Cards on the Table - 56. Chapter 56 What Are The Odds?

Cards on the Table

 

 

Chapter 56

 

 

“Those guys are freaking hilarious!” Bodie exclaimed once they were back in their room.

“Did you see Uncle Kendall’s face? He likes to take my temperature. Oh, man, I bet Uncle Mike is in big trouble right now.” Both boys collapsed on the bed, side by side, in uncontrollable fits of laughter. It took a few minutes, but they eventually lapsed into silence.

“Your family is really cool, Nate. I feel so comfortable here. It’s weird, being gay and having people other than Mom and Dad think nothing of it.” He turned his head and smiled at his boyfriend, but there was seriousness behind his statement.

“Yeah, I know it’s not going to be like this everywhere, even when we’re grown up. Uncle Kendall says there will probably always be those who don’t accept us. My grandparents are pretty special, eh?”

“They’re the best. You’re lucky to have them.”

“We are lucky to have them. They’re your grams and gramps too now.”

Bodie grinned. “Yeah, it’s incredible how they’ve welcomed me. They don’t even really know me, yet they’ve made me part of the family.”

“It’s easy to know you.” Nate turned on his side to face the blond boy.

Bodie did the same. “What does that mean?”

“It means anyone can see what an amazing person you are. I knew it in a couple of minutes… not even that long. I knew it when I first saw you smile. Everyone likes you right away.”

“Thanks for saying that, but it sure doesn’t apply to the guys I grew up with.”

“Yes it does. They liked you, but now they’re jerks who have to figure out that they are jerks, and realize you’re still the same person. It’s their loss if they don’t come around.”

“Maybe, but it doesn’t matter. I have you, and that’s more important to me than some fair-weather, small-minded ex-friends.”

“Yes, you do have me, but don’t give up on your buddies forever. Look at Josh. He was a first-class asshole. Peer pressure makes us do stupid things. Uncle Kendall told me that… so did Uncle Mike, and I believe them now.”

“I understand it was a shock to them, but there’s been plenty of time to get over it. I think if anyone will ever come around, it would be Evan. Dan and Kyle, I’m not so sure.” Bodie looked pensive, and Nate could see how much it still did matter. Maybe he’d be able to help in some way, once he started at the same school.

“Thanks for last night.”

Bodie chuckled. “You’re thanking me for getting into your bed and holding you? Yeah, it was a big sacrifice.” He leaned in and kissed the tip of his boyfriend’s nose.

Nate giggled. “I was being serious.”

“So was I.”

“Okay, but anyway, thank you for making me feel safe. It felt nice… the way you held me all night.”

“It was nice to be able to hold my gorgeous boyfriend. It was a dream come true for me.”

“For me too. I’m going to miss that.”

“Hey, I’m here tonight too.”

“I know, but I may not have a nightmare tonight?”

“Maybe I will then, and you can hold me?” The lifting of his eyebrows made Nate giggle.

“You realize my uncles checked on us early this morning?”

“They did?”

“Yeah… they were smiling when they saw us, so it was cool.”

Bodie looked relieved, and the temporary concern left his face. “Good. I wouldn’t want them to think badly of me.”

“One thing’s for sure, Bode. They think you’re awesome too.”

“Too?”

“Well yeah. I’m not your only fan,” he said as he stared into impossibly blue eyes.

Bodie’s response was to bypass the nose this time, and zero in on his lips. Nate couldn’t help but think kisses didn’t get any better than the one they were sharing as he felt the light caress of Bodie’s tongue against his own. Pulling back slowly, he was pretty sure it was love looking back at him, and he experienced an overwhelming rush of emotion.

Saved by the bell. Nate’s email alert went off.

“That might be Josh,” he stammered, not able to look away from such devotion. For sure, Josh had never looked at him in such a way.

Bodie gave him a tender smile. “You should check. It might be important.”

“Yeah, okay.” Nate swung around and stood up, keeping his back to Bodie as he went to his desk. Glancing over as he sat down, he saw that same smile still gracing the handsome face, and he returned it.

“Yeah, it’s from Josh. Come read it with me.”

 

“Hey Natey. I did it! I took your advice and told my mom. She’s cool. She said she already figured it out, and guess what- she didn’t like Sarah either lol. We were up really late, and it’s early, but I can’t sleep. I hope you don’t mind that we talked about you some- she said she knew about both of us- honest. We’re gonna move, Nate! She’s going to call all the schools and see which ones have the best policies for guys like me, gay, I mean, and we’re gonna move into that district. I’m prolly going to have to finish the year here, but maybe not. I just want away from all these people, and I don’t give a rat’s ass about playing hockey. I’m tired of being around haters, and all the shit that comes out of their mouths. When anyone says anything about you, I just want to punch them. Thanks for sticking with me, Natey n don’t worry- I’m not gonna tell anyone around here. They’d treat me even worse than they treated you. When I talked to my mom she told me some stuff about my dad, and it makes me not want to live with him. She was trying to protect me from him- you know what she’s like, and ur right- I don’t want to leave her. I checked and he lives far from you anyway so it would be really hard to hang out. I don’t feel so alone now, cuz she’s got my back, and it’s nice to know I can visit your dad if I need to talk to someone else. He’s cool too, Natey, and so is your mom. It’s really weird to see a for-sale sign on your house, though. I’m gonna try and sleep some more- I think I can now- being able to talk to you helps me a lot. Love you man. J.”

 

Nate stared at the screen and breathed an audible sigh of relief. Bodie had ended up behind Nate with his hands resting lightly on his shoulders. “I’m so happy he told his mom,” Nate managed to say before his voice broke, and he was forced to swipe at his eyes.

“You were worried, huh?”

Nate took a moment to answer. “Josh is the kind of guy who needs someone to look after him. Now he has his mother, and even my dad, to keep an eye on him. He’ll do a lot better if he goes to a high school in the city. I hope it happens soon because if he does get centered out, he might panic. His mom is pretty smart. She’ll know what to do to make it easier for him. Yeah, I was worried.”

“He has them, but he has you too. Notice how after he sent this, he felt like he could sleep? That means a lot, Nate. You don’t need to be right next door to be his friend.”

Nate blew his nose and wiped his face before standing up and turning around. “Can I have a hug?”

“Anytime.” Bodie wrapped him in his arms, and Nate felt peace. Josh was going to be fine. And Bodie was right that he could be his friend no matter how far apart they lived.

“Thank you.”

“No problem. You can always count on me… always. Are you going to answer him, because Gramps will be calling up to us soon?”

“Oh yeah, right. Skating. Okay, I’ll answer him now, so it’ll be there when he wakes up, if he did get back to sleep.”

 

“Hey, J. That’s great news! Edmonton is a cool city, and it should be a lot better in one of those bigger schools. Our school was okay if you’re not different, but when those guys smell blood, they’re assholes, and everyone knows everyone, and nobody minds their own business. I knew your mom would be cool and it’s nice you think that way about my dad. Go talk to him, especially if someone does give you a hard time. He meant what he said. You could talk to my mom too, if you want. Tell your mom I said she rocks for doing this, and I don’t mind you and her talking about me. I don’t have to hide anymore, but you do, for a little while longer, and I’m glad you realize that. Thanks for getting back to me right away. I was worried about you, Josh, but I’m not so much now. Stay safe. Going skating again with my gramps. Talk to you soon. Love you too, man. Nate. PS… I had an awesome birthday!”

 

He looked at Bodie when he was done. “Does it bother you?”

“Does what bother me?”

“The way I signed off?”

“What? No. I understand. He came before me. I know you can’t just stop how you feel about someone.”

“You think I love, love Josh?”

“No… I don’t know. Maybe you do a little, but I get it, and I trust you… like I said yesterday… I know what we have.” Gone was the serene smile, replaced by a nervous fidget of his fingers.

“I don’t. At least, not like you might think.” Nate sighed. “I talked to Uncle Mike about it when you were getting your hand looked at. Josh was my best friend, and I cared about him a lot. But meeting you made me realize it was a crush. Do you believe me?”

A blazing smile appeared on Bodie’s face. “I will always believe anything you tell me. I trust you. So you’re saying Josh wasn’t your first love?”

“Yup. That’s what I’m saying. He was my first crush… if you don’t count Uncle Kendall, when I was a kid.”

“Sooo… meeting me made you realize that?” He was teasing now, and Nate played along despite thinking he might have said too much.

“Are you going to repeat everything I say?”

Bodie laughed. “You’re way too sharp for me.”

“I can tell when someone’s trying to get me to say something, and you, buster, will have to wait. I admit nothing.”

“Fair enough.” Bodie changed the subject but there was a twinkle in his eye Nate was painfully aware of. “We should grab our skates and stuff and head down.”

“Good idea. That way, Gramps won’t be able to give us the gears.” They gathered up everything they would need and headed out of the room.

“Nate?”

“Yeah?”

“Me too.”

Nate almost tripped over his own feet before regaining his balance. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he muttered.

Bodie laughed aloud, and Nate knew it was because he was blushing furiously. Despite the heat in his face, he smiled as he led the blond boy out of their room.

 

Michael and Kendall said their goodbyes to Chet and Arron outside of Denny’s, and began heading to the truck. “Do you want to drive?”

“Sure. It’s not often you let me drive Beauty.”

“That’s because I don’t want to spoil your Chev for you.”

Michael groaned. “No worries there. My truck rocks.”

“If you say so.”

Kendall felt Michael’s eyes on him. “What’s wrong?”

Kendall caught the concern on Michael’s face and knew he’d been seen through. “I got a text while you were in the washroom.” He tried not to sigh but one slipped out.

“From who?”

“Candy.”

“And?”

“She wants to see us. She wants to discuss our deal.”

Michael’s eyes widened for a second, and his groan this time was pure frustration. “I fucking knew it. God damn it! I fucking knew it.”

“Maybe we’re jumping to conclusions here. I can’t see her trying for more money. She has too much to lose.” Kendall had been wracking his brain and all he could come up with was that Candy wanted to keep their son. Or have access to him after he was born. The sick feeling in his stomach was building at a rapid rate now that it was just the two of them. The irony didn’t escape him that after hearing about Chet and Arron’s future baby, they could be facing the possibility of losing theirs.

“Nothing is ever good where that woman is concerned. She’s like a snake hiding in the grass, waiting to strike.”

“Michael? What if she’s decided to keep the baby? Candy has all these pregnancy hormones running through her, and she’s seen him on the ultrasound. It makes sense a mother might change her mind. We fell in love with him… maybe she has too?” As hard as he tried, he couldn’t keep the worry from escalating, and he felt tears form.

“Babe, whatever it is, we’ll deal with it. We’ll fight her with everything we’ve got because he’s our son, and she’s not fit to be a parent.” Michael slid over on the bench seat and pulled Kendall close.

The last thing Kendall wanted to do was fall apart, but the fear of losing their child after all they’d gone through, was overwhelming. “Candy’s changed. I know she has. It’s possible she could win, if there is a fight, because of being his mother.”

“I don’t believe she’s changed that much.”

“I’ve spent more time with her. She’s not as hard.”

“Did you text her back?’

“No, of course not. I wanted to talk to you first. I’m worried.”

“I know you are. Me too. Whatever it is, it won’t be good. When did she want to talk?”

“As soon as possible.”

“Are you ready?”

“Yes.”

He let up on his embrace. “Okay, text her back and tell her we’re on our way. We’ll find out what this is all about, and go from there.”

Kendall looked at his other half, drawing strength from him, and felt his determination blossom. Whatever happened, they weren’t giving up without a battle. He gave Michael a smile after he sent Candy the message. “Thanks, Sunshine.”

“We’re always a team, Babe, and we have something worth fighting for.”

 

Riding up the elevator, Kendall cautioned Michael to not get riled until they had all the information. Michael nodded. “I think I’ve learned my lesson with her, and I’ll really try, but my brain goes out the window when that bitch is near me. Pregnant woman or not, we had a deal.”

“I know it’s tough. It won’t be easy for me either.” The elevator door opened and conversation ended. Cady’s door opened just as they arrived.

“Come in.” She sounded subdued to Kendall, and looked worn out. “Thanks for showing up right away. There’s something I need to talk to you about.”

“We’re not changing the deal, Candy.” Michael stood just inside the doorway, glowering.

“Oh, Michael, settle down, and move so I can close the damn door. Don’t be jumping down my throat just yet. Go into the living room and sit down. I’ll be there in a minute, after I pee for the tenth time today. Go! Sit!”

Despite his agitation, that command, and Kendall’s arm got him moving toward the couch. They watched her head down the hallway. “I’m sorry. I knew I wouldn’t last long, but we shouldn’t have to go through this crap again.”

“It’s okay. I don’t blame you,” he responded with a weak smile. He’d tried, in that short span of time, to read this woman who’d played with them so maliciously in the past. “Something’s bothering her, but she doesn’t have her shields up, so let’s give her a chance to say what’s on her mind, and hope for the best. I don’t sense the ‘bitch’ in her, at least not yet.”

“If that wasn’t ‘bitch’ I don’t know what is. You give her a lot more credit than I do. Keep hold of my hand and I’ll do my best, okay? I’m pretty freaked out,” Michael whispered.

“I hear you, and you’re not alone.” Their heard the sound of a distant toilet flushing, and with hands gripped tightly, they sat and waited for the other shoe to drop.

“Can I get you anything to drink?” Candy asked, playing the polite hostess as she re-entered the room. She was looking more pregnant than the last time Kendall had seen her.

“No, thank you,” Kendall answered for both of them, and matched her polite tone. “Are you feeling okay? Is everything okay with our son?”

Candy smiled, and Kendall was sure it was at his pointed reference. “Yes, I’m fine and he’s fine. Thank you for asking.”

The grip on Kendall’s hand increased, and he knew Michael was brimming with impatience. “So, you said there was an issue, something to do with our agreement?”

“There has been some stuff going on in the last couple of days,” she said thoughtfully, as if she was struggling with something. Kendall had trouble keeping a lid on his fear, and apparently it showed on his face.

“Oh, for God’s sake. Relax, you two. You look like you’re headed for the gallows. Michael, I can tell right now you’re thinking the worst of me… and I can’t say as I blame you, but let me get this out.” She sighed, and Kendall didn’t know what to think. “I have to do something, and it’s hard for me. The bottom line is I owe you guys, and it’s not been my nature to admit it.”

Now Kendall was really confused, and he looked at Michael. He might have laughed in different circumstances, at the mixed expression on his face. It was a look he’d never seen before. For both their sake's, he needed something clarified right away. “Have you changed your mind about custody?”

Her look was contemplative as she formed her answer. “I’ve been going back and forth, and doing a lot of thinking.” She took a deep breath. “I told Lionel about the baby, and….”

Kendall was stunned. Michael exploded off the couch before Kendall could stop him. “What the hell would you do that for? You wanted to keep this all secret. What are you telling us here? Just spit it out so we can get ready for a fight. We are not letting you take our son away from us!”

“Ace. Please sit down and let her talk. Please.” Kendall saw a kind of amusement on Candy’s face, yet she didn’t look mean. “Candy, what exactly are you saying?”

“I need to tell you the whole thing, so you understand, but I’m not going to fight you for custody… I’ve thought about it… a lot, but I’ve decided I’m going to do what’s best for this baby, and that is you two being his parents.”

Kendall put his head down, the release of tension making him dizzy, and felt Michael’s arms close around him. He experienced a shudder before raising his head. “You know you scared the hell out of us?”

“Yeah, sorry. I told you to relax, but I guess you didn’t get the message. I’ve been going through a lot lately, and frankly, I’m really tired. This isn’t about that part of the agreement.”

Michael let go of Kendall and leaned forward. “What part of the deal is this about?”

“God, Michael. There you go again. I don’t want more money, either. Can I just please tell you what this is about before you go flying off the handle again?” She still didn’t sound or look mean… and Kendall could see the exhaustion in her.

Michael looked somewhat contrite. “Sorry about yelling earlier,” he murmured.

“It’s fine. You just showed me I made the right decision. It’s what I would have expected, actually.” She gave them a little smile and both men sat further back on the couch, their fingers entwined once more, in a much better state of mind. Now, they were curious.

“Why was there even a decision to be made?” Kendall questioned.

“Things changed, and I had a choice all of a sudden. Look, Lionel wanted us to meet up for ten days in March, when he had R and R. He wanted to fly me over.” She looked at them both, and they immediately understood the dilemma of that request. “Anyway, I made up this lie about having to go for a mandatory training course for work that would be good experience for me, and I got away with it.”

“Why do you look like that wasn’t a good thing? Did Lionel find out about the lie?” Kendall was coaxing.

“Well, he did, but only because I told him. After succeeding in convincing him, I felt guilty, and to be honest, it surprised me how bad it felt. It was just so easy to lie,” she mused, looking disgusted. “I really love him… I always have, and it didn’t feel good… starting off like that with him. I look at you guys, and Janine and Lanny, and I want to have that with Lionel. He’s a good man, and he loves me.” Kendall was a little taken aback when her eyes watered. “I screwed up. So many times I’ve screwed up. I’ve been acting like a spoiled bitch for so long….”

She went dead quiet, and Kendall watched her struggle with her emotions. “So, what happened when you told him?”

Coming out of her reverie, she responded. “He listened, and I told him most of it, but I said it was an accidental pregnancy. I was too ashamed to tell him all of it. I know that’s wrong, after saying how I didn’t want to lie, but I just couldn’t… because it’s so horrible, what I did.” Tears again, and Kendall felt more than a modicum of sympathy. “Anyway, he waited until I was finished talking, and then he said he had to go, and hung up. That was last night. I spent all night thinking. I figured there was a good chance that was the last conversation we’d have, and it hurt so much, but I knew it was right to tell him. He deserved the truth, or at least most of it.”

“And you haven’t heard from him since?”

“Yes, I did.” Her face lit up, and Kendall watched her become animated. “He called me at five this morning. We talked for almost three hours, and the first thing he said was that he loved me; then he asked me what I wanted… he meant about everything. What I wanted to do about the baby, and the deal with you guys, and about him and I, and our plans.

“I told him I wanted us to keep things the same, and do our missionary work together, that it was important to me too. When we talked about the baby, he said we could make it work if I wanted to keep him.” She took a minute to blow her nose while Kendall locked eyes with Michael, both realizing how close they’d been to having things turn out differently.

“So we talked for a long time about possibilities, and about you two. I told him I wasn’t ready for a baby, and that it already felt like it was your baby and not mine. I thought he might be disappointed in me, but he wasn’t, and agreed it was the right decision to make. He also said he was proud of me for having the courage to stick to our faith, and not terminate the pregnancy. He pointed out five years of missionary work with a little one would have been a dangerous undertaking, with some of the places we’ll be going, and we’d have likely been forced to postpone it for the baby’s first year. Lionel also said it sounded like you two were the right choice to raise the baby because you are obviously ready. He’s not homophobic at all, and asked a lot of questions regarding your situation. I had nothing bad to say about either one of you because I have no doubts about you being good parents.” She blew her nose again, and Kendall, while riveted, wondered at her emotional state. Was part of it the pregnancy? He wanted to give her a hug, but this was still Candy.

“I think you’re doing the right thing, not just for us and our son, but for you and Lionel as well. And he’s right about us being ready. We’re more than ready. What about your family?”

“Like I said, I have no concerns about that,” she said with real conviction. “My family is difficult, and that’s putting it mildly. Lionel knows them well. My dad loves him, and he’s really happy we’re back together. We both think it’s best to keep this between us, and quite frankly, I’m relieved we’re on the same page. There’s only one thing we’re not comfortable with, and that’s the money part of the deal. Lionel feels it’s wrong to accept money for bringing one of God’s creations into the world, and I agree. I was so angry at you, Michael, and even you for a while, Kendall, but all that rage has gone. Now, I can see how misguided it was, what I did. It amounted to selling this child. You’ve fixed up my car, but I can live with that because it was for the safety of the baby, and you can pay for the Lamaze classes if that’s okay, because that’s $300 I don’t have, but I don’t want any kind of payment. I can’t call myself a Christian, and expect or accept such a thing from you.”

“Wow,” Michael uttered, and then flushed. “Sorry, but this is not what I was expecting. To be honest, I expected the worst… for you to be, you know… you.”

“That’s fair. I deserve that. It’s okay, Michael, and I’m sorry for what I did. I truly am. I did really care about you, and when you dumped me, I went a little crazy. I’d convinced myself it was in your best interest too, for me to get pregnant, and that was so warped. It was such a terrible idea, and an awful thing to do to you. And Kendall, thank you for making me look at myself differently. I needed… need to change, and you let me see that. That day you spent with me in the hospital made me start looking in the mirror, and I didn’t like what I saw. Lionel and I have a real chance, now that I have nothing more to hide from him. He makes me want to be a better person.” Her little blush made Kendall smile. “So can we draw up a new agreement that’s just about giving you two full custody, and get rid of the money part? I would like it done right away, because I want to tell Lionel that it’s been taken care of when he calls tomorrow night. It’s the one thing he was most disappointed in… he never said it, but I could tell.” Candy looked like a child herself, sitting there, and Kendall perceived how alone she was feeling. That was probably a good thing. She’d come a long way, but it was early days. Her need to please Lionel, though, said much to him.

“Of course,” Kendall responded. “I’ll call Stuart first thing in the morning. It shouldn’t take long to do. His office is very efficient. Do you want me to let you know when the new one is ready to sign?”

“Yes, please.” She smiled at both men. “I’m not used to apologizing, you know? It wasn’t that bad at all.” Her giggle was strange to hear at first, but both men smiled. It appeared Candy was genuinely trying to change.

“You look happy, Candy.”

“I am, for the first time in a long time. I really believe Lionel and I are soulmates, just like you and Michael are.” She started to say more, stopped, and then continued. “I’m sorry for the homophobic remarks I made. They were uncalled for. I’ve learned a lot in the last couple of months. Just seeing how united you guys are and how much you love one another... and how fiercely you fought for this child... has taught me how wrong my beliefs were. And what Lanny did… it was all my fault. I was despicable. I hope he’ll forgive me one day.” Again, she hesitated. “I hope you never tell this child what his mother did. I wouldn’t like to think he might grow up to hate me.”

“We would never say anything to denigrate you or put you in a bad light,” Kendall assured her. “What about contact? Will you want to have any contact or do we leave that part the same?”

Candy sighed. “Leave it the same… no visitation. It has to be a complete break, and I have to know that in my heart, but if you ever think he needs to see me when he’s older, I would want you to contact me, okay?”

“Okay. Lionel sounds like a heck of a guy.” Kendall squeezed Michael’s hand and held tight. He wasn’t sure why his heart was hammering, but it was.

“He is. I’m lucky he wants anything to do with me after the way I’ve treated him in the past. It’s why I want to do the missionary work with him. I want to show him I’m not that petulant little girl who throws temper tantrums anymore… that I’ve grown since I moved down here. I want to help people for a change, and show God my heart is in the place he wants it to be.”

Michael cleared his throat.

“Sorry. Here I am talking to you guys like we’re friends. You’ve heard the important part. Sorry to take up some of your weekend, and sorry that I scared you.”

“Candy. Relax,” Kendall said teasingly. “And stop saying ‘sorry’ to us. Yeah, we may not be best friends, but we’re happy for you. I knew there was a decent person in there, and I think Lionel is lucky to have found her. Right, Michael?”

“Right.” He blew out some air and stood up. “There’s been a lot of water under the bridge, and some pretty strong feelings, but I’m going to trust that you feel remorse, and maybe now we can be friends. You’re the mother of our son, so I would like all the hard feelings to go away, and I’m willing to move on from all this. I accept your apology. Can I have a hug before we go?”

Candy sat for a minute, looking up at Michael, and Kendall watched her eyes start to shimmer. “Thank you, Michael. I would love one.”

After an embrace that made Kendall happy, she turned to him next. “Do I get one from you, Saint Kendall?” she asked while she held her arms out. He obliged, giving her a gentle hug.

“So we’re still on for Lamaze classes?”

“Yup. I marked it on my calendar. Two six hour days, the second weekend in March, right?”

“Six and a half hour days, but yeah, the second weekend.”

“I’ll be there. Now, you should get some rest. You’re shaking a little bit.”

“I will. Michael, I only need one birthing coach, but maybe you could be in the delivery room for the actual birth, if you want?”

Michael looked from Candy to Kendall, and back again. “Thanks. I think that would be awesome, if it doesn’t freak me out too much. Yeah, I would like that.” He grinned at Kendall, and Kendall laughed. This was the way it should be.

 

“You can drive again, Michael.” They were at the truck and Kendall grabbed the snow brush from behind the back seat to clear a light dusting that fell when they were inside. When he finally got in the running truck, Michael was sitting quietly, staring ahead. “Are you okay?”

“What? Yeah. I was just thinking. That was weird, huh?”

“Yeah, it was, but I’m really not as surprised as I thought I’d be. People do change. Just look at my dad, and even Lanny.”

“I was thinking that too. You know what means the most to me?”

“What?”

“I thought there was something seriously lacking in that woman, and I worried just a little that our son could take after her. She looked different to me today… like a little girl who lost her way, don’t you think? Not the evil creature I saw her as.”

“She was messed up, but never evil. I saw that lonely little girl today too. Families can fuck you up sometimes, and you need to get away from them before you can repair the damage. Maybe that’s what has happened here?”

“Maybe. I like that I don’t feel hatred anymore.”

“Good. I was proud of you today.”

“You were?”

“Your hug meant a lot to her.”

“I know. I could feel it. Should we invite her to the wedding?”

“Yes.” Kendall beamed at Michael as he backed the truck out of its space and headed for the exit. Dealing with Candy had always been like being in the twilight zone, never knowing for sure what to expect, but this was a different kind of twilight zone, with Michael wanting to invite her to their wedding. Kendall started laughing.

“What’s so funny?”

“I’m picturing you hugging Candy. Never thought I see that.”

Michael chuckled. “Me, neither. You realize she gave us a good start on the little guy’s college fund?”

“I was thinking the same thing. Hey, where are you going?”

“What do you mean? I’m taking highway 48 to Mom and Dad’s. Oh, do you need something from our place?”

“No, I don’t… but I thought you wanted to make love? We could stay at the apartment tonight.”

Michael sputtered. “Are you serious? What about the kid?”

“He has Bodie to watch over him tonight, unless you think we need to be there?” Kendall teased.

“Fuck no! We’re staying at the apartment… and no changing your mind now.” He was grinning from ear to ear.

“I don’t plan to.” He grabbed Michael’s hand when it was held out to him.

“Good. So whose turn is it?”

“Does it matter?”

“Not a bit, Babe. Maybe we could both have a turn?”

Kendall laughed. “We’ll see, horn dog.”

“Yes, we will. We’ll have the whole night to ourselves.”

“Things change when you have kids.”

“Yeah, they sure do. Thank God for sleepovers.”

Kendall laughed. “Yeah, but we’re the ones on a sleepover.”

“Whatever works. Do we need to call the little bugger and get his permission?”

Kendall laughed again. “Well, we wouldn’t want him to worry, would we?”

Michael chuckled. “When kids have their favorite toy to play with, they forget all about the parents. He and Bodie are probably making goo-goo eyes at one another right now.” He looked over at a grinning Kendall. “Babe, are you making goo-goo eyes at me?”

“Uh huh.”