Page 49 of Sincerely, Mr. Braden

“Get yourself someone like that,” my grandfather says quietly, “and you’ll be doing all right.”

As crazy as it is, I thought I found that person, and I wasn’t even looking. Biting that back, I say, “So, what’s the big secret you can’t talk about yet?”

“You’ll find out when I’m good and ready to tell you.”

Typical.

“I talked to Flynn yesterday,” he says. “That’s a hell of a nice thing you’re pulling together for your mother.”

“Hopefully we can keep it under wraps.”

“That’s why I’m calling. I want to run an idea by you. Your grandmother and I thought we could add a conservation spotlight, something that shows how her photography has helped fund field projects over the years. I’ve got contacts at the Ridgeport Society of Natural History. They’d love to write a piece. I figured if we time it right, that could bring even more people to the opening.”

“That’s a great idea.” I rub the back of my neck, feeling like I want to crawl out of my skin. Normally I’d tell him to contact Taylor, but I can’t even think about him—her. Fuck—that situation right now. “Why don’t you talk to them, make sure they’re all in, and then I’ll coordinate with Leni Steele. She’s handling the PR.”

“She’s a good egg, that Leni. I’ll take care of it and circle back.” He clears his throat and lowers his voice. “You want to tell me why you sound like somebody stole your ledgers?”

“I told you, it’s been a long day.”

“Boy, I’ve talked with you at midnight after you worked several eighteen-hour days. This ain’t that. You sound like you lost something important.”

Grinding my teeth against that truth, I say, “It’s complicated.”

“It always is.”

He waits in silence as I pace, considering my response. He’s got the patience of a saint, which I have always admired, and I proudly learned it from him. Though my patience has been fucked all week.

My grandfather clears his throat, a not-so-gentle reminder that he’s waiting.

I know he’s not going to let this go until I give him something, so I relent. “I found out Taylor isn’t who I thought he was.”

“Your man, T?” His voice rings with surprise. “What do you mean?”

“It turns out, Taylor is a woman.” It doesn’t feel right to call her Taylor. She’s Ellie to me. My sweet Ellie…who lied to me. I can’t even reconcile that in my head.

“Well, there’s nothing wrong with that. Sometimes it takes people a little time to accept who they really are. You’ve never been against that sort of thing. What’s the big deal?”

“It’s not like that. She wasn’t born male.”

“Don’t bite my head off, son. If it’s not that, then what’s the problem?”

“She lied. She let me believe she was a guy this whole time.” If only it were that simple. I could’ve handled finding out Taylor was a woman, but finding out the one woman who got under my skin was lying to me? That’s what’s killing me.

“I can see how that would bug ya,” my grandfather says. “Why’d she do it?”

“I don’t know.” Protecting her business was her excuse, but what the hell does that even mean?

“You always know,” my grandfather tosses out like he knows me better than I know myself. “You just don’t like the answer.”

I don’t bother responding.

“You know, Seth, outside of family, you’ve only let two people into your life. Missick, and your man—woman—T. That tells me she matters, regardless of whether she’s a woman or a man.”

“I let people in,” I argue.

He scoffs. “Son, you’ve had a moat around you the width of the Grand Canyon since you were old enough to realize making friends meant leaving them. Don’t think I didn’t see it. You let people skim the surface.”

Biting back a curse, I say, “At least it kept me from having to deal with this.”