Page 95 of Forget Me Not

Chapter Thirteen

LIS WAVED CAL over to the table and requested he bring a chair for Ray to sit in. “No offense,” Lis turned to Ray, “but you’re quite tall.”

And she was quite small. So Ray sat in a chair in the middle of the kitchen, feeling like an animal in a very tiny zoo that smelled of almonds, oats. and cinnamon.

“Are you baking?” Ray twisted around to look at Cal, who was standing at his back. “I didn’t hear that.”

“Granola.” Cal had an unhappy frown on his face. “You don’t have to do this if you’re not comfortable. You don’t need to impress her. She already likes you.”

“She’s right. We have to try something else.” Ray reached for Cal’s hand and held it to his shoulder. “But if it gets embarrassing, end it.”

Cal gave a twitchy nod, then looked up with wide eyes as his mother approached them.

“We’ll start with something insignificant, something not connected to any of us.” She gave Ray a warm smile. Not a thing about her was scented with cinnamon or anything like cinnamon, but she reminded Ray of the smell coming from the oven. Cal said it was granola but the smell was more like oatmeal cookies. “What would work for you?” Lis stopped in front of Ray and seemed dismayed when Ray stared blankly back at her. “I know you don’t like to talk about your feelings, Ray, but this shouldn’t be that hard.”

Calvin was in the doorway, observing at a distance. “How about the day he made detective?”

“I remember that already,” Ray objected. He didn’t have to struggle to bring up the memories of calling his mother, being taken out for drinks that were basically unpleasant-tasting water to him, Penn, whom he had admired but not really known, coming in to congratulate him. The disgust from some corners that hadn’t been hidden well, or at all. The doubt, constant, constant doubt even on that first night. Ray looked over at Calvin. “You were there.” A hand on Ray’s shoulder, buying him a scotch that Ray had finished every drop of despite not needing it.

“All right. Earlier.” Lis tapped her chin thoughtfully. “Your sixteenth birthday? That’s a milestone to many, so you wouldn’t forget it, but you wouldn’t think of it all the time, either.” She held out her hand. Without letting go of Cal, Ray put his other hand in hers. “What kind of cake did you get?” The green of her eyes pulled him in, a whirlpool until it suddenly stopped. Lis’ voice echoed through Ray’s head. “Your sixteenth birthday. Remember.”

***

SARAH HAD traces of German chocolate cake around her mouth and on her lap, but her attention was fixed on the TV screen and the tall human playing a tall alien in the black and white, late night movie she’d put on.

Ray had eaten about half of the cake from the grocery store, not really enjoying coconut, but he was always hungry, all the time lately, and Sarah liked that flavor of cake so that was what he’d asked for.

His mom had given him a Look at that, but picked up that cake anyway. She’d also grabbed a whole tub of Moose Tracks ice cream just for Ray. Then, of course, she’d been called in to work. Ray hadn’t been looking forward to going out for pizza for a birthday dinner, anyway. The kids from school hung out there. He’d be seen. They wouldn’t say anything, but they wouldn’t get it, him choosing to be out with his pack instead of with them.

He would cook something for his mom to eat when she came home, but he didn’t really know how to do anything but sandwiches and boxed mac and cheese, and Sarah seemed content with the cake.

Hanging out with the few guys from the team who spent any time with him would have involved beer or Boones or smoking up, and it was… a waste of time, for Ray. They never understood that, either.

Ray considered, as he often did, looking up Bradley’s number and inventing a reason to call him, except he couldn’t think of one. And whenever his mind wandered to thoughts about the smaller human boy who took drama classes and was outgoing until he saw Ray, how then Bradley would shut up and turn around like maybe he was afraid of Ray and Ray should just leave him alone, except it didn’tsmelllike Bradley was scared… whenever that happened, Ray couldn’t think of anything else but pinning Bradley down and maybe biting him, and then...

Sarah wrinkled her nose and muttered, “Gross, Ray.”

Ray kicked her in the leg, not too hard because, were or not, she was only twelve, but still hard enough to make the piece of cake on her fork splatter onto the couch. Sarah picked the piece up with her fingers and popped it into her mouth where it belonged.

“Now, who’s gross?” Ray returned, but got off the couch to fetch a wet paper towel to get the crumbs.

***

“BRADLEY?” Cal asked archly. “My my. I need to find a yearbook, if only to make Ray blush.” He cupped Ray’s warm cheek. Lis handed Ray a glass of water, which was when Ray realized he had been talking, relating all of that to the three of them.

“My mother’s a nurse,” Ray explained to Lis, who grinned.

“I know, honey. Drink your water. Catch your breath.” Lis took the glass back when Ray emptied it, and held it out for Calvin to take. Which he did, standing not far behind her once he’d put it in the sink.

Calvin’s expression was just shy of grim, and the contented feeling Ray had at the memory of bickering over cheesy scifi movie night with Sarah disappeared. He sat up.

Calvin met his gaze. “Now something bigger, before we ask about what happened in that alley.”

“A good memory though,” Cal suggested. “That might make it easier.”

Lis held out her hand again. “How about the moment you realized you loved my son?”

Ray had never heard a fairy sound as uncomfortable as Cal did in that moments that followed. “Um… I don’t think that’s the sort of memory you want.”

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