11. Danny’s Day With His Mother

Chapter eleven

Danny’s Day With His Mother

Yep. I went home to Mom. Well, and Dad, but I was totally a Momma’s Boy. People thought that guys like me who played Little and had a daddy had serious daddy issues . But no. I didn’t have any childhood trauma. No issues. I loved my parents, and they loved me. They loved each other and were still happily married after all these years, giving me a fantastic example. I was simply built differently.

Being Little meant someone would take care of me. I could relax and enjoy fantasy and playing. Outside of that, reading paranormal romance was my go-to. Sometimes, I pretended to be the dragon. Like my fav-stuffie, Smokey. And all my coloring books were dinosaurs or dragons. Obviously, dragons were better, but dinosaurs were like real dragons who walked the earth once, a long, long time ago. And I loved drawing dragons for my daddy, often with daddy as the knight, but the knight who took care of the dragon, not slaying him. Daddy put them on the fridge sometimes.

But all of that felt like it was over. I fell asleep on my parents’ couch in front of their tree. It was smaller than in years past when I lived at home, but it was still twinkly and nice. When I woke, it was to sounds in the kitchen. “Mom?”

“Yep. I heard you come in last night. Want pancakes?”

“Yes, please.”

So she made them—with chocolate chips. I ate them. Then she sat next to me, a coffee mug in her hand. The same blue one she liked the most that had a cat’s face on it and said, “Coffee before meows.”

“I think I left Lee?”

“Why?” Mom genuinely liked Lee. She liked that he took care of me, even though she didn’t get our dynamic. She loved me and accepted it. She was the best.

“Where’s dad?” Might as well change the subject, because I didn’t want to talk about Lee, even though I’d brought it up.

Mom put her mug on the counter. “Not here. Doesn’t matter. Answer my question, young man. Why did you leave Lee?”

“He’s miserable. He won’t do it because, well, you know, he’s the responsible one.”

“Whatever. You’re still a grown man. Aren’t you?”

“Yes, but…” I was grown. And pretty happy with my life, never worrying about too much. I was a good lawyer, good friend, and good boyfriend. There was no need to worry. Until now. “That doesn’t matter. He’s not happy, and he’s not being nice to me. He doesn’t want to play with me. And he got drunk last night.”

“That doesn’t sound like him at all. Something is definitely wrong. But why did you leave? Why didn’t you talk to him about it?”

“He’s not talking.” I threw my hand up, but really…I hadn’t tried hard. I’d been too afraid of his answers.

Mom got up and took her mug into the kitchen for a refill. When she came back, she sat it on the counter again and took my hand. “Look at me.” When I met her green eyes, so much like mine, she said, “You’re running away from your relationship. You shouldn’t. Despite all your weird kinks, I know you love each other a lot. You should really talk to your man. Don’t just give up. That is not like you.”

She was right about that. I generally fought for what I wanted. But Lee?

When we were first together, Lee always gave me surprises, though mostly small things like toys and stuff. But he also gave me a swing in the backyard. We owned the house together and had other legal ties, but we weren’t married. And why was that? My doubts creeped in. “We might be done. It might be too late. I think it’s a lost cause at this point.” And that made me sad to my soul.

Mom slapped the counter beside her mug and then went back into the kitchen, returning quickly with a tub of ice cream and two spoons. “I don’t think it’s ever too late. Or early.”

I dug into the tub with my spoon. Chocolate mousse. Her favorite, but I liked it too. I just didn’t know if it would make me feel any better.