The Families in Rossford

FOUR 

THE PRESENT YOU

NEVER OPENED

There was a tap on his door, and Dylan yawned, shaking his head.

“What’s that?”

“That’s the door, dummy,” Lance muttered, rolling over.

“Ohhh—” But a yawn interrupted him.

“Dylan,” he heard the whisper on the other side of the door. “Dylan.”

Dylan climbed out of bed, his hair sticking up, and pulled on his pajama bottoms and then a tee shirt that was probably his but could have been Lance’s. Unlocking the door, locking the door had become a necessity at a certain age, he came out into the hall.

Laurel kissed him on one cheek and Maia kissed him on the other.

“We’re heading out now,” she said.

“And we love you,” Laurel added. “And we’ll see you next year.”

“I didn’t know you guys were going this early. I can get dressed and—”

“And what?” Maia said. “Go back to bed.”

“Yeah, Todd’s dropping us off at the station. Train comes at 8:45.”

“Well,” Dylan thought, and then he hugged them both. “I guess I’ll see you soon.”

He hugged them again, and Maia pushed him back into the room saying, “Tell Lance hey for us.”

“Or don’t,” Laurel shrugged.

Then they went down the hall, down the stairs, and were gone.

“Who was that?” Lance said when Dylan shut the door behind him and clicked shut the lock.

“Laurel and Maia.”

“Thank God you started locking the door.”

“All they would have seen,” Dylan said, taking his pajamas off and sliding into bed again, “is you holding me while we sleep. Not that shocking.”

As they resumed that very pose and Lance pressed himself to Dylan, he said, “You have a point. It’s even a little bit sweet.

“Do you think we were loud last night.”

“If we were loud last night there would have been a knock on the door,” Dylan said. “Dad’s cool, but he’s not that cool.”

Lance chuckled. “You know, I can respect that. I’d think there was something weird if there were no… I don’t know… Rules.”

“You could never stay with me at Dad and Lee’s.”

“I know. I don’t think Tom would like that. And… Now that my Dad and Mom know… Well, you know. This is the only place we can be together.”

Lance was whispering into Dylan’s shoulder.

“So my father is strict within… bounds, is what you’re saying?”

“I guess. I don’t exactly know what I’m saying.”

Lance stopped.

“What?” Dylan turned around.

“I think I have to pee. And then I have to go back to sleep.”

Lance climbed out of the bed and Dylan turned around to watch him. His hand went to Lance’s shoulder, and down his back.

Lance pulled on his boxers and said, “Is it okay if I just head out like this or should I put more on.”

“You’re just going down the hall, and you’ve come down into the kitchen half naked before so…” Dylan shrugged.

“Alright.”

“Why’d you even ask?”

“We’re not up against anyone’s room are we?”

“Todd’s studio. The living room is under us. So… not really.”

“Good. It’s just… we got really carried away.”

“Well, you couldn’t be with me Christmas Eve night,” Dylan said, surprised at how embarrassed he got sitting here in front of Lance discussing their sex life. “We were excited. I wish you’d stayed with me that night.”

“Well, I’m here now,” Lance said taking his hands through his brown hair so it stood up. “All vacation. Except… right now. Because…”

“You have to pee,” Dylan reminded him.

“Yes,” Lance said going to the door. “Yes, I do.”

“What time does the train come?”

“About fifteen minutes from now,” Maia said to her father. She was in the back of the old Cherokee, and she leaned forward to say, “If certain cousins were able to wake up at an appropriate time we wouldn’t have to hot foot it to the train station in Miller.”

“If certain cousins would—” Laurel began, and then said, “You know what? I can’t even make a return to that. I’m just going to say shut the hell up.”

“Did you get to say go’bye to Dylan?” Todd said, ignoring Laurel.

“Yes. He came all half awake and I could hear Lance half snoring in the background.”

“They’re sort of like an old married couple,” Laurel commented. “It’s kind of sweet.”

“I think it is too,” Todd told her.

From the back, Maia said, “Would you think it was sweet if I was laid up in bed with some man?”

“Sometimes I think you just say things to drive me crazy,” Todd shook his head.

“Maybe,” Maia allowed. “But nothing I say is invalid.”

“Well,” Todd said, “why don’t you find a man, and then we can discuss your hypothetical laying up with him.”

“You say it like I won’t find one on this trip?”

“Is that your intention for going on this trip with your cousin?”

“You know it is,” Laurel told Todd. “That’s exactly what she said.”

Todd smiled and shook his head, “Bennett will be crushed.”

“I really wish everyone would stop saying that.”

“Here we are guys,” Todd said. “Right up the street. And no train yet.”

“Great, we’re early.”

“Or late,” Maia said.

Todd turned around and said, “Who are you, and what have you done to my lovely daughter?”

As they pulled into the parking lot where several people were milling about on the platform, Maia leaned forward, kissed her father on his temple and said, “I’m the same lovely thing I always was. It’s just now that I’m taller my voice is closer to your ears so you can finally hear me.”

As the train pulled up, Todd said, “Out girls.”

Their bags were already on the ground beside the Cherokee. They’d done winter time train hopping before. Todd and the girls climbed out, and he ushered them on the train saying, “And Melanie’s nephew’s going to meet you, right?”

“That’s what she said,” Maia told him.

“And if there’s any trouble—”

“We will call,” Maia said. “Now relax, Dad.”

Todd looked so forlorn and so very much like he was thinking of getting on the train that Laurel said, “Kiss your father.”

And when Maia had, Laurel kissed him to.

Bags before them, they wobbled and weebled onto the train, and Laurel picked the first window seat she could. She was amazed there was a seat. This train came all the way from South Bend and half the time it was filled when it got to Miller. The train gave a great exhausted heave, and then it pulled off and was moving toward Gary.

“And now…” Laurel told her cousin, as she attempted snuggling into her uncomfortable seat and tried her best to sleep. “The adventure is about to begin.”

“Do you want one egg or two?” Fenn said as Lance and Dylan came downstairs into the kitchen, yawning and rubbing their eyes.

“Just one,” Lance told him.

“Really? As big as you are, you only want one egg?”

“Well, what else were you making?” Dylan asked.

“If you would look at the table you would see pancakes.”

“Oh, my bad,” Dylan smacked himself in the head.

“Okay, I’ll have two,” Lance said quickly, turning red.

“And I know you’ll have two,” Fenn said to his son.

“If it’s not trouble,” Dylan said, but the skillet was already sizzling and two eggs were already in it.

“Sit down,” Fenn told him. “And Dylan, get my coffee and my cigarettes.”

Dylan obeyed and then asked Lance, “You want milk?”

“Yup. I mean yes,” he said glancing back at Fenn who was lifting an egg and turning it over.

Dylan took out the gallon jug, sparing a glance for his father before chugging some and then taking glasses out of the sink and pouring himself one and Lance another.

The microwave went off.

“Lance, take the bacon out,” Fenn said. He exhaled smoke in the opposite direction as he lifted the first two eggs from the skillet and put them onto plates.

Lance brought the bacon out and Fenn said, “And if you would, slip the spinach in and heat it for a minute and a half.”

Spinach was the vegetable Fenn served with breakfast, and Lance understood why Popeye liked it so much. It was one of the only vegetables he could stand. The microwave went off at the same time the last of the eggs came off and the back door opened, Todd coming in.

“That’s called synchronicity,” Fenn announced, turning off the stove and switching on the fan as he crossed the kitchen to open the window.

He took off his housecoat and marched out of the kitchen.

“I need to sit,” he reported.

“I need a pancake.” Todd speared one and then, without syrup, he tolled it around a strip of bacon and walked out of the kitchen with it, following Fenn.

“Your dad’s always so nice,” Lance said, “And I always get so nervous around him.”

“I don’t know why,” Dylan said, mouth ful.

“Well… I don’t know why either. I just never thought he liked me.”

“You’re wrong there, and I can tell you that for certain,” Dylan gulped down a huge swallow of milk and then covered his mouth when he belched.

“Dad wouldn’t cook a huge breakfast and give you two eggs if he didn’t like you. He loves you. He hated Ruthven.”

“Really?” Lance was embarrassed at his obvious pleasure.

“He was so upset when I was with Ruthven and so happy when he was gone, and he would never let him stay here.” Dylan bit a sausage link in half and said, “He definitely never made him eggs.”

He watched Lance and said, “What’s that goofy look on your face?”

“Your dad likes me,” Lance said. “I’m the good one.”

Dylan shook his head.

“If I knew you were going to be a douche about it…”

Lance opened his mouth and stuck his tongue out full of food.

Dylan rolled his eyes.

“You are so foul.”

“Foul,” Lance agreed, swallowing milk, “but likeable.”

“Maia asked me how I would feel if a boy stayed in her bed the way Lance stays with Dylan.”

“And did you tell her how I raise my children is none of her business?” Fenn said.

They were sitting in the library, looking out on the sideyard and Todd said, “I didn’t put it boldly as that.”

“Well, put it that boldly next time. She’s half of Tara and surprisingly enough, a lot of Houghton is springing up in her too. Girls like that need things put boldly.”

“I couldn’t help thinking she had a point,” Todd said. “I could just hear here saying that we treat Dylan differently because he’s a boy. I don’t think she understands Dylan has two parents, and I’m not one of them.”

“Firstly, Tom has no idea Lance is here. I don’t treat him differently because he’s a boy. Its because he’s Dylan, and Lance is Lance.”

“You weren’t so lenient with him when Ruthven was around.”

“Do you blame me?”

Todd thought about this and put the rest of the pancake wrap in his mouth.

“I always felt bad for him. He’s my nephew.”

“I couldn’t stop Dylan from seeing him, but what I could stop I did.” 

“I always thought you thought Lance was stupid.”

“I did,” Fenn admitted. “I don’t now. But I always knew Lance was a good boy who would look after my overly wild son. That’s what matters.”

“I always thought your Dad thought I was stupid,” Lance stopped, pancake halfway up to his mouth.

Dylan remembered several occasions when Fenn has said, plainly, “That boy is stupid!”

But somewhere along the line, more specifically, when Ruthven was gone, Fenn had stopped talking about Lance’s intellect and only said, “That boy… That boy loved you.”

KENNETH LOOKED INTO the Hasty Tasty and saw Milo Affren sitting at a booth in front of the window, reflectively watching the cars shoot up and down Dorr Road while he smoked his cigarette.

“You’re early,” he said, sitting down.

“No, my red headed friend,” Milo countered, exhaling. “You are late.”

Kenny shrugged. He said, “Is that my water?”

“And your coffee. The waitress will be back in a minute.

“What was your Christmas like?” Milo asked. “It’s the first time in—well, shit, first time I can remember I didn’t see you on Christmas.”

“It can’t be the first time, but, yeah. I went to my family’s house.”

Kenny sipped the water, and then took one of the little cups of creamer and poured it into his coffee. He frowned and decided on pouring a second creamer, and then sipped.

“Not bad.”

“The Hasty Tasty’s never bad.”

The waitress came and said, “Are you gentlemen ready to order, or do you need more time?”

“I’m good to go, but my friend might need some more time to think,” Milo said, positioning his cigarette away from her.

“No,” Kenny said, thumping the menu cheerfully. “I would like the Farmer’s Breakfast.”

“And I would like the biscuits and gravy with a side of hash browns,” Milo said, “Cause, quite frankly, I don’t believe a farmer would eat what Kenny’s having.”

He handed the waitress the menus and said, “And if it’s not too much trouble, more coffee?”

“Certainly,” she said.

As she walked away Milo shook his head wistfully and said, “A big tip. For that ass.”

“Milo!”

“Oh, shut up. Who doesn’t look? Dena told me the first thing she loved about me was my ass.”

“It is nice,” Kenny said. “Speaking as a homosexual.”

Poker faced, Milo said, “Right back at you. Speaking as a heterosexual. But where the hell is Bren?”

“You haven’t seen him?”

“And you haven’t either!” Milo realized.

“Uh… no.”

“What the fuck is going on?” Milo murmured, leaning in. “What’s going on? Tell me, now.”

“Well, you know we’re not really together anymore. But… I don’t know. I haven’t seen him since Christmas Eve. Bren, I mean.”

“Yeah, I assumed.”

There was that silence, and Milo remembered a long time ago, when Kenny had confessed that he had been having an affair with Brendan, that he and Brendan were gay. This was so long ago that Milo had hated Brendan a little because he was Dena’s first boyfriend.

“Here’s the thing,” Kenny began. “I took some guy home on Christmas Eve.”

“Is that why you weren’t at Midnight Mass?”

“Yeah.”

“Damn.”

“Milo, don’t.”

“Alright,” Milo said. The waitress had come with coffee and was refilling their cups.

“Thank you,” they both said, and she said, “Your meal will be ready in a few minutes.”

“I wanted to sleep with somebody. In fact, I had somebody in mind.”

“That dark haired guy? Brian Babcock’s brother.”

“That’s the one.”

“You slept with him?”

“No,” Kenny said. “No, not him. I would actually like to meet him. Or something. I didn’t think that was a good idea to start things out like that.”

“So you did the bait and switch.”

“The what?”

“You found someone else to fuck,” Milo said.

“Uh, yeah,” Kenny said, blinking. “You’re a crude old bastard, Miles Affren.”

Milo shrugged.

“Where’d you find him?”

“The guy?”

“Yes,” Milo said.

“He was at the party.”

“Really,” Milo said, contemplative. “Someone we know?”

“Not really. I mean…” Kenny looked like he was deciding something again, and then he said, “You have to not judge.”

“Do I ever?”

“No. But that’s not the point.”

“Alright.” Milo waited for the answer.

“It was Ruthven.”

“Are you fucking serious?”

“You said you wouldn’t judge.”

“He’s like family. Well, he’s Dena’s family. Sort of Meredith’s too. He’s… He’s Dylan’s ex.”

“Thank you for the pedigree. I know all this.”

“He’s totally… I mean, he’s totally not your type. He’s completely unsuited for you. He’s—”

“Gentlemen, here’s your breakfast.”

Milo moved his coffee aside, and as the waitress put down his plate he smiled and thanked her.

“Do you need anything else?”

“No, not at all.”

“Orange juice would be nice,” Kenny said, though, and the waitress nodded.

As she left, Kenny said, “That was fast.”

Milo looked down at his plate and nodded agreement saying, “So fast I don’t fucking trust it. This shit could have been sitting under a heat lamp just waiting for me.

Taste fresh,” he said though, after a second.

“Well, like I was saying,” Kenny said, “everything you said is true. And that’s why I picked him. And by the way, he has a great body.”

“He’s a nice looking guy. I won’t argue that.”

“The sex is fantastic.”

“Is or was?” Milo said.

Kenny cupped his hand over his mouth, and leaning in, whispered: “Is.”

“Seriously?” Milo put his fork down. “Seriously, Ken?”

“He stayed the night. I think he’s staying tonight too.”

“Well,” Milo shrugged. “I guess there’s no harm.”

“That’s just it,” Kenny said. “I’m not sure that there is no harm.”

“Whaddo you mean?”

Kenny bit into a strawberry and confessed, “I think I know the reason Brendan hasn’t been back home.”

“You think he knows?”

Kenny nodded with the bitten strawberry still in his hand.

“I think he came back while we were fucking.”