“Ah, don’t make me say silly things. My point is, everyone around you can tell why you make music.”
“Because if I don’t, I will go crazy?”
“Yes, and because you love it. Because you are a lover. You’re as bad as I am.”
“You can never be bad,” Reno argued.
She huffed over the line. “Tell that to the ice cream I had before bed.” She giggled then said, “Don’t let them take that from you. You are a big success. Many big-shot artists go solo when they start to feel trapped.”
“I can’t leave my band. They are my world.”
“Then bring them with you, if you must.”
Reno couldn’t imagine asking his friends to step away from the label that had given them everything, just because they wanted Reno to maintain his image.
He said, “I will think about it. I want to try first.”
“Try what?”
“To change their minds.” His phone buzzed in his hand, not for the first time since he’d called his mom. He knew people were trying to reach him. “I think I may have lost my temper today.”
“That is rare. They really upset you, I see.”
“Yes. They said I would be attacked because I am gay.”
She made a contemplative noise. “Are you?”
“Bisexual, I guess.” He’d never outright said it to his mother before, and it was a relief to do so. “I feel the same about men and women.”
“And they think because of this, you will be attacked? Are people still so awful?”
“I didn’t think so. Now, I’m not so sure. They let people get married legally here now, no matter what gender, so I thought people were past thinking that way.”
“You know people are not so simple.” She paused for a moment before saying, “But, you do know people look up to you, yes?”
“I guess so.”
“Imagine how you would have felt as a young boy if your favorite celebrity was open about loving both men and women.”
Reno felt stunned by the thought. “I would have felt so much more…normal.”
“You were always normal. People will maybe be mad if you show the world you love this man, but also, there will be so many boys like you who will be relieved that someone they look up to is like them, too. They will feel less alone.”
“I didn’t think of that.” Reno’s phone buzzed again, and he frowned. “I think I need to go, my phone is getting so many texts. I kind of walked out in the middle of a workday.”
“I think that is reasonable on this occasion.”
“How did I get so lucky?” Reno asked.
“It is easy to accept you. I see you happy when you are yourself.”
“I’m sorry for waking you,” Reno apologized. “I hope you can go back to sleep.”
“Don’t worry about me. I will talk to you soon.”
“Goodnight," Reno said before he heard the line go silent.
He opened his messaging app and found several messages in the band group chat asking where he’d gone and if he was okay. There were a few from Kandi too. He opened those first.
