by Xavier Neal
Chapter Ten
Dustin
“I’m considerin’ it, Cody.”
“No, you’re not.”
“I am.”
“No. You’re not.”
“Yeah, I am.”
“You’re jokin’,” he snaps, slamming his beer down. “Tell me you’re jokin’!”
“Stop yelling in front of the girls!” Lynette reprimands.
“Oh, you’re allowed to yell at me, but I’m not allowed to yell in front of them?!”
She fiercely glares and lowers her attention to my nieces. “Lacey, Lyndsey, Mommy and Daddy need to have a grown up talk with Uncle Dusty. Can you please take your coloring books to your room, turn on music, and close the door?”
Both girls know better than to argue when she uses that tone.
Lacey looks at her mother with hope. “Can we listen to The Umbrella song, mommy?”
“And Sexy Cat!” Lyndsey enthusiastically adds.
The question is pulled from my lips instantly. “Why is this cat sexy?”
Lynette rolls her eyes. “Sexy Back by Justin Timberlake.”
Lacey puts a hand on my cheek at the same time she states, “We love him, Uncle Dusty.”
“And Rhi Rhi too,” Lyndsey hums.
I give their mother a quizzical glance.
She tries to hide her smile. “They found a new dance mix they love. You know how they are. Once they attach themselves to a song-”
“Or songs,” Cody grouses his interjection.
“They don’t shake them until something new catches their attention. Remember the Jolene phase?”
A deep chuckle bounces my chest.
Their duet and dance would make even Dolly Parton proud.
“You girls can listen to that mix,” their mom announces. “Now go.”
They hop off my lap, kiss me on the cheek, and rush away leaving a trail of random crayons in their tracks.
As soon as we hear the sound of a door shut, Lynette wraps her hands around the arm of the couch, and bites, “Try that shit again with me Cody and my volume will be the very least of your problems.”
Cody swallows most of his lingering anger, yet swings the remaining in my direction. “Why is your life creatin’ hell in mine?
“Don’t go blaming your brother for your temper,” Lynette interjects.
Hating to see them fight and hating even more to be in the crossfire, I hold up a hand to end the argument. “Look, Cody, I didn’t want you to think this was just a random hair up my ass decision. Carly and I’ve been talkin’ about it for a couple weeks now. Me movin’ is a very real possibility.”
“But why you? Why can’t she move?”
I ignore the smile trying to tug itself onto my face.
He sounds identical to the way I did when she brought it up. Major difference is this conversation isn’t gonna be sidetracked for a few hours by a little bit of phone sex in the middle of the afternoon. Still can’t believe I sat in the parking lot and rubbed one out like that.
“Your family is here,” Cody argues. “Momma and Dad. Me and ‘Nette. Fuck, us. The girls. The girls are here. You’re jus’ gonna give ‘em up like that? Think about all the time y’all spend together. All the memories you love makin’ with ‘em.”
“You’re just pissy we’re going to have to pay a real babysitter,” Lynette taunts at the same time she slides down onto the couch.
He tosses her a stern look. “I’m bein’ serious, Lynette.”
She folds her hands into her lap. “You have a valid point, Cody. If Dusty chooses to move, he will spend less time with the girls, but it doesn’t mean he won’t be in their lives. There’s video chat. And phone calls. And we can go visit them the same way they can come home and visit us. Will it be hard on them? Absolutely.”
The truth reignites the twinge I had been trying to ignore.
“Will it be impossible? No. Is it our decision? Fuck no.” She emphasizes the last word. “You need to be supportive of whatever it is Dusty decides to do, Cody. He’s a grown ass man who deserves the same happiness we have. He deserves to be given the same ‘follow your heart and live life to the fullest’ speech you gave to Sam just last week.”
Sam fell in love with a stripper who was visiting from Vegas. I imagine it was a slightly different conversation.
“Besides, did Dusty throw a tantrum like this when you packed your shit and moved here for me?”
“No, but that was different! We’re only like thirty minutes from each other! He moves to Highland and we’re states away.”
States away from all I’ve really known. Won’t be here to help my parents when they need an extra set of hands. Won’t be here to see the girls at least twice a week or crash dinner after a rough day. Won’t be here to grab a beer and lend an ear when Cody’s fighting with Lynette. I’d be givin’ up my entire life.
Carly’s smiling face instantly pops into my head.
No. I’d be gettin’ my entire life. That woman is where my heart and soul starts and ends. Yeah, I’ll miss what I have here, but I know what I’ll gain will be worth it.
“Someone has to move, Cody.” Lynette calmly insists. “They both knew their relationship would reach this point.”
“But why does it have to be Dusty?”
“Because it makes more sense.” A deep exhale leaves me. “Carly’s got a damn good job she can’t do anywhere else in the world.”
“Money,” he grumps. “This is about money.”
“This is about doin’ what’s right for my future family,” I swiftly argue. “Havin’ two of us with great jobs helps build financial stability, Cody. I want my kids to grow up and go to college some day or at least have the damn option. Not to mention, I want them to have more than we did. Vacations. Toys. The money to be on multiple sports teams without worryin’ about how the cost is gonna get covered. Plus, if I move to Highland, I can do what I do now for better pay and better hours, meanin’ I can actually be there for my kids rather than workin’ all day, seein’ them for maybe an hour, then havin’ to rush them to bed like Dad did us.”
His lips tighten.
“I don’t love Highland, but I do love Carly, and she managed to find a compromise. We’d move right outside the city and commute. Our kids would have land to run on, and I could do shit like get a couple horses or chickens or a hound dog.”
Cody slouches down further.
“And the house we’re lookin’ at is huge. Plenty of spare bedrooms for you and the girls. It wasn’t even somethin’ I had to tell her we needed. It was something she already knew. Carly’s aware of how important y’all are to me. You know that by the random gift she sent to the twins without ever meetin’ ‘em.”
My big brother can’t deny his building smile. “This place is so peaceful now that they each have their own damn dollhouse.”
“And repurposing their old one to be an accessory closet was brilliant by the way.”
It’s not just regular homes I’m good with….
“They can go for hours without fightin’.” Cody’s grin becomes playful. “Do you have any idea the increase in mid mornin’ sex we’ve seen?”
We engage in a small juvenile chuckle before I continue.
“Look, I know you’re jus’ tryin’ to be a good brother. Watchin’ out for me and all of that, but I need you to get how much she really means to me, Cody. What you saw on vacation doesn’t even scratch the surface of how much I love her. How important she is to me.”
Important enough to walk away from my parents if I have to….They aren’t aware of more than her name and the fact she’s from a big city out of the state. I told momma I didn’t wanna talk about her. I jus’ wanted ‘em to meet her. Give her a chance without pre-conceived notions. Needless to say, that dinner ended earlier and it took a couple days to hear from her. I’m not sure where the bigger issue is gonna be when Carly meets them in a couple of weeks. I’m prayin’ like hell it’s with her wantin’ to whisk me away to her city and not the
color of her skin. I’m hopin’ they can get past that, or at the very least, keep their prejudice tucked away long enough to see what an incredible person she is.
The oven timer buzzes causing Lynette to announce, “Dinner’s ready.”
I give my brother a teasing smile. “Am I still invited to stay or should I go and grab a burger on the ride home?”
His wife beats him to the answer, “You’re staying. Cody can pout all he wants, but I’m the one who does the cooking, so I get the final say.” She stands up and states, “I’m going to go get dinner set up. Will you two grab the girls?”
We nod in unison.
She saunters away and his sad stare falls to me. “Can you jus’ hold off on packin’ up all your shit until she’s had a chance to experience life with us? Maybe once she meets her future nieces in person and her sister-in-law, and our parents, she’ll want to live out here.”
Doubtful. At least about our parents.
“No final decisions will be made ‘til after she meets everyone. Swear.”
“Alright then.” Cody nods slowly. “You know whatever you two do end up decidin’ on, I’ll support ya. I just want you to be happy, Dusty. Everyone deserves to be with someone who makes them happy.”
And she does. She makes me so damn happy it almost hurts to think about how there are other people in this world who go their whole damn lives never knowin’ how this feels. This visit is to help her see all I would be givin’ up, that I’m willin’ to give up, but it’s also a chance for the other important people in my life to understand why I’m willin’ to. A chance to witness the happiness we truly share firsthand. This visit will be life changin’…for all of us.
Chapter Eleven
Carly
Dustin places his hands on my hips to keep me steady. “You got this, baby! Pull!”
I give my fishing rod what I hope will be the very last yank. Thankfully, the resistance is gone and I’m able to reel in the wiggling creature. Squeals of joy pour out of my mouth as the squirming creature quickly approaches.
“Oh my gosh! I did it! I did it! I caught a catfish!”
“Bass,” Cody and Dusty correct in tandem.
So I don’t know the damn difference still. Seems like a minor point in comparison to the fact I just caught one.
It continues to flop around on the line causing me to tense away.
Dusty chuckles, but doesn’t offer to help. “Lynette, can you take her picture before we toss the little guy back?”
“We’re throwing it back?” I question in complete shock. “All that hard work for me to just throw it back!?”
Cody snickers at my expense and reaches for his beer. “That thing isn’t big enough to keep for a pet. Damn sure isn’t big enough to eat.”
Lynette swats at his shoulder. “How about a little more praise? The woman just caught her first fish.”
A wide smile creeps onto my face and Lynette takes the opportunity to snap a picture. My expression oscillates between girlish cringes and full teeth smiles while Dusty continuously laughs.
When she’s finally done, he takes it off the hook for me and throws it back.
I adjust the camo hat I borrowed from him and his beaming grows a bit darker.
“You look damn sexy in my hat….”
Flirtatiously, I counter, “More or less sexy than I do in your shirt?”
He doesn’t even attempt to hide his groan. “Fuck, can we combine the two?”
“We can when we get home later….”
Dusty growls again. “Damn it, baby. I don’t know what’s sexier. The image you put in my head or hearin’ you call my place home.”
The three-bedroom house is more spacious than it appeared during our chats; however, the tacky tans and browns are more atrocious up close. Despite this being my first visit to it, the entire place instantly felt like home. Like I had been away on a decade-long business trip and was finally being allowed to return to where it is I belonged. Everything from the worn in couches to the old wooden kitchen table has a warm, welcoming feel to it. It’s honestly something my childhood home always lacked. It’s something I can’t wait to have daily.
With a crooked smile, I make my way over to the cooler. “You want a beer, Dusty?”
“Love one, baby.”
“Your parents never took you fishin’ growin’ up, but what about campin’?” Cody questions at the same time he turns to face me.
“Nope.” I snatch a can and immediately toss it to my boyfriend. “Our vacations were typically to other cities. They took us to Washington D.C. to see the Washington Monument and The Library of Congress. We went to see The Bean Sculpture in Chicago….”
Cody shakes his head. “Never took y’all campin’ but took you all the way to Chicago to see a statue.”
“Her mom works for an art gallery, so believe it or not that shit actually makes sense,” Dusty defends.
The sound of leaves crinkling catches my attention. I glance to the left just in time to see Lacey get tagged by Lyndsey.
A sweet smile creeps onto my face. “We never did that type of stuff when we were kids either.”
“What? Run around outside?” Cody’s confusion makes me hesitant to nod.
My gaze lands back on the group. “Nope. We were more of an indoor family. I spent a lot of time playing with my Barbies…though, now that I think about it, I should’ve known then that my brother was gay. He was always better at doing their hair than me.”
Lynette snickers and slides down beside Cody. “So you’ve got a brother.”
“Art,” I answer, heading back to sit beside Dusty.
Cody’s expression becomes skeptical. “Is that his name? Like his actual name? Not a nickname?”
“He was named after Art Tatum, a famous jazz musician.”
Dusty snakes his arm around my waist. “It’s great music.”
“Art’s a huge fan of jazz, so he plays his namesake frequently.”
“He played it while he made us dinner when I was in town,” my boyfriend adds with a halfhearted smile.
After I silently cried on the drive over to his apartment about how terrible my parents treated Dusty. I’m not sure what to expect meeting his parents tomorrow, but they can’t be any worse than mine. Can they?
“We’ll have to look it up,” Lynette says warmly. “Introduce the girls to their future uncle’s favorite type of music.”
Cody nods in agreement. “They’ll probably love that. You know how they are when it comes to any kinda music.”
Lynette leans against her husband. “Strangely enough, they don’t even need music to dance. They just dance for the sake of dancing. Hell, they love it so much they have a dance party with their dolls at least once a day.”
“That’s adorable!”
“Yeah….” Her smile brightens. “We’ve been talking about enrolling them in a dance class this fall.”
“Aw,” I coo. “They would be so cute in little dance outfits!”
“Right!” Lynette exclaims. “And in their little tutus at recitals. It would be precious.”
“And expensive,” Cody grumbles before putting his lips to his beer.
“That’s just life with women,” his wife playfully brushes off.
He smirks and wiggles his eyebrows in agreement.
Initially, I snicker, but the humor quickly fades.
If Dusty moves to live in a house in Middlebrook, we would miss those recitals. Sure, we might get videos or pictures, but it wouldn’t be the same as being here. Seeing it all live. Hugging them after the show and going to dinner to celebrate. That’s just one of many family moments we would miss. I may not be from a well-functioning or extremely loving family, but he clearly is. I can’t just rip him away from this….Isn’t making memories more important than money, anyway?
All of a sudden the twins pop out from the behind the trees.
Cody fakes being scared, which sends them into a fit of giggles.
They crawl all over their paren
ts for a few moments, and I can’t help the happy sigh that falls from my lips.
“Someday soon, I want our own,” Dusty quietly states in my ear.
My answer lacks vacillation. “Me too.”
“We wanna listen to music,” Lacey pleads loudly.
“Please!” Lyndsey backs. “Please! Please! Please!”
“We wanna dance!”
“See,” Cody chortles. “Always with the dancin’.”
I offer him a hopeful smile. “Maybe they’ll grow up to be famous dancers.”
He shrugs. “Don’t care what they grow up to be as long as they’re happy and healthy and know that we support them.”
The end of his sentence seems directed towards his brother.
Dusty nods his agreement.
Unsure of what’s going on, but getting the feeling I’m interrupting, I place my beer down and hop to my feet. “Can I dance with you girls?”
“Yeah!” They scream in tandem as they come rushing towards me.
Each takes a hand and leads us to the designated dance party area. Lynette puts on a country mix, and I let the twins lead the show. They sing joyfully at the top of their lungs. They use their juice boxes like microphones. They dictate when it’s time to spin by themselves and when it’s time for me to twirl them. Eventually, everyone else joins the improvised stage, and we dance until we’re worn out. Afterwards, Lynette and I leave the guys to fish by themselves and take the girls on a walk. They do most of the chatting, asking me millions of questions about everything and anything they can think of. Funny enough the majority are about music. In between, Lynette and I manage to learn a couple of basic things about each other, like what one another does for a living and our not so secret love affairs with expensive lingerie.
Somehow on the trip back to our significant others, the girls decide they can’t walk another foot and need piggy back rides. Their adorable begging and pouty faces make it impossible to deny them.
