Where Nerves End

nod. To Dylan, I said, “Yes, I am.”
Dylans gaze shifted from me to his father and back.
Michael cleared his throat. “So, do you have any…questions? Anything? About this?”
The kid shook his head. A moment later, Daina returned with a chocolate pudding cup and a spoon. Michael scowled as she handed it to Dylan, but he didnt say anything.
Dylan shoved the spoon into the pudding and resumed kicking his feet back and forth. After acouple of bites, he said, “Are you guys like Mom and Lee?”
“What do you mean?” Michael asked. “Like, are we married?”
“I guess.” Dylan shrugged.
Michael glanced at me. Then he smiled and put his hand over mine as he looked at his son again. “Not quite, but well see what happens.”
“Okay.” Dylan looked at me and matter-offactly said, “My dads smart. Boyfriends are way better than girlfriends.”
I laughed. “Oh really? And why is that?”
The kid wrinkled his nose. “Because girls are gross.”
I couldnt stop myself from laughing. Neither could Michael.
“What?” Daina scoffed. “They are not .”
“Yes, they are!” Dylan laughed.
“Your moms not gross,” I said.
“She doesnt count,” he said matter-offactly. “Shes Mom.”
“A seven-yearolds logic,” Daina said with a shrug. “Guess you cant argue with it, right?”
I laughed. “No, I guess you cant.”
“Well,” she said with mock indignation, “one day, Dylan, you will realize girls arent nearly as gross as you think.”
Dylan just wrinkled his nose again, and his parents and I laughed. None of us spoke as he continued with his snack, completely oblivious to any reason why he should have a problem with his father dating me.
“All right, kiddo,” Daina said when hed finished with his pudding cup. “Go put that in the trash, and then grab your things so you guys can go.”
Dylan pushed himself off the couch and trotted up the stairs.
As soon as the kid was gone, Daina exhaled, her shoulders dropping. Michael blew out a breath, closing his eyes and leaning back against the couch.
Daina looked at the stairs, shaking her head. “Michael, I think our parents could learn a lot from him.”
“No kidding,” he said. “Thats assuming they ever stop shitting kittens over us not teaching him how evil „the gay is.”
She made a quiet noise of agreement. “Do they know yet? Your parents?”
“Not yet.” He looked up at her. “I think Ill wait on that one for a while. Kind of seems like a „need to know thing right now.”
“Good point,” she said. “How do you think theyll take it?”
“Well, better than Seths parents, thats for sure.”
Daina snorted. “That doesnt take much.”
Michael rubbed the back of his neck and exhaled. “Either way, Ill deal with that eventually. I mostly just needed you and Dylan to know.”
“Im glad you told us,” she said softly.
“Me too.” Michael pushed himself to his feet and stepped around the coffee table. He hugged his ex-wife, and for a long moment, he just held on to her, eyes closed and nothing but pure relief written all over his face.
As Dylan came downstairs, Michael let Daina go, and I stood.
“Ready to go?” Michael asked.
Dylan nodded.
As the kid headed out to the car, Michael took a breath. “Well, that wasnt so bad. Now I just need to talk to Seth.”
I cringed.
Michael put his arm around me and kissed my cheek. “Ill sort it out withhim. Dont worry about it.”
Dont worry about it.
Yeah, right.

CHAPTER 20
    Summer was definitely closing in on Tucker Springs. The heat wasnt heavy or oppressive yet, but it was here, warming my shoulders as I lounged in a metal chair in front of one of the town square pubs. A couple of bikes whizzed past us. Kids played between the bronze sculpture of jumping salmon and the abstract art fountain.
    Apparently oblivious to his surroundings, Michael played with the label on his barely-touched beer. He wasnt agitated like hed been on the way to talk explain things to Dylan, but he was definitely nervous. So much for “dont worry about it.”
    He glanced at his watch, then exhaled sharply and went back to peeling the label. “Youre sure hell be here?”
I nodded. “You know Seth. He doesnt know the meaning of „on-time.”
That brought a faint laugh out of him. “Okay, good point.”
It took everything I had not to reach for his arm. He was still getting the hang of being anywhere close to out, and knowing our luck, Id have my hand on him right when Seth showed up. So I kept my hands around the