La mer à boire

Enzo sighed and put his fork down. Florian had groaned when he read the phone message.

"Is that her again?" Yet another family day about to be destroyed by Florian's mother. Enzo had enough of her harassment.

Florian didn't reply. He bent over Ma?lis and gave her a bite of her vegan dish. To please Enzo, he had agreed to take them to a vegetarian place in the covered market of Nancy for lunch before getting groceries.

" Pipi ," she said. Enzo signed that it was Florian's turn to take her to the bathroom.

Florian nodded and grabbed his daughter's tiny hand after helping her off her chair.

Enzo had glanced at his husband's phone a few days before. Thanks to his excellent visual memory, he'd learned the number by heart in seconds. He took out his own cellular and typed in the digits.

ENZO: Mme Beaudry, this is Enzo. I am going to ask you something, and I will ask it only once: please leave Florian alone. I do not think you want this to go public and end up in court. I'm going to put it simply: if you keep harassing my husband and asking to see our daughter, I will sue you .

ENZO: We have witnesses of you abandoning Florian on the street before he was of age. He was rescued by a family who will not hesitate to testify to protect our daughter from you. If you persist, I will ask for a psychological evaluation, not only of your mental state, but of your husband's as well.

ENZO: Finally, I would advise Marlène to stop spreading lies about my husband. She got lucky he didn't sue her when her lover attacked his business six years ago. He didn't pursue the issue out of the kindness of his heart. I won't be so lenient. If I hear that Marlène has been soiling his reputation again, I will sue her for libel as well. I know you've been communicating with her. I know she's been encouraging your harassment of Florian. If she has issues with him marrying me, she can confront me directly.

ENZO: This is the first and last time I will be contacting you about this issue. Leave my husband alone, or we will be taking this to court, complete with a psychological evaluation, witnesses, and a record of your text messages to my spouse. I hope this is understood.

As expected, Florian's mom didn't reply. She had too big an ego to stoop so low as to fight with her son-in-law. She didn't scare him the way she did Florian, and a part of her must have known that. Tonight was La Fête de la Musique—a free music festival happening throughout France—and Enzo didn't want Florian's mom to ruin that for them too.

When Florian came back, he caught something in Enzo's expression and asked if everything was okay .

"Perfect," Enzo lied with a simple motion before asking their daughter if she had washed her hands.

Florian settled her on the chair again before diving into his spring vegetable tart. Enzo finished his salad, eating the last of his warm bell peppers and eggplant. He passed on dessert when the three of them were done.

They walked around the market to get their bio groceries of the week: various vegetables for Enzo's meals, some charcuterie for Florian—the sight of which made Enzo gag, though he didn't say a word—and an array of cheeses. They headed to their hybrid car and put all the reusable bags in the small trunk.

Once at home, Florian's phone tinged. His body tensed as it always did nowadays at the sound of his cellular. That was how much of a toxic hold his mother had garnered over him in such a small amount of time.

"No, you didn't!" he screeched upon reading the message, then he stared at Enzo.

Enzo shrugged his innocence.

"You texted my mother?!" Florian's face turned red, his eyes bulging in anger.

Before he could continue, his phone beeped again. Enzo saw him flinch as if reluctant to check the message. Florian turned his phone up anyway and winced upon reading. He let out a sigh, closed his eyes, grabbed the bridge of his nose between his index and middle fingers, and said nothing.

"What?" Enzo signed.

Florian turned the cellular toward him .

UNKNOWN NUMBER: Hey, Florian. Look, I know it's been a while, but I'm out of jail. I wanted to see you and have a real conversation, man to man. I know what I did to you sucked, and I wanted to apologize in person.

Enzo frowned. "Who's this?"

Florian whistled through his clenched teeth. "Guy."

Enzo's eyes bulged. "Wait! Guy, the man who sprayed homophobic graffiti all over the walls of your business six years ago?"

"Himself." Florian rolled his eyes.

"How do you know it's him?" Enzo signaled.

Florian let himself fall on their couch as if truly tired. Enzo asked Ma?lis to go to her playroom so he could talk to Papa for just a minute.

"I knew he was getting out," Florian signed once their daughter was out of eyeshot. "He was in the can for a while. They added time because it was a hate crime, and because he also attacked Marlène."

Enzo read the message again, sat down and looked at his husband. He grabbed his hand, running his thumb over the back of it before pulling back to sign. "What are you going to do?"

"Meet with him, I guess." Florian shrugged.

"What? Why?"

Florian ran a hand over his face, obviously exasperated. "He used to be my best friend. Okay? "

"Yeah, and he slept with Marlène. While you were dating her!" Enzo motioned emphatically.

"I know, but don't you think he paid enough for his crimes?"

Enzo puffed. "Not nearly enough as far as I'm concerned."

Homophobic attacks were a huge trigger to him because of how he'd lost his hearing. There was no excuse for homophobia.

After forgiving his ex, Florian was now ready to forgive that prick Guy too. No way! Enzo couldn't comprehend his husband's leniency.

Florian gave a tight-lipped smile. "Look, I don't like to hold grudges. I don't have time for that in my life. He wants to talk and apologize. I'll give him a chance to do so. It doesn't mean I forgive him. I won't talk to him ever again after that."

Enzo was not happy about any of this. Not one bit.

Florian narrowed his eyes and changed the subject. "Don't think I forgot how you were texting my mother behind my back today… I don't even know how you got her number. That's crossing some serious boundaries right there."

Enzo rolled his eyes. "Oh so you can forgive that prick who nearly ruined your business six years ago, but you're gonna get on my case for texting your overbearing narcissistic mom and telling her to leave you alone. Ma?lis is my kid too, just so you know, and I don't want that woman anywhere near her."

He crossed his arms, resting his back against the couch.

Florian's lips tilted on one side as he did anytime he found Enzo adorable. "Don't sulk. I do appreciate your sticking up for me." He smiled some more. "So there was something I wanted to ask you, and now you've done that—texting my mom behind my back, I mean—you can't deny me."

Enzo pursed his lips. "What?"

"Elmer Food Beat is going on tour, and I want to go."

"Eww."

Florian rolled his eyes through a laugh. "Come on! You don't have to come. I'll go with Rapha?l."

"With Rapha?l?" Enzo was definitely in a bad mood now.

Florian seemed oblivious. Either that or he didn't care that he was treading on landmines. "Yeah, I can take the train and go see the band in Paris."

"Where are you gonna sleep?"

Florian shrugged. "Rapha?l said I could crash at his place."

Enzo's insides twisted. "But their marriage is open now."

A long sigh seeped out of Florian's mouth. He was not amused. "Enzo, I'm not going to sleep with him. I am going there as his best friend. Just gonna hang out and go see a band we both like. I'd ask you to come, but I know you won't."

Florian sighed again.

"Okay, okay. I want you to have fun," Enzo conceded.

Florian beamed quick as lightning and kissed the top of Enzo's hand.

"So what are you going to do about Guy?" Enzo signed.

"I'm going to reply right now." With that, he grabbed his phone and texted his ex-best friend back.

** *

Later that same day, Florian waited at the terrasse of some café on Place Stanislas. His leg was jerking in anxious anticipation. He wondered what Guy looked like now.

Florian was still saddened by everything that had happened. Losing his best friend had been tough. Finding him in bed with Marlène was probably one of the worst experiences of his life. Marlène hadn't learned her lesson, apparently, since she was still up to her nasty shenanigans. But Florian hoped Guy had matured a bit.

When a man came to stand in front of him, Florian blinked and barely recognized him. Guy had aged twenty years in only six of them. He was scrawny, still tall, with light brown hair now sprinkled with gray.

Florian gulped on a ball lodged in his throat and stood to hold out his hand. He shook Guy's hand before motioning for him to sit down. Guy had a lot to make up for, even though he had paid quite the high price for being such a fucking douche.

Guy looked down, sighed, then pinned his brown eyes on Florian.

"What were you thinking?" Florian needed to know why someone who used to be his best friend would not only fuck his girlfriend, but tag the front of his business that he'd taken so long to build.

"I was young."

Florian huffed. "So was I. Doesn't mean I acted like some doucheface. "

"I know." Guy raised his hand to call the waiter and order a tap beer before resuming, "Look, I don't wanna make excuses. What I did was stupid and mean. I had a lot of time to reflect while in the can, and honestly, I don't know what I was thinking. I'm sorry." He shook his head. "I don't expect you to be my friend anymore. Or to forgive me, even. This is like my twelve steps, you know. I need to ask for forgiveness before I move on."

Florian didn't say a single word. He had nothing to add.

"I tried to contact Marlène, but she wants nothing to do with me."

"Well, you did hit her. I saw the marks. She was in the hospital, man."

"I know. I was a douche. Look…"

Florian shook his head. "I could forgive a lot, Guy, but you hitting her was the last straw for me."

Guy blinked. "Even after what she did to you?"

"You were with her, what? A few months? I was with her for years. During which she treated me like shit. Not once, you hear me, not once did I touch her like that. That was a dick move, man. Do you know how many women die each day from domestic violence? I know she's a handle; I've lived with her, but I don't condone hitting people. Especially after what happened to Enzo. You should know that shit, man."

Guy steepled his hands in front of his nose and closed his eyes before pinning his gaze back on Florian. "The moment she heard what I did to your business, she dumped my ass. I snapped. I was an asshole. Look, I'm sorry. "

"That part isn't mine to forgive, though."

Guy nodded. "I tried to contact her, like I said. Look, do you forgive me for tagging your business? It's been six years, man. They used me to set an example. Because of the negative publicity it all received with the LGBT Center coming into play and all, I got a big sentence. I'm not saying I didn't deserve it, but I did my time, you know."

Florian sighed. "I moved on a while ago. I don't dwell on past grudges. Now, I do have a problem with Marlène going behind my back to trash-talk me to my mom. I would advise you steer clear of that shit, man. Just a kind warning."

"Your mom?"

"Yeah, don't get me started on that. Look, man, I just want peace in my life. Youapologized. Apology accepted, but I'm moving on. Honestly, after today, I never want to hear from you ever again. And if for some reason, you get in touch with Marlène, tell her to leave me the fuck alone. I want nothing to do with her. I'm happy now. It's not my fault she'll always be miserable. That's in her personality and all. I tried to give her everything. She kicked me to the curb. She's not my problem anymore. I'd advise you don't meddle with her, man. She hasn't changed one bit."

Guy nodded, looking slightly defeated.

"You've got a place to stay?" Florian had the decency to ask, though he really shouldn't give a shit.

"Yeah. I'm crashing at some friend's place. "

"‘K." Florian tsked and rose to his feet. "Look, it was nice chatting and all, but I have to go. I hope you get your life sorted."

Guy nodded, biting on his lower lip as if in shame. Florian tapped him on the shoulder and walked away without a single look back. Marlène, Guy, and all that, they were all in the past now. He wished he could say the same about his parents. He could feel a lawsuit coming where his mom would demand to see Ma?lis, and he didn't know what to do about that.