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“And, what’s that?” She asked again.
“My freedom to be with Dillon.”
“What?” My mother asked confused.
I smiled.
“So, was it there?” Hil repeated.
“I’m not sure yet,” I replied remembering the pleading in Eris’s eyes.
The four of us drove in silence back to my mother’s place in the city. When we got there, poor Cali was even drunker.
“How many drinks did he have?” I asked Hil as we laid him onto my brother’s childhood bed.
“He was nervous,” Hil admitted.
“So, what? Eight? Nine?”
“Probably. Ten?” Hil said putting the waste bin on the side of the bed.
Staring down at Cali as he teetered on passing out, I felt for him.
“Hil, I’m only going to say this once. And if you repeat it, I’ll deny I said it. But, Cali’s a really great guy. You’re lucky as hell to have him.”
Hil smiled. “I know.”
“Good job, bro,” I said before wrapping my arms around my brother.
“You too, Remy,” he replied, triggering more emotion in me than I expected.
Leaving Hil to care for his man, I entered the living room. Jimmy was waiting there with my mother.
“Mother, do you mind letting Jimmy and I talk alone?”
“Of course. Would you like another drink,” she asked Jimmy.
“No. I’m good, thank you,” he replied holding up his glass of lemonade.
When she was gone, I made myself a stiff drink and sat down.
“Don’t leave me in suspense,” Jimmy insisted. “Did you get them?”
I took a swig holding the alcohol in my mouth allowing it to burn my cheeks. Swallowing I said, “Kind of.”
“Kind of? What does that mean?”
When my conversation with Jimmy was done, I knew that there was one more talk I needed to have. So, climbing into my father’s now unused car, I drove back to Long Island. The security guard at the end of Armand’s street looked pissed. Radioing that I was there, he got the go-ahead to let me in. My heart thumped.
I was expected to see Armand waiting for me at the front door. He wasn’t. Entering the now darkened, empty house, I made eye contact with Eris who was there to greet me.
“Where is he?”
“Upstairs in his room,” she said adding nothing else.
Jogging the stairs up, I crossed the hall to the master bedroom. With the door open, I walked in. Scanning the room, I found Armand on the balcony. He was staring out to the lightless beach. Knowing this was it, I joined him.
“You have them, don’t you?” He asked not looking at me.
