I don’t really want to tell Micah that I’m curious whether or not he’s ever dated Caleb—or maybe even if someone else I know has. Not without potentially outing someone who may not necessarily be comfortable with being out anyway, which I’m not sure if Caleb is or not. I mean, he didn’t seem it to me when he told me he was pan, but I don’t want to assume anything.
“You’re not trying to set me up with someoneelse, are you?” Micah quirks an eyebrow up at me. “Because, if you are, I’ll tell you I already barked up that tree. Besides the language barrier being a big issue for him, he also has a kid. Not to say there’s anything wrong with Cameron—because there’s not, he’s super nice—but I just don’t see step-parenting anyone’s kiddos in my future.”
“Oh,” I say flatly.
“Are you trying to set him up with Marcus? Because honestly, I think that’s a bad idea…”
“Why?”
“Caleb doesn’t strike me as the type who wants to be someone’s secret fuck buddy.” Then, Micah grimaces. “That’s kind of why I ended things with Marcus too, honestly. And, I know, you two are a couple, so it’s not like I’m saying this to, like, be mean or anything, but I just didn’t want to be an afterthought anymore, you know?”
I nod. “I can understand that.”
“And it’s not like you guys were open to being a throuple or whatever…”
“Oh gosh, no. I’m okay with him seeing guys on the side, but I’ve always been pretty adamant about keeping that out of Brody’s line of sight.”
“Can I ask why?”
I chew on the inside of my cheek for a moment, trying to come up with a response. I have nothing I can give him besides my honesty. “I’m not sure how everyone would react to open polyamory. I’m not even entirely certain how to explain something like that to my son. One thing I am positive about is that it wouldn’t be anything that anyone in this town would be comfortable with, since it's still mostly conservative here.”
He smirks. “It would certainly be uncharted waters, that’s for sure…”
“Brody used to get picked on enough at school. I can’t imagine how much worse something like having polyamorous parents would make it for him, now that all his peers have mostly gotten over the novelty of him using his cochlear to hear.”
Micah snorts. “Kids will find anything to pick on, trust me. If anything is different at all, they will point it out and exploit the shitout of it. Wear a brand to school that isn’t theinthing? Watch out, you’ll hear about it.”
“Was it like that for you being gay?”
“Thankfully, no. Not where I grew up, anyway. Here, I can imagine it being a lot harder. Not completely so, though. Tides are changing in Ternbay, ever since Evan Waters came out anyway.”
“Yeah, but last I’d heard, he packed up and moved away to go be with his new husband. He didn’t exactly stick around and deal with the aftermath.”
Micah shrugs. “What aftermath? Sure, there were a few whispers and rumblings about it, but that’s pretty much the norm for any town that’s fueled on gossip and single-track ways of thinking. I haven’t really noticed any outward hatred or bigotry in the wake of his admission, so I count that as a win, really. I’ve been more open about my sexuality and haven’t gotten any hate for it. Mostly just uneducated ignorance. There are some who keep casually using the f-slur, like a regular part of speech, but they come around and change their tune easily enough when I remind them just how derogatory it is.”
Suddenly, there’s a chime, and Micah shoots up, apologizing quickly before taking off to go check in a new patron. He’s back quickly, however, startling me again when he says, “There’s someone here to see you, Lauren.”
My eyes flick up to the mirror, and Micah is walking away, leaving Caleb standing in the doorway of the dividing wall that separates this room from the main part of the gym. “I’m sorry,” he signs. “Can we talk? You left without even looking at me, Lauren. I can’t shout to you the way Marcus can, but I want to be heard. Please.”
I sigh and nod, resigned. I watch his reflection as he crosses the room, then sits directly in front of me. “I only found out that Marcus was your ‘husband’ when I went to go interviewfor the job on the boat. Not that it’s an excuse for not telling you sooner, because it’s not. And don’t be mad at him for not saying anything either, because he’s right, I did ask him not to. I wanted to be the one to tell you, but no time seemed like a good time to bring it up. He didn’t put two-and-two together until right before we both went for that interview anyway. Again, not excusing the behavior, I’m simply explaining…”
“Okay,”I drawl skeptically. “So what shared past do you two have?”
“Right after you both moved to Ternbay, he and I started seeing each other. That was back when me and my family only came up here for the season. We met at the grocery store and hit it off. Marcus and I spent nearly two whole summers together, whenever time allowed. I didn’t realize he had a wife and baby waiting for him at home until it was just about time for me to head back at the end of the season the second summer our last year. I had gotten attached and was hoping for us to continue seeing each other, despite the added few hours of distance. That’s when he came clean and told me he wasn’t on board with that. That he had a family and was not out with his sexuality.”
Caleb puffs out a breath and wrings his hands. “I took it hard. I lashed out at him for making me a homewrecker. I cussed him out for being too scared to come out. I was absolutely pissed that he led me on the way he did, only to cast me aside like I meant nothing—as if all I was to him was a fun summer fling. Not once during our time together did he give me the impression that our time had an expiration date.”
My gaze falls to my lap, and I pick at some of the chipped black paint on my nails. I lick my lips before finding my response. “He probably didn’t tell you about me and Brody forourprotection, not his own.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’ve never discouraged him from seeking intimacy outside of our relationship, but I’ve always maintained that I never wanted Brody and me involved in whatever he had going on the side. Caleb, I—Marcus isn’t Brody’s biological father. He stepped in to be B’s dad and a partner to me, though, when I found out I was pregnant. I was drugged and taken advantage of while at a bar when I was in college...”
I watch as Caleb’s features soften in concern as soon as reality dawns on him.
“I’m sorry I kept that from you—”
Caleb raises his hands, cutting me off. “Don’t be sorry for that, Lauren. Please don’t. My gosh, I have no words for how brave you are for having just told me that. You have no reason to apologize.”
