Page 27 of Vespertine
The thought of more food didn’t sit particularly well inthat moment. “I can stop by his house if it works better for him.”
“Sure thing. I’ll call you right back, Father.”
“I’ll be here.”
Lucas hung up, and Jasper stared at the phone. Going to theBlumfeld house? With Nicky home? What was he thinking?
An hour and a half later he wheeled his bike to a halt infront of what had once been a second home to him. Through the trees he caughtglimpses of his own childhood house. It’d be empty at this time of the day,unless Martha was cleaning. His mom was a surgeon at General Heights and wouldn’tbe home until late.
He hadn’t been to his parents’ house in a long time and hemissed it. Not living up to their expectations of adding to the medical legacyin the Hendricks family had left their relationship strained, but his beliefthat there was no conflict between his homosexuality and being a priest—so longas he practiced celibacy—had pushed his very conservative mother to the pointthat she’d stopped coming to church. Apparently seeing her son preside overMass while still identifying as gay was too much for her to bear.
A quirky little Mini Cooper sat parked in the Blumfelddriveway, and Jasper felt his stomach do a little flop. The thought of Nickyriding in that tiny thing made him want to laugh. When they were kids, Nickyhad hung on to his old red plastic foot-pedal car long after he’d outgrown it,and the image of Nicky pedaling along with his knees beside his ears crowdedJasper’s mind.
He hadn’t thought about his childhood in a long time, but he’dbeen so happy back then. Every single memory seemed filled with sunlight,despite the long, boring winters they’d had to endure. Maybe he didn’t rememberthem that way because Nicky had been part of all those winters, and the boredomhad been softened, like sepia photographs, to quiet days of companionship.
Walking up the porch felt as familiar as returning to hisown home. Jasper hesitated for a second, staring at the familiar blue sidingand the reflection of himself in the glass door. He hadn’t had much cause tocome here recently, and the Jasper who used to stare back at him from this samereflection had been smaller, thinner, and lacking the clerical collar. As heraised his hand to ring the doorbell, he felt like two people. The Jasper who’dloved a gorgeous boy with a soulfully fragile voice and a gift to play anyinstrument he laid his hands on, and the one who still felt a calling so deepit reverberated in the marrow of his bones.
Feeling more like that young boy than the man he’d become,Jasper pressed the doorbell.
Mrs. Blumfeld’s small shape appeared behind the glass andshe smiled widely as she opened the door.
“Oh, Jazz! It’s wonderful to see you.” Mrs. Blumfeld reachedfor him and gave him a one-armed hug before quickly pulling away. “I’m sorry.Should I say Father Jazz? And is hugging you even allowed? When you’re wearingthe…” She gestured at her own throat, and Jasper touched his collar.
“Of course,” he laughed. “And you’ve known me as Jazz for alot longer than I’ve been a priest, so call me whatever you feel comfortable with.How have you been?”
“Fine, fine.” She gestured him inside and Jasper felt theyears drop away. The countless times he’d stood in that beautiful hallway, eyesfor nothing but the stairs Nicky would come thundering down so they could setoff on one of their adventures. It all seemed so long ago.
Like she read his mind, Mrs. Blumfeld touched his sleeve. “Isometimes forget how grown-up you boys are now.” From outside came a long, loudyeehawfollowed by an almighty splash. There wassadness in her eyes but Jasper saw a renewed glimmer of hope that had beenextinguished for years. “At least one of you grew up.”
“So…” He awkwardly cleared his throat. “He’s really here tostay?”
“For now. We’re cautiously optimistic.” Her face brightened.“Go on back! You should say hi. I’m sure he won’t splash you in your niceclothes.” She bit her lip. “Well, fairly sure. Come on, you know the way to thepool.”
Jasper tried to resist as she tugged on his arm. “I havesome documents for Adrian to look over, and—”
“Ah yes, he mentioned something. Adrian’s in the yard too, Ithink he’s trimming the roses. Again. Poor things. Anyway, you can talk to himand then say hi to Nicky.” Jasper said nothing and she looked up at him. “Imade fresh lemonade.”
Oh no. “Mrs. B…”
“And I can make fruit crisp.”
His blasted sweet tooth. Giving up on resisting, he sighedand said, “Lead the way.”
Mrs. Blumfeld laughed and guided him through her brightkitchen. “Take a seat. I’ll go get Adrian so you can get your business overwith.”
He glanced outside, following her gaze through the kitchenwindow with its view of the pool. The sun glinted over the gently ripplingwater, too blue to be natural. The green rolling lawn stretched out behind it.A fisherman’s boat bobbed up and down in the cove across from the canoe he andNicky had used as kids.
As the surface of the pool broke, Jasper startled and almostgasped when a soaked but fully clothed Nicky heaved himself from the water. Thedark, long-sleeved T-shirt clung to him, and Jasper could see every ripple oftaut, wiry muscle and the sharp edges of rib cage and collar bone too. Jasper’sblood thrummed, and he felt a strange, hot-tinged lightness wash over him.
“I know,” Mrs. Blumfeld whispered. “He’s too thin. But I’llmake him better.” She laid her hand on Jasper’s forearm. “We’llmake him better.”
Nicky pushed his too-long dark hair out of his face and hiseyes took the shine of the pool water and put it to shame. The water on hisskin glowed in the sun. Hewastoo thin, but somehowas handsome as ever. Jasper couldn’t say a word, so he just nodded, and Mrs.Blumfeld left him to it.
By the time Adrian came inside, Jasper had settled himselfat the kitchen island with the documents spread out in front of him. He rose tohis feet.
“Adrian, good to see you.” They shook hands.
“And you, Jasper. We don’t see nearly enough of you thesedays. I keep looking around expecting one of you kids to be rooting around mykitchen eating my food.” He patted his belly. “But I’ve got to eat it all bymyself these days.”
