Page 11 of A New Chapter
Once they filed their marriage license, and Colton filed his name change form to make his last name Quinn, they headed to the DMV so Colton could change his license.
While they waited, Rom fielded questions from Ina via text about how the day was going, how Clayton was doing.
About if they could come over that night to introduce the boys to him.
Rom had already broken the news to her, and Chad, that they wouldn’t be going to Georgia with them tomorrow, so Rom figured the least he could do was give in and let them come over tonight.
From the DMV, they headed out to Siesta Key. Rom wanted to take Clayton to lunch and let him see the beach. This was a shitty time in the kid’s life, and maybe this one thing he could do would make a good memory for him to start with.
Rom noticed Clayton seemed to hesitate while looking at the menu. “What’s wrong, buddy?”
Clayton kept his voice down. “How much am I allowed to spend on lunch?”
Colton laid his menu down and looked at him before Rom could formulate a response to that heartbreaking question. “Buddy, don’t order like a champagne special or something, but order what you want. What looks good?”
* * * *
Colton was having a really difficult time not swearing up a storm. It was bad enough their parents had fucked up his childhood and his self-esteem, but to turn around and do it again to another son enraged him.
Then there was the whole creepy issue that they’d literally tried to replace him, by how they’d named his brother Clayton.
“Can I have the grouper sandwich?” Clayton asked.
“You can have anything you want off the menu,” Colton assured him. “Get fries and a salad with it, if you want.” No wonder the poor kid was so freaking skinny. He was lucky Grammy had always fed him—
Oh.
Nowhe got it. Before he lived with her full-time, one of the first things Grammy always asked him when he arrived at her place, or at the store, was if he was hungry or wanted a snack. He remembered always being hungry at home, and how his father would bitch if he had seconds at dinner, or a snack at home, always making him feel self-conscious.
But his father was far from skinny and had no problem taking seconds when he was hungry.
Clayton nodded and set his menu down. “Yes, please.”
Colton exchanged a glance with Rom and knew the other man’s thoughts were probably running along the same wavelength as his own.
There would be a lot of deprogramming, and probably some counseling, in Clayton’s future.
After lunch, they headed over to the beach. Clayton had never been to the beach before, and as Colton and Rom kicked off their shoes and walked with him, showing him how to look for sharks’ teeth, he thought about all the times he walked Venice Beach with Grammy, times spent much like this.
In some ways, Clayton acted like a boy much younger than his age. Having spent a lot of time recently with Rom’s nephews, Colton could see the ways in which the boy hadn’t been nurtured.
There weren’t a lot of people out today, since it was a Monday, and school was in session. As Clayton straightened with a small shark tooth in his hand to show them, Colton tried not to think about tomorrow, about confronting their parents.
He hadn’t seen them in twentyyears.
He damn sure wasn’t a skinny, terrified kid anymore.
“Hey, that’s a good one,” Rom told him, and the smile Clayton gave him nearly broke Colton’s heart.
He knew that fear hiding in Clayton’s eyes. He recognized the hope the boy wore on his face after hearing praise.
I guess I should consider myself lucky I didn’t have to risk my life hitchhiking from another state.
Rom led them up the beach, past the high-tide line, to dry sand, where they all sat. “Is there anything you want to tell us?” Rom quietly asked. “I get the feeling there’s more you’ve held back. It’s okay. Say whatever you need to—no judgment from us.”
Clayton seemed to need a moment. He stared out over the Gulf as the sea breeze blew in and ruffled his hair. He was a little on the shaggy side, like he needed a haircut, but that wasn’t a battle he’d have with him. If he wanted to shave himself bald or grow it long, that would be up to him.
“Why’d they lie to me all my life and tell me Colton and Grammy were dead when they weren’t, butI’mthe ‘bad’ one because I’m gay?”
