"Thanks," I said, offering Marc a wry smile. “It could be worse, I suppose.”
“Oh?” Marc raised an eyebrow.
I leaned forward, resting my elbows on the table. “You remember our waiter at Rooster’s Cafe the other day? Alex?”
Recognition flickered across Marc’s face as his smile faded. “Yeah, the one who seemed to know you.”
I nodded, a rueful chuckle escaping my lips. “Alex and I dated for a couple months, three or four years ago. He’d come to town to visit family after college.” I paused, the memories of stolen kisses and secret rendezvous flooding back. “But his family, they were very closed-minded. Didn’t approve of him being gay.”
Marc’s brow raised. “That must have been tough.”
“It was,” I admitted. “We had to keep our relationship hidden, sneaking around like teenagers.” A sigh slipped from my lips. “In the end, I wouldn’t do it. I refused to hide who I was, and that meant losing Alex.”
Marc shook his head, shrugging. “That sounds tough. But you did the right thing, Ken. No one should have to live a lie.”
I met his gaze, the sincerity in his eyes making my heart skip a beat. “Thanks, Marc. That means a lot.”
“So, what happened with Alex?” he asked.
“We ended things amicably before it got too serious. He went back to his life in the city, and I stayed here.” I hesitated, debating whether to share the next part. “The thing is, I work with Alex’s aunt Nancy at school. And let’s just say, she’s not my biggest fan.”
Marc’s eyebrows shot up. “Really? Why’s that?”
“She’s one of those… you know the type.” I shrugged, a wry smile tugging at my lips. “Honestly, I’m not sure if it’s because I’m gay or because I dumped her nephew.”
“Or both,” Marc suggested, a mischievous glint in his eye.
A laugh burst from my chest. “You’re probably right.”
We sat there for a moment longer, the silence between us charged with unspoken understanding, while making me realize how much I’d been craving this kind of connection—just talking with another person who understood the unique struggles we’d shared.
If I could get over this stupid crush of mine, Marc had the makings to be a great friend.
Marc broke the silence with a chuckle. “But you stuck around here, in this little town while all of your family left.”
I had to laugh. “Yes, I guess I did.” Here I was, when I could have gone anywhere. I raised my coffee mug. “To Blanco Springs.”
Marc raised his mug, clinking it against mine, and his smile lit up the room.
As the evening drew to a close, I found myself reluctant to leave. Being here, with Marc and Mia, felt right in a way that couldn’t be defined. But as fun as it had been tonight, playing house with these people—I had to go, to step back into the role of teacher and maintain the boundaries that protected us both.
I stood, the chair scraping against the floor as I pushed it back. The cozy atmosphere of the Mendez home had enchanted me,and the thought of stepping back out into the chill of my lonely apartment made me sad.
But it was time to leave.
Mia emerged from her room as I was saying my goodbyes to Marco. Her long hair bounced as she skipped toward me, her face lighting up in a bright smile that mirrored her father’s. She wrapped her small arms around my waist in a hug that held all the sincerity and warmth of a child’s unconditional affection.
I returned the embrace, bending slightly to make sure I didn’t miss a bit of that priceless connection. “I hope you feel better soon, Mia.” My voice filled with affection for this brave little girl. “Everyone misses you at school. The whole class can’t wait to see you again.”
She pulled back and looked up at me with those big, expressive eyes that seemed to understand so much more than her five years would suggest. “Really?”
“Really,” I assured her with a nod. “Your desk is waiting for you, and we’ve got so many stories to read and games to play. And I bet you have some new stories for us too, right?”
She nodded with that bright smile of hers that I had missed in her absence. “Uh-huh! I can’t wait to see my friends.” She held out her thin arm and pointed at her hospital bracelet. “I’ll show them this.”
Oh Mia… “I’m sure they’ll all want to hear about it. But remember, only when you’re feeling up to it, okay?”
“Okay!” She beamed up at me, then turned and ran back toward her room, likely already plotting out the story she’d share.
