Page 120 of Sapphire Spring

Now it was showtime, and Mason wanted to run screaming intothe woods.

“Okay. Remember the script. He can toss the rope at you, butif you don’t pick it up, there’s no tug of war. If he uses a slur orhe getscrazy angry, ask him to stop once politely, thenhang up if he does it again. This is about giving your father an opportunity tobe a better man by asking for what you need.”

“And he agreed to this time?”

“He said he’d be waiting by the phone,” Tony answered.

He doubted his father had used those words.

All Mason had to do was get through this. Once Pete said no,his next call would be with Naser, and the guy’s voice would pour into his earlike sweet music after two weeks of radio silence.

Mason picked the phone up off its cradle. “This is a wasteof time, Tony.”

“No such thing when we’re being rigorously honest.” Tonystepped outside the office to give him privacy, and Mason dialed.

His dad answered after the first ring. “What’s wrong? Areyou coming home?”

“No,” Mason said. “Everything’s fine.”

“Fine? You’re in rehab, genius.”

“Uh huh. Okay, there’s…this thing they’re going to do here.It’s called Family Week.”

Silence.

“Figured something like this was coming,” Pete finallygrumbled. “You call your mother?”

“Why would I call her?”

“I don’t know. I figured you guys were close.”

“She walked out when I was three.”

“I’m sure she’s got her own version of that story.”

“Well, she’s not around to tell me. I don’t even have anumber for her. Look, I’m not calling to talk about Mom.”

“I gotta go up there for a whole damn week?”

“You don’t, actually.” And just like that, Mason had goneoff the script he’d agreed to with Tony. “If you don’t want to do it, I’ve gotsomebody else lined up.”

More silence.

“Who?” His father sounded offended. “Chadwick?”

“God, no. He’s a mess. He should be a resident here, not avisitor.”

“Who then?”

“Someone you don’t know.”

“This Nazar guy?”

“Naser.”

Mason braced for a homophobic attack that would have himthrowing the phone across the room and telling Tony to screw their deal.

Finally, his father broke the silence. “How long you beenseeing him?”

---