Page 14 of What You Own
We go play the game he brought, and I think maybe one day I’d like to sing for Adam.
CALLINGMYparents was a bad idea for too many reasons. They’d both tell me to keep a distance from Adam (yeah, right), to try to pull out of the fundraiser if possible (not at all), and to forget the past and move on (hadn’t happened yet). They stood by me in the hospital, they homeschooled me so I could graduate on time, and they never once gave me grief for any of it—not for being gay, or for Adam. Sure, they were righteously pissed about the deal Langley made with Chad and his asshole friends, but they never blamed Adam, and I loved them for that.
I called anyway.
It was a little after eight, so not late enough that they’d assume an emergency. Mom answered. “Hey, honey, how are you?”
“Good, Momma, how’re you and Daddy?” I stared at the peeling ceiling and hoped my voice was calmer than my racing heart.
“We’re just fine. Daddy’s working late tonight, so he’s not here to chat.”
“That’s fine, I didn’t have much to say. Just a question.”
“Shoot.”
“You guys gonna be home tomorrow night? I was thinkin’ of stopping around for supper.”
“Sure, we’ll both be home. I can have supper ready by six. How’s that?”
“Sounds good.”
“You sure everything’s okay, baby? You sound funny.”
“Nothing that can’t wait until tomorrow.”
“All right, then. Love you.”
“Love you back.”
Short, sweet, and easy—and hearing her voice had helped. Unlike my rambunctious aunts, Momma had a calming personality. She was steadfast, a cellar built to stand up to any tornado. I didn’t know if I’d bring up Adam tomorrow. I probably wouldn’t have a choice if she asked about the center, and she was sure to ask. She knew how much I loved that place and the kids who came for a little extra attention.
Ellie didn’t text. At eight thirty, she called.
“I kissed him,” I said.
The silence on her end lasted a long time. “Are you out of your fucking mind, Sanders? Why did you do that?”
“He didn’t remember, El. I had no idea he didn’t remember.”
“What doesn’t he remember?”
“Anything about the bashing. He remembers wanting to go to Pizza City, but nothing else. Not us talking, reconciling, kissing, not his arm getting broken. Nothing.”
She muttered something I couldn’t hear. “You believe him?”
“Yeah, I do. He’s got no reason to lie.”
“He doesn’t remember Chad—”
“Nothing, Ellie.” Adam was unconscious for that part of it anyway, and his daddy apparently hadn’t passed on the details.
“Shit. Did you tell him?”
“Some of it. The good parts, before the bashing.”
“Are you going to tell him the rest?”
Million-dollar question. As much as I wanted Adam back, I didn’t want him coming back to me because he felt guilty or wanted to make up for what happened. “I doubt it. I’m not gonna chase him. I’ll work with him on the fundraiser, but if he wants to know anything else, he’s gotta come to me.”
