Page 18 of Catch Me
“I haven’t told him yet. I wanted to have something to show him first or he’ll just...”
When I didn’t go on, there was a short stretch of silence.
“He’ll be so proud, Roman. It’s his favorite team.”
“Yeah. I just want to make sure I actually get the commission first. And if I have some sketches to show him, maybe he’ll think it’s serious.”
“Ross and I are really excited for you. I can’t wait to see what you do with it. It was so nice of Travis to get you this project.”
“Mhm. I don’t really know why he did.”
“Til says he’s a warm person. You know he’s a good judge of character.”
“Sure.”
“Thank you for coming to the game. I should’ve said that earlier, but it slipped my mind.”
“Why wouldn’t I go?”
“Well...” She trailed off, then let out a little breath. “You and Til have never gotten along, and both of you try to avoid each other. He’s easygoing, but I know there’s bad blood between you.”
“Has he said anything?”
“No, he never really did, even back then. He took everything you gave him and didn’t let it get to him. I love you, and you’ve grown so much. I just worry when you’re around each other. He deserves to be happy, and I know how you feel about him being... so thank you for coming anyway.”
Wandering onto the back deck, I stared at the setting sun. It was really peaceful out here. I understood why Travis liked it.
“I don’t care that he’s gay, Mom.”
“Since when?”
“It’s just not my business. Regardless of how I feel about it...I guess I’ve realized that I don’t want to act like Dad.”
“If he did something—”
“No, he’s just a dick sometimes. You know that.”
She sighed. “Yeah, I do.”
“Anyway, I’m just living my life, and everyone else can live theirs. I’m glad that Til found someone who can make him happy.”
My throat was being an asshole, and I could barely get the words out. I thought about that whole friend group. I’d heard things from my mom, but seeing them all together was jarring. Jocks, a law student, a baseball player, a musician, a welder...And they were all gay. It was fucking weird and didn’t fit with the stereotypes I’d once believed.
“That’s really good to hear,” she said. “Without you two at each other’s throats, maybe we can plan a big dinner or something.”
“Sure.” I paused, watching the leaves sway in the trees. “Don’t worry about me, Mom. I’m twenty-two, not a reactive teenager.”
“I’m proud of you, Roman. You’re going to do great things. And your dad will see that too.”
“Maybe.”
“Call me tomorrow to tell me how it goes.”
“I will. Love you, Mom.”
When I hung up, I couldn’t help but groan. Hopefully, we wouldn’t have to talk about that again.
As I leaned against the house, my stomach growled, but I didn’t want to raid Travis’ fridge, even though he said I could eat. Since it was too early to sleep, I grabbed my tablet from the room and sat on the edge of the deck. There was a hint of sun peeking above the horizon still, which cast a reddish glow over the grass.
