“I know. Dad says I’m going to be tall like him.” He looks at me and squints, then looks back at Ashley. “Is that your girlfriend? Mom said you’re bringing your girlfriend home and that I shouldn’t say anything about it. She said it’s okay for girls to be girlfriend and girlfriend and boys to be boyfriend and boyfriend. I think it’s okay since Mom said it’s okay. Is that her? Is she your girlfriend?”
I can’t help but laugh. I like Kenny’s lack of filter. It actually eases the tension that had made my legs feel like steel rods bolted to the ground. Ashley looks at me and smiles, shrugs, then mouths, Sorry. I let her know it’s okay by answering him.
“Yes, I’m Delilah. I’ve heard a lot about you.” I haven’t really, but I know he’ll like hearing that.
“You have? Did Ashley tell you that I can run faster than her? And that I can whip her butt in any video game on the planet?” He walks between me and Ash as we go inside.
“Hey, buddy, why don’t you help me with these bags?” Bolton looks over his shoulder and smiles.
Ash mouths, Thank you, as Kenny sprints toward him.
“You okay?” she asks me quietly.
“Yeah. He’s great. They both are, Bolton and Kenny.”
“Really?” She wrinkles her brow. “Thank you. I adore them both, but I know Kenny’s a little much for most people. If he wears you out, just let me know and I’ll distract him.”
“He’s fine. Really. He actually makes it less stressful for me, and Bolton? How could you not have told me about him? He seems like a really good friend.”
“He is. We spent lots of time together growing up, but since we left for college, we only see each other a few times a year. Sometimes we text or call, but not much.”
“Well, you should definitely keep in touch with him. He seems really nice.”
She tilts her head and smiles again, then touches my fingers with two of her own. “Thank you, Dee. I stopped reaching out because Sandy felt threatened by him. I’m glad to know that you don’t mind.”
“Threatened? By him?” Then I remember that Sandy was seeing a guy. “Oh, right. She liked guys so she thought you might as well?”
“Something like that.”
“Well, if we can be friends with Janessa, why not with Bolton? I like that he didn’t bat an eye when you said I was your girlfriend.” I lean in close and whisper, “Which I loved hearing, by the way, even though I was embarrassed at first.”
“I didn’t mean to embarrass you. My family knows, as Kenny so eloquently revealed. Let’s go inside. My mom is dying to meet you.” She releases my fingers. I want so much to hold them again, but I know I’d drop them the minute we see her family.
Ashley’s parents live in a split-foyer home. Bolton is still holding the door open for us as we climb the steps.
He’s smiling and watching me pretty intently. When I walk past him, he leans in close and whispers, “If you need an escape, just scratch your nose.”
I laugh, but I secretly worry about why I might need an escape.
Kenny is dragging Ashley’s bag downstairs. Bolton’s still holding mine as he closes the door behind us. The house smells like Thanksgiving, warm and foody, even though it’s only August. We’re standing in the foyer. To our right are two sets of stairs, one that leads up and one that leads down. I can hear a television playing downstairs. I’m not used to split-levels. Our house in Connecticut is a Colonial with tall ceilings and a center staircase. This is much cozier.
“Is that my baby girl?” Ashley’s mother comes out of the kitchen to our left and folds Ashley into her arms.
“Hi, Mom.” Ashley rolls her eyes over her mother’s shoulder, but her smile says she loves the attention.
I get a pang of longing deep in my chest. It’s been months since I hugged my mother, and I’ll never be able to hug her again. I’ve been so entrenched in battling the look my parents gave me when I came out to them that I’ve stopped seeing the warmer looks, stopped feeling the love they doled out so readily. How could I have pushed that aside?
Ashley’s mother steps back and holds Ash’s shoulders. Her hair is the same dirty blond as Ashley’s, her eyes the same warm brown as she assesses her daughter. When she smiles, it’s easy to see what Ashley will look like when she’s older. “Are you eating enough? You look thin.”
Do all moms worry about that? My mom said something similar when she first saw me on graduation day.
“Mom.” Ashley’s voice is thick with annoyance, but it’s contradicted by her smile.