Page 32 of Liam

"Then I'm in the right business." Ethan set our drinks in front of us. "Do you mind if I sit for a couple of minutes? I need to take a break to reset my brain."

I frowned at Ethan, but he crowded in beside me on the bench.

"So, Jamal … how are things at the centre?" Ethan asked. I'm not sure why he was hijacking my time with Jamal. Maybe some misguided attempt to ease my anxiety.

"Busy," Jamal replied. "More kids are coming in during the day looking for food and shelter for a few hours. I'm going to need to secure some more funding for a meal program along with a youth shelter situation I’ve applied for." He cupped his mug in both hands. "As much as forty percent of homeless youth are LGBTQ+."

"Jeez," Ethan responded.

"And twenty percent of the homeless population in Canada are youth."

My chest felt tight. "Is there anything I can do?"

Jamal's eyes widened and he smiled at me. "Actually, yes. It's a small thing, but we've set up a weight room at the centre. I'd love if you could spend some time showing the kids how to use the equipment. We don't want anyone hurting themselves."

"Done." I could do that. "Just tell me when."

"I'll text you."

"Do you do arts and crafts?" Ethan asked Jamal.

"We do. We like to keep the youth busy. They like being creative."

Ethan tapped the table. "I have a pottery wheel and a small kiln I'm not using. Would you have room for them? I could give classes on how to use the wheel and then work the kiln for you."

Jamal's face took on a gorgeous expression I hadn't seen on him before.

Gratitude.

"Thank you both." He looked back and forth between us. "You have no idea how huge this is. The more we offer the youth, the more their minds are exposed to opportunities for joy."

I loved the wording of that.

"I already drop leftover baked goods at the homeless shelter," Ethan said, "but I could have my bakery assistant make extra muffins and cookies for the centre. I could set up a donation jar by the till to cover the extra cost. My customers would love to support an initiative like that."

I felt the need to reach for Jamal as tears formed in his eyes. I couldn't stop myself. I touched his arm and held it. "The Salish Sea Society is here for you. You only need to ask."

Jamal nodded, silently looking into his cup. We'd overwhelmed him.

I patted his arm and withdrew my hand.

"I'm back off to work," Ethan said as he stood. "Enjoy your visit."

I gave Jamal a minute to compose himself after Ethan left us. "You all right?"

"It was a lot all at once." He looked up at me and wiped a tear off his cheek. "I've dedicated my life to the youth at that centre. The pay sucks. It's not why I'm there."

"I'm a firm believer in supporting our LGBTQ+ community. I was on the board of the pride society for a few years. I was in charge of organizing the volunteers."

Jamal's eyebrows rose. "Noah never mentioned that about you."

"There are a lot of things you probably don't know about me."

"I'm realizing that." Jamal bit his bottom lip as he stared at me, demonstrating a stellar impression of a shy schoolboy. "I'm looking forward to finding out more."

"Me too," I whispered as our attention on one another held.

The commotion of the coffee shop disappeared as neither of us could look away. I needed to break the intensity. It was sending my pulse into a frenzy. I lifted my coffee cup and took a sip, breaking eye contact with Jamal. He did the same, concentrating on his drink.

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