I turned towards the kitchen to put the salad down. It was clear David had already stepped into theAvery's parents are watchingversion of himself. I think even David knew it was an improvement on his personality anywhere else.
I pulled the plastic wrap off the salad and opened theutensil drawer to grab a pair of tongs.
“Your father is just finishing up the steaks on the grill,” Mom announced as she entered the kitchen. “I sent David outside to help.”
“Oh, wonderful. Now Dad will get distracted talking about god-knows-what with David, and he’ll burn the steaks like last time.”
Mom giggled. “They weren’tburnt;he just decided he wanted to try them well-done for a change.”
I snorted. “Yeah,extremelywell done. I’d never had a crispy steak before. That was a first.”
Mom laughed again as she pulled a large Tupperware full of pasta salad from the fridge.
“Oh, remind me before we leave to get your cups,” I said. “I have two of them in David’s car, but my hands were full, and I couldn’t grab them.”
“Sure. A likely story. This morning you told me that you didn’t haveanyof them.”
“No, I didn’t. Also, you made it sound like I was hoarding three-quarters of your ridiculous collection.”
“Talk all the crap you want, Avery, but I don’t hear you complaining about myridiculouscollection when you’re running in here every morning like it’s your own personal Starbucks.”
“Well, when you brew Starbucks coffee and have moreStarbucks cups than a retail store, what do you expect me to do? If you build it, they will come,” I shrugged.
“I’m gonna start charging. Lattes are now seven dollars.”
I snorted. “I don’t drink lattes. You’d need an espresso machine to even make a latte.”
“Fine, iced coffees are now $10.”
“Fine, two can play that game. Resetting your Facebook password is now $30.”
Her mouth dropped open dramatically. "How dare you speak to your mother that way?”
“You’re cracked,” I announced, grabbing the salad bowl and walking past her into the dining room.
I heard the sliding glass door open and a few seconds later my father came into the room bearing a platter covered in tinfoil, David right on his heels telling him how fantastic they smelled.
“It’s the garlic chili rub,” Dad explained as he set the platter down in the center of the table and walked around to where I was standing. “Avery…” he said as he squeezed my shoulder. I turned around and gave him a quick hug. “How’s the week?”
“Fine,” I answered. “Yours?”
“Not too bad, thank you. Better now that we’re all together. Did you bring your mother’s cup back? I’mtired of hearing about it.”
“I don’t know what she’s talking about, Daddy. I don’t have any of her ugly cups.”
“Avery Jacob, you'll go to hell for lying,” my mother called from the other room.
“I’m already going to hell for being gay, so what’s the difference?”
My father guffawed, but my mother didn't respond. My sexuality was still a bit of a sore subject for her. Messed with her religion, and the way she thought the world worked. Dad was more forgiving, but only because I’d agreed to be with someone he approved of. That right there was how I got roped into the whole mess with David.
I was allowed to be gay and not be disowned as long as I was gay on their terms, essentially. It was better than the alternative. Being homeless, and trying to rely on my job at the diner for my every need. I couldn’t even afford the shittiest apartment on what I made. Especially not if I wanted to still be able to eat.
David wasn’t completely terrible, I guess. His ego walked into the room a full 30 seconds before the rest of him, but I’d always envied people who were confident. At least he was a decent lay, so he had that going for him. Plus, he was objectively handsome. When my father had introduced us, I had actually been really excited. Things between my father and I had been very strained in the months following me coming out. Hehad a hard time with it and thought he had somehow failed as a father because of the way I turned out.
David had been a rookie on the Emberford Police Force, and had somehow made a positive impression on my father. When he found out David was gay, it was all over. It felt like I blinked a few times, and suddenly we were engaged, and I was moving into David’s condo on the west side. Suddenly, I was taking care of a house. Doing chores, grocery shopping, cooking breakfast, packing his lunch, throwing dinner in the crockpot…
God, how did I get here?
