Patriarchy (8/8)
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With co-writing credits to Monica Owusu-Breen, Alison Schapker, and the acting styles of Matthew Rhys and Tom Skerritt. I think this is the most scene stealing I've ever done! :)
Chapter Seven
Soft music greeted Kevin as he walked into the bar. He looked around the room and spotted his father sitting at a table, talking to a man Kevin didn’t recognize. When he walked up to them, the other man quickly stood and said goodbye. Kevin sat down in his vacated chair.
His father seemed tired, and when Kevin asked if he was all right, his dad said that a friend had just passed away. But then, he quickly changed the subject, asking for the contracts Kevin had just finalized. He flipped through them quickly, then set them down.
"So...how are things?"
"Things?" Kevin asked.
"In your personal life," his father clarified, taking off his glasses.
Kevin went for the joke, referencing his busy work schedule as usual.
"Are you seeing anyone?"
Kevin laughed in shock, feeling his pulse start to quicken. He couldn’t believe his father was actually bringing this up in conversation. They never talked about his personal life. They rarely talked about anything outside of business. In fact, this trip was the first time in recent memory that his father made any sort of effort to bond with Kevin. He had to wonder if his mother had pressured him into it.
"Did Mom put you up to this?"
His father laughed and looked away. He began to speak of his friend who had passed away. "There must have been so many things she...would like to have said."
This explanation bothered Kevin. It was yet another example of his dad talking around the subject, and he didn’t know if he could deal with dancing around painful topics that night. And why did it take someone’s death for his father to finally start asking Kevin about his life?
"Right," he said, looking down and clearing his throat. "No, I’m single. I’m not seeing anyone right now."
"Is that common?"
"You know, I think this is getting a little - awkward for the two of us," Kevin spoke quickly, fidgeting and reaching into his coat. "Why don’t we get back to the contracts?"
"I’m trying to talk here - "
"Well, I tried to do that with you for quite a few years," Kevin interrupted, not looking at his father.
"And I just wasn’t ready to talk about it," William told him.
"So maybe I’m not ready now," Kevin shot back.
"Kevin, I know I didn’t handle things too well back then," his father started to say.
"You wouldn’t even look at me," Kevin responded, looking straight at his father. It still hurt to remember that time, but if his father insisted on talking about it, then he’d gladly say some of the things he had been holding back. "You didn’t want anyone at work to know."
"I was struggling to find some - " his father replied, still speaking in infuriatingly calm tones.
"What, and I wasn’t?" Kevin interrupted again. "I was a kid. I just needed to know you loved me the same way you loved Kitty, Sarah, Justin or - Tommy, but you were too busy being ashamed."
Kevin looked down, trying to ignore the emotion in his voice. The loneliness and the hurt and the confusion had rushed back in, the feelings now as strong as they were then. He remembered sitting in his room as a kid, trying to think of ways to make his father love him again. Wondering if it would be possible to just take it back, wondering if he could just say it was a joke or a lie or something, so his father would look at him again like he used to.
"And I have to live with how I reacted." William leaned across the table towards Kevin. "Now you can get past this. You can accept my apology."
And that was just like his father. Ordering people around, telling them what they should feel and when. Expecting Kevin to just ignore years worth of pain because William decided it was time for them to move on, reform their bond.
He looked at his father. "I’m not sure I can," he said.
**
Kevin opened the door, leading a drugged-out Scotty into the loft. He guided him into the bedroom and sat him down on the bed, kneeling down to help Scotty pull the sleeve of his jacket over the bandage.
"Sorry for messing up your day. I know you had plans with Tommy and Justin."
"Don’t be ridiculous," Kevin said quietly. "I always want you to call me."
"Can you believe that nurse?" Scotty asked, laughing. He stretched out onto the bed. "I thought you two were going to get into a fistfight."
Kevin scoffed as he pulled the sheets over Scotty. "Well, she wouldn’t tell me anything. ‘Are you family, sir?’ You could have been bleeding to death, for all I knew."
Scotty smiled, eyes closed. "We’ll have to get married before the next time," he mumbled.
Kevin stared at Scotty, taken aback. But by the time he found his voice, Scotty was completely unconscious, and Kevin couldn’t ask him if he were serious.
He thought about it, though. He thought about how much he loved Scotty and how he had vowed to himself to do whatever it took to make their relationship work. He thought about the little traditions and rituals they had made in the last few months - Saturday cleaning days so the tiny loft wouldn’t get any more cluttered than it already was, Wednesday movie nights, Sunday mornings in bed. He thought about how Scotty had found a place within his family, how supportive Sarah was of Scotty, how he argued politics with Kitty, how Nora loved trading recipes with him - even the secret mango peach salsa recipe, how the boys teased him and treated him like he was their own brother, how Justin was even teaching Scotty to surf. He thought about how welcoming Saul was to Scotty, how he watched Kevin and Scotty with this inexplicably proud yet guarded expression. He thought of his father’s attempts, occasionally awkward but sincere, to get to know Scotty, how he asked after him whenever Kevin stopped by the Ojai offices. Kevin thought about how Scotty made him happy and made him feel - really, for the first time since he came out - like he could be himself, like the real Kevin was someone interesting and fun and worth loving.
He thought about how he wanted to feel that way for the rest of his life.
Convincing Scotty would probably take a little more effort. Scotty woke up just as the sun was beginning to set and walked slowly into the living room, fighting a yawn.
"Hi," Scotty murmured.
Kevin looked up. He tossed aside the papers he had been staring at - but not reading - for the last few hours.
"Hey," he greeted Scotty quietly. "You hungry?"
Scoty shook his head. "Nope."
Scotty sat down next to Kevin, snuggling into him, and Kevin lifted his arm, wrapping it around Scotty’s shoulders.
"How’s your hand?"
Scotty grimaced, reaching out with his good hand and rocking it to indicate that he was so-so. They sat quietly for several minutes while Kevin tried to work up the nerve.
Finally, he cleared his throat. "So I was thinking this Saturday."
"For what?" Scotty asked.
"To get married."
Scotty sat up and turned to look at Kevin. "What?!"
"Hey, it was your idea," Kevin argued with a small smile, even as his heart pounded in his chest.
"What are you - Kevin, I never - " A look of comprehension passed over Scotty’s face as he remembered their conversation. "Kevin, I was really high."
Kevin shrugged. "Doesn’t mean it wasn’t a good idea. Besides, we need to be prepared if you ever cut your hand again and Nurse Ratched tries to keep us apart."
"You want to get married because of the hypothetical need for future hospital visitation. That would be so practical if it weren’t so crazy."
"That’s not why," Kevin said with a smile. "I love you, Scotty. I’m completely in love with you. You make me want to be a better man - even though you accept my many, many flaws."
Scotty laughed but he was starting to get emotional. He raised his uninjured hand to his chest, hoping he could use his injury or the pain medication to explain away the tears that had sprung to his eyes.
"Actually, you make me feel like I don’t have to be anyone other than who I am," Kevin continued seriously. "And to me, that feels like family. And that’s what I want us to be; I want us to be a family because that never ends - I’m doing this all wrong."
He dropped off the couch, kneeling in front of Scotty. Scotty took a deep breath. "Scotty, I am asking you - will you please marry me?"
Scotty smiled. He pushed himself off the couch, joining Kevin on the floor. He took Kevin’s hands in his, trying not to wince as he tightened his grip and pulled at his stitches. "Yes," Scotty answered. "Yes, Kevin, I’ll marry you."
**
Kevin was not surprised to see that his father was at home rather than the office. He knew from talking to Sarah that there had been lots of kinks the last few months with the payroll and other accounts because of a new computer system, but that Saul had apparently finally figured it out. After that was fixed, William had been spending more and more time at home. He was starting to make noises about retiring, and tension was increasing between Sarah and Tommy about who would take over for him as president of the company. Kevin was trying to stay out of it.
At any rate, it was good that his father was home that afternoon. It meant he could tell both of his parents at the same time. He found his mother in the kitchen and asked her to come into his dad’s office with him. He sat in the chair on the other side of the desk, and waited while his mom sat in the chair in the corner of the room. His dad was watching him carefully and quietly; for all the world, Kevin felt like he was in high school again, about to come out.
"I just wanted to tell you," Kevin began quickly, then cleared his throat. He looked over at his mother and then back to his father. He took a deep breath and continued, in a slower and more confident voice, "Scotty and I are engaged. We want to have a small ceremony and would like to have it here this weekend, if that’s OK."
His mother’s reaction was instantaneous. She stood and hugged Kevin, smiling and laughing and already listing off the things they’d need. But Kevin was more interested in his father’s reaction, and he watched him closely. William seemed surprised, surely, but he didn’t seem upset or angry. Just as Kevin was starting to feel a little unnerved by his father’s silence, William gave him a small smile. "Congratulations, Kevin."
**
The flowers, although much, much more than what Kevin wanted, gave the living room a colorful, happy atmosphere. Kevin was still feeling a little emotional after his talk with Scotty. Being able to hand him the cufflinks, providing Scotty with a connection to his family even though they weren’t there, was very important to Kevin. He was glad he could give that to Scotty, after everything Scotty had given him. He walked through the dining room, checking on the food one more time.
Everything seemed ready. Kevin took a deep breath. It was almost time.
"Kevin?"
He turned towards the voice. His father nodded at him from the entrance to the dining room.
"Could I speak with you?"
Kevin followed his father to his office, feeling slightly nervous. His father closed the door behind them and walked around Kevin to his chair. Kevin sat down and looked expectantly at his father.
"Are you ready?"
Kevin laughed. "Uh, yeah. Yeah, I think so."
William nodded and looked away. "I didn’t like him at first." Kevin stiffened but waited for his father to continue. "I thought he was a little too... But he’s good for you. I don’t remember the last time I saw you this happy."
Kevin couldn't control his smile. "He is. I am."
"Things haven’t always been easy between us. I know that. And I know it’s my fault."
"No, I - "
"Kevin, stop," his father interrupted. "It’s my fault. But I do love you. I’ve always loved you, just as much as any of the others. I need you to know that."
"I know," Kevin whispered.
They were silent for a few moments. Finally, William spoke again. "So. You’re all ready? Have everything you need?"
Kevin nodded, happy to accept the change of subject. "Yep. All set."
"Really? Even the rings?"
Kevin’s mouth dropped open. "Oh my God," he muttered.
William laughed. "That was the exact same reaction Scotty had this morning when your mother mentioned rings." His father sat back in his chair and pulled open the side drawer. "You’re lucky," he continued, "that I’ve kept everything filed away, including the order form for your class ring - you have weird fingers, you know that? You’re also lucky that I know a good jeweler. Here - this is your mother’s and my wedding gift to you."
He handed a small box to Kevin. Kevin glanced at him, shocked. He opened the box and saw two golden bands.
"Dad, I - " Kevin cleared his throat, fighting tears. "I don’t know what to say. Thank you."
"You’re welcome."
Kevin stared at the rings for a moment and then finally looked up at his father. He knew that things weren’t entirely fixed between them. That an apology and a gift weren’t enough to completely make up for the years of bad feelings between them. Kevin wasn’t convinced they’d ever be able to get past some of their problems, but he recognized the important thing was that they were trying. In the last few months with Scotty, Kevin had worked hard to conquer many of his insecurities and commitment issues. But maybe he wouldn’t be able to get completely over them until he worked on his relationship with his father just as hard.
Because visiting Scotty’s parents made him realize: even though he and his father had problems, the important thing was that his dad was there. He was still there, and they had time.
And so, Kevin followed his father out of the office back to the living room. He hugged his mother. He accepted his new ring from Scotty, and put Scotty's ring on his finger in turn. He smiled at Scotty, professing his love clearly and loudly in front of their friends and family. He leaned forward and kissed him, not caring that everyone was watching. And when he pulled back from the kiss and turned away from Kitty to get congratulations, he saw Sarah clapping enthusiastically, Tommy handing a roll of cash to a triumphant Justin, and his parents smiling at him with tears in their eyes.
**
Kevin sniffed quietly, trying to hold back the tears. His mother dabbed the antiseptic on his knees and then blew softly on them. It was cold, and it stung, and Kevin flinched.
"What happened?"
"I was just playing," Kevin said. The problem was he had wanted to play with Tommy and his sisters, and his six-year-old legs were too small to keep up with them. As he ran fast, trying to catch up, he had tripped, scraping his knees and the palms of his hands.
His mom placed the final Band-Aid on his knee. Throwing away the wrapper, she leaned forward, lightly kissing his injuries.
"All better."
Kevin sniffed again. "Thanks, Mom." He couldn’t keep the tears in that time, and he wiped his eyes angrily.
"Oh, honey. It’s OK. You can cry if you want to."
Kevin shook his head. "Nuh-uh. Dad never cries," he explained. "I want to be just like him."
His mom sighed. "I hope you do, Kevin. I hope you grow up strong and healthy, and you find a job you love, and you marry someone you adore and have a great family. But Kevin, most of all, I want you to be yourself. OK?"
Kevin nodded, although he wasn’t entirely sure what his mother was talking about. Who else would he be, if not himself? She helped him off the bathroom counter and he hurried out of the house. He ran into the front yard. Tommy, Kitty and Sarah were sitting in the grass, and he joined them. They were waiting, he knew, for the car to come around the corner. Their dad would be back from work soon - he always had late meetings out of the office on Thursdays - and they couldn’t wait for him to get home.
Thanks for reading!
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With co-writing credits to Monica Owusu-Breen, Alison Schapker, and the acting styles of Matthew Rhys and Tom Skerritt. I think this is the most scene stealing I've ever done! :)
Chapter Seven
Soft music greeted Kevin as he walked into the bar. He looked around the room and spotted his father sitting at a table, talking to a man Kevin didn’t recognize. When he walked up to them, the other man quickly stood and said goodbye. Kevin sat down in his vacated chair.
His father seemed tired, and when Kevin asked if he was all right, his dad said that a friend had just passed away. But then, he quickly changed the subject, asking for the contracts Kevin had just finalized. He flipped through them quickly, then set them down.
"So...how are things?"
"Things?" Kevin asked.
"In your personal life," his father clarified, taking off his glasses.
Kevin went for the joke, referencing his busy work schedule as usual.
"Are you seeing anyone?"
Kevin laughed in shock, feeling his pulse start to quicken. He couldn’t believe his father was actually bringing this up in conversation. They never talked about his personal life. They rarely talked about anything outside of business. In fact, this trip was the first time in recent memory that his father made any sort of effort to bond with Kevin. He had to wonder if his mother had pressured him into it.
"Did Mom put you up to this?"
His father laughed and looked away. He began to speak of his friend who had passed away. "There must have been so many things she...would like to have said."
This explanation bothered Kevin. It was yet another example of his dad talking around the subject, and he didn’t know if he could deal with dancing around painful topics that night. And why did it take someone’s death for his father to finally start asking Kevin about his life?
"Right," he said, looking down and clearing his throat. "No, I’m single. I’m not seeing anyone right now."
"Is that common?"
"You know, I think this is getting a little - awkward for the two of us," Kevin spoke quickly, fidgeting and reaching into his coat. "Why don’t we get back to the contracts?"
"I’m trying to talk here - "
"Well, I tried to do that with you for quite a few years," Kevin interrupted, not looking at his father.
"And I just wasn’t ready to talk about it," William told him.
"So maybe I’m not ready now," Kevin shot back.
"Kevin, I know I didn’t handle things too well back then," his father started to say.
"You wouldn’t even look at me," Kevin responded, looking straight at his father. It still hurt to remember that time, but if his father insisted on talking about it, then he’d gladly say some of the things he had been holding back. "You didn’t want anyone at work to know."
"I was struggling to find some - " his father replied, still speaking in infuriatingly calm tones.
"What, and I wasn’t?" Kevin interrupted again. "I was a kid. I just needed to know you loved me the same way you loved Kitty, Sarah, Justin or - Tommy, but you were too busy being ashamed."
Kevin looked down, trying to ignore the emotion in his voice. The loneliness and the hurt and the confusion had rushed back in, the feelings now as strong as they were then. He remembered sitting in his room as a kid, trying to think of ways to make his father love him again. Wondering if it would be possible to just take it back, wondering if he could just say it was a joke or a lie or something, so his father would look at him again like he used to.
"And I have to live with how I reacted." William leaned across the table towards Kevin. "Now you can get past this. You can accept my apology."
And that was just like his father. Ordering people around, telling them what they should feel and when. Expecting Kevin to just ignore years worth of pain because William decided it was time for them to move on, reform their bond.
He looked at his father. "I’m not sure I can," he said.
**
Kevin opened the door, leading a drugged-out Scotty into the loft. He guided him into the bedroom and sat him down on the bed, kneeling down to help Scotty pull the sleeve of his jacket over the bandage.
"Sorry for messing up your day. I know you had plans with Tommy and Justin."
"Don’t be ridiculous," Kevin said quietly. "I always want you to call me."
"Can you believe that nurse?" Scotty asked, laughing. He stretched out onto the bed. "I thought you two were going to get into a fistfight."
Kevin scoffed as he pulled the sheets over Scotty. "Well, she wouldn’t tell me anything. ‘Are you family, sir?’ You could have been bleeding to death, for all I knew."
Scotty smiled, eyes closed. "We’ll have to get married before the next time," he mumbled.
Kevin stared at Scotty, taken aback. But by the time he found his voice, Scotty was completely unconscious, and Kevin couldn’t ask him if he were serious.
He thought about it, though. He thought about how much he loved Scotty and how he had vowed to himself to do whatever it took to make their relationship work. He thought about the little traditions and rituals they had made in the last few months - Saturday cleaning days so the tiny loft wouldn’t get any more cluttered than it already was, Wednesday movie nights, Sunday mornings in bed. He thought about how Scotty had found a place within his family, how supportive Sarah was of Scotty, how he argued politics with Kitty, how Nora loved trading recipes with him - even the secret mango peach salsa recipe, how the boys teased him and treated him like he was their own brother, how Justin was even teaching Scotty to surf. He thought about how welcoming Saul was to Scotty, how he watched Kevin and Scotty with this inexplicably proud yet guarded expression. He thought of his father’s attempts, occasionally awkward but sincere, to get to know Scotty, how he asked after him whenever Kevin stopped by the Ojai offices. Kevin thought about how Scotty made him happy and made him feel - really, for the first time since he came out - like he could be himself, like the real Kevin was someone interesting and fun and worth loving.
He thought about how he wanted to feel that way for the rest of his life.
Convincing Scotty would probably take a little more effort. Scotty woke up just as the sun was beginning to set and walked slowly into the living room, fighting a yawn.
"Hi," Scotty murmured.
Kevin looked up. He tossed aside the papers he had been staring at - but not reading - for the last few hours.
"Hey," he greeted Scotty quietly. "You hungry?"
Scoty shook his head. "Nope."
Scotty sat down next to Kevin, snuggling into him, and Kevin lifted his arm, wrapping it around Scotty’s shoulders.
"How’s your hand?"
Scotty grimaced, reaching out with his good hand and rocking it to indicate that he was so-so. They sat quietly for several minutes while Kevin tried to work up the nerve.
Finally, he cleared his throat. "So I was thinking this Saturday."
"For what?" Scotty asked.
"To get married."
Scotty sat up and turned to look at Kevin. "What?!"
"Hey, it was your idea," Kevin argued with a small smile, even as his heart pounded in his chest.
"What are you - Kevin, I never - " A look of comprehension passed over Scotty’s face as he remembered their conversation. "Kevin, I was really high."
Kevin shrugged. "Doesn’t mean it wasn’t a good idea. Besides, we need to be prepared if you ever cut your hand again and Nurse Ratched tries to keep us apart."
"You want to get married because of the hypothetical need for future hospital visitation. That would be so practical if it weren’t so crazy."
"That’s not why," Kevin said with a smile. "I love you, Scotty. I’m completely in love with you. You make me want to be a better man - even though you accept my many, many flaws."
Scotty laughed but he was starting to get emotional. He raised his uninjured hand to his chest, hoping he could use his injury or the pain medication to explain away the tears that had sprung to his eyes.
"Actually, you make me feel like I don’t have to be anyone other than who I am," Kevin continued seriously. "And to me, that feels like family. And that’s what I want us to be; I want us to be a family because that never ends - I’m doing this all wrong."
He dropped off the couch, kneeling in front of Scotty. Scotty took a deep breath. "Scotty, I am asking you - will you please marry me?"
Scotty smiled. He pushed himself off the couch, joining Kevin on the floor. He took Kevin’s hands in his, trying not to wince as he tightened his grip and pulled at his stitches. "Yes," Scotty answered. "Yes, Kevin, I’ll marry you."
**
Kevin was not surprised to see that his father was at home rather than the office. He knew from talking to Sarah that there had been lots of kinks the last few months with the payroll and other accounts because of a new computer system, but that Saul had apparently finally figured it out. After that was fixed, William had been spending more and more time at home. He was starting to make noises about retiring, and tension was increasing between Sarah and Tommy about who would take over for him as president of the company. Kevin was trying to stay out of it.
At any rate, it was good that his father was home that afternoon. It meant he could tell both of his parents at the same time. He found his mother in the kitchen and asked her to come into his dad’s office with him. He sat in the chair on the other side of the desk, and waited while his mom sat in the chair in the corner of the room. His dad was watching him carefully and quietly; for all the world, Kevin felt like he was in high school again, about to come out.
"I just wanted to tell you," Kevin began quickly, then cleared his throat. He looked over at his mother and then back to his father. He took a deep breath and continued, in a slower and more confident voice, "Scotty and I are engaged. We want to have a small ceremony and would like to have it here this weekend, if that’s OK."
His mother’s reaction was instantaneous. She stood and hugged Kevin, smiling and laughing and already listing off the things they’d need. But Kevin was more interested in his father’s reaction, and he watched him closely. William seemed surprised, surely, but he didn’t seem upset or angry. Just as Kevin was starting to feel a little unnerved by his father’s silence, William gave him a small smile. "Congratulations, Kevin."
**
The flowers, although much, much more than what Kevin wanted, gave the living room a colorful, happy atmosphere. Kevin was still feeling a little emotional after his talk with Scotty. Being able to hand him the cufflinks, providing Scotty with a connection to his family even though they weren’t there, was very important to Kevin. He was glad he could give that to Scotty, after everything Scotty had given him. He walked through the dining room, checking on the food one more time.
Everything seemed ready. Kevin took a deep breath. It was almost time.
"Kevin?"
He turned towards the voice. His father nodded at him from the entrance to the dining room.
"Could I speak with you?"
Kevin followed his father to his office, feeling slightly nervous. His father closed the door behind them and walked around Kevin to his chair. Kevin sat down and looked expectantly at his father.
"Are you ready?"
Kevin laughed. "Uh, yeah. Yeah, I think so."
William nodded and looked away. "I didn’t like him at first." Kevin stiffened but waited for his father to continue. "I thought he was a little too... But he’s good for you. I don’t remember the last time I saw you this happy."
Kevin couldn't control his smile. "He is. I am."
"Things haven’t always been easy between us. I know that. And I know it’s my fault."
"No, I - "
"Kevin, stop," his father interrupted. "It’s my fault. But I do love you. I’ve always loved you, just as much as any of the others. I need you to know that."
"I know," Kevin whispered.
They were silent for a few moments. Finally, William spoke again. "So. You’re all ready? Have everything you need?"
Kevin nodded, happy to accept the change of subject. "Yep. All set."
"Really? Even the rings?"
Kevin’s mouth dropped open. "Oh my God," he muttered.
William laughed. "That was the exact same reaction Scotty had this morning when your mother mentioned rings." His father sat back in his chair and pulled open the side drawer. "You’re lucky," he continued, "that I’ve kept everything filed away, including the order form for your class ring - you have weird fingers, you know that? You’re also lucky that I know a good jeweler. Here - this is your mother’s and my wedding gift to you."
He handed a small box to Kevin. Kevin glanced at him, shocked. He opened the box and saw two golden bands.
"Dad, I - " Kevin cleared his throat, fighting tears. "I don’t know what to say. Thank you."
"You’re welcome."
Kevin stared at the rings for a moment and then finally looked up at his father. He knew that things weren’t entirely fixed between them. That an apology and a gift weren’t enough to completely make up for the years of bad feelings between them. Kevin wasn’t convinced they’d ever be able to get past some of their problems, but he recognized the important thing was that they were trying. In the last few months with Scotty, Kevin had worked hard to conquer many of his insecurities and commitment issues. But maybe he wouldn’t be able to get completely over them until he worked on his relationship with his father just as hard.
Because visiting Scotty’s parents made him realize: even though he and his father had problems, the important thing was that his dad was there. He was still there, and they had time.
And so, Kevin followed his father out of the office back to the living room. He hugged his mother. He accepted his new ring from Scotty, and put Scotty's ring on his finger in turn. He smiled at Scotty, professing his love clearly and loudly in front of their friends and family. He leaned forward and kissed him, not caring that everyone was watching. And when he pulled back from the kiss and turned away from Kitty to get congratulations, he saw Sarah clapping enthusiastically, Tommy handing a roll of cash to a triumphant Justin, and his parents smiling at him with tears in their eyes.
**
Kevin sniffed quietly, trying to hold back the tears. His mother dabbed the antiseptic on his knees and then blew softly on them. It was cold, and it stung, and Kevin flinched.
"What happened?"
"I was just playing," Kevin said. The problem was he had wanted to play with Tommy and his sisters, and his six-year-old legs were too small to keep up with them. As he ran fast, trying to catch up, he had tripped, scraping his knees and the palms of his hands.
His mom placed the final Band-Aid on his knee. Throwing away the wrapper, she leaned forward, lightly kissing his injuries.
"All better."
Kevin sniffed again. "Thanks, Mom." He couldn’t keep the tears in that time, and he wiped his eyes angrily.
"Oh, honey. It’s OK. You can cry if you want to."
Kevin shook his head. "Nuh-uh. Dad never cries," he explained. "I want to be just like him."
His mom sighed. "I hope you do, Kevin. I hope you grow up strong and healthy, and you find a job you love, and you marry someone you adore and have a great family. But Kevin, most of all, I want you to be yourself. OK?"
Kevin nodded, although he wasn’t entirely sure what his mother was talking about. Who else would he be, if not himself? She helped him off the bathroom counter and he hurried out of the house. He ran into the front yard. Tommy, Kitty and Sarah were sitting in the grass, and he joined them. They were waiting, he knew, for the car to come around the corner. Their dad would be back from work soon - he always had late meetings out of the office on Thursdays - and they couldn’t wait for him to get home.
Thanks for reading!
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