Page 7 of Something Like Daybreak
Something was wrong. Ben wasn’t sure what yet, but all the telltale signs were there. Like the way Jace kept reaching for him across the kitchen table, squeezing his hand as if trying to communicate some deeply felt sentiment. Or the forced patience on his face as Tim talked about the project he was participating in—a group of artists pooling their creativity to build an immersive experience—when usually Jace seemed to genuinely enjoy his company. Ben became fixated on that aspect, wondering if Jace was beginning to regret their living arrangement. He had never fallen in love with Tim, like Ben had once hoped, but theyweregood friends. Which made the sudden possessiveness stand out even more.
Tim seemed to pick up on it too. “You know what?” he said, standing up and rapping the kitchen table with his knuckles. “I’ve got myself all worked up, so I’m gonna leave early.”
Some of the tension seemed to drain from Jace. “Will you be back tonight?” he asked.
“Uh… Probably not,” Tim said, seeming to assess him before turning to Ben. “You know how it is when I get caught up in my art. I’ll see you both in the morning?”
“Thank you,” Jace said.
That was confirmation enough to make Ben’s stomach sink.
“No problem,” Tim said. He shot a wink at Ben instead of kissing him goodbye, like he usually did. Then he headed for the front door.
“Why don’t you see him out?” Jace said, rubbing his temples.
Ben got to his feet. He met Tim at a threshold they had crossed countless times while living and noticed his husband’s nervous smile.
“Is everything cool?” Tim asked, trying to sound nonchalant.
“I don’t know,” Ben admitted. “I’ll get to the bottom of it. Have fun, okay?”
“I will.” Tim embraced him before they kissed and said goodbye.
Ben returned to the kitchen. “What’s going on?” he said. “You’re giving me flashbacks to the final aneurysm you had.”
“It’s nothing like that,” Jace said, before seeming to reconsider.
“Out with it!” Ben pleaded.
Jace nodded, but he didn’t speak right away. Instead he stood and looked around him. “Can we go home? To our place, I mean.”
“Sure,” Ben said. “Whatever you need.”
This meant going upstairs and opening the door of what used to be a linen closet. These days it led to a humble single-story house that they had lived in together. Ben had once considered it a strange way to travel between homes, but compared to the wonders he’d seen in the afterlife, it was positively mundane. He was worried that Jace would lead them to the bedroom and complain about his head hurting, but instead he went to the living room and sat on the couch. Ben settled down on the opposite end and faced him, bracing for bad news. Which made it even odder that Jace began to lecture him about reincarnation.
“Time out,” Ben interrupted. “I get the basics. Why are you telling me this now?”
“Victor,” Jace said, his voice cracking. “He uh…”
Ben didn’t need him to explain. His own sister, Karen, had already reincarnated. He couldn’t blame her, considering howmiserable she’d been in life. Despite what people back on Earth imagined, you didn’t magically become a well-adjusted person just because you were dead. Sure, many of life’s pressures and strains fell away, so most people were happier in general. But when you had a negative disposition, it colored your every waking moment.
“I’m sorry,” Ben said. “I knew you were upset about something. It’ll be hard to say goodbye to Victor. But maybe this is what he needs.”
“That’s a very mature attitude to have,” Jace said. “Please remember it when you hear what I have to say next.”
“No,” Ben said as the pieces came together. He felt like he was freefalling through the air. “You can’t!”
“I’ll be back,” Jace said, grabbing Ben’s hands to kiss them. “It’ll be just like when I took those international routes. I’ll be away on business, and before you know it—”
“An entire lifetime will have passed,” Ben said, his throat constricting.
“You’ll be surprised how quick it goes,” Jace said. “When I waited for you—”
“It felt like forever to me!” Ben said, beginning to panic. “Why are you even considering this?”
“I can’t stop thinking about it.” Jace’s hands trembled around his own. “It feelsright.”
“So do we!”
