Shocked that he hadrecognized the song, Caleb stared after Sir Carreon who strode outthe door without a backward glance.
* * *
Caleb and Ginny exchangedstories, their voices competing with the roar of the tricycle theywere riding on the way home. Caleb supposed the aunts would requirehim to send his mom another text message before he could stayanother night. He could live with that. It had been a good day.An awesome day—even more so because he didn’t bump into Franco, Drew orTara, the triumvirate he’d dreaded facing.
But when they lurched intoa stop in front of the house, Caleb’s smile faded. A blue Toyotawas parked in the driveway.
Ginny pushed him so shecould get down. She shielded her eyes against the sun. “Wonderwhose car is that?”
Caleb’s day no longer feltawesome. “My mom’s,” he replied.
Chapter 20:Reprise
There were moments whenone already knew they were going to define an era, before they evenhappened. Events such as wars and weddings, births and deaths,stood out among the routines of daily life and became referencepoints for story telling. Sentences that began with “before hedied” or “during the war” or “after she got married” wouldimmediately give listeners a clear picture of the story’stimeline.
When Caleb entered theliving room, he saw his mom on the couch, flanked by the aunts,their three heads huddled in earnest conversation. Just before shelooked up, Caleb saw his mom’s face—all hard lines of stubbornness,a determined chin cast in stone.
Her gaze didn’t waver whenthey landed on Caleb, and all he could think of was how absurd shelooked in this home filled with acceptance and love and light. Shehad her gameface on, the same expression she wore when his dad hadleft them. It was the face of a woman who was prepared to gothrough the worst, knowing she’d come out victorious. Withoutthinking, Caleb balled his hands into fists.
The aunts seemed to sensethe hostile air between them. They shot to their feet.
“Ginny,” Mitch said. “Haveyou met Mrs. Salve?”
“A few times.” Ginny gavethe unsmiling woman a small wave. “Hi, tita.”
“Ginny.” The cold eyesflickered to her before settling back on Caleb.
Mitch hooked her armthrough Kate’s and gave Caleb an encouraging smile. “We’ll beupstairs if you need us. Ginny?”
“See you later,Cale.”
Exit stageleft, Caleb thought as she watched thethree women ascend the staircase. Cuefirst scene. He sat on the daybed oppositethe couch and stared out the window, fists resting on his thighs.He would allow his mom to deliver the first blow.
“Caleb . . . I . ..”
The voice quivered. Caleblooked up, astonished. He had not expected tears on the firstround. Across him, his mom’s face was scrunched up, her shouldersheaving. Something inside Caleb shuddered, a seismic activity oftears threatening to erupt. He quelled it by sucking in a shakybreath.
“Comehome. Please,” his mom pleaded. “Come home with me,mahal.”
It would be easier toforget the whole thing and fold into her arms. Was the truth reallyworth all this pain? Taming the surge of emotion inside him, Calebfixed her with a level gaze. “Do you really want me to come home,Ma? Nothing has changed.” He gently continued, “I’m stillgay.”
His mom straightened, hervoice regaining some of its strength. “It’s not too late for you tochange, Caleb. There’s counseling and prayer.” Her face lit up witha small smile. “I’ll be here all the way. You have my fullsupport.”
Flames licked up Caleb’sneck. He knew it. This battle had begun too lightly, deceiving himinto letting down his defenses early in the game. He pushed himselfup into his full height, eyes blazing down on his mom.
“Your full support? Whatdoes that mean? Make me give up being gay?”
She gaped up at him.“B-but of course.” Her eyes were two balls of shock and confusion.“Do you want tobe gay?”
“Exactly my point!” heexploded. “Don’t you understand, Ma? I never chose this. Who wantsto be gay? For people to look at me the way you’re looking at menow, like I’m some anomaly that needs to be solved?”
His mom rose to her feetand seized his hands. “Then let me help you make itright.”
Caleb shook his handsfree. “You can’t put to right something that’s never been wrong.Have you ever thought that maybe I was meant to be this way? ThatGod created me gay?” His voice shook. “I didn’t want to bedifferent. I didn’t put these feelings, these desires inside me,which I’d tried denying for years. God must have.”
“Don’t be blasphemous.”His mom’s voice held a low note of warning.
Caleb’s shoulders saggedunder the weight of her words. “How could honesty be blasphemous?It’s like asking you to stop being a woman. If you want to supportme, you’ll have to love me for who I am.” His voice wobbled. “Youmay find it hard to believe, but the last thing I want to do ishurt you.” He looked at her, unable to mask the pleading tone ofhis voice. “I’ve chosen to accept myself. Why can’tyou?”
He found himself holdinghis breath as they locked gazes. A great gap of silence settledbetween him and his mom. Caleb didn’t know how to bridgeit.
“Because I don’t wantpeople to treat you differently.” His mom blinked and tearstrickled down her face. “I don’t want you to get hurt.”
Caleb felt the exhaustionin his bones. But it was nothing compared to the sadness that hadseeped through his chest. “You’re asking me to hide the truth. Itdoesn’t work that way, Ma. Not anymore.” He held up his chin. “Weboth don’t have a choice on my sexuality. But you can at leastchoose to understand.”
“Come home, Caleb,” shebegged.
He shook his head. “Ican’t if you can’t accept me, Ma.”
Even before his mom left,maybe as far back as the moment he’d stepped into the room, Calebknew that this exact point in time had been demarcated and labeledfor future use. And that everything else that would happen thereonwould be defined as life after his mom had turned her back on heronly son.
Chapter 21: TripleMeter
Caleb had read enoughBible stories in his childhood to know that a lot could
