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The crowd seemed to have doubled in size in the few minutes we’d been outside. I recognized a familiar face here and there and waved to some people as we made our way to the photo booths.
At one point, my friend Noah ran into me and lifted me off my feet in a bear hug, and I exclaimed, “Well, if it isn’t my favorite throuple!” I kissed him and both of his boyfriends on the cheek before saying, “This is Aleksei. We’re on our way to find his son, but I want to catch up with all of you very soon.”
Aleksei said hello and raised a hand in greeting, but he looked a little confused as we resumed our trek through the crowd. Maybe he was trying to work out what exactly a throuple was.
A few moments later, I spotted the last person I’d expected to see and came to an abrupt halt.
Aleksei turned to me and asked, “Is everything okay?”
“It’s fine. I just spotted my ex-boyfriend in the crowd, and it took me by surprise. Last I heard, he wasn’t living in San Francisco anymore.”
“You’ve only mentioned one past relationship, the one you said left you reeling. Is it that one?”
I nodded and muttered, “Shit, he’s coming this way.”
My ex-boyfriend wasn’t looking at me, though. In fact, it seemed like he hadn’t even noticed me. Instead, he was focused on Aleksei. When he reached us, he smiled and said, “Hi, Dad.”
17
Timothy
While I tried to make sense of what was happening, Lee’s gaze shifted from Aleksei to me. His smile faded, and all the color drained from his face as he blurted, “What are you doing with him?”
I felt nauseous as the most horrible realization dawned on me, but Aleksei had no idea what was going on. He said, “I don’t understand, son. This is Timothy, the man I was telling you about.”
Lee looked stunned. “This is who you’ve been dating?”
“Yes.” Aleksei’s brow creased. “Why are you so shocked?”
The look of betrayal on Lee’s face was devastating as he whispered, “How could you do this to me?”
I couldn’t speak, couldn’t do anything but just stand there and try not to scream. And poor Aleksei still didn’t understand. “Do you two know each other?”
Lee gestured at me and finally spelled it out for him. “He’s my ex-boyfriend, Dad, the one who tore my heart out. He’s the reason I left San Francisco.”
Aleksei looked dazed, and like he’d just been punched in the gut. Finally, I found my voice and whispered, “He didn’t know.”
Lee turned to me and asked, “What did you say?”
“Aleksei didn’t know I was your ex,” I said. “And I didn’t know he was your father, not until this very minute. I swear. You don’t have the same last name, and you look nothing alike. I didn’t know!”
Lee took a step back and muttered, “This is all so twisted. The thought of my father hooking up with my ex-boyfriend…” That look of betrayal hadn’t left him.
“We’re not hooking up,” I said. “I mean, it’s not like that. I really care about Aleksei, and we—”
Lee shook his head and muttered, “I don’t want to hear this.” Then he turned and hurried toward the exit. He was a big guy, so people got out of his way to avoid getting run over.
Aleksei looked so lost when he turned to me and asked, “What should I do?”
“Go after him. You need to make him understand this was just a weird coincidence, not something you did maliciously.”
“What about you?”
“I’ll be fine. He’s who you need to talk to right now.” He nodded and rushed after his son.
As soon as he was gone, I doubled over with my hands on my knees and took a few deep breaths. How the hell could this happen? What were the odds?
I felt awful for Lee and could only imagine how that must have felt—right on the heels of finally reaching out to his father and taking the first step in rebuilding their relationship. This could ruin everything for the two of them, and even if it hadn’t been intentional, I was overcome with guilt.
I straightened up and unfastened the top button of my shirt. It was too hot and loud and crowded in here, and suddenly this was the very last place I wanted to be. I hurried outside and looked around. Two people had just climbed out of a cab, and I slid into the backseat and gave the driver my address. Then I slumped over with my head in my hands and pressed my eyes shut.
The ride across town was a blur, and when I got home, the pink Victorian was eerily still. No wonder, since everyone was at the fundraiser. I made it as far as the couch, tossing aside my jacket before curling up in a ball.
