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“Stone, I can’t. Not yet. And it’s not fair to tell Jett to lie, because if we ask him to stay quiet, that’s wrong too. Anyway, you can imagine, he’ll mention it in passing to a student, who’ll tell a parent and then by Tuesday morning, it will have made its way around the entire school.”
I can hear him through the phone, and he doesn’t huff or puff like I’m expecting but he still swallows hard. Yeah, it’s not what he wanted to here. “Look, Stone, I know this isn’t what you want to hear, but fuck, I want to see you both.”
“I understand. You have a lot more to lose. But you won’t ever be homeless with me, Teach. As a matter of fact, and hear me out, when I say this. I know it’s fast, but I’m already looking forward to when we’re all under one roof together. I never gave anything but being a doctor my full attention, and I knew I’d become one. When I set my mind to something I never have a back up plan. I know being with you and Charis is all I want. And because both of you think my house is a museum, I want to look at a home, together, we all three choose.”
It’s my turn to laugh. “It’s hard to buy a house when I’m jobless.”
“Teach…” he chastises, and it’s not the first time he alludes to him caring for me financially.
“Stone,” I return. “Let me work out my own plan, okay? I want everything with you both, but where you are all in and you don’t understand anything but instant gratification, I’m not going anywhere, okay? Let this play out.”
That hard swallowing sound is heard again. I know he’s disappointed, but he just proved to me, as he’d claimed, he’s reasonable.
“Okay, but Saturday, Jett’s grandpa is picking him up from football practice. And Charis’s parents have Meadow for the night. So, please, come spend the night with me.”
I don’t hesitate. “I can’t wait to see you both.” After tonight, I know it’s the truth on both their ends.
* * *
The phone ringsthe second I turn my Prius on, starting toward school. “Hello?” I ask, not caring to look at it.
“Gibs, hey?” It’s Charis. I figured she’d be calling sooner than later. “Fuck, I’m so sorry. It wasn’t intentional, and yeah, I’d react the same way.”
Straight and to the point. She’s been hanging out with Stone too much. “I get it. It wasn’t intentional, GG. And I’d planned to call you later to tell you how I felt.”
“Gosh, I’m so fucking sorry. And I told Stone that a picnic would be a tough sell with you. But I was thinking.”
I’m feeling a little cheeky today. “Dangerous, right?”
“Yeah, up yours, asshole.” Her voice isn’t anything but all tease. “But as much as I love Stone’s house, it’s so formal, and I can’t relax there. Why don’t you both come to my home? My mom knows about us, and she won’t just come back early from their trip to my cousin’s this weekend. The two of you can drive over together, so there’s no discussion of both of you being at my house.” I figured this was code for if Jimmy comes by. “And my house, although it’s not super formal, it’s comfortable.”
“You don’t have to sell me on this. And as Stone has so readily admitted, he’s reasonable.”
This has her chuckling, and this’ll get me through a hard day with twenty-one five year olds. “Our Stone reasonable, really?” she asks.
“Or so he claims.”
Again, the giggle makes me smile. “Well, we’ll see. Talk to you later, handsome. Have a great day.”
We end the phone call, and all is right with the world.
