The Lovers in Rossford
14 Jul 2023 72 readers Score 9.3 (5 votes) PDF Mobi ePub Txt
THE BEGINNING OF ALL THINGS
CONCLUSION
“Thanks for getting Kenny that job,” Chad said, looking over at his friend.
“Thank you for providing me with a very competent artist,” Bryant told him.
“He is good, isn’t he?”
Bryant nodded. He didn’t speak for a while.
Finally, Bryant said, “Everything’s not black and white, you know? No one knows that better than me.”
Chad nodded, because he didn’t know what to say.
“What you had with Kenny isn’t anything less if it ends.”
“And what about you and Nick?”
“That is ended. That was… Well,” Bryant decided, “Actually some things are black and white.”
At this Chad burst out laughing. “God, I miss you, Bryant!”
“I miss you laughing at me.”
Chad said, “I need to talk to Kenny. He… maybe you won’t get it. But he’s my best friend. We couldn’t do what we were doing if we weren’t friends. He… at no cost he gave me love and taught me how to love myself again. Does that sound corny?”
“Yes,” Bryant told him. “Yes, Chad North, it certainly does. But I do know what you mean.”
“I’m going off to talk to him,” Chad said.
“Alright,” Bryant allowed, “but where are you staying tonight?”
“God, Bryant!” Chad said. “Really? The bed’s not even cold from Nick.”
“Nick never slept in that bed.”
“What a picture!”
“You still have failed to answer the question.”
“Alright already,” Chad threw up his hands and grinned.
“This is like being your student again. You’re my boss, you’re my ex, you’re my ex professor. This is so weird. Are we really going to start this shit up again?”
“Yes,” Bryant told him. “I believe we are.”
“Are you kids going to be alright?” Layla asked Paul and Noah. She sat on the sofa with Fenn and Todd, facing their friends.
Paul was quiet, his long legs open, his hands clasping his knees, but Noah put a hand on Paul’s thigh.
“Yeah,” Noah said. “I think we will be.”
“Mr. Miller,” Fenn called back. “I hear you are here to stay.”
“Yes, Fenn.”
“Thank God. We should never be parted for so long. Life is too short. Have a seat, I’m getting up.”
“No, take mine,” Layla said. “Will’s calling me.”
As she got up, she kissed Brendan and Brendan sat down with his drink.
“She and Will are so happy. I wonder when they’ll tie the knot and have a little baby Klasko paddling around the house.”
At this Fenn’s face was subdued and Brendan said, “What?
Did I say something?”
So Fenn just said to the four of them, “It’s not so much a secret as something not discussed.
“Layla and Will stopped using anything a long time ago. She can’t have children. Or he can’t. It’s all the same.”
He remembered when Layla’s book had come out, when she had called Will with the message that she had a surprise for him.
“Maybe she’s pregnant,” they had teased him.
“She’s not pregnant,” Will had said with finality. But none of them understood. How dumb of them. Brendan felt his heart take an elevator to his feet.
“Why didn’t I know that? Why didn’t I know that about my own best friend?”
“I don’t know,” Fenn said. “And maybe I shouldn’t have told it. But you seem to forget, you and Kenny can’t have children either, and neither can Noah and Paul. But they do, and me and Todd have two between us. That tall handsome son of mine with that blond boy is an impossibility that never should have happened.
“None of us gets the happiness we hoped for,” Fenn said. “But if we are unguarded with out lives…” he shrugged. “I think we can get the happiness we never could have imagined.”
Dena Reardon Affren came out into her living room that was lit only by the blue of the television. Brendan was on the couch in cargo pants and a tee shirt. When she yawned he yawned, and they sat together on the sofa.
“Couldn’t sleep?” she said.
“Didn’t want to.”
“I thought you’d stay with Kenny tonight.”
“I thought that was jumping the gun. You can’t just switch men like that. Let him sleep alone a few nights. Invite me when he wants to.”
“How long do you think that’ll be?”
“You trying to throw me out?’
Dena hit him with a pillow.
“You know me better than that, Bren. If I wanted you out, I’d say get the fuck out.”
“Yes,” Brendan reflected. “You would.
“Well, with me and Kenny being me and Kenny, I suspect—”
Brendan stopped, making a strange face. “Hold on! My ass is ringing.”
He got up, pulling his phone from his back pocket. “Uh… it’s Kenny.”
“Answer it.”
He did. The conversation was short, full of “ums” and “yeahs”. When it was over, Dena looked up at Brendan:
“And…”
Bren grinned. “Well, it seems like he’ll be ready tomorrow night.”
“He’s got it bad for you, boy.”
Brendan sat back down with a mild smile and, after texting him, said, “We’ve got it bad for each other. Now shush and let’s watch the movie.”
“What is it?”
“It’s one Paul did on IFC.”
“Well,” Dena said. She folded her legs under her on the sofa.
After a while she said, “You and me and a Paul Anderson movie. That’s how all this shit started.”
“Is it?” Brendan said, “I don’t recall.”
“I do,” Dena said. “I remember everything.”
On the screen Paul was saying:
“It doesn’t really matter what I say, or what I do. I can’t prove anything to you. Look, this is who I am, and this is who I’m going to be. I can’t stop it!”
“We need some popcorn,” Dena said, getting up.
“Agreed,” Brendan told her.
“With extra butter?”
“Or not at all.”
“Right,” Dena said, rising. “I’ll be right back.”
“I love you, Dena,” Brendan said.
“Sometimes I forget how much. I’m so glad we broke up, and I came out. I love you more than I ever did.”
“Oh, Brendan Miller,” Dena said, heading to the kitchen, “I really like you too.”
Brendan chuckled because he knew that was all he was going to get, and from Dena Affren, that was more than enough.
Here ends The Lovers in Rossford, which was intended to be the end of Rossford.
Because it was intended to be the end, I will just point out that the story ends where it all began, with Brendan and Dena watching Paul on a TV screen....
However, the story knew best, and very soon I knew that Rossford was not over at all..... the adventures will in Rossford will continue with The Families in Rossford, but that will not be for some time, so..... don't get unduly excited.