me an update. My boss came by too. I think he was concerned that I’d be worried, so he dropped by to make me feel better.”

“So let me understand: they will get along just fine without you.”

“For a short amount of time, yes.”

“I see.” His voice dropped low as he looked at me. “So technically, you could be off from now until what––after New Year’s?”

“Well, yeah, but––”

“Okay.”

“Okay what?”

“Okay, then you should come and stay with me for a little while. Just a few weeks or so and see how it goes.”

I just stared at him.

“What?”

“Are you drunk?”

He scowled at me.

“Dixon, have you lost your mind? Do you even remember why we broke up?”

“Yeah, I remember. I was twenty-three, you were twenty-two, I had to go back to New York to take my place in the family business, and you wanted to be a fuckin’ social worker here in Chicago. That’s why we broke up.”

“No-no,” I corrected him, “don’t even try to blame the end on me. We broke up because you couldn’t tell your rich conservative family that you were gay.”

He squinted at me.

“It’s true,” I said angrily, annoyed that even after so long it still hurt. “You told me what your Dad said when you heard him talking to your grandfather that time.”

He was silent.

“And in a way it was easier for you to use your Dad’s words instead of having to come up with your own.”

“I used to be a coward.”

“And you’re not anymore?”

“No.”

“Well, good for you.”

“You don’t believe me,” he said flatly.