Page 33 of Eternal Hoptimist

I winced. It was shitty for a family member who should love you unconditionally to hurl all that hate. I dumped the chopped onion and bell pepper into the pan to cook while I cracked eggs into a bowl.“He shouldn’t have treated you that way.”

“He was outwardly hostile to most people. For some reason, I got the brunt of it.”

“What was the rest of your family like?”

“Not as aggressive, but their complicit silence hurt.” His expression turned fierce. “One time, I was so excited because I’d registered for a summer theater camp where I could try acting and making costumes and all sorts of things. I got ready on my first day, and my mom dropped me off at a survivalist camp for young boys. Turned out that when my grandfather learned what camp I’d signed up for, he talked my parents into changing it to something more ‘practical.’ Something where I would meet boys from prominent families in town.” I worried Ethan might crack a molar with his jaw grinding.

“Goddamn, what a dick move. Who the hell does that to a kid?”

“I wish I understood it. I found a way to try and keep some distance from him after that, but it was still rough through high school. Rosie took me to volunteer a few times for a community theater. We didn’t tell my parents because I did it during times she told them I was at her house.” His eyes softened.

“Rosie seems amazing.”

“She is. She was basically my grandparent. The person who mattered anyway. My grandfather died when I was in college. After that, I grew closer to Grandma because with him gone, she wasn’t as quiet as she’d been while he was alive. I think she carried guilt for how he treated me but chose not to do anything about it. He treated her like shit too.”

His empathy was generous, but he deserved someone to advocate for him, especially as a child.

“When she died a few years ago, she left everything to me and my sister. My sister got her house and property because she’d always loved the place while I got money. I think she understood that I never planned to move back to Kansas. Leaving me property would’ve resulted in my selling for the cash anyway.”

“That’s nice she understood that about you.”

His face brightened to the smile I’d become addicted to. “I used that money to make a big ole queer brewery with my three gay best friends. And pay off my student loans.”

I laughed while adding chopped spinach to the whipped eggs. “I admire how you used the money.” Tap That Brewery wasn’t simply owned by members of the alphabet Mafia, but from what I’d learned, they infused that piece of their identities into the place. They named their beer puns on queer terms, raised money for LGBTQIA2S+ causes, and worked to make it an inclusive and welcoming space for all.

Once I met Ethan and began paying more attention, I realized how much my family and friends in Dahlia Springs had talked about the brewery and its owners. Their reputations were as revered as rock stars.

“How does your great-aunt fit in?”

Ethan’s entire demeanor softened. “She’s my grandma’s sister and never liked my grandfather. She was the one person in the family who told him off—not that it made much difference. My parents would frown when my grandfather said terrible shit but didn’t stop him. They probably thought he’d cut them from his will.”

“I guess that happened anyway.”

Ethan tilted his head and studied me for a moment, then his eyes rounded. “Jesus. I never thought of it like that. Do you think my grandma left everything to my sister and me because of what he did?”

“Could be her way of making amends on behalf of all their inaction and your grandfather’s shit.”

Ethan’s eyes turned glassy as he nodded.

I focused on finishing the omelets to give him a moment to collect himself. Either that or swoop around the counter to pull him into my arms. Cuddling under cover of night was one thing, but during the light of day crossed a line.

He cleared his throat. “I wondered why Grandma left nothing to Rosie.”

“Maybe Rosie told her not to.”

Ethan scrubbed his hands over his face. “That wouldn’t surprise me. She sure as hell could use it, though. She tries to hide it, but I know she struggles financially. I offered her the inheritance, and she glared at me like I’d shit on her beloved rose garden her husband built at their house.”

A lump formed in my throat as I pictured an old man I didn’t know planting roses for his wife, someone else I didn’t know, and the image made me want to cry. “I’m glad you and Rosie have each other,” I said as I plated the omelets.

“Me too. I should call her this week to check in.”

With the fundraiser out of the way, I needed to focus on researching Rosie’s situation. I wanted to help the woman who meant so much to Ethan because he’d begun to mean a great deal to me.

We sat at my dining table and tucked into breakfast. He complimented the food, and I tried not to think too much about the happy sounds he made as he ate. Before he left and the opportunity passed, I needed to acknowledge last night.

“Thank you for last night. It meant a lot having you by my side, and I can tell it will make a difference at work.”

The coffee cup hid Ethan’s mouth. “I’m glad.”

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