His mom had come to visit the previous month. His father wasn’t happy that Irene made the visit, but for the first time Ker could remember, she stood up to his dad and drove to Hawthorne Bluff anyway, saying that she refused to turn her back on her son. She stayed for just one night, at Muriel’s house, of course. They had a lovely time together, and Ker knew that he’d be able to continue seeing his mom even if his dad was too stubborn to change. That was his dad’s loss, and Ker wouldn’t waste any more time worrying about it.
“Okay, before you fall asleep again, get your butt in gear.” Ash poked his ribs, bringing Ker out of his reverie. “We gotta have breakfast, and I’d like to do at least one load of laundry before we head to Mom’s for dinner.” Dinner at Muriel’s was part of his new weekly routine, and Ker loved it.
After staying at Ash’s house for a couple of weeks when he had first left rehab, he now spent weekdays at home and weekends with Ash. He had decided he liked living with Ash, even just part-time, and planned on talking to him about maybe making it full-time in the not-too-distant future. He could always rent out his place in Plymouth.
While he was preparing the batter for the French toast—he’d become quite proficient in the kitchen under Ash’s tutelage—Ash sat at the counter checking his emails.
“Hey, I know we missed out on seeingThe Lord of the Ringstrilogy back in January,” he said.
“Um, yeah, we were a bit busy, weren’t we?” Ker responded.
“Well, it seems they’re doing it again in October. We absolutely have to do it this time.”
“Yes!” Ker said excitedly. He added the sliced bread to the long dish and carefully poured the milk and egg mixture over it, then set it aside to soak for a few minutes.
He walked over to Ash and kissed him. “I love you.”
“I love you too,” Ash replied.
Yeah, being addicted to Ashton was exactly what he needed.
