Earth and Sky

Mom?”

    “Well, Hunter,” she sighed. “What could possibly be wrong? You disappear without as much as a word, only to return five days later without any explanation.”

    “It’s not like I’ve had much chance to explain, Mother,” Hunter answered quietly, but his tone betrayed his annoyance at her accusations.

    “Then I find out that you knocked up that little whore—”

    “Mother!” Hunter and Izzie interrupted her at the same time, both raising their voices.

    “If I’d used those words, you’d make me wash out my mouth with soap,” Hunter continued, not without a certain amusement in his voice.

    “Well, she’s not exactly known around town for her chastity, despite the fact she teaches young children and dresses like a nun most of the time. I was told that’s not how she dresses at the bar.”

    “Mother, you don’t like it when people gossip. Now you’re doing it yourself,” Izzie said with a smile.

    “I just need to get used to her becoming a part of this family, that’s all.”

    “She won’t become a part of this family, Mom,” Hunter said as he sat down on the couch next to Grant. He didn’t look at his lover, though.

    Grant swallowed away his nerves. Was this the moment he was going to be outed? Was this the moment they’d talked about in the car on the way over here?

    “But if she’s carrying your baby, you need to take responsibility.”

    “And I will,” Hunter said with a determination that made Grant feel proud. “If that baby is mine—and I’m not entirely sure about that yet—then I’ll make sure they’ll be well provided for. I won’t relinquish my fatherly duties, but I won’t marry Miranda.”

    “Why ever not?”

    Hunter took a deep breath in. “I don’t love her and I won’t live a lie, Mother.”

    “But she’s the mother of your child, and you’re not denying you have a relationship with her.”

    Hunter leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees, and Grant had a hard time not reaching out to touch him and offer his support. Even if he discarded the presence of Hunter’s mother, he knew Hunter well enough to realize that, although Hunter probably craved his support, it wouldn’t be very welcome right now.

    “I had a relationship with her. A very casual one.”

    “I’m an adult, Hunter. You can admit it was all about the sex,” Beth stated matter-of-factly, making Izzie stare at Grant with wide eyes.

    “Yes, it was, Mother,” Hunter agreed. “And since it ended some time ago, it also means I have no intention of picking it up again.”

    It didn’t take a mind reader to understand that Hunter’s mother was not happy with the situation. “I may not like the girl, but that doesn’t mean I should let you simply turn your back on her, Hunter. If that makes me old-fashioned, then so be it. I think you young people don’t take sex seriously enough. You simply….” She gestured with her hands as if she couldn’t possibly vocalize her feelings on the matter.

    “I’m not turning my back on her, Mother. If this is my child, and it remains a big if , I will support her, but I won’t let you do to me what you did to Lisa and Hugh. Lisa was smitten with Hugh, and he made the mistake of sleeping with her once and getting her pregnant. He never loved her, not like she deserves to be loved, and you know it. They were both miserable, and so was Danny.”

    Izzie sat up a bit straighter at the mention of Hugh’s name, and she smiled shyly at Grant as Hunter continued.

    “I’m sure Hugh would have accepted his responsibility even if they hadn’t gotten married, because that’s just the kind of guy he is, and I would have been happy to employ him so he could be close to his son. It would have made a lot more sense to allow Lisa to live the life she wanted and not just the life you made her live.”

    “She wanted to marry Hugh!”

    “But did you ever stop to ask Hugh?”

    This time his mother didn’t say anything. She seemed to be mulling over all the possibilities, and the tension was almost unbearable.

    Grant realized the feeling was probably different for him than for everyone else in the room, except maybe Hunter. Grant had no idea whether Hunter still intended to tell his mother he was gay, but Grant’s heart hadn’t calmed down since they’d walked into the house, and that seemed like hours ago. Fatigue was claiming him, not to mention hunger and a dire need for a strong painkiller. He couldn’t wait for the