Page 54 of Hooking the Captain
“Shit,” I mumbled and sat up before I answered. “Hey, Mom.”
“Hi sweetie,” she greeted. “I’m surprised you answered. The last few times I’ve called, I got your voicemail.”
“Yeah, sorry about that. I’ve been really busy at work.” That wasn’t a total lie. I just didn’t add I also spent a lot of time doing whatever I could to distract myself from my numerous fuck ups over the past year or so.
“Well, I just wanted to give you our flight information and tell you we can’t wait to see you tomorrow.”
A jolt of panic hit me as her words sank in. I had completely forgotten my parents were coming for a visit. “Yeah, me too,” I responded with as much enthusiasm as I could muster in my hungover state. “It’ll be great having you guys here.”
We chatted for a few more minutes before saying goodbye, and once I disconnected the call, I leaped out of bed.
“What’s going on?” Kaylee yawned, stretching her arms above her head.
“My parents are coming tomorrow,” I explained frantically, running my fingers through my hair. “I completely forgot.”
Her eyebrows knitted together. “How’d you forget that?”
I shrugged. “No clue.”
“Well, you better get your shit together and clean this place up before they arrive.” She climbed out of bed and started to get dressed.
I nodded, glancing around my room at all the clothes scattered across the floor. It sort of reminded me of how my old frat house looked after a wild party. Walking into the living room, I started picking up the empty beer cans on the coffee table.
“See ya,” Kaylee called out as she opened the front door.
“Bye.”
I ignored the pounding in my head, and continued to work on getting everything ready for my houseguests.
For the past week,whenever I wasn’t at work, I played tour guide for my parents, showing them all the sights around London. We’d gone to Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London, Hyde Park, and several other locations tourists liked to check out. And while I was enjoying my time with them, I also longed for a night out on the town without Mom and Dad in tow.
It was late afternoon when we finally returned to my flat, exhausted from a day of exploring. I dropped onto the couch while my dad and mom sorted the groceries we’d purchased so they could get started on the dinner they insisted on making for me as a thank you for showing them around the city.
I turned on the TV and mindlessly flipped through the channels until I stopped to watch the tail end of an Arsenal football game. The sound of clinking pots and pans drifted from the kitchen, and I could hear my parents’ laughter as they worked together.
After a while, I noticed it had gotten quiet. Just as I was about to ask them if everything was okay, both of them walked into the living area, a somber look on my mother’s face, and they sat on the loveseat across from me.
“Ford, darling,” Mom said softly, her voice filled with concern. “Is everything all right?”
My eyebrows pinched together. “Yeah, everything’s fine. Why?”
She took a deep breath. “I promise we weren’t snooping, but there are several empty vodka bottles and beer cans under your sink, plus a couple more bottles in your freezer.”
“Mom—”
Dad cut in. “We know you were going through a hard time before you moved here, and then after Christmas, it seemed like you were dealing with something too.”
“You can talk to us,” Mom added.
I felt a lump form in my throat as I saw the worried looks on their faces. A part of me wanted to brush off their concerns or maybe lie and say they were all left over from a party I’d thrown before they arrived. But another part recognized it was an opportunity for me to open up to them finally.
Taking a deep breath, I sat up straight, my heart pounding in my chest. “Okay,” I started, my voice wavering slightly. “I have been going through some stuff, and yeah, I guess the alcohol kind of became a way for me to escape.”
My mom moved to sit next to me and rested her hand on my back. “What kind of stuff?”
Before I could second-guess my decision to let them in, I blurted out, “I’m bi.” And I kept going, telling them all about what had happened with Tyler and then with Coop. Of course, I kept Coop’s identity private because of the NDA I’d signed.
My parents remained silent after I had finished speaking, and I gave them a chance to process everything I’d thrown at them. It felt like an eternity passed before their expressions shifted from surprise to something that looked like understanding.
