Page 61 of A Match Made In Evan
(I haven’t heard the end of his ‘I miss soccer’ whinging, either.)
“You didn’t break up, did you?” the kid’s gaze flits to my ring and something that looks a lot like relief flashes over his face.
“No,” I tell him, “we’re still very happy. He just…had surgery a little while ago and he’s recovering. His friend, Jack, is here instead.”
Joey nods, then leans all the way over the bench to check the firefighter out. “Is Jack single?”
“Jack is not. He’s also twice your age.” I gently push him back onto his side of the counter. “Now, are you ordering, or just holding up the line behind you?”
“Does Jack like men?” he tries again, batting his lashes in Jack’s direction.
“Alright, that’s it,” I point to the exit lane. “Shoo.”
He pouts, but he leaves, and Jack snorts. “Kids are super ballsy now, aren’t they?”
“He’s got an accent?!” Joey pops his head in through the back door to the canteen.
Sophie, one half of the other couple rostered on today, laughs and then chases him away.
“He’s a menace,” I say, but it’s fond.
The kid has grown on me, too, it turns out.
After lunch time is over and we’ve cleaned and sterilised the canteen, Jack and I walk back down to the school carpark. He seems like a nice guy, and we’ve been bonding over his experiences as a relatively new fulltime dad to twin four-year-olds.
“Uh, Mister D?” I just about jump out of my skin as Joey pushes off the bonnet of my car, where he was obviously waiting for us.
“Shouldn’t you be in class?”
“Yeah, but, um, I just…I just wanted to make sure Mister B is really okay.”
I nod. “That’s sweet. He’s fine, I promise. He’s actually really whiny because he wants to be back out playing soccer again, but his doctor won’t let him yet.” I cock my head. “You really should be getting back to class.”
Joey nods and sighs. “Yeah.”
“Is everything okay?” I look the kid over. He doesn’t seem his usual bouncy self, but a lot of kids start hitting the wall in the second half of the school year. “Did you want to talk to Ev about something specific?”
“Yeah, no, I’m fine. I just…I like Mister B a lot. And you,” he hurries to add, as if I’m going to be offended that he likes Evan more than me. “But, yeah…I just…I’ve missed seeing you guys at stuff.”
I remember what he’s said in the past, about not knowing many other same-sex couples and, now that I’ve started to go through the coming out process, I think I get it more. He doesn’t feel like he fits in, especially when he’s not getting acceptance at home, and he feels safe with Ev and, to some extent, with me. A kinship, if you will.
“Why don’t you see if Mia feels up for hosting a drama club slumber party at our place?” I ask him, giving him an excuse to hang out with likeminded people without being weird about it. “Tell her that her dads will buy all the hipster gluten-free vegan pizzas your hearts desire.”
His eyes light up and he bounces on the balls of his feet. “Yeah?”
“Yeah,” I nod. “Now get back to class before your warden —I mean, principal— finds you out without a hall pass or whatever they call them these days.”
“You’re the best, Mister D,” he tells me, and I watch as he heads off up the hedge-lined path to the main area of the school.
When I turn back around, Jack is smirking at me, tattooed arms folded over his big, broad chest. “What?” I ask him.
“That was nice of you.”
I frown. “What, exactly, has Ev been saying about me that would make me being nice to a kid so surprising?”
“Nothing,” he’s quick to respond. “But not everyone gives random teenagers the time of day.”
“Yeah, well, I don’t think he gets the attention he needs at home. Not that his parents are neglectful or anything. But some of the things he’s said have made me feel for him, y’know? Like I don’t think his dad is super accepting of same-sex relationships and Joey—”
