Page 12 of A New Chapter
Colton didn’t even know what to say, but Rom did. “Because people can be evil in lots of ways, buddy. They can do bad things and still look like good people. They wear people suits to hide what they really are, and when you least expect it, they do stuff that can ruin or even end lives.
“And you’re not ‘bad.’ We are the way we are, and there’s nothing wrong with us. There is far less wrong with us than with a guy who murders his wife and an innocent woman, and the guy cheating on that innocent woman with the man’s wife. There’s far less wrong with us than people who will do what your parents did.
“I need you to understand and take it to heart that while what they did is going to hurt for a long time, it’s aboutthem,notyou, andnotus. We didn’t do anything wrong. We were born. I don’t ever want to hear you say that about yourself, either.”
Clayton studied the sharks’ teeth in his hand. “We won’t go to church, will we?”
“We don’t go to church. If you ever want to go, we won’t stop you. We’d have to ask around with Aunt Roberta and the grannies, though. I wouldn’t want you going to a church like you just escaped from. Therearegood churches out there. It’s just not our thing. It sounds like your parents are basically in a cult, not a church. Cults hurt people.”
He looked at Rom. “Will I ever stop being so…angry?”
Rom looked to Colton, who took over. “I had trouble with that. We can work on that. But we need you to be honest with us when you’re angry. Don’t hold your feelings in. That’s toxic. Anger can come out in other ways, too. It can make you depressed, or make you cry, or make you want to hurt people who didn’t do anything to you. The trick is figuring out how to recognize it and use it in a healthy way until you can process it. I had my art and the gym. We need to find what your thing will be. It could be anything that helps you process it.”
Clayton’s gaze returned to his palm. “I liked computers. In grade school, we were learning about them, and they were teaching us coding. Like to make games and stuff. I didn’t have a computer at home, though. Dad told me that was for sissies.”
Rom held up a finger. “I’m going to put another rule in place,rightnow. Eliminatethatword from your vocabulary, too. I went to college and got my degree and I work at a bank. I started out as a teller and I’ve been promoted. I might one day be a branch manager or something. I’m not rich, but I’m happy. Colton is a personal trainer and runs the shop. He’s happy. It’s not a bad thing to do what you love for a living, college or not. Your father strikes me as an unhappy man.”
“Heis,” Colton muttered. “Healwayswas. I think that’s one reason he hated Grammy. She was happy and did what she loved, and made a living at it. He resented her for it. Mom hated working in the store while she was growing up and saw it as a chore, and she just fed into his resentment.”
“It was weird watching TV last night,” Clayton admitted. “We never had one. Mom said they were a waste of money, and they were evil.”
“Of course she did,” Colton said. “Because why would she want you to have an independent mind? You could challenge her worldview, if you did.”
Clayton lay back in the sand and stared up at the sky. A cloud had scudded across the sun, taking the edge off the heat. “Is it always this pretty here?”
Colton smiled. “Nah. Today’s a crummy day. You should see it when it’s beautiful.”
Clayton finally laughed. “Crummy day?”
“Yeah.”
They finally stood, brushed the sand off, and headed back to the car. At home, Clayton went to his room to take a nap, and Colton pulled Rom into his arms once the boy’s door was shut.
“Thank you, Master,” he whispered.
“What’d I do?”
“For…everything. The beach, the talk. Thank you.”
“Thank Chad and Ina.” He smiled. “They researched their asses off to raise a halfway normal kid.”
Meanwhile, Colton knew Ina had been texting with Rom to see if they could stop by with the boys after dinner, and Rom arranged that.
Since Ina and Chad had apparently taken the news they were off the revenge caravan roster better than expected, Colton agreed it was wise to have them over.
After Clayton woke up they fixed dinner together, and Colton carefully watched his little brother as he got to know his new cousins…or brothers-in-law, depending on how they wanted to look at it. Clayton acted stiff, at first, like he was scared of saying or doing the wrong thing.
But then Rom dug an old video game system out of the storeroom, hooked it up to the TV, and the adults sat back while Jeff and Allen taught Clayton how to play it.
As the adults held back in the kitchen, watching, Rom spoke low enough only they could hear him. “I take it you talked to them?” he asked Chad.
“Yeah. Told them to go really easy on him. Not to joke around with him like they might their friends. Not until he gets to know them and relaxes. One of their friends is gay, so they’re okay with that.”
Rom cleared his throat.
“I mean someone theirage, Rommy,sheesh. Ofcoursethey’re okay with it ingeneral, but you’re older than them by their ages. You and Colt both. To them, you’re an adult, not a kid.”
“Ah. Sorry.”
