Feels Like Home - Part One
Luke gripped the steering wheel a bit tighter; his knuckles turning white. He closed his eyes for just a moment as he passed the city limits sign of Oakdale, Illinois. While he drove through the sleepy town, the blond realized pretty quickly that Oakdale had changed very little in eight years. At first view it was almost like he had never left, but he knew that he was a fool to think that this was really the case.
Some people looked up, probably surprised and at the same time interested as they saw an unfamiliar car drive by. He rolled his window down halfway, inhaling the scent of fresh air mixed with the smell of freshly cut grass that he missed so much in the past few years; spending most of his time in big cities all around the world.
What am I doing here? He thought for what felt like the thousandth time.
Unlike Oakdale, Luke had changed in the past few years. He wasn’t sure if he really made the right decision by coming back and had no idea if this could ever be his home again nor if he wanted it to be.
He had barely been seventeen years old when his father took him from this quiet small town to Malta and later from country to country. It had been an exciting journey and by the age of twenty, through his father’s drive and his talent, Luke had become one of the youngest bestselling authors in the world. He missed this home at first but his life got exciting fast and he stopped looking back. Now, at the age of twenty-five, he was coming back to the home of his childhood and to a mother he hadn’t seen in eight years.
His heart beat a little faster as he pulled up the familiar driveway and for a moment it felt almost like he never left. For a while Luke sat still, hands clutching to the steering wheel, fighting the urge to put the car in reverse and drive away. Coming here probably meant awakening old memories and he wasn’t sure if he was ready to do that. Yet he knew if he ran away now, he might never find the answers to his questions.
Taking one last deep breath, Luke grabbed his bag from the back seat and got out of the car. He reminded himself that he didn’t have to stay, that he was an adult with no ties since his father’s death three months ago.
Even though he told himself that there was no need to be nervous, he felt his heart hammering against his chest as he made his way to the front door. He was only a few steps away when the door opened and he stopped dead in tracks as he saw his mother standing in the doorway. For a while they just looked at each other and Luke could see tears forming in her eyes. A little to his surprise Lily looked just like he remembered, apart from the very few lines that were barely visible on her face.
The blond walked up to her until they were only a foot apart; she then took him completely by surprise as she pulled him into a hug. He felt himself go stiff for a moment but somehow found himself awkwardly patting her back before quickly pulling away from the embrace. “Thank you for letting me come stay with you.” Luke said, surprised by the sound of his own voice.
“Of course.” Lily replied with a shaky voice. “You’re always welcome here Luke. Never doubt that.”
“Thank you.” He gave her a small smile and they fell into silence.
Lily cleared her throat. “Come on in. You must be exhausted after driving for hours.”
Luke followed his mother inside. The rooms looked nothing like he remembered, they are lighter with new modern furniture but still somewhat cozy. Family portraits that used to decorate the walls were gone or replaced by other pictures. The only thing he recognized was the abstract painting above the fireplace that had been there for as long as he could remember.
“Are you hungry?” His mom’s voice interrupted his thoughts. “I can make you anything you want.”
“Thanks, but I’m not hungry.” Luke replied. “Actually I’d like to unpack first and maybe take shower?” It had been hot and humid all day and right now there was nothing he wanted more than a cold shower and to get some fresh clothes on.
“Yes, of course.” Lily started up the stairs. “I thought you’d like your old room. I remodeled it a bit, it’s actually a guest room now.”
“I’m sure it’s fine.” The blond said, knowing that he couldn’t expect that his mother left his room exactly the way it was when he left eight years ago.
Luke followed Lily into the room and took a look around the room that had once been his. The green walls had been replaced by a beige color. There was a big bed in the middle of the room and a small TV on a dresser on the opposite of the bed. He threw his bag onto the bed and walked over to the window that had a view out into the backyard. “My tree house. It’s still there.”
“I couldn’t bring myself to remove it. I know how much that tree house meant to you Luke.” She nervously twisted her hands and gave her son a wary smile when he turned around to look at her. “A while after you left I packed all your things that you didn’t take with you into boxes. They’re still in the attic if you’d like to look through them some time.”
Luke had to swallow down the instant lump in his throat before he could answer and even then he only managed a faint ‘Thank you’ because no words in the world could describe how much this meant to him anyway.
“Well I’ll be downstairs if you need anything.” Lily gave her son’s shoulder a squeeze before quickly walking away, closing the door behind her.
Alone, Luke let out a breath of air and sat down on the edge of the bed, studying the room that had once been his own little piece of the world. Everything in this house that he had once called his home was so different and even though this town seemed so unchanged at first view, the people that lived in it were probably strangers to him.
Luke got up and walked into the attached bathroom, looking at himself in the mirror. He hadn’t bothered to get a haircut ever since Damian died so that his blond hair had gotten quite long and he kind of liked it. There was some tiredness around his eyes, but that wasn’t surprising since he hadn’t been sleeping well lately.
With a sigh, he turned away to unpack and take the shower that he wanted so desperately.
***
After he finished showering and unpacking his clothes, Luke decided to go downstairs to look for his mother. He hadn’t come back to Oakdale to sit alone in his room and ponder about his life after all and wanted to make an effort, trying to bond with his mom.
Luke found her in the kitchen, putting together what seemed like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. He cleared his throat to get her attention and when Lily turned around, the blond immediately noticed her watery eyes.
“Hey, I made you a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.” Lily said. “I know you said you weren’t hungry, but I suddenly remembered how much you liked them as a kid and I guess, I just couldn’t help myself. You can eat it later if you want.”
“Thank you.” Luke managed a small smile, taking the plate out of her hands before he sat down on the kitchen table. He still didn’t feel really hungry but took a small bite anyway. “I like what you did with the house.”
“I needed a change.” Lily told him. “Too many memories.”
Luke gave her an understanding nod. “It seems like Oakdale didn’t change all that much while I have been away.”
“Probably not.” Lily replied with a shrug of her shoulder and a soft laugh. “Mrs. Parker from across the street died a couple of years ago. The Brady’s moved away last year, as did many young people over time. Kayla is still here though.”
“Kayla Oliver?”
“It’s Kayla Williams now.” Lily told her son. “She got married two years ago and she has a beautiful baby boy.”
“Wow.” Luke murmured. Kayla had been his best friend since his earliest memory, but they hadn’t managed to stay in touch when he moved away. “I can’t believe she is a mother now.”
“I’m sure she’d want to see you again.”
“Yeah, I’d like that too.” Luke smiled. “How are her parents?”
“Mary died almost four years ago.” Lily replied sadly. As Kayla had always been her son’s closest friend, so had Mary Oliver been hers.
Luke reached out to touch his mother’s hand. “I’m so sorry.”
“I still miss her so much.” Lily admitted, her eyes filling with tears.
“She was one of the kindest women I’ve ever known.” Luke said, fighting back his own tears. “What about Dr. Oliver? Is he all right?”
“Frank is fine. He grieved hard when Mary died but he is doing better now. He’ll be so delighted to see you again.” Lily said, wiping away a tear. “You’re not eating. Would you like something else?” She started to get up to find Luke something else, but her son stopped her.
“No, it’s fine.” Luke ate another bite from the sandwich.
“You don’t want to know about Reid?”
Luke shrugged his shoulders, taking another bite. “Not really.”
Lily smiled knowingly. “He followed in his father’s footsteps just like he always said he would.”
The blond swallowed, his voice scarcely audible when he spoke. “I never doubted it.”
“He’s a good man even if he’d like people to think otherwise sometimes.” Lily pointed out. “He always looked out for his sister and he was taken with you.”
Luke snorted, shoving the plate with a half eaten peanut butter and jelly sandwich away from him. “That was a long time ago.” He got up from the table, dismissing the subject.
Lily placed her hand on her son’s shoulder, giving it a squeeze. “Luke, I know we don’t really know each other anymore and I want you to know that I’m really proud of everything that you’ve accomplished but I can see that you’re not happy.”
“I’m happy enough.” Luke gave her a small smile before he turned away and walked out of the kitchen.
Without even thinking about it, Luke walked down the hall into the living room and went out into the backyard through the sliding door. He stopped at the bottom of the treehouse, but only hesitated for a moment before he climbed up the small ladder. When he reached the top, he had to remove spider webs from the entrance before he could crawl inside.
He sat cross-legged, thinking that the tree house seemed smaller than he remembered. The corners of his mouth twitched into a smile as he saw that the etching he and his best friend had once carved into the wood was still fairly legible. L + K = BFF
Luke let out a content sigh, closing his eyes. He had spent many hours in his younger years in this tree house, sitting in silence just like he was right now, forgetting everything around him whenever he felt the need to escape his life for a while. Luke could almost hear the fights his parents use to have echo through his memories and into the tree house. There were times he would crawl inside with a book, a flashlight, and several PB & J sandwiches to wait out their fights. There were even nights that he slept in the treehouse; more nights than he cared to admit.
If his room was his own piece of the world, than the treehouse was his hideaway. He not only escaped from his parents' fights, but this place was where he finally came to terms with sexuality. He remembered sitting in the treehouse and saying out loud to himself that he was gay. Hearing the words come out of his mouth helped him finally say them out others. Kayla was the first one that he actually came out to; in the treehouse of course.
The blond had no idea how much time had passed before he opened his eyes again. It could have been twenty minutes or maybe an hour. He carefully climbed back down the ladder in order to go back inside the house but he stopped dead in tracks when he saw a man leaning against the fence. Though the sun was in his eyes and eight years had passed, he recognized him.
Reid Oliver pushed himself away from the fence and crossed to him, while Luke tried to ignore the fact that he felt his heart beating a bit faster in his chest. “Welcome home Mr. Grimaldi.”
“What the hell are you doing here?” He crossed his arms over his chest, trying not to look into those fabulous blue eyes and on a face that had aged much too well.
“Your mother told me that you’re back and I wanted to see it with my own eyes.” Reid replied. “I didn’t want to disturb you while you were up there.”
His voice was the same, Luke thought, still as seductive as he remembered. “I didn’t think that you’d still live in Oakdale. I always thought you’d move away and have your own hospital somewhere.”
“I moved back after I finished medical school. Decided to work at my dad’s practice until he retires and I can take over.” Reid explained with shrug of his shoulder. “You look great by the way. A little pale maybe.”
“Is that your medical opinion, Doctor?” Luke asked, a smile playing on his lips.
“Actually, yes.” The older man replied, noticing that Luke still had the same blinding smile. He wished that at least that much could have changed. Though they were standing so close, he knew the blond was as distant as he had been when there had been thousands of miles between them.
“You look good too by the way.” Luke said, wishing it wasn’t so true. His curls was still rich, maybe a bit longer and he felt the urge to run his fingers through them. He was even more attractive than he was eight years ago if that was even possible.
“Of course.”
Luke rolled his eyes at him. “Somehow it’s difficult for me to picture you as a doctor, even more as a doctor with patients.” Reid was wearing black jeans and an worn Oakdale U t-shirt. “You don’t look like a doctor.”
“Want to see my degree?” Reid teased and played to pull it from his back pocket.
“No.” Luke rubbed his sweaty palms on his jeans. “So I heard Kayla is married now.”
“Yeah to Thomas Williams of all people.” Reid sighed. “Remember him? He was in my english class in high school.”
“No, I don’t think I remember him.”
“Well, he isn’t very memorable.” He grinned at him and Luke smiled back at him. “She can’t wait to see you again Luke.”
“I want to see her, too.” Luke replied honestly before they fell silent for a moment, taking each other in.
“I have to get back to work but I should be done at five thirty. How about I pick you up at six thirty and we have dinner together?” Reid asked.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Why not?”
“Maybe because last time I was supposed to have dinner with you, you stood me up.” Luke snapped.
“Here we go.” Reid muttered under his breath and let out a sigh. “I was young Luke and I had my reasons.”
“It doesn’t matter, not anymore.” Luke could feel a headache coming on. “The point is that I don’t want to pick up where we left off. We have our separate lives now and we should keep it that way.”
Eight years before Reid had known exactly how to handle him, or he thought he did, but now he only nodded at Luke before he watched him leave. What hadn’t changed was that one smile from Luke could still turn him inside out.
***
For the second time that week, Luke felt nervous while he drove through the quiet streets in Oakdale, but his explanation was a different one this time. He knew that it was probably foolish to feel nervous, but he couldn’t shake it. In a few minutes he’d come face to face with his oldest friend, who knew him better than anybody else in the world. At least that’s how it used to be when they were kids, until their friendship had been severed so quickly when Luke left town.
When he made his way to the front porch of a small house in the quiet neighborhood, the blond thought that this was the perfect neck of the woods for a small child to grow up.
The door swung open before Luke got the chance to knock. The woman who stepped out looked almost the same as when he last saw her eight years ago. Kayla still wore her hair shoulder-length but the color of it, which had always been the same as her brother’s hair color, had changed to light blonde.
Luke searched for something to say when Kayla’s arms suddenly clasped tightly around him, tears spilling from her eyes.
“I can’t believe it. You’re really here.” Kayla pulled back, wiping her cheek with the back of her hand. “It’s so good to see you Luke. I’ve missed you. ”
“I missed you too.” Luke replied, wiping away his own tears. “Honestly, I was so nervous about meeting you again after all these years.”
“Why?” Kayla asked.
“I thought that it might be awkward between us and that we would have no idea what we should talk about.”
Kayla chuckled. “Well I was worried that you might have turned into a smug ass who thinks he’s better than everybody else.”
“Yeah, right.” Luke laughed; feeling as if his tension had been washed away.
“Come on, let’s go inside.” Kayla grabbed his hand, pulling him through the door and led him into the living room.
They sat down next to each other on the old faded couch that Luke remembered seeing in the Oliver household when he was a child. He picked up a stuffed bear that sat in the middle of the coach and begun to fidget with it. “Mom told me you have a son.”
“Tyler.” Kayla beamed. “He’s the best thing that has ever happened to me.”
“It’s really hard to imagine that you’re a mother now.” Luke said, putting the stuffed bear down in his lap.
“I’m almost used to it.” Kayla replied, a big smile on her face. “I still can’t believe that you’re really here. In my house. I mean the entire town is so proud of what you’ve accomplished Luke. There was something about you in the local newspaper at least two or three times a month. And then there’s me, I never even made it to New York. I just stayed here.”
“This is so much better.” Luke took Kayla’s hand. “You have your own little family now and you’re living in this beautiful house. To me it seems like your life is pretty amazing.”
“I love my life. I really do. It’s just, not how I thought my life would be.” Kayla assured him. “Do you remember Thomas?”
“No and I can’t remember you ever talking about somebody called Thomas.”
“Well I didn’t really know him back then. I remember seeing him in the halls in senior high every now and then but it wasn’t until a few years later that I talked to him for the first time.” Kayla settled back against the couch cushions, getting comfortable. “I was giving dad a hand in the office one day and Thomas was one of his patients that day. We somehow got talking and he asked me if I’d like to have coffee with him sometime. Before I knew it he was asking me to marry him and nine months later I was pregnant.” She let out a satisfied sigh. “But tell me about your life. I’m sure it’s much more exciting than mine.”
Luke laughed. “It really isn’t as exciting as you think. Staying at a different hotel room every night when I promote a new book or having so many people suddenly be interested in your private life is a big downside that comes with the job.”
Kayla remained silent for a moment. “You’re bursting my bubble. I always thought you had this amazing life, traveling around the world, meeting so many great people.”
“I’m not saying that my life hasn’t been good.” He shrugged.
“Have you been taking care of yourself Luke?” Kayla asked, suddenly sounding worried. “You look thin. I think it would do you good to gain a few pounds.”
Luke rolled his eyes. “Now you almost sound like your brother.”
“You saw Reid? The bastard didn’t tell me about it!” She grumbled. “How did it go?”
“Good until he asked me to have dinner with him and I told him no.” Luke put the stuffed bear back down on the couch, crossing his arms above his chest.
“Why?”
“Because he stood me up at the prom!” He got up from the sofa, starting to pace back and forth. “I don’t care how stupid it sounds. You know how important that night was for me and Reid knew it too. I’d been looking forward to that night for weeks.”
“Luke---”
“I have never felt so embarrassed and hurt in my life like in that moment when I realized that he wasn’t coming to pick me up. My parents had big ugly fight that night and the next morning my father took me to Malta, and that was that.”
Kayla bit her lip before she let out a sigh. “Look, I know this is between the two of you, but there might be more to it than you think and I think you should really give him a chance to explain himself.”
“No. It doesn’t matter. It was a long time ago and I don’t want to talk about it anymore.”
In that moment the intercom of the baby monitor on the coffee table crackled, followed by a whimper that quickly turned into crying. “Sounds like somebody woke up.” Kayla rose from the couch. ”I’ll be back in a minute.”
Alone, Luke walked over to the piano that stood in one corner of the room, looking at the framed pictures that were placed on it. Next to a few baby pictures was a wedding picture of Kayla and Thomas and Luke had to admit that her husband looked quite handsome. It seemed like they were a perfect little family, like something out of a book.
“Luke?”
He turned to see Kayla standing in the doorway, a brown-haired baby on her hip. “Aww, he is so adorable.” Luke said. “Can I hold him?”
“Of course you can.” Kayla crossed the room, handing the baby over to Luke.
“Hey there little man.” Luke placed a peck on the baby’s head. Tyler eyed him suspiciously with his big brown eyes but when he tickled the baby, he started to giggle and kick his little feet. “You’re so cute.”
“Seems like he likes you.” Kayla noticed with satisfaction. “I’m so glad that he is finally meeting his godfather.”
Luke’s head shot up from the baby to look at Kayla. “Godfather?”
Kayla nodded. “I sent you a note after Tyler was born. I guess you couldn’t make it to the christening but I always wanted you and Reid to be his godparents.”
“I didn’t get a note.” Luke replied, settling the baby on his hip. “I didn’t even know that you were married until my mother told me about it.”
“Does this mean you didn’t get my wedding invitation either?” Kayla asked and Luke shook his head in response. “Oh. I guess it could have gotten lost.”
“Believe me, if I’d know, I would have found a way to be here.” Luke gave her a small smile, hoping that she believed him.
“Well you’re here now.” Kayla said. “Tell you what, you watch Tyler for a few minutes and I’ll go fix us something to eat and some lemonade. Then we can chat some more about the good old days.” Luke nodded to his friend and turned his attention back to baby Tyler.
***
Dusk was approaching when Luke strolled around the house into the backyard, climbing up the small ladder to his old treehouse. There was so much to think about. He needed to think about his life and what he wanted to do with it.
For the past eight years he had done what his father wanted. He hadn’t wanted to disappoint him, worked hard to make him proud, not having dared to contradict him once. He owed Damian everything. He had managed his career even when he had become deathly ill.
Now he was on the verge of turning his back on everything his father had wanted for him. He knew his dad would have never been able to understand why he wanted to end his career even if he tried to explain it to him. Maybe he just needed a time-out. A few weeks or even a few months and then he could go back to the life he left behind. Right now all he wanted was to sit in his treehouse a little longer to enjoy the quiet.
A while later Luke heard a car pull up in the driveway, followed by the sound of a door closing and guessed that it was his mom who was returning home. They had lunch together early that day and it became clear that things between them were still tense. Deciding to go inside to talk to her again, somehow hoping to close the gap between just a little more, Luke climbed back down.
He turned at the sound of a dog barking, his eyes widening when he saw a Labrador retriever jumping over the fence into the backyard. Tongue lolling, it lunged at him. Before Luke could decide whether to run away or be amused, it plopped both front paws at him, almost knocking him over in progress.
“Wow.” Luke bend down to ruffle the dogs fur. “Hello there. Who are you?”
“His name is Buster.” Panting, Reid stepped out of the shadows. “I guess taking off the leash was a mistake ‘cause he obviously decided to take a hike.”
Luke tried to hide a grin, continuing to pet the dog. “He is beautiful.”
“Don’t flatter him. He’s already got a big enough ego.”
“Well, they say people and their pets develop similarities.” Luke commented, straightening himself.
“Ha. Funny Mr. Grimaldi.” Reid said, quickly bending down to leash Buster before he could take off again. “So Kayla told me you visited her today.”
“Yeah, it was great to see her again.” Luke replied as he strolled over to a nearby wooden bench and sat down. “I’m glad that she seems so happy.”
“She is happy.” Reid declared, dropping down next to the blond. He sighed when he noticed that Luke shifted away from him and remained silent for a moment, staring up in the night sky.
“We were sitting right here when I kissed you for the first time, remember?” Reid asked, turning his head to look at the younger man.
“I remember.” Luke turned to look at him in the shadowy light.
“I remember that day like it was yesterday. We had just gotten back from Chicago. We had gone to that Cubs game and that, ah, used bookstore. I swear you were more excited about the bookstore than the game.” Reid laughed at that. “Anyway, we got back from Chicago and I was too anxious to go home, so you suggested we hang out back here and talk. You told me that you didn’t want to work for dad and I told you that I was scared to go to med school. And the way you looked in the moonlight, I couldn’t help it.” Reid turned to face Luke, sitting sideways on the bench. “I just had to kiss you. And you kissed me back.”
“That’s quite a memory you’ve got.” The younger man folded his arms across his chest.
“It was a great night and a memorable first kiss.” Reid sighed at the memory.
Yeah, it really was, Luke thought. “We were so young and everything seemed so uncomplicated back then.”
Reid nodded thoughtfully. “Do you think, we could try to be friends again?”
“I guess.” Luke shrugged, giving the other man a small smile.
“How long are you staying in Oakdale?”
“I haven’t decided yet.” The blond replied. Buster came to him and he reached down to pet him. “I’ve taken a few months.”
Reid surprised them both by picking up Luke’s hand to play with his fingers. His eyes remained on the hazel eyes of the younger man as he intertwined their fingers, thinking that he was more beautiful than his memory of him, before hastily dropping the hand. Friends was what he had asked for, nothing more. He cleared his throat before he spoke. “You look tired. Are you sleeping all right?”
Luke rolled his eyes. “Don’t start playing doctor with me. I’m just a little tired, which is part of the reason I’m taking a break.”
But Reid wasn’t satisfied. “Why don’t you come into the office for a checkup? Dad can take a look at you if you don’t want me to do it.”
“I’m fine Reid. I don’t need a doctor!”
“Fine.” Reid threw up his hands in resignation. “Dad would still like to see you though.” The auburn haired man let out a breath of air. “Sometimes I still can’t believe that he and your mom have hooked up.”
“What?” Luke asked loudly, taken aback. “Hooked up? Our parents?”
“Yep.” Reid chuckled. “I have to say, I haven’t seen my dad so happy in a long time.”
Luke rose from the bench. “I’m going in.”
Reid sighed. “Can’t you at least try to be happy for your mom? I think she has been through enough in the past.”
“You don’t know anything about it.” Luke replied; his voice filled with bitterness. He turned and walked into the house.
----> Part 2
Some people looked up, probably surprised and at the same time interested as they saw an unfamiliar car drive by. He rolled his window down halfway, inhaling the scent of fresh air mixed with the smell of freshly cut grass that he missed so much in the past few years; spending most of his time in big cities all around the world.
What am I doing here? He thought for what felt like the thousandth time.
Unlike Oakdale, Luke had changed in the past few years. He wasn’t sure if he really made the right decision by coming back and had no idea if this could ever be his home again nor if he wanted it to be.
He had barely been seventeen years old when his father took him from this quiet small town to Malta and later from country to country. It had been an exciting journey and by the age of twenty, through his father’s drive and his talent, Luke had become one of the youngest bestselling authors in the world. He missed this home at first but his life got exciting fast and he stopped looking back. Now, at the age of twenty-five, he was coming back to the home of his childhood and to a mother he hadn’t seen in eight years.
His heart beat a little faster as he pulled up the familiar driveway and for a moment it felt almost like he never left. For a while Luke sat still, hands clutching to the steering wheel, fighting the urge to put the car in reverse and drive away. Coming here probably meant awakening old memories and he wasn’t sure if he was ready to do that. Yet he knew if he ran away now, he might never find the answers to his questions.
Taking one last deep breath, Luke grabbed his bag from the back seat and got out of the car. He reminded himself that he didn’t have to stay, that he was an adult with no ties since his father’s death three months ago.
Even though he told himself that there was no need to be nervous, he felt his heart hammering against his chest as he made his way to the front door. He was only a few steps away when the door opened and he stopped dead in tracks as he saw his mother standing in the doorway. For a while they just looked at each other and Luke could see tears forming in her eyes. A little to his surprise Lily looked just like he remembered, apart from the very few lines that were barely visible on her face.
The blond walked up to her until they were only a foot apart; she then took him completely by surprise as she pulled him into a hug. He felt himself go stiff for a moment but somehow found himself awkwardly patting her back before quickly pulling away from the embrace. “Thank you for letting me come stay with you.” Luke said, surprised by the sound of his own voice.
“Of course.” Lily replied with a shaky voice. “You’re always welcome here Luke. Never doubt that.”
“Thank you.” He gave her a small smile and they fell into silence.
Lily cleared her throat. “Come on in. You must be exhausted after driving for hours.”
Luke followed his mother inside. The rooms looked nothing like he remembered, they are lighter with new modern furniture but still somewhat cozy. Family portraits that used to decorate the walls were gone or replaced by other pictures. The only thing he recognized was the abstract painting above the fireplace that had been there for as long as he could remember.
“Are you hungry?” His mom’s voice interrupted his thoughts. “I can make you anything you want.”
“Thanks, but I’m not hungry.” Luke replied. “Actually I’d like to unpack first and maybe take shower?” It had been hot and humid all day and right now there was nothing he wanted more than a cold shower and to get some fresh clothes on.
“Yes, of course.” Lily started up the stairs. “I thought you’d like your old room. I remodeled it a bit, it’s actually a guest room now.”
“I’m sure it’s fine.” The blond said, knowing that he couldn’t expect that his mother left his room exactly the way it was when he left eight years ago.
Luke followed Lily into the room and took a look around the room that had once been his. The green walls had been replaced by a beige color. There was a big bed in the middle of the room and a small TV on a dresser on the opposite of the bed. He threw his bag onto the bed and walked over to the window that had a view out into the backyard. “My tree house. It’s still there.”
“I couldn’t bring myself to remove it. I know how much that tree house meant to you Luke.” She nervously twisted her hands and gave her son a wary smile when he turned around to look at her. “A while after you left I packed all your things that you didn’t take with you into boxes. They’re still in the attic if you’d like to look through them some time.”
Luke had to swallow down the instant lump in his throat before he could answer and even then he only managed a faint ‘Thank you’ because no words in the world could describe how much this meant to him anyway.
“Well I’ll be downstairs if you need anything.” Lily gave her son’s shoulder a squeeze before quickly walking away, closing the door behind her.
Alone, Luke let out a breath of air and sat down on the edge of the bed, studying the room that had once been his own little piece of the world. Everything in this house that he had once called his home was so different and even though this town seemed so unchanged at first view, the people that lived in it were probably strangers to him.
Luke got up and walked into the attached bathroom, looking at himself in the mirror. He hadn’t bothered to get a haircut ever since Damian died so that his blond hair had gotten quite long and he kind of liked it. There was some tiredness around his eyes, but that wasn’t surprising since he hadn’t been sleeping well lately.
With a sigh, he turned away to unpack and take the shower that he wanted so desperately.
***
After he finished showering and unpacking his clothes, Luke decided to go downstairs to look for his mother. He hadn’t come back to Oakdale to sit alone in his room and ponder about his life after all and wanted to make an effort, trying to bond with his mom.
Luke found her in the kitchen, putting together what seemed like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. He cleared his throat to get her attention and when Lily turned around, the blond immediately noticed her watery eyes.
“Hey, I made you a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.” Lily said. “I know you said you weren’t hungry, but I suddenly remembered how much you liked them as a kid and I guess, I just couldn’t help myself. You can eat it later if you want.”
“Thank you.” Luke managed a small smile, taking the plate out of her hands before he sat down on the kitchen table. He still didn’t feel really hungry but took a small bite anyway. “I like what you did with the house.”
“I needed a change.” Lily told him. “Too many memories.”
Luke gave her an understanding nod. “It seems like Oakdale didn’t change all that much while I have been away.”
“Probably not.” Lily replied with a shrug of her shoulder and a soft laugh. “Mrs. Parker from across the street died a couple of years ago. The Brady’s moved away last year, as did many young people over time. Kayla is still here though.”
“Kayla Oliver?”
“It’s Kayla Williams now.” Lily told her son. “She got married two years ago and she has a beautiful baby boy.”
“Wow.” Luke murmured. Kayla had been his best friend since his earliest memory, but they hadn’t managed to stay in touch when he moved away. “I can’t believe she is a mother now.”
“I’m sure she’d want to see you again.”
“Yeah, I’d like that too.” Luke smiled. “How are her parents?”
“Mary died almost four years ago.” Lily replied sadly. As Kayla had always been her son’s closest friend, so had Mary Oliver been hers.
Luke reached out to touch his mother’s hand. “I’m so sorry.”
“I still miss her so much.” Lily admitted, her eyes filling with tears.
“She was one of the kindest women I’ve ever known.” Luke said, fighting back his own tears. “What about Dr. Oliver? Is he all right?”
“Frank is fine. He grieved hard when Mary died but he is doing better now. He’ll be so delighted to see you again.” Lily said, wiping away a tear. “You’re not eating. Would you like something else?” She started to get up to find Luke something else, but her son stopped her.
“No, it’s fine.” Luke ate another bite from the sandwich.
“You don’t want to know about Reid?”
Luke shrugged his shoulders, taking another bite. “Not really.”
Lily smiled knowingly. “He followed in his father’s footsteps just like he always said he would.”
The blond swallowed, his voice scarcely audible when he spoke. “I never doubted it.”
“He’s a good man even if he’d like people to think otherwise sometimes.” Lily pointed out. “He always looked out for his sister and he was taken with you.”
Luke snorted, shoving the plate with a half eaten peanut butter and jelly sandwich away from him. “That was a long time ago.” He got up from the table, dismissing the subject.
Lily placed her hand on her son’s shoulder, giving it a squeeze. “Luke, I know we don’t really know each other anymore and I want you to know that I’m really proud of everything that you’ve accomplished but I can see that you’re not happy.”
“I’m happy enough.” Luke gave her a small smile before he turned away and walked out of the kitchen.
Without even thinking about it, Luke walked down the hall into the living room and went out into the backyard through the sliding door. He stopped at the bottom of the treehouse, but only hesitated for a moment before he climbed up the small ladder. When he reached the top, he had to remove spider webs from the entrance before he could crawl inside.
He sat cross-legged, thinking that the tree house seemed smaller than he remembered. The corners of his mouth twitched into a smile as he saw that the etching he and his best friend had once carved into the wood was still fairly legible. L + K = BFF
Luke let out a content sigh, closing his eyes. He had spent many hours in his younger years in this tree house, sitting in silence just like he was right now, forgetting everything around him whenever he felt the need to escape his life for a while. Luke could almost hear the fights his parents use to have echo through his memories and into the tree house. There were times he would crawl inside with a book, a flashlight, and several PB & J sandwiches to wait out their fights. There were even nights that he slept in the treehouse; more nights than he cared to admit.
If his room was his own piece of the world, than the treehouse was his hideaway. He not only escaped from his parents' fights, but this place was where he finally came to terms with sexuality. He remembered sitting in the treehouse and saying out loud to himself that he was gay. Hearing the words come out of his mouth helped him finally say them out others. Kayla was the first one that he actually came out to; in the treehouse of course.
The blond had no idea how much time had passed before he opened his eyes again. It could have been twenty minutes or maybe an hour. He carefully climbed back down the ladder in order to go back inside the house but he stopped dead in tracks when he saw a man leaning against the fence. Though the sun was in his eyes and eight years had passed, he recognized him.
Reid Oliver pushed himself away from the fence and crossed to him, while Luke tried to ignore the fact that he felt his heart beating a bit faster in his chest. “Welcome home Mr. Grimaldi.”
“What the hell are you doing here?” He crossed his arms over his chest, trying not to look into those fabulous blue eyes and on a face that had aged much too well.
“Your mother told me that you’re back and I wanted to see it with my own eyes.” Reid replied. “I didn’t want to disturb you while you were up there.”
His voice was the same, Luke thought, still as seductive as he remembered. “I didn’t think that you’d still live in Oakdale. I always thought you’d move away and have your own hospital somewhere.”
“I moved back after I finished medical school. Decided to work at my dad’s practice until he retires and I can take over.” Reid explained with shrug of his shoulder. “You look great by the way. A little pale maybe.”
“Is that your medical opinion, Doctor?” Luke asked, a smile playing on his lips.
“Actually, yes.” The older man replied, noticing that Luke still had the same blinding smile. He wished that at least that much could have changed. Though they were standing so close, he knew the blond was as distant as he had been when there had been thousands of miles between them.
“You look good too by the way.” Luke said, wishing it wasn’t so true. His curls was still rich, maybe a bit longer and he felt the urge to run his fingers through them. He was even more attractive than he was eight years ago if that was even possible.
“Of course.”
Luke rolled his eyes at him. “Somehow it’s difficult for me to picture you as a doctor, even more as a doctor with patients.” Reid was wearing black jeans and an worn Oakdale U t-shirt. “You don’t look like a doctor.”
“Want to see my degree?” Reid teased and played to pull it from his back pocket.
“No.” Luke rubbed his sweaty palms on his jeans. “So I heard Kayla is married now.”
“Yeah to Thomas Williams of all people.” Reid sighed. “Remember him? He was in my english class in high school.”
“No, I don’t think I remember him.”
“Well, he isn’t very memorable.” He grinned at him and Luke smiled back at him. “She can’t wait to see you again Luke.”
“I want to see her, too.” Luke replied honestly before they fell silent for a moment, taking each other in.
“I have to get back to work but I should be done at five thirty. How about I pick you up at six thirty and we have dinner together?” Reid asked.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Why not?”
“Maybe because last time I was supposed to have dinner with you, you stood me up.” Luke snapped.
“Here we go.” Reid muttered under his breath and let out a sigh. “I was young Luke and I had my reasons.”
“It doesn’t matter, not anymore.” Luke could feel a headache coming on. “The point is that I don’t want to pick up where we left off. We have our separate lives now and we should keep it that way.”
Eight years before Reid had known exactly how to handle him, or he thought he did, but now he only nodded at Luke before he watched him leave. What hadn’t changed was that one smile from Luke could still turn him inside out.
***
For the second time that week, Luke felt nervous while he drove through the quiet streets in Oakdale, but his explanation was a different one this time. He knew that it was probably foolish to feel nervous, but he couldn’t shake it. In a few minutes he’d come face to face with his oldest friend, who knew him better than anybody else in the world. At least that’s how it used to be when they were kids, until their friendship had been severed so quickly when Luke left town.
When he made his way to the front porch of a small house in the quiet neighborhood, the blond thought that this was the perfect neck of the woods for a small child to grow up.
The door swung open before Luke got the chance to knock. The woman who stepped out looked almost the same as when he last saw her eight years ago. Kayla still wore her hair shoulder-length but the color of it, which had always been the same as her brother’s hair color, had changed to light blonde.
Luke searched for something to say when Kayla’s arms suddenly clasped tightly around him, tears spilling from her eyes.
“I can’t believe it. You’re really here.” Kayla pulled back, wiping her cheek with the back of her hand. “It’s so good to see you Luke. I’ve missed you. ”
“I missed you too.” Luke replied, wiping away his own tears. “Honestly, I was so nervous about meeting you again after all these years.”
“Why?” Kayla asked.
“I thought that it might be awkward between us and that we would have no idea what we should talk about.”
Kayla chuckled. “Well I was worried that you might have turned into a smug ass who thinks he’s better than everybody else.”
“Yeah, right.” Luke laughed; feeling as if his tension had been washed away.
“Come on, let’s go inside.” Kayla grabbed his hand, pulling him through the door and led him into the living room.
They sat down next to each other on the old faded couch that Luke remembered seeing in the Oliver household when he was a child. He picked up a stuffed bear that sat in the middle of the coach and begun to fidget with it. “Mom told me you have a son.”
“Tyler.” Kayla beamed. “He’s the best thing that has ever happened to me.”
“It’s really hard to imagine that you’re a mother now.” Luke said, putting the stuffed bear down in his lap.
“I’m almost used to it.” Kayla replied, a big smile on her face. “I still can’t believe that you’re really here. In my house. I mean the entire town is so proud of what you’ve accomplished Luke. There was something about you in the local newspaper at least two or three times a month. And then there’s me, I never even made it to New York. I just stayed here.”
“This is so much better.” Luke took Kayla’s hand. “You have your own little family now and you’re living in this beautiful house. To me it seems like your life is pretty amazing.”
“I love my life. I really do. It’s just, not how I thought my life would be.” Kayla assured him. “Do you remember Thomas?”
“No and I can’t remember you ever talking about somebody called Thomas.”
“Well I didn’t really know him back then. I remember seeing him in the halls in senior high every now and then but it wasn’t until a few years later that I talked to him for the first time.” Kayla settled back against the couch cushions, getting comfortable. “I was giving dad a hand in the office one day and Thomas was one of his patients that day. We somehow got talking and he asked me if I’d like to have coffee with him sometime. Before I knew it he was asking me to marry him and nine months later I was pregnant.” She let out a satisfied sigh. “But tell me about your life. I’m sure it’s much more exciting than mine.”
Luke laughed. “It really isn’t as exciting as you think. Staying at a different hotel room every night when I promote a new book or having so many people suddenly be interested in your private life is a big downside that comes with the job.”
Kayla remained silent for a moment. “You’re bursting my bubble. I always thought you had this amazing life, traveling around the world, meeting so many great people.”
“I’m not saying that my life hasn’t been good.” He shrugged.
“Have you been taking care of yourself Luke?” Kayla asked, suddenly sounding worried. “You look thin. I think it would do you good to gain a few pounds.”
Luke rolled his eyes. “Now you almost sound like your brother.”
“You saw Reid? The bastard didn’t tell me about it!” She grumbled. “How did it go?”
“Good until he asked me to have dinner with him and I told him no.” Luke put the stuffed bear back down on the couch, crossing his arms above his chest.
“Why?”
“Because he stood me up at the prom!” He got up from the sofa, starting to pace back and forth. “I don’t care how stupid it sounds. You know how important that night was for me and Reid knew it too. I’d been looking forward to that night for weeks.”
“Luke---”
“I have never felt so embarrassed and hurt in my life like in that moment when I realized that he wasn’t coming to pick me up. My parents had big ugly fight that night and the next morning my father took me to Malta, and that was that.”
Kayla bit her lip before she let out a sigh. “Look, I know this is between the two of you, but there might be more to it than you think and I think you should really give him a chance to explain himself.”
“No. It doesn’t matter. It was a long time ago and I don’t want to talk about it anymore.”
In that moment the intercom of the baby monitor on the coffee table crackled, followed by a whimper that quickly turned into crying. “Sounds like somebody woke up.” Kayla rose from the couch. ”I’ll be back in a minute.”
Alone, Luke walked over to the piano that stood in one corner of the room, looking at the framed pictures that were placed on it. Next to a few baby pictures was a wedding picture of Kayla and Thomas and Luke had to admit that her husband looked quite handsome. It seemed like they were a perfect little family, like something out of a book.
“Luke?”
He turned to see Kayla standing in the doorway, a brown-haired baby on her hip. “Aww, he is so adorable.” Luke said. “Can I hold him?”
“Of course you can.” Kayla crossed the room, handing the baby over to Luke.
“Hey there little man.” Luke placed a peck on the baby’s head. Tyler eyed him suspiciously with his big brown eyes but when he tickled the baby, he started to giggle and kick his little feet. “You’re so cute.”
“Seems like he likes you.” Kayla noticed with satisfaction. “I’m so glad that he is finally meeting his godfather.”
Luke’s head shot up from the baby to look at Kayla. “Godfather?”
Kayla nodded. “I sent you a note after Tyler was born. I guess you couldn’t make it to the christening but I always wanted you and Reid to be his godparents.”
“I didn’t get a note.” Luke replied, settling the baby on his hip. “I didn’t even know that you were married until my mother told me about it.”
“Does this mean you didn’t get my wedding invitation either?” Kayla asked and Luke shook his head in response. “Oh. I guess it could have gotten lost.”
“Believe me, if I’d know, I would have found a way to be here.” Luke gave her a small smile, hoping that she believed him.
“Well you’re here now.” Kayla said. “Tell you what, you watch Tyler for a few minutes and I’ll go fix us something to eat and some lemonade. Then we can chat some more about the good old days.” Luke nodded to his friend and turned his attention back to baby Tyler.
***
Dusk was approaching when Luke strolled around the house into the backyard, climbing up the small ladder to his old treehouse. There was so much to think about. He needed to think about his life and what he wanted to do with it.
For the past eight years he had done what his father wanted. He hadn’t wanted to disappoint him, worked hard to make him proud, not having dared to contradict him once. He owed Damian everything. He had managed his career even when he had become deathly ill.
Now he was on the verge of turning his back on everything his father had wanted for him. He knew his dad would have never been able to understand why he wanted to end his career even if he tried to explain it to him. Maybe he just needed a time-out. A few weeks or even a few months and then he could go back to the life he left behind. Right now all he wanted was to sit in his treehouse a little longer to enjoy the quiet.
A while later Luke heard a car pull up in the driveway, followed by the sound of a door closing and guessed that it was his mom who was returning home. They had lunch together early that day and it became clear that things between them were still tense. Deciding to go inside to talk to her again, somehow hoping to close the gap between just a little more, Luke climbed back down.
He turned at the sound of a dog barking, his eyes widening when he saw a Labrador retriever jumping over the fence into the backyard. Tongue lolling, it lunged at him. Before Luke could decide whether to run away or be amused, it plopped both front paws at him, almost knocking him over in progress.
“Wow.” Luke bend down to ruffle the dogs fur. “Hello there. Who are you?”
“His name is Buster.” Panting, Reid stepped out of the shadows. “I guess taking off the leash was a mistake ‘cause he obviously decided to take a hike.”
Luke tried to hide a grin, continuing to pet the dog. “He is beautiful.”
“Don’t flatter him. He’s already got a big enough ego.”
“Well, they say people and their pets develop similarities.” Luke commented, straightening himself.
“Ha. Funny Mr. Grimaldi.” Reid said, quickly bending down to leash Buster before he could take off again. “So Kayla told me you visited her today.”
“Yeah, it was great to see her again.” Luke replied as he strolled over to a nearby wooden bench and sat down. “I’m glad that she seems so happy.”
“She is happy.” Reid declared, dropping down next to the blond. He sighed when he noticed that Luke shifted away from him and remained silent for a moment, staring up in the night sky.
“We were sitting right here when I kissed you for the first time, remember?” Reid asked, turning his head to look at the younger man.
“I remember.” Luke turned to look at him in the shadowy light.
“I remember that day like it was yesterday. We had just gotten back from Chicago. We had gone to that Cubs game and that, ah, used bookstore. I swear you were more excited about the bookstore than the game.” Reid laughed at that. “Anyway, we got back from Chicago and I was too anxious to go home, so you suggested we hang out back here and talk. You told me that you didn’t want to work for dad and I told you that I was scared to go to med school. And the way you looked in the moonlight, I couldn’t help it.” Reid turned to face Luke, sitting sideways on the bench. “I just had to kiss you. And you kissed me back.”
“That’s quite a memory you’ve got.” The younger man folded his arms across his chest.
“It was a great night and a memorable first kiss.” Reid sighed at the memory.
Yeah, it really was, Luke thought. “We were so young and everything seemed so uncomplicated back then.”
Reid nodded thoughtfully. “Do you think, we could try to be friends again?”
“I guess.” Luke shrugged, giving the other man a small smile.
“How long are you staying in Oakdale?”
“I haven’t decided yet.” The blond replied. Buster came to him and he reached down to pet him. “I’ve taken a few months.”
Reid surprised them both by picking up Luke’s hand to play with his fingers. His eyes remained on the hazel eyes of the younger man as he intertwined their fingers, thinking that he was more beautiful than his memory of him, before hastily dropping the hand. Friends was what he had asked for, nothing more. He cleared his throat before he spoke. “You look tired. Are you sleeping all right?”
Luke rolled his eyes. “Don’t start playing doctor with me. I’m just a little tired, which is part of the reason I’m taking a break.”
But Reid wasn’t satisfied. “Why don’t you come into the office for a checkup? Dad can take a look at you if you don’t want me to do it.”
“I’m fine Reid. I don’t need a doctor!”
“Fine.” Reid threw up his hands in resignation. “Dad would still like to see you though.” The auburn haired man let out a breath of air. “Sometimes I still can’t believe that he and your mom have hooked up.”
“What?” Luke asked loudly, taken aback. “Hooked up? Our parents?”
“Yep.” Reid chuckled. “I have to say, I haven’t seen my dad so happy in a long time.”
Luke rose from the bench. “I’m going in.”
Reid sighed. “Can’t you at least try to be happy for your mom? I think she has been through enough in the past.”
“You don’t know anything about it.” Luke replied; his voice filled with bitterness. He turned and walked into the house.
----> Part 2