14. Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Thirteen

Gary

B ecause Gary and Jeff had returned to Niles early, Gary had some extra time off before he needed to resume his radio shows. While he could have restarted them early, Jeff had convinced Gary that he would benefit from the time to himself. And the extra time together, with Jeff.

The first two evenings back in Niles, the two of them spent time only with each other. And it was incredible. Every time they were close, whether their intimacy was sexual or not (and it hadn’t been since the trip), Jeff’s touch helped Gary feel secure. His touches, they were like... like proof of love. Or, maybe not love—not yet—but proof of like. And Gary needed them. He needed them like oxygen.

Still, Gary had the sense that Jeff continued to feel uneasy with their closeness sometimes. Whenever he tried to bring it up, however, Jeff would end the conversation as soon as humanly possible, insisting that he was okay and that he was happy to keep moving forward. Despite these reassurances, Gary couldn’t shake the lingering feeling that the two of them were navigating one of those rickety old bridges built over a canyon, like maybe one wrong move would send their relationship to its untimely end. It was a hard worry to ignore.

And there was something else Gary could no longer ignore anymore, either .

One morning, Gary and Jeff came back from the local bakery to see the little red light on Gary’s answering machine blinking. Menacingly. His stomach sank.

Even without listening to the message, Gary knew what it must be about. Because there had been one topic he’d been keeping from creeping into his mind ever since leaving for the trip with Jeff: his father’s will. Gary continued to watch the light blink ominously for a few moments. Finally, with a sigh, he walked over and forced himself to press the Play button, his entire body tensing the moment his fingertip touched the key.

“Hey Gare. It’s Dawn. Can you stop hiding from me? I want to figure out when we can start cleaning out Dad’s place. Apparently, he lived over in Youngstown. Sometime soon, you need to meet with the lawyer too. Anyway, call me back or come over. Bye.”

Gary’s eyes became unfocused, his world starting to turn, and even though he was beginning to feel lightheaded, he stayed rooted to the spot.

He startled as Jeff’s hand touched his back.

“Was that your sister?” Jeff asked.

But Gary couldn’t respond. His stomach was in his throat, blocking his windpipes. All he could manage was a nod. Jeff started rubbing his back.

Even though Gary still had no idea whether his mom had known his father’s whereabouts all these years, he had the unshakable sense that she had. Weeks prior, Dawn’s phrasing had suggested as much. To think that his father was only ever in Youngstown! For twenty years, he’d been living less than a half hour away. Why hadn’t his mother ever told him? Had she really thought his father was that horrible? No matter how horrible he might have been, Gary would have wanted the chance to know him. He’d have wanted to make the choice for himself.

“Gare? ”

“Sorry,” Gary said with a shake of his head. “Did I ever tell you that my mom might have been lying to me for most of my life?”

“No,” Jeff said, rubbing his back some more. “About what?”

“About knowing where my dad was.”

There was a pause, and the silence pressed heavy on Gary’s heart.

“Wow.”

“I haven’t...” Gary trailed off and sighed. “Look, I know this makes me sound like a coward, but I haven’t confronted her yet.” He looked back at Jeff. “Would you mind coming over there with me? I should probably try to broach the topic, and hey, maybe they missed me while we were chasing tornadoes together.”

“Yeah, sure, Gare.”

“Alright. Do you want to drive? Or, uh, I mean, you’ve been driving a lot this last week. We could bike over? I have a spare bike in the garage. One of those BMX bikes. I tried one out for a while, if you can believe it.”

“That is . . .”

“Don’t say sad.”

“Adorable.”

Gary’s cheeks flushed. “So, wanna try it or...”

“Yeah, why not?”

“Okay, well, I have a spare helmet too,” Gary said, and Jeff’s subsequent eye roll—entirely overexaggerated—had Gary smiling. “Oh, come on, Jeffrey. It’s safer that way.”

“You’re the only person I’ve ever met who wears one.”

“I’m probably the only person over eighteen who refuses to buy a car, too.”

“Yeah, you’re pretty special,” Jeff said with playful sarcasm. “Fine. I’ll wear the helmet. For you.”

“ Swell !” Gary replied, really leaning into the word, only because he knew how much Jeff would enjoy it .

With a snort-scoff, Jeff said, “Come on, radio man. Time for me to meet your family.”

By the time the two of them arrived at Gary’s mom’s house, the sun had risen higher in the sky, and the summerlike heat was making both of them sweat, especially underneath their helmets. Jeff had muttered a few choice words on the ride over, lamenting that his hair was going to look like crud. And, well, probably it would. But Gary’d bet his life on it looking cute too.

After they parked their bikes, they removed their helmets. And boy, was Gary right.

Jeff was a mess . With his hair sticking up every which way, he looked like someone who had stuck their finger in an electrical socket.

With a sour face, Jeff reached up to touch his hair. “Do I look like shit now?”

“Nah.”

“Liar,” Jeff said, walking over to Dawn’s car. He bent down so that he could see himself in one of the sideview mirrors and then tried to brush his hair back into place with his fingers He succeeded. Mostly. “Maybe I should wait outside.”

“Oh, you look cute. Stop worrying.”

Jeff just huffed and ran his hand through his hair one more time. Then Gary led Jeff over to the back door, which was pretty much never locked. He poked his head inside and was immediately hit with the smell of cigarette smoke—a permanent feature of his childhood home. He wrinkled his nose, stifling a burgeoning sneeze.

“Hello?” he called out as he pushed the door open all the way and made his way inside.

Jeff started to take off his shoes, but Gary shook his head to let him know not to bother. If either of them removed their footwear, his mom would probably make a comment about it. No one else in the family ever removed their shoes in the house (except in the evenings). Better not to invite unnecessary commentary that could eventually turn into some kind of criticism.

Gary’s mom called from the living room. “Gare?”

“Yup, it’s me,” he called back. “I brought a friend too.”

Jeff followed Gary into the living room, where Gary saw his mother sitting in her favorite chair and smoking a cigarette while reading what looked to be a romance novel, which, in Gary’s experience, had never ceased to put her in a slightly foul mood.

“Hey, Mom.” Gary forced a smile. He thumbed over to Jeff. “This is my friend, Jeff.”

“Hi, Jeff. Sorry for the mess,” his mom said without looking up from her novel.

Other than a couple of bills that had piled up on the side table and a few ashtrays that were half-filled, the place was practically spotless.

“Uh, no problem,” Jeff said, glancing sideways at Gary with one eyebrow raised.

Gary would have to explain to Jeff later that his mom would have apologized for the mess even if the baseboards could pass a white-glove test. Was it that the cigarette smell made everything seem filthy to her? Maybe she ought to stop smoking, then. But, oh, he’d have to endure either a verbal smack or a woe-is-me monologue if he ever suggested that again. He had learned that lesson back in high school.

So instead, Gary just cleared his throat nervously. “Where’s Dawn?” he asked, glad when his voice didn’t sound too small.

His mom finally closed her book and looked up at him. “Don’t you want to spend time with your mother? I never hear from you.”

Gary shifted his weight from one foot to the other, fighting the urge to crumple in on himself. He dropped his eyes to the carpet.

“I’ve been busy. ”

“I know, I know,” she said with a small sigh. “You’re a big-time local radio star now.”

Gary let out an uneasy laugh. Geez, she wouldn’t even let up in front of company, huh? How embarrassing. He looked over at Jeff with what he hoped would be an apologetic enough smile and then turned back to his mom.

“So . . . Dawn?”

“She’s upstairs.”

“Okay.” Gary turned to Jeff, his chest now tight with anxiety. “Do you want to come up?” he started, but then for whatever reason, he couldn’t help but backtrack, blurting out some stupid excuse for Jeff to no longer be in the house with him. “Or, hey, maybe you can take a look at my bike chain for me? I thought it seemed a little loose earlier.”

After a brief pause, Jeff offered a kind half-smile in return. “Sure.” He looked back at Gary’s mom. “Nice to meet you, Mrs.—or, uh, Ms.—Graham.”

“Nice to meet you too. Glad to see that Gary still has a friend, even with that busy schedule of his. Remind him to call his mother sometimes, will you?”

Gary’s cheeks felt hot, humiliation creeping up his neck.

“Be out in a few, Jeff,” he said, and he turned and rushed to the stairs.

Luckily, his conversation with Dawn turned out to be fairly painless. He told her that he’d meet her in Youngstown the following Sunday to start sorting through their father’s belongings. Hopefully they’d be able to sell the house soon. With the cash, Gary could finally purchase some new equipment for the radio station since it wasn’t the best idea to keep using the old stuff. Some of it was on the verge of obsolescence. Gary knew he should have brought up his mother’s potential betrayal, either with Dawn or, more importantly, with his mother herself. But.. .

Gosh, seeing her in person, hearing the pain in her voice when she’d made those comments about him not being around a lot, it had hurt his heart too much to make him want to try. Because some part of him knew that, if what he suspected was true, if she’d actually known where his father was living all these years, he might never be able to forgive her, to see her the same way.

And he couldn’t stomach the thought of losing his mother right now.

When Gary was finished talking with his sister, he rushed back outside to find Jeff. His kind-of-boyfriend was sitting cross-legged on the asphalt, waiting patiently.

“Ready, radio man?” Jeff said, looking up at Gary through a squint.

“Yeah.” He couldn’t say anything more right then, and he was glad when Jeff didn’t press him.

They both threw on their bike helmets and then started back toward Gary’s. Pedaling through the streets of Niles, worry (over the topic he hadn’t brought up) and shame (over his family life) sat heavy in Gary’s stomach, the emotions a tangled and painful mess, and the more time passed, the worse he felt. Gary hurried along, pulling ahead of Jeff. He wasn’t ready to talk still. God, he’d never brought a boyfriend or pseudo-boyfriend home before. And now he had. Jeff had seen where he’d been raised. He’d been provided with a window into Gary’s upbringing. And holy heck, was it embarrassing. Worse than that, though, Gary had shown Jeff just how much of a coward he was by avoiding the one subject he was supposed to have brought up. More shame roiled around in his gut as he continued pedaling faster.

About halfway home, the swishing of the BMX chain tickled Gary’s ears, and before Gary could pick up his pace more, Jeff pulled up alongside him, pedaling hard.

“You okay, Gare Bear? ”

Gare Bear. Geez, he loved when Jeff called him that.

“Sorry for the . . . strangeness,” Gary said.

“Family,” Jeff said with a shrug and a huff. “I know how that is.”

Some of Gary’s shame fell to the wayside as he remembered what Jeff had mentioned before about his family’s own messiness. Jeff really did understand. He let out a short breath and allowed his pedaling to slow to normal speed. “Thanks, Jeffrey.”

When they were finally back at Gary’s house, Jeff took Gary’s hand the moment they were inside, like he knew how much Gary needed the closeness. When Jeff squeezed Gary’s fingers, his heart seemed to constrict right along with them, the sensation making his breath catch momentarily.

“Sorry, Jeff, I—” Gary still couldn’t look at him. “I really hadn’t considered how horrible the visit would be. I mean, my mom, she’s... well... I think she’s the embodiment of the term ‘Catholic guilt,’ even though I was raised Lutheran. I was brought up with a healthy heap of shame. About everything, really.” When Jeff’s response wasn’t to laugh, but to smile in an “I’m-smiling-out-of-pity” sort of way, Gary couldn’t fight back a wince. “Not funny?”

“You’re always funny, Gare, but...” Jeff shook Gary’s hand back and forth a little. “I’m worried about you.”

“Oh.”

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Depends,” Gary found himself saying. “Do you still like me?”

Geez Louise, what was wrong with him? One brief visit home and he was morphing into a needy monster.

Smiling, Jeff shook his head. “Come on. Don’t be stupid.”

Even though Gary’s brain was screaming at him to stop with the insecurity crap, he still responded with, “So, that’s a no? ”

Why, oh why , was he milking it like this? Even though Gary knew he was being pathetic, boy, that trip home had sure made him feel a whole lot shittier than he’d anticipated, and now he just couldn’t seem to fight back the need to practically beg for reassurance that Jeff still wanted him.

In response, Jeff started pulling him toward the bedroom, and for the briefest moment, Gary’s first reaction was relief, some of that pesky nervousness he felt waning. Surrendering to the craving for reassurance, Gary let himself follow, but then, once they neared the bedroom, he was hit with a pang of unease.

“Jeff...” Guilt started to twist inside Gary’s stomach. “Look, I know you like me. I was being silly. I know I was being silly. Don’t feel pressured into something for my sake.”

“I’m not,” Jeff said, pulling on Gary’s hand again. “Come with me. I want to show you how much I like you.”

“I know that’s what you’re trying for, but, really, I was only—”

“Gare, baby,” Jeff said, interrupting him. “Get on your bed for me.”

Get on your bed for me. Wow, the way Jeff sounded when he said those words, his voice husky and low and playful. Despite the lingering trepidation, Gary’s cock started to stiffen, responding to the sudden rush of arousal. Still, Gary’s stomach continued to churn with worry. Jeff was only really responding to his sudden neediness, wasn’t he? Was Jeff actually ready for whatever it was he wanted to try?

“Jeff, wait,” Gary said. “I want to make sure you’re okay with... whatever it is that you want us to do.”

“Yeah, I’m fine.” Letting go of Gary’s hand, Jeff turned to face him. He placed both hands on either side of Gary’s hips. “Radio man, I can look out for myself. Stop worrying so much.”

Gary was about to protest—to tell Jeff that he liked looking out for him—but then Jeff’s hands moved to the button on Gary’s pants, and he was hit with a rush of yearning, one so strong it nearly knocked him off his feet. God, how he wanted to feel how much Jeff liked him. Gary let out a soft whimper, and then Jeff dropped to his knees.

“You’re already hard for me, aren’t you?” Jeff asked, popping the button of Gary’s khakis. “I can’t wait to taste you.”

“Jeff, we haven’t . . . since the trip . . .”

“Do you... not want a blow job, Gare?” Jeff asked, his tone slightly teasing as he smirked up at Gary in the sexiest way possible.

Gary’s breath caught in his throat. Geez, how was Jeff so irresistible?

“Of course I want one, but I want to make sure that you want to give one. Not because you feel obligated, either.”

With a roll of his eyes, Jeff said, “Yes, Gare, I want to suck your cock. Okay?”

Gary swallowed thickly. “Uh, yeah, very okay.”

Even though there was still a small part of Gary that wanted to check with Jeff seven or eight or thirty more times that it was, in fact, okay, he had the sense that following through with that might make him the world’s most annoying boyfriend (or pseudo-boyfriend).

But all those worries left Gary’s head when Jeff suddenly pulled both Gary’s pants and his underwear to the floor, freeing his now-very-hard cock. Another soft moan escaped Gary’s lips, the sight of Jeff on his knees in front of Gary’s naked erection further banishing every other rational thought he might have had.

After licking his lips, Jeff stuck out his tongue and hovered it right near the pink head of Gary’s cock. Gary whimpered. Pathetically.

“Are you sure you still want this?” Jeff taunted with a playful smile .

Ugh, leave it to Jeff to poke fun of him for trying to be considerate.

“Yes, yes, I want it, Jeff, please,” Gary answered. “Please.”

“Mmm...” Jeff’s wet tongue slid over the tip, and the warm sensation had Gary sucking in a breath. “I love you like this. So needy.”

One more lick. Gary’s eyes rolled back.

“Oh my God . . .”

Jeff’s lips closed over the head of Gary’s cock before he slowly moved his mouth down the length of Gary’s shaft. Gary bucked his hips without even meaning to. Geez, this was incredible. Jeff was incredible. Jeff pulled back slightly before bobbing forward again, taking even more of Gary’s cock into his mouth, his tongue massaging Gary’s length. Letting himself become lost in the pleasure, Gary placed a hand on Jeff’s shoulder and squeezed. He let out a moan, clutching tighter, his pleasure soaring higher. But then Jeff stopped moving, and Gary’s eyes flew open. Jeff was frozen, his entire body stiff. Gary’s stomach seized.

“Jeff?” he asked. “Jeffrey? Are you okay?”

Gary’s heart quickened with worry as he waited for a response.

After a moment, Jeff’s shoulders relaxed, followed by the rest of his body, and then Jeff nodded before pulling off and looking up.

“Uh, yeah. Sorry. Not sure what that was.”

Jeff opened his mouth like he wanted to continue the blow job, but Gary caught his chin.

“Jeff.” Even though Gary’s cock was pleading for him to let Jeff continue, Gary sank to his knees and said, “I know I was halfway to heaven thirty seconds ago, but, you know, I can see pretty well with these big specs of mine. Don’t think I was too far away to catch that reaction you had.”

“Fuck,” Jeff cursed under his breath, his cheeks becoming lightly tinged with pink. “Just ignore it. ”

“Are you kidding me? I’m not ignoring it.”

“Gare. Please.”

“Jeffrey, if you think I can pretend that everything is fine and let you suck me off while very clearly feeling... scared or—or whatever that was, you’re . . . well, you’re very silly, I’ll put it that way. It’s the nicest way I can say it.”

Jeff sat back and closed his eyes. “God-fucking-dammit,” he muttered.

Gary scrambled to pull up his pants and briefs. Then he settled back on his knees and swallowed hard. Jeff still wasn’t looking at him, and more guilt bubbled up inside of him. “Jeff, I... I never want you to push yourself for me,” he said quietly.

“Gare, it wasn’t for you. Not entirely.” Jeff sighed. Without opening his eyes still, he scrambled for Gary’s hand and squeezed it. “ I wanted you. I wanted to please you. I wanted to show you that I like you.”

“I know you like me. I was being stupid.” Ugh, why had he let himself behave like that?

Jeff finally seemed to force his eyes back open, but God, they were still filled with so much sadness. Gary’s heart ached.

“I shouldn’t have been insecure like that,” he continued. “Or, I shouldn’t have made you feel responsible for fixing my insecurity, rather. I’m so sorry, Jeff. Every time I see my family, I end up feeling bad about myself. It has nothing to do with you. I shouldn’t have laid it on so thick when we came back. I was... God, I’m so stupid.”

“You’re not stupid. You teach calculus.”

Gary flicked Jeff’s knee with his free hand.

“Stop.”

“It’s true, though. You’re not stupid. I told you that I wanted you.”

“And I wanted you too,” Gary said .

“Gare, I want to be able to pleasure you.”

Gary let go of Jeff’s hand and moved to sit beside him. “I love hearing that, but, look, I never want to hurt you. I never want you to feel... whatever it is you felt a couple of minutes ago.”

“I know.”

Jeff managed a small smile, and Gary returned it.

“I like you so much,” Gary said. “And I never want to hurt you.”

“I like you so much, too, radio man,” Jeff said, and then he blinked and looked down at his hands in his lap. “I... I want to be your boyfriend.”

Gary’s heart fluttered with excitement. “Really?”

“Yeah, really. I’ve been wanting to be your boyfriend, but I wanted to try to move past this bullshit first. But maybe... fuck, maybe I can’t. Maybe I never will.”

“Did you think I wouldn’t want to be your boyfriend if you couldn’t?”

“Not that you wouldn’t want to, but... remember when I told you that you’re perfect? Well, you are. You’re fucking perfect, Gare, and I wanted to be enough for you.”

“You’re enough, Jeffrey. You’re more than enough.”

With a soft sigh, Jeff pulled Gary’s arm around him and leaned back against Gary’s chest. As soon as Jeff seemed settled, he pulled Gary’s other hand around him too.

“Without something to lean against, this is a real test of my ab muscles,” Gary teased, pulling Jeff even closer. “Now, you can kick my teeth in for this if you want, but I’m still going to ask: Is this okay?”

“ Yes, Gare ,” Jeff said, a tiny bit of bite to his words.

Even though Jeff was trying to sound mad, Gary realized he was probably more embarrassed than angry, and his half-smile told Gary that he wasn’t too upset. Gary nuzzled the side of Jeff’s head with his nose .

“I love when we snuggle like this,” Gary said. “But I want you to know, I love every moment we’re together. Whether we’re touching or not.”

“Yeah. Me too.”

Gary squeezed him a little.

“So let me know if it’s ever too much.”

“I’ll . . . try.”

“Okay. Good,” Gary said, though he’d have liked a little more certainty in Jeff’s response. But he supposed it was enough for now. After another few seconds of cuddling, Gary said, “Are you my boyfriend now, Jeff Russo?”

And Jeff responded with, “Guess so, Gary Graham.”

Gary’s entire body warmed with happiness. How perfect this was!

They stayed there for a little while longer and then moved to the bed. As they lay down together, Gary held Jeff close, feeling both like the luckiest man in the world and like he had never before been so terrified.

Because he really, really liked Jeff. And he could only hope Jeff would continue to believe that he was enough.

***

The following afternoon, while Jeff went back home to have a nap, Gary headed over to Mel’s. Her hours were much more forgiving in the summertime, especially before summer session classes started, and it was nice to be able to spend time together without either of them having to watch the clock and run off to their next obligation .

Mel had the idea that they should bake cookies together, so that was what they were up to. Gary wasn’t much of a baker himself, but he hoped Jeff would enjoy a few surprise cookies later, even if their quality couldn’t compare with Mrs. Schmidt’s.

“So, how’s everything with Jeff?” Mel asked before cracking an egg into the bowl they were using to mix the cookie dough.

Gary cracked the next one. “Good. Ish.”

“What’s wrong?”

“I can’t really tell you everything but... I’m worried I might be messing things up somehow.”

“Flypaper?”

“Kinda.” Gary tossed the eggshells into the trash and picked up a spoon to mix the eggs into the rest of the cookie dough. “I’m not smothering him. Or, I’m trying not to smother him. But I think I’m... maybe I’m too... enthusiastic in some ways.”

“Enthusiastic?”

“Needy.”

“I can see that.”

“Gee, thanks, Melanie .”

“Some men like that, though. Who wouldn’t want someone to like them enthusiastically ?”

Gary shrugged and continued to stir. “Yeah, maybe.”

“Hold on, we need the chocolate chips, too.” Mel grabbed the bag of chocolate chips and proceeded to pour way, way too many into the batter. Gary must have been looking at her funny because she said, “What? I like chocolate, okay?”

“Oh! That reminds me, I have successfully convinced Jeff that vanilla is the superior ice cream flavor.”

“Ew, vanilla?”

“Yes, vanilla.”

“Boring.”

“Dependable. ”

“Bland.”

“What?! No, I’m sorry, but vanilla is exotic. It’s exciting.”

“Vanilla is not exciting.”

“ Some people find it exciting. Me included.”

“Weird.”

Gary stuck his tongue out at Mel, who only laughed in response.

After Gary was finished folding in the chocolate chips, they scooped out heaping tablespoons onto a baking sheet and then went to the living room while the cookies baked in the oven. Over the next few minutes, Gary finally told Mel about the situation with his family—the will, the fact that he had this unshakable suspicion that his mother had been lying for years, the way that they had made him feel so small when he had visited. When he was through, Mel pulled him in for a hug.

“What reason would your mom have had to keep your dad from you?” Mel asked gently.

“Well, I have to hope that it was because she thought it was for the best. Maybe he was a horrible person. I mean, from my memories, he wasn’t, but I was a kid, and kids sometimes put their parents up on pedestals, right?” Gary pulled back from her hug. “Also, he left us, so he couldn’t have been a saint.”

“That’s true.”

“Ugh, the worst part of this is that it makes me feel extra... extra.”

Mel snickered. “Read all about it?”

“Shut up.” Gary shoved her with his elbow. “I feel like I’m extra me right now. Just, you know, clingy. Worried that everything in my life is about to crumble.”

“It won’t.”

“You can’t know that. ”

“Well, I know that I’m not going anywhere,” Mel reassured him. “And I know that your silly radio station isn’t either.”

“And Jeff?”

“Can’t say. I’ve only met him once.” Mel sat back. Looking pensive, she crossed her arms over her chest and brought one of her legs up to rest her ankle atop her opposite knee. She hummed a bit. “What if we have a movie night tomorrow?”

“Why?”

“Bring Jeff. Maybe I can feel him out. I’ll either be able to offer you some reassurance or—”

“—break it to me that I’ve been a clingy monster and warn me that he’s about to run for the hills?”

“Yeah.”

While Gary was thinking it over, the oven timer beeped. Mel went to take the cookies out, leaving Gary with his thoughts. He loathed how his most recent visit home coupled with these lingering worries in his head were stirring up his insecurities like this. Jeff needed Gary to keep his head on straight while he worked through whatever it was he was trying to work through.

As he thought back on the previous day, Gary’s face prickled with shame. He really hadn’t meant to push Jeff into trying to somehow prove how much he liked him. Of course not. But everything with his family was... well, it was really, really messing with him. God, yesterday, once he and Jeff had finished their fight or whatever it was, Gary had barely been able to let Jeff stray from his arms. No wonder the poor man hadn’t slept much. Ugh. He had to be better. He needed to try to trust that Jeff liked him, that Jeff wasn’t someone who would leave.

“Mel?” Gary hollered.

She called from the kitchen, “Yeah?”

“Let’s have the movie night,” he called out. “But forget pestering Jeff, okay? ”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, I’m sure.”

Gary closed his eyes and promised himself that he’d be better.

He’d be the man Jeff needed him to be.