“You made it! Where’s Little Sam?” Kate asked Mason as he rose and pulled her into his arms for a hug.
He squeezed her tight and kissed her hair. “He’s with Nadine and Adele. There’s something important I was about to tell Dad, but I’m glad you’re here too.”
“What’s happened?” she looked at Mason and Sarina nervously. “Is Little Sam alright?”
“He’s fine, Mom,” Mason reassured her. “It’s about me, mostly.” He swallowed past the knot that was forming in his throat and took a deep breath. “I’m…gay and Sarina and I have been pretending to be married.”
“Just the intimate parts. We are legally married,” Sarina clarified.
Both of Mason’s parents looked confused, so he cleared his throat and begged his brain to work better. “Sina’s always known that I was gay. I was too scared to come out and she…” This part was what scared him the most. He prayed with his whole heart that they would forgive him. “She got pregnant so I proposed and promised I’d always take care of her and Little Sam.”
“Oh! Wow!” Kate said, blinking rapidly.
Sam was the first to recover, ironically. “I understand why you were scared, Mason. I wish you felt like you could have told us when you were younger, but it doesn’t change how we feel. You’re still my boy and Little Sam is our pride and joy. Nothing will change that or how much we love you two.”
His mother nodded quickly. “You're both stillour boys. Who’s Little Sam’s father?” She looked at Sarina.
“He’s…out of the picture. He didn’t want to be involved,” she said and let out a relieved laugh. “Why was that so hard to say?” she asked Mason, laughing again as she turned to Sam. “Mason has been protecting me for all these years because I was so afraid that anyone would find out, but that’s all I had to say!”
“Well…” Mason widened his eyes at her. “We both had secrets. We still do. I don’t want anyone else to know that Little Sam isn’t mine.”
“That’s no one else’s business, is it?” Kate asked.
Sam snorted in agreement, shaking his head. “It sure isn’t. I don’t like that either of you felt the need to hide to feel safe here, but it doesn’t change anything I’ve said. Having Sarina as a daughter is one of the luckiest things that’s ever happened to me and this family. I don’t care how it happened, Little Sam has been a blessing since the day he was born.”
“Amen to that,” Kate said with a firm nod. “The matter is settled as far as we’re concerned. Although…” Her teeth dug into her lower lip, signaling that she might not actually approve ofeverythingthey had done. “I know it’s none of our business, but are you both happy? A marriage should be…romantic and intimate too,” she added in a blushing mumble.
“We have…made some sacrifices,” Mason admitted slowly. For some reason, Mason saw Sky in their kitchen, holding up his gray plate and crying. Mason needed them to know the truth about that too. “I love Sky. I have since we were kids but we…” He shook his head and pushed out a hard breath, unable to explain all the ways he had blown it with Sky.
“Is that why he left for so long and doesn’t come back?” Sam asked them. “He knew, didn’t he?”
Sarina nodded, her eyes cast downward. “We broke his heart and he wanted nothing to do with us for a long time. Things have been better but Sky prefers to keep his distance,” she explained.
Sam sighed heavily. “That’s a hell of a conundrum you’ve got there. I’m trusting the two of you to sort this out, though. Sky’s a damn good kid and he deserves better. Always has.”
“I know,” Mason said, sniffing hard and blinking back tears. He was so proud to be his parents’ son and wished he was as good and as strong as them.
Maybe one day, when I grow up.
“I’ve really made a mess of things with Sky. I miss him, but we can’t be together without hurting everyone we love.”
“Because of me,” Sarina interrupted.
“Becausewemade a choice. Together,” Mason scolded her. “I don’t regret the rest of it, and I never will.”
Kate threw her hands up, laughing. “The three of you are still young and there’s still time! Figure it out!”
“We will!” Sarina replied and was laughing as she wiped her eyes. “We’ll figure this out,” she vowed with a serious look at Mason. “While we’re still young. We’ve lived with all of this hanging over us for long enough.”
“Agreed,” Mason said as he lowered onto the bed and took his father’s hand in his. “A huge weight is off my shoulders now that you and Mom know the truth. That’s enough for the moment. All I care about right now is getting you home and back on your feet.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Celibacy was working.
The punching bag Sky had hung in his room would need to be replaced soon. But the bag, in addition to swimming laps and running home from the gym in the evening, helped release any tension that had accumulated during the day and cleared his mind.
His new routine had made it easier to sleepwellduring the night, but Kayla was not as thrilled about Sky’s long sessions with the punching bag. She wanted to take another shot at matchmaking and was being particularly pushy about it as Sky stood at the counter, eating air-fried French toast sticks and green grapes. It was eight o’clock in the evening, but they were the only foods Sky wanted lately.