Page 122 of Escape Velocity
He relaxes in his seat as he realizes that this will be the first time in years that they’ve had completely uninterrupted time together that he knows isn’t limited. It’s only a couple of days, but they always had some kind of ticking clock on them.
They always have exams, games, homework, parties, prying eyes, and expectations constantly looming over them, and maybe some of those pressures are still there, but now they don’t feel like they’re going to drown him.
Just as he finishes his maple latte, Callum makes a turn down an even more barren road, filled withgravel, and eventually turns into the driveway of a cabin perched on a lake surrounded by pine trees.
“Wow,” Mason nearly whispers.
Callum squeezes his hand. “I told you it would be worth it.”
Callum parks, they get out of the car, and Mason takes his overnight bag with him to the entrance, with Callum never letting go of his hands the entire time.
It’s almost completely silent as they stand at the door. It’s like no one exists in this area, and he wouldn’t be surprised, since there don’t seem to be many houses in the area.
Callum unlocks the door, and the smell of pine immediately hits him.
The door opens into a small living room, with a couch, a few love seats and a stone fireplace.
Callum takes Mason’s bag from him and disappears into another room as Mason looks around.
It’s tiny, but it’s perfect. There are wool blankets perched on every couch and chair, and there’s a dining room table that sits just in front of a giant window overlooking the lake.
Callum reappears from another room and stands behind Mason and massages his shoulders.
“It’s beautiful,” Mason whispers.
Callum kisses his shoulder, and electricity surges through him at the contact. “It was April’s.”
Mason spins around, tears welling up in his eyes. “It was.”
Callum nods, his mouth thin and eyes swimming with grief. “She brought me here every once in a while to get away from dad. I didn’t know it was to get away from himat the time… I thought it was just to spend time with me. It was probably both.”
Mason grabs Callum’s face with one of his hands.
He leans into it, closing his eyes and breathing deeply as he sinks into Mason’s comfort.
“I just want to feel close with her again… And after what happened with my dad… I just feel even more distant from her.”
Mason nods. “That makes sense.”
Callum opens his eyes. “But… when I look at you, I’m reminded that her warmth it still there. That you knew her. That you were like a second son to her. That I wasn’t alone in losing a mother.”
Mason bites back tears as he thinks about April. He pushed down his feelings of grief for a while after he and Callum stopped talking, but it wouldn’t take away from the fact that April was once like a mother to him.
“So I wanted to bring you here. Because you matter just as much as she does to me. That you keep her memory alive. Because you let me be myself around you. You like me for who I am.”
Mason chuckles as a tear streams down his cheek and he kisses Callum.
“Cal…”
Callum takes Mason’s hand and kisses his palm. “Thank you, Mason. For being you. And letting me be me.”
Mason hugs Callum and squeezes him like he’s about to float away. “Thank you, Callum… for letting me find my voice.”
They stand in the dining room overlooking the lake for a while, standing still, just hugging until the sun sets.
“I didn’t know you could cook.”
“It’s a family recipe. It was my mom’s special pumpkin and squash soup.”
