Patriarchy (7/8)
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Chapter Six
Kevin grinned as he unfurled and taped up the banner over the fireplace. "Happy 35th anniversary," it read, and he couldn’t believe his parents had been married for so long. Just underneath the banner were two pictures - one taken at their wedding and one taken last week. They still looked so in love.
They were out for dinner right now, while he and his siblings got ready for the party. Sarah was in the kitchen, helping the caterers set up. He was in charge of the den, while Tommy was picking up several bottles of wine. Kitty, obviously, couldn’t make it back from New York. And who the hell knew where Justin had disappeared to.
"Where should I put this photo album?"
Kevin turned to Julia.
"Here, I’ll take it."
Julia smiled as she handed the book to Kevin. In not-entirely-coincidental timing, Tommy had just proposed; this party was the first time she’d be there as his fiancée. She’d already shown off the ring several times. Kevin really liked Julia. She was a lot sweeter than some of Tommy’s ex-girlfriends. He liked her so much that he even ignored his father’s obvious delight and veiled comments to Tommy about someone "carrying on the family name."
He opened the photo album. They had collected various pictures from their parents’ childhoods and marriage and made copies, organizing them into a story of their lives. Kevin flipped through the pages, remembering some of the details behind the pictures. He landed on a photograph of himself, about four years old, sitting on his father’s shoulders. His father was looking up at him, laughing and smiling. They both looked really happy.
Kevin closed the photo album and put it down on the table.
**
Scotty took a deep breath before following Kevin into the church. A lot had changed in the last few weeks. They had talked things over; Scotty knew that, while Kevin was still trying to sort out his feelings for Jason, he loved Scotty and wanted to be with him and didn’t care who knew it. And he proved it: holding his hand, kissing him, even just looking at him, whether they were in public or alone in the loft. Scotty had been concerned at first, worried that Kevin was just trying to be what he thought Scotty wanted him to be. He was finally starting to accept, though, that this was just one small part of the new Kevin. And he liked it.
But he was pretty sure that things would be different today. It was Kitty’s wedding, and with both Kevin’s and Jason’s families there, Scotty knew Kevin would be extraordinarily uncomfortable. He’d be lucky if Kevin just acknowledged their relationship.
The wedding itself was beautiful. Kitty’s dress was gorgeous; the kids were cute; and the ceremony went smoothly, from the moment Kitty appeared at the end of the aisle, her arm looped through William’s, until the priest pronounced Robert and Kitty man and wife. Scotty clapped loudly as they walked down the aisle, and he rolled his eyes when he saw Kevin handing some money over his shoulder to Tommy.
It was after the ceremony that Scotty realized he might have been wrong with his predictions. As they waited in line to congratulate the couple, Kevin stood close to him, smiling, resting his palm on the small of Scotty’s back as they talked with Tommy and Julia. They were getting obvious glares from the McCallisters and the occasional, unreadable glance from Kevin’s father. But Kevin never removed his hand.
**
Kevin leaned back against the bar, holding a glass of wine near his lips, as he looked out over the reception. Kitty and Robert had disappeared for several minutes with some of the campaign staff, but now they were dancing slowly in the center of the floor. Tommy held Lizzy in his arms, swaying back and forth as if they were dancing as well. Kevin smiled at the sight; Tommy may not be her father, but he was an excellent dad.
And at his table, Scotty, Sarah and his mother were talking animatedly. After dinner, the two women had nearly raced over to talk to Scotty; this was the first time they had seen him since finding out that he and Kevin were back together. The three of them laughed at some joke, and at that moment, Scotty turned to look across the room at him. The smile on his face was infectious and Kevin grinned back. He wondered how much longer he’d have to stay here before he could take Scotty home.
"Kevin."
He started at the unexpected voice and glanced at his father.
"Hi Dad," he said, taking a sip of his wine.
"So," William cleared his throat. "Things look like they’re going well with Scotty."
Kevin didn’t know how to respond. That was not what he was expecting his father to say. He had expected him to ignore his relationship; maybe - maybe - he might have said something about how badly he had treated Jason.
"Uh...yeah. Yeah, it’s going really well."
William nodded, and they were both silent for a while.
"Good," his father said. "He’s a nice kid."
William walked away, and Kevin stared after him. What had just happened?
**
Kevin stayed fairly quiet throughout the rest of the night, thinking. He wondered what had prompted his dad to say that. He wondered whether William still preferred Jason, despite what he had said. He wondered how his father would have reacted to some of his boyfriends in the past, if he had introduced them, brought them home, made his family welcome them. He wondered if he’d ever have a conversation with his father about his personal life where he didn’t feel like a misbehaving kid.
He wondered how many of their problems over the years were because of William’s feelings or because of Kevin’s reaction to them - because of how he thought his father felt. He would never, never, forgive his father for how he acted when Kevin came out or for the comments over the years designed to make him feel insecure, wrong, less than his siblings. But did his resentment cloud over some real changes his father had made or tried to make?
"Everything OK?" Scotty asked, walking up behind him.
"Hmm? Yeah. Yeah, I think so." He turned, looking back at Scotty with a smile.
There were very few people still in the hall. Robert and Kitty had left about an hour ago, followed by the rest of the McCallisters. At first Kevin was surprised they didn’t stick around, partying into the wee hours of the night. Then he realized the D.J. and the open bar had shut down when the happy couple left.
Now it was just the family, except for Julia who had left with a very cranky Lizzy a while ago. Tommy and Justin were sitting, quietly talking with each other, their feet propped up on some folding chairs. Paige and Cooper were both exhausted, stretched out asleep on chairs near Sarah. His parents sat at a small table in the corner, holding hands and leaning in close together as they talked.
"Yeah," he repeated. "Everything’s fine."
Scotty smiled at him, still clearly perplexed by Kevin’s attitude. His confusion was too cute, and Kevin couldn’t resist leaning forward and kissing him lightly.
"Come on, dance with me."
"What?" Scotty asked with a short laugh.
"Dance with me," he repeated, taking Scotty’s hand and pulling him away from the tables and to the edge of the dance floor.
"There’s no music," Scotty told him.
"I don’t care," Kevin answered.
They laughed as they tried to figure out where to put their arms. They soon got it settled, though, and started to sway slowly. Kevin stepped nearer to Scotty and closed his eyes.
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Chapter Six
Kevin grinned as he unfurled and taped up the banner over the fireplace. "Happy 35th anniversary," it read, and he couldn’t believe his parents had been married for so long. Just underneath the banner were two pictures - one taken at their wedding and one taken last week. They still looked so in love.
They were out for dinner right now, while he and his siblings got ready for the party. Sarah was in the kitchen, helping the caterers set up. He was in charge of the den, while Tommy was picking up several bottles of wine. Kitty, obviously, couldn’t make it back from New York. And who the hell knew where Justin had disappeared to.
"Where should I put this photo album?"
Kevin turned to Julia.
"Here, I’ll take it."
Julia smiled as she handed the book to Kevin. In not-entirely-coincidental timing, Tommy had just proposed; this party was the first time she’d be there as his fiancée. She’d already shown off the ring several times. Kevin really liked Julia. She was a lot sweeter than some of Tommy’s ex-girlfriends. He liked her so much that he even ignored his father’s obvious delight and veiled comments to Tommy about someone "carrying on the family name."
He opened the photo album. They had collected various pictures from their parents’ childhoods and marriage and made copies, organizing them into a story of their lives. Kevin flipped through the pages, remembering some of the details behind the pictures. He landed on a photograph of himself, about four years old, sitting on his father’s shoulders. His father was looking up at him, laughing and smiling. They both looked really happy.
Kevin closed the photo album and put it down on the table.
**
Scotty took a deep breath before following Kevin into the church. A lot had changed in the last few weeks. They had talked things over; Scotty knew that, while Kevin was still trying to sort out his feelings for Jason, he loved Scotty and wanted to be with him and didn’t care who knew it. And he proved it: holding his hand, kissing him, even just looking at him, whether they were in public or alone in the loft. Scotty had been concerned at first, worried that Kevin was just trying to be what he thought Scotty wanted him to be. He was finally starting to accept, though, that this was just one small part of the new Kevin. And he liked it.
But he was pretty sure that things would be different today. It was Kitty’s wedding, and with both Kevin’s and Jason’s families there, Scotty knew Kevin would be extraordinarily uncomfortable. He’d be lucky if Kevin just acknowledged their relationship.
The wedding itself was beautiful. Kitty’s dress was gorgeous; the kids were cute; and the ceremony went smoothly, from the moment Kitty appeared at the end of the aisle, her arm looped through William’s, until the priest pronounced Robert and Kitty man and wife. Scotty clapped loudly as they walked down the aisle, and he rolled his eyes when he saw Kevin handing some money over his shoulder to Tommy.
It was after the ceremony that Scotty realized he might have been wrong with his predictions. As they waited in line to congratulate the couple, Kevin stood close to him, smiling, resting his palm on the small of Scotty’s back as they talked with Tommy and Julia. They were getting obvious glares from the McCallisters and the occasional, unreadable glance from Kevin’s father. But Kevin never removed his hand.
**
Kevin leaned back against the bar, holding a glass of wine near his lips, as he looked out over the reception. Kitty and Robert had disappeared for several minutes with some of the campaign staff, but now they were dancing slowly in the center of the floor. Tommy held Lizzy in his arms, swaying back and forth as if they were dancing as well. Kevin smiled at the sight; Tommy may not be her father, but he was an excellent dad.
And at his table, Scotty, Sarah and his mother were talking animatedly. After dinner, the two women had nearly raced over to talk to Scotty; this was the first time they had seen him since finding out that he and Kevin were back together. The three of them laughed at some joke, and at that moment, Scotty turned to look across the room at him. The smile on his face was infectious and Kevin grinned back. He wondered how much longer he’d have to stay here before he could take Scotty home.
"Kevin."
He started at the unexpected voice and glanced at his father.
"Hi Dad," he said, taking a sip of his wine.
"So," William cleared his throat. "Things look like they’re going well with Scotty."
Kevin didn’t know how to respond. That was not what he was expecting his father to say. He had expected him to ignore his relationship; maybe - maybe - he might have said something about how badly he had treated Jason.
"Uh...yeah. Yeah, it’s going really well."
William nodded, and they were both silent for a while.
"Good," his father said. "He’s a nice kid."
William walked away, and Kevin stared after him. What had just happened?
**
Kevin stayed fairly quiet throughout the rest of the night, thinking. He wondered what had prompted his dad to say that. He wondered whether William still preferred Jason, despite what he had said. He wondered how his father would have reacted to some of his boyfriends in the past, if he had introduced them, brought them home, made his family welcome them. He wondered if he’d ever have a conversation with his father about his personal life where he didn’t feel like a misbehaving kid.
He wondered how many of their problems over the years were because of William’s feelings or because of Kevin’s reaction to them - because of how he thought his father felt. He would never, never, forgive his father for how he acted when Kevin came out or for the comments over the years designed to make him feel insecure, wrong, less than his siblings. But did his resentment cloud over some real changes his father had made or tried to make?
"Everything OK?" Scotty asked, walking up behind him.
"Hmm? Yeah. Yeah, I think so." He turned, looking back at Scotty with a smile.
There were very few people still in the hall. Robert and Kitty had left about an hour ago, followed by the rest of the McCallisters. At first Kevin was surprised they didn’t stick around, partying into the wee hours of the night. Then he realized the D.J. and the open bar had shut down when the happy couple left.
Now it was just the family, except for Julia who had left with a very cranky Lizzy a while ago. Tommy and Justin were sitting, quietly talking with each other, their feet propped up on some folding chairs. Paige and Cooper were both exhausted, stretched out asleep on chairs near Sarah. His parents sat at a small table in the corner, holding hands and leaning in close together as they talked.
"Yeah," he repeated. "Everything’s fine."
Scotty smiled at him, still clearly perplexed by Kevin’s attitude. His confusion was too cute, and Kevin couldn’t resist leaning forward and kissing him lightly.
"Come on, dance with me."
"What?" Scotty asked with a short laugh.
"Dance with me," he repeated, taking Scotty’s hand and pulling him away from the tables and to the edge of the dance floor.
"There’s no music," Scotty told him.
"I don’t care," Kevin answered.
They laughed as they tried to figure out where to put their arms. They soon got it settled, though, and started to sway slowly. Kevin stepped nearer to Scotty and closed his eyes.
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