Calling Mom
About a week had passed since Dev had told his sister about Tom, and there had been no forthcoming phone call from his mother gushing about his new beau. He knew he could make the assumption that Sadie had kept her word and not said anything. While he appreciated her abiding by his wishes, there was a small part of him that wondered what his mother would think about her rogue son finally wanting to settle down with someone respectable. He could imagine she'd be happy for him and rather proud that he was no longer catting around and getting into trouble for his behavior. He could admit to himself that he'd like to hear her be happy for him and let her know that underneath his cool, sometimes even icy, exterior, he could give his heart to someone. The other usually rebellious part of him, however, was trying to determine if he should continue to keep it a secret for the sake of not letting his parents into every aspect of his life. He'd spent years trying to do that, to shut them out and keep them at a distance, but they wouldn't let him. No matter what he said or did, they continued to let him know how much they loved him.
The longer he thought about it, he supposed he could tell her everything he hadn't told Sadie about Tom. It could get some sort of rise out of her just for the sake of having a little fun and he wouldn't have to feel as if he was confiding in her so much as going for a little shock value.
Once he had justified his desire to tell his mother about his boyfriend, he picked up the phone and dialed home.
"Hello, Quinn residence."
Dev smiled at the familiar greeting. His mother always sounded so formal when she answered the phone.
"Hey, Mom, it's me."
"Darling!" The change in tone made Dev smile despite himself. "How are you?"
"I'm fine. Just called to say hi."
"You did?" Mrs. Quinn couldn't hide how delighted she was. "I mean, that's great."
"It's okay, Mom," Dev laughed. "I know I don't usually call you guys unless I need something."
"Well, that's what we're here for, to help you when you need us."
"Mom, I thought you and Dad were pissed off at me for dropping out of school and moving to Boston. You cut me off and everything, remember?"
Mrs. Quinn sighed. "Honey, you know we were only disappointed in you. We're not going to let you starve to death because you're trying to find yourself. If you need money--"
"I don't need money, Mom, but thanks." Dev sat down on his sofa and propped his feet up on the coffee table. "And I didn't exactly call just to say hi."
"Dev, what's wrong, sweetheart?"
He couldn't help snorting at the concern he heard in her voice. It was always one extreme or another with her. Either he was calling to ask for money or he was calling because something had gone wrong. He wouldn't mind her thinking that about him if it were actually true, but it wasn't. There had been plenty of times he had called his mother and father simply to let them know he was still alive. Or, at least he'd meant to do that.
"Why do you think something's wrong?" he asked. "Maybe I have some good news."
"You've decided to go back to school?" She sounded so hopeful, Dev knew it was extremely important to her in a way that went beyond the usual routine of parents wanting their kids to go to college.
"I, um... Actually, I've been auditing a couple of classes," he admitted. It was not only the truth but would be a good segue to the topic of Tom. It was important to him that she react well to this. For all of his seeming disregard for his parents, the truth was he wanted them to be proud of him and happy for him.
"Oh, darling, that's wonderful." She sounded relieved. "Where are you going? And what classes are they?"
"They're at Boston University." he said. "One is comparative religions and the other is morals and ethics. I mainly started taking them because the professor's really cute."
He smiled when there was a pause followed by a sigh. "Dev..."
"It's different, this time, Mom, I promise."
The reason Dev had dropped out of school was because he'd become involved with one of his professors and Mrs. Quinn was all to aware of this. Dev had left school, telling his parents that he didn't see the need for a formal education when he was just going to inherit their money, anyway, and since he was going to live with his former professor, he didn't exactly need to worry about supporting himself if they chose to cut him off. It had gone over about as well as could be expected and after a month with a man he didn't love, he had decided to pack up and move to Boston.
"Are you seeing this professor?" Her tone was cold, guarded, and he knew she was expecting him to make another mistake.
"I am."
"And I suppose you're living with him?"
"No, I'm still in my own place." Dev swallowed, nervous about telling her the next part. "But I am... I mean, I've..."
This time when Mrs. Quinn spoke, the warmth of a mother's concern filled her voice. "Sweetheart, what is it? Are you... Are you sick?" The dread that was carried in those words made Dev cringe a little bit and it was then he truly understood why his mother hated the way he lived his life.
"No, Mom," he said, his tone softer than it had been before, "I'm not sick. I promise. It's actually... Well, you might consider it good news."
"Then tell me before I start to imagine all sorts of horrible things," she said with a nervous laugh.
"This man that I've met, this professor. He's, um... I've..." He felt so silly and small at that moment. He'd been so careful about guarding his heart from the people who wanted to be closest to him and now he was about to confess the fact that he'd fallen in love.
"Go on," Mrs. Quinn gently urged.
"I'm really serious about him, Mom," he finally said.
There was a slight pause. "How serious?"
"Serious enough to know I'm in love with him."
This time there were several seconds of silence, then Dev heard what could only be described as a relieved sigh.
"Oh god, Dev, I've waited and worried for so long that you would never find someone to love."
"Mom, I'm only twenty," Dev pointed out, though he was grinning.
"I know, but you've always been so distant. I didn't think you ever wanted to find something like that."
"I didn't," Dev admitted with a shrug even though his mother couldn't see him. "But then I met Tom."
"So, tell me about Tom," his mother said, sounding delighted.
"Well, Sadie can fill you in on some of it since I told her already."
"You did? When?" She sounded disappointed.
"Yes, and last week. You know that I tell her everything, Mom, so don't try to act like you're upset that I didn't tell you before I told her."
"I suppose you're right," Mrs. Quinn relented. "The two of you have always seemed to have your own club that your father and I were never allowed to join."
"Yeah, it's called being siblings, Mom," Dev laughed. "It's really nothing more sinister than that. And, besides, you should be happy that she and I get along so well, especially considering the kind of bastard I am."
"Dev Spencer Quinn, don't you dare call yourself that," his mother said sharply.
"C'mon. Isn't that what you and Dad think about me?"
"Neither your father nor I have ever thought that about you, Dev," she said softly, and Dev could tell she was hurt by the suggestion. "We love you and I don't know why you refuse to believe that. Haven't we always done all we could for you or been there when you needed us?"
"Not always," Dev said under his breath, then continued. "Fine, I'm sorry for calling myself a bastard. But it isn't as if plenty of other people don't think that way about me."
"That's other people, Dev, and they're damn lucky I've never heard it from them."
Dev laughed, tickled to hear his mother being so vicious. "Wow, Mom, you're getting all mama bear with her cub, aren't you?"
"Don't make fun of me, Dev," she said, though there was a tint of humor to her words.
"I'm really not. I think it's kind of sweet that you care so much."
"Dev, will you ever tell me why you think I wouldn't care about you? You're still my baby boy, I don't care how old you are."
Dev blushed at the declaration, glad that his mother couldn't see it. "Can we please get back to talking about Tom?" he asked. "It's a lot less embarrassing to gush about him than to hear you say things like that."
"Fine, then," she sighed. "Go on, tell me about him. Would I like him? How old is he? Does he treat you well?" She sounded as if she was reading him her grocery list.
"Jeez, Mom, why don't you just mail me a list of questions and I'll type up the answers and mail them back." For some reason, it annoyed Dev that his mother sounded so dismissive when she spoke about Tom. He knew why he would be offended on his lover's part, but he'd never really cared all that much what his mother thought in the past. That's when it hit him again that it was very important to him that his parents liked Tom and understood what it was that he saw in him.
"I'm sorry, honey, but I... You have to admit that it isn't as if you've been in this situation before." Mrs. Quinn sounded sad as she said it.
"That's not true," Dev said quickly. "I have never told you that I'm in love with someone. I've told you I'm moving in with them or I'm dating them, but this has never happened before."
"How do you know you're in love with him?"
"Why are you asking me this?" Dev started to feel a little hurt by her reaction. "Just a second ago, you were really happy for me. What's going on?"
"I..." Mrs. Quinn paused long enough to make Dev wonder if the line had gone dead.
"Mom?"
"Honey, I'm happy if you're in love with this man, but are you sure he's in love with you? I'm so afraid that all the time you've mistreated the people you've been involved with could catch up with you."
"Are you joking?" Dev laughed because he'd had the very same fears at one point. "Mom, I've worried about that and trust me when I say that Tom loves me. In fact, he wants us to live together so we can share our lives and really be committed to one another. You have to believe that he is one of the most loving, decent, caring men I've ever met in my life."
There was another pause, but when Dev's mother spoke again, she sounded more hopeful and genuinely happy.
"All right, darling, why don't you tell me what you want to about him?"
"Okay," Dev grinned. "Well, he's thirty-five--"
"Oh, Dev, you couldn't find someone younger?" She didn't sound as if she was being judgmental, simply concerned, and Dev knew why. His history with older men wasn't exactly stellar.
"Of course I could," Dev snorted to cover up his discomfort with the question. "I could find anyone I want. But I only want Tom."
"He's certainly got you being loyal to him already," she said, and Dev could tell she was trying not to sound as bitter as she must have felt.
"Mom, you've got to decide a few things," he suddenly said.
"I do? Like what?"
"First, you have to decide whether or not you're happy for me finally finding someone I love. Then, if you really are happy for me, you have to decide whether or not you're going to think I have a mind of my own when it comes to who I love. Honestly, Mom, you, more than anyone, have to understand that no one makes me do anything I don't want. No one."
Dev could tell from her silence that he'd give her something to think about, and he contemplated letting her go so she could do that. But then he remembered the very thing he'd been wanting to share with her.
"And, Mom, there's one more thing you should know about him."
"What is that?" she asked quietly.
"He used to be a priest."
"He... What?"
"He's a former priest."
"I..." She let out a slow breath. "I heard you, Dev. I'm just...surprised."
"Surprised that he's gay or surprised that a priest would want anything to do with me?"
"Honey," Mrs. Quinn said softly, "I don't doubt why he wants to be with you, and now the age difference makes so much more sense. Was he asked to leave the church?"
Dev knew exactly what his mother was getting at, and the notion of Tom being kicked out of the church for molesting little boys made him want to laugh and tell her to go to hell all at the same time. He decided that the former would be the way to go for now.
"Mom," he chuckled, "Tom was not asked to leave the church. He left of his own free will because he fell in love with someone and realized that he couldn't be a priest any longer. He did the noble thing," he added, feeling suddenly very proud of his lover. "Besides, if he was the kind to diddle an altar boy, I'd be way too old for him."
"Dev, don't be so rude," Mrs. Quinn gasped. "Though, I do have to admit you might be right about that point."
"At least you can admit that," Dev sighed. He wasn't enjoying this as much as he thought he would. In fact, he was starting to be annoyed and regretted telling his mother anything about Tom. She was making it very clear that she didn't want to or couldn't take his feelings and his relationship seriously. "Look, I should go. I have to get to work," he lied.
"Oh, all right sweetheart," his mother said, sounding grateful to be let off the hook. "You must call another time and we can talk more about this."
"Sure, whatever," Dev said, forcing himself not to sound sad. "Bye, Mom."
"Goodbye, dar--"
He hung up before she was finished. Chewing on his bottom lip, he dialed his sister's cell phone.
"Hey, bro," she said, with a giggle.
"What are you laughing at?"
"You just hung up on Mom and she's whining to Dad about it."
"Oh, god, I didn't hang up on her," Dev groaned, even though he supposed he did end the call a half second too early.
Sadie sighed, but it was the kind of sigh she used whenever she knew that there was going to be unwelcome drama. "Yeah, well, she thinks you did and now I get to listen to her cry about how she's always tried to be a good mother."
"Maybe you'll get a shopping trip out of it," Dev said wryly.
"Ooh, you could be right," Sadie laughed. "Listen, I should go. If she knows I'm on the phone with you, she'll want to talk to you again. Email me, okay?"
"Fine," Dev said, a little annoyed that he couldn't bend his kid sister's ear about whether or not he was overreacting to this whole thing. Being with Tom might have made him oversensitive to any seeming criticism of him, and he wasn't sure how to deal with it. The best thing would probably be to talk to Tom about it, anyway. "You have a good night, kiddo."
"You, too. Bye, Dev. Love ya."
He sighed and put down the phone. Right now, the only person who could make him feel any better was Tom.