Page 52 of Leo
He snorted softly.“Maybe.Oh, shit!I almost forgot!What’d you want to tell me yesterday?We kind of got distracted…”
I perked up, excitement not quite melting away the vestiges of sleep.“Okay, so, you know those videos Bethany put up?”
Leo let me ramble, yawning my way through the events of the day.Another jaw-cracking yawn.“This is just so much,” I muttered.“I mean, it’s amazing butso much.”Another yawn, and my tongue felt thick and heavy.“You know?”
“I know,” Leo murmured.“Go to sleep, Ambrose.”
I nodded, phone trapped between my ear and the pillow.
I was already slipping into a dream when he disconnected.
CHAPTER17
LEO
Rather than the hurt feelings,clashing schedules, and arguments over time spent or not spent together I’d feared we’d have, Ambrose and I had settled into an easy rhythm that was shockingly pleasant.It took some juggling of schedules, some awkward maneuvering, but after a week or so, we figured out something that worked for all of us.Bethany would wait for Edward on days when Naomi wasn’t picking him up and, instead of going to after school care, Edward and Bethany would either go to Nice Buns or back to my house so they could work on homework and generally just be safe and out of harm’s way.Bethany still worked some hours at the bakery and had her after school clubs but that lined up well with the days Naomi picked up Edward.I didn’t have to work late every day so when I was able, I met Edward instead and we went home.I made dinner while he did homework and told me about his day.Ms.Webb had been better about the ableist crap since I insisted on a parent-teacher meeting after the incident, but the fear and guilt had worn off enough that she was back to acting unconcerned.It had been too much of a habit with her, and I wasn’t getting much support from the school in terms of accommodations for Edward other than a handful of teachers and admin who’d been horrified about Edward so easily disappearing from campus, though the fact the police deemed it an easy oversight seemed to earn Ms.Webb quite a bit of forgiveness from the powers that be.One of the counselors had the gall to suggest Ijust put him in a private school for special little guys like him.
I had to walk out of that IEP meeting before I said something that would definitely get me kicked off the PTA.While the staff and teachers were being great with him now, I fully expected another ‘quiet hands’ or ‘look me in the eyes’ incident any day now.
The best part of this new almost-normal were the nights Ambrose spent the night.It was awkward as hell because Bethany definitely knew why they were staying over, but she was equally embarrassed that we knew she knew so she just kept quiet about it and hung out in the living room or the guest room upstairs.There’d been a couple of weird breakfasts while none of us made eye contact before Edward asked why we were acting funny and if it was because we got to have a sleep over and he didn’t.He’d been so put out about it, jutting his lower lip out so far, that Bethany snorted.That had set Ambrose off, then I went.
Now, just over a month into beingofficiallytogether, things were starting to feel less shiny and more comfortable.He’d stopped hesitantly knocking before coming in the house.A few pairs of his sleep pants were in my dresser, and I’d cleared out the nightstand on what turned out to behisside of the bed.Which had beenmyside of the bed, but I hadn’t wanted to argue and now it was too late.Most mornings, we didn’t start out together.Even when Ambrose slept over, he usually had to leave earlier than I even woke to get to the bakery and start things off.But on those days, Bethany got to sleep in, using the guest room I’d had ideas of turning into an office one day but had ended up using as storage until it became clear I’d be having, well, guests pretty regularly.
It was weird.It was kind of great.
But sometimes it was kind of a pain in the ass, like when Bethany overslept, and I was the one who had to get her out the door while wrangling Edward and also ensuring I had my own shit together.
A few mornings, I’d sat through meetings with grieving families only to realize later my shirt was misbuttoned or I had a coffee stain peeking from beneath my suit jacket.
I was just coming off one of those mornings—stained tie thanks to a rushed, hectic breakfast on the go, a call from the elementary school to say Edward had left his show and tell item at home and if I could get it up to the school by the end of lunch, he’d be good to go.Natalie had jumped on the offer to go full time, but I still needed some help on the admin end of things.I finally caved and put out the word at the nearby mortuary science programs that I was looking for an office assistant.I was expecting my first interview at two, so while I had the time it was going to be a crunch.My mood was already tanking and the two hour span I’d had blocked out with nothing going on but having real food for lunch and maybe a nice (ornice)call with Ambrose was out the window.
It can’t all be wine and roses,I scolded myself.You just need to work on balance.This is part of the deal, having a relationship with another person and not just being fuck buddies.
And Ambrose was worth it.What we were starting was worth it.It was unlike anything I’d expected, anything I’d been part of before.Naomi had said it was like once I got out of my own way, things started to click, and I had to think she was right.I stopped fighting what I wanted, what… yeah, what I needed.And I let Ambrose in.And he let me in.
It’s worth it.They can’t all be the great mornings and easy moments.Some of them are going to suck.
I saw out my last client of the morning after making sure I had the contact information for their chosen celebrant and calling to check on Natalie.We had a cremation scheduled for Thursday after a service and I needed to check and make sure the company that came out to restore the retort’s liner had actually finished the job in time.
One more thing to add to the list of shit I need to deal with,I thought with bitter taste on the words.I drove home as quick as I could, avoiding the speed trap near the beach, already thinking of ways to snap myself out of my shitty mood before I did something foolish and took it out on someone who didn’t deserve it.
The sight of the downstairs lights on sent a spark of surprised pleasure through me, almost snapping me out of the funk.Did Ambrose come back to the house?I wonder if I can convince him to take a long lunch… Maybe after I run Edward’s project up to the school.
I parked at the end of the drive and headed for the door when I realized Ambrose’s car was nowhere to be seen.
The kitchen light shut off.
Slowly, I retrieved my phone from my pocket and opened up my text thread with Ambrose.
Me:Are you, by any chance, at my house right now?
Ambrose:No.Did you forget something?I’m taking a lunch break in like an hour and can swing by.Ira’s here today so he can mind the counter for a bit.
I started my reply, telling him no and that I was going to call the cops, when Bethany stepped out of the house, locking the door with the spare key I kept hidden in a plastic rock by the front flower bed, and shouldering her duffle bag that she used for overnights at my house.She didn’t notice me standing in the drive, so intent was she on sneaking from the house in the middle of the day.She made it to the stepping stones that led from the front porch to the driveway when she finally realized I was there, and froze.Color drained from her face, and she dropped her bag, her entire body twitching like she wanted to run but just couldn’t move.
“Bethany,” I said with forced pleasantry.“What the hell?”
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