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As his cheeks turned red, I told her, “You’re embarrassing him, Mama. And I know he’s gorgeous, but he’s more than just a pretty face. That’s why he became a veterinarian, because he’s brilliant.”
Her eyes went wide, and she said, “A veterinarian is just a word for a doctor that takes care of animals, right? So I can tell everyone my son’s dating a doctor!” I didn’t know why she was just now putting that together, since I’d told her what he did for a living ages ago.
“No one’s gonna care, Mama. You know the fact that I’m gay cancels out everything I do, as far as the people in this town are concerned.”
“Yeah, well, I’m gonna brag anyway,” she said, as she patted Lorenzo’s big bicep and smiled up at him.
My dad called, “DeeDee, are you gonna help me with these hounds or what? I haven’t even gotten to say hello to our boy yet.”
Between the two of them, they managed to wrestle the dogs back into the house, and then it was my father’s turn to crush me in a hug. After that, he had to do the same arm’s length inspection, because that was just what we did. Dad was a huge man with blondish hair that was starting to thin, and a round face full of freckles that would forever make him seem like he was an overgrown kid. We liked to joke that my mom’s DNA had totally kicked his to the curb, because my dad and I couldn’t look less alike.
When he finally let go of my shoulders, I said, “Lorie, I’d like to introduce you to my dad. His name’s Bill Smith, but everyone calls him Bubba.”
After they shook hands and sized each other up in a friendly way, Lorenzo turned to me and said, “I didn’t realize you’re a ‘junior’.”
“Technically, I’m William Smith the fourth,” I said. “Or I would be, except that we all have different middle names. Don’t ask me why.”
“Well now, it’s because each generation wanted to honor tradition, but at the same time we didn’t want everyone gettin’ all confused at the bank or whatnot,” my dad explained. “The different middle names help sort out who’s who.”
Lorie said, “I just realized I don’t know your middle name, Will.”
“Which is fine,” I muttered. “We really don’t need to talk about it.”
“It’s Delores,” my mom chimed in, as she linked her arm with Lorenzo’s and started to lead him around to the back of the house. “I gave him my name, because it only seemed fair. After all, he already got his first and last name from his daddy. But why shouldn’t his mama get a mention somewhere in there? I’m the one who carried the boy for nine months and had to give birth to him! I had a hell of a time with it, too. He was almost two weeks late! By the time I was headed to the hospital, I looked like a tick that was ‘bout ready to burst.” Lorie looked for me over his shoulder with a bewildered expression, and I just grinned and trailed after them.
* * *
We spent some time on the porch behind the house, chatting animatedly and sipping sweet tea before moving inside for dinner. Lorie immediately won the dogs over, and they glued themselves to his side. My parents still didn’t cook very often, but they made us shrimp and instant cheesy grits, because they knew it was my favorite. Dessert was a huge cake from the grocery store with thick chocolate frosting and lots of sprinkles. My mom had asked the person at the bakery counter write Welcome home my Superstar in hot pink icing on the top. I took a picture with my phone and kissed my mom’s cheek before I served the cake.
Lorenzo and I did the dishes after we finished eating, and then I told my parents, “I’m going to show Lorie my bridge. We’ll be back soon.”
Mom called, “Have fun, honey!” She and my dad had both gotten comfortable in front of the TV. I thought it was sweet that even after thirty years, they still curled up together at one end of the floral sofa.
I found something in the kitchen drawer and stuck it in the pocket of my gray twill pants, and then I led my boyfriend out through the back door. I paused and held up my finger to indicate we should wait a moment, and when the screen door closed with a clatter, I smiled and said, “That right there is the sound of my childhood.”
My parents’ house was off by itself in the country. Walking straight back from the property put us in a scraggly deciduous forest in less than a minute. As we walked, I adjusted the rolled back cuffs of my white button-down shirt, and every now and then I stooped to pick up a stone, which I stuck in my pocket. After a few minutes, we came to an abandoned dirt road, and Lorenzo told me, “You need to make sure not to lose track of me, because I don’t think I’d ever find my way back to the house.”
