Coda Books 06 - Fear, Hope, and Bread Pudding (MM)

spending the entire week sitting in the condo with nothing to say.
    Cole’s mother smiled graciously when she opened her gifts, but I sensed she was disappointed. The things Cole had chosen for her were expensive but subtle, and I suspected they weren’t quite her taste. She’d brought candies for my father, and a pair of leather gloves much like the ones she’d been wearing when she arrived. There was also one large box from her addressed to both Cole and I.
    “I hope you like it,” she said with absolute sincerity. Judging by the glint of hope in her eyes, she’d put a great deal of thought into the gift. I handed it to Cole to open.
    Cole was never one to rip into a present, and this time was no different. He untied the ribbon and laid it aside. He carefully located the pieces of tape and then folded the paper properly out of the way. He took the lid off of the box.
    Then he froze, staring down into it. For the barest of seconds, he forgot to keep his mask in place. I saw what he really felt, and it was nothing but overwhelming sadness.
    “What is it?” I asked.
    He blinked and his moment of transparency was over. He managed to smile at his mother, although his expression was as unreadable as ever. “It’s lovely,” he said. “Thank you.”
    The hope in her eyes turned to disappointment. “You don’t like it?”
    “Don’t be silly, Mother. Of course I do.” He set the box aside and started to stand up. “I need to check on dinner—”
    Whatever it was, it had upset him so much that he was making an excuse to leave the room. I reached over and took his hand before he could bolt. He sat back down but refused to look at either me or his mother. Grace bit her lip and stared down at her lap. My father raised his eyebrows at me, mutely asking the obvious question. I let go of Cole and pulled the box toward me to see what was inside.
    It was full of baby things—a couple of blankets, a stuffed dog, several sleepers, and a pair of booties—all in gender-neutral colors, all undoubtedly of the highest quality. I glanced up at her in surprise. “How did you know?”
    “Your father told me.”
    I turned to my father for confirmation. He shrugged. “I didn’t think it was a secret.”
    No, it wasn’t a secret. Not necessarily. But it was a definite sore spot for Cole. Her intentions had been good, but she’d unknowingly hit him where he was most vulnerable. I reached out to take his hand again, but he pulled away. “It’s fine,” he said, more to me than to her. “Stop acting as if I’m going to fall apart at the drop of a hat. I’m not as fragile as you think.”
    He couldn’t bring himself to lash out at his mother, so he’d snapped at me instead. I accepted it, because anything else would make it harder for him. He stood up and went into the kitchen, leaving the rest of us in awkward silence. I still didn’t necessarily like Grace, but I felt compelled to try to explain. “I’m sorry,” I said to her. “The thing is—”
    “Don’t worry about it.” She began gathering her gifts, packing them together into one box. It gave her an excuse to avoid meeting my eyes. “It’s nothing, really. It was just something I picked up in the airport anyway. It doesn’t matter a bit.”
    I looked at the gifts again. I was no expert on baby items, but I’d been in plenty of airports, and I was pretty sure nothing here had come from one. I glanced up at her again, but she was still doing her best not to make eye contact with either my father or me. She took her small bundle of gifts down the hall to her room.
    “Wow,” my dad said quietly. “That was uncomfortable.”
    “No kidding.” I couldn’t help but feel that the entire mess was his fault. He was the one who’d insisted on inviting her. He was the one who’d divulged our plans to adopt. “Why did you have to tell her?”
    He was unfazed by my anger. “It seemed like the thing to do. I suppose I should have warned her that it was such a touchy subject—”
    “A ‘touchy subject’?” My voice was getting louder, but I couldn’t help it. “Is that how you see it? You think he’s being unreasonable?”
    “Jon.” My father’s voice was steady, his gaze level on mine. “Is picking a fight with me really going to make this situation any better?”
    I sighed in frustration. “No.” Although admitting it only annoyed me more.
    “I didn’t think so.” He pointed toward the kitchen. “I think he needs you right