“Oh, what a wonderful age,” she said. “Would she like to join us?”
Father Joseph raised his eyebrows. This man knew what Rory’s mother was doing.
“I’m sure she would love to,” he said. “As long as she could bring her fiancé.”
“Oh, of course, he’s welcome to join.” His mother deflated. She’d wanted to set Rory up again, and it failed.
“Let us know when and we’ll be happy to join you,” Father Joseph said. “Now, I must be going. Have a blessed day.”
The family moved to the exit to leave. Rory’s parents whispered angrily back and forth as they made their way to the car. This was another argument about him. His father had insisted his mother stop trying to set him up, but she refused to give up. If only she knew. He only had eyes for one person. Bernard.
His parents invited him to dinner, and he reluctantly agreed. He didn’t want to be alone.
*
RORY PICKED AThis food. He wasn’t hungry. He’d barely eaten the past week.
“Mother, Father, I think I’m going to take a walk.”
“Okay, dear,” his mother said. “Take a sweater. It’s a little chilly.”
Rory grabbed his sweater from the hook and headed outside. He walked down the street. His mother was wrong. It wasn’t cold. The warm August wind blew through his hair.
He walked with no purpose. His feet took him to the park. The same park where his father talked to him. The same park where his brother pushed him to accept who he was.
Rory sat on the bench and watched the wildlife. The birds sang to one another. It reminded him of being in the park with Bernard. He wanted to hold his hand. He wanted to kiss him. Now, he’d never see him again.
“May I join you?” His dad walked up to the bench.
“Yeah.” Rory didn’t look up.
“How are you feeling?”
“I don’t know.”
“Rory, I’m sorry about what happened between you and Bernard. I know you care about him.”
“It’s fine,” Rory said. “Mother’s right. It’s disgusting and I should be ashamed of what I was doing. It’s not normal.”
“Your mother is wrong.”
Rory stared at his dad. Crow’s feet decorated the corners of his eyes. He’d turned sixty back in February. Rory’s own green eyes looked back at him. Rory saw his future self in his dad.
“What?”
“Loving another man isn’t disgusting, and there’s nothing wrong with you.”
“But the Bible–”
“The Bible doesn’t determine who you can love.”
“It says my love is a sin.”
“I don’t believe that at all,” his dad said. “I loved a man once.”
Rory gaped at his dad. He had never mentioned this. His dad was straight. He was married to his mother. How could he have been in love with a man?
“You?”
