Chapter 89
Leah
I can’t breathe,
But I must.
These nerves are just me being stupid. Caleb is my husband, and I shouldn’t be this nervous about going out on a date- even if it’s been ages since we visited a restaurant without our three kids.
Danielle and Stina are coming over to watch the kids. They are authors like me. I got to know them through an online group, but they have been over a couple of times for drinks. They are not strangers. Caleb and I trust them, and Jessie seemed excited since Stina is writing a book series about magical girls for younger kids and promised to bring stickers of Jessie’s favorite characters.
So yeah, the kids will be okay. I’m the problem here, and if I dont calm down, I’m afraid the date will have to be spent inside a bathroom….
“What do you want me to do with your hair?” Ethan asks while puffing up my hair with his fingers a few times. His hobby is doing makeup and hair.
“Hmm” I spin back and forth on the chair placed in front of the mirror. “Maybe just cut it a little? My hair is a bit damaged from all the coloring.”
Ethan grimaces. “True, and I’m sorry about that. I promise not to experiment on your hair in the future.”
I breathe a laugh. “It’s okay, honey. I find it exciting when you experiment with my hair or try out your new makeup on me. I especially liked the Arcane nail polish you bought.”
“Really?” he wrinkles his nose while combing through my blonde–almost white from the sun–locks. “Me, myself, thought the colors were rather lackluster. There weren’t a lot of pigment in them.”
There’s a click when the door opens, and I look up to see Maddow walking inside the room. We have enough money to buy them separate bedrooms when we travel, but they like to share, I guess.
“Who are you texting?” Ethan asks his brother.
“None of your business…” Maddox doesn’t look up from his phone. He keeps tapping on it before sitting down on one of the beds with a heavy sigh.
1 slightly turn my head while Ethan puts some product in his palms to run through my hair. “Everything okay, sweetie?”
“Yes actually no…” Maddox finally lifts his eyes with an expression that’s totally unlike him.
He is the more quiet brother, and he is also rather popular since he plays football. But his sport hasn’t always been a blessing. In the past, we had a huge problem with Maddox bullying this kid, Benjamin, at school. Maddox said he did it because every other guy on the football team was calling Benjamin a nerd, but thankfully, he has matured since then and no longer falls for group pressure.
“You can talk to me, or is this something you can’t talk about in front of your brother?”
Ethan grins. “Oh, I already know what is making brother dearest frown.”
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Chapter 89
I inhale sharply. “Is this about Elsie? Did she break up?
“I broke up with her, actually,” Maddox runs a hand over his far sighing for what feels like the billionth time before deciding to look at me. “Mom, remember when you thought Ethan was into boys?”
I blush a little. “Yes, it was really stupid of me to assume that just because Ethan likes to do his makeup, weird girl colors and hang out with so many girls after school..
Ethan chuckles. “Apology accepted”
I smile at Ethan in the mirror before looking back at Maddox, who is currently biting his lower lip, hesitating “Well, while Ethan is into girls, I’m..not,” his eyes are vulnerable as he looks at me with furrowed eyebrows. “Will you and Dad still love me even if I don’t.”
He trails off, and 1 gasp. “Maddox, of course we will!”
I quickly get up from the chair, ignoring Ethan’s protests about my half–styled hair, and rush over to sit next to Maddox on the bed. I wrap my arms around him in a tight hug.
“Sweetie, we will always love you, no matter what. Your sexuality doesn’t change who you are or how much your father and I care about you,” I say, pulling back to look him in the eyes.
Maddox’s eyes are shiny with unshed tears, but he manages a small smile. “Thanks, Mom. I… I don’t know why I was so – scared to tell you.”
“Being afraid to open up isn’t weird. Fear is natural.”
Maddox smiles at that. Ethan is smiling, too, as he comes over to sit on Maddox’s other side, putting an arm around his twin’s shoulders. “I told you it would be fine, bro. Mom and Dad don’t care.”
I raise an eyebrow at Ethan. “You knew?”
He shrugs. “Yeah, Maddox told me a few weeks ago. I’ve been trying to convince him to talk to you guys.”
I feel a pang in my chest, wishing Maddox had felt comfortable coming to me or Caleb sooner, but I push it aside. What matters is that he’s telling us now.
“Does your father know yet?” I ask gently.
Maddox shakes his head. “No, I… I wasn’t sure how he’d react.
“Your father will be nothing but supportive. I can promise you that.”
Right when we are speaking about the ‘devil, there’s a knock on the door, and Caleb’s voice calls out, “Hey, is everyone decent in there? I need to borrow my wife for our date night”
Maddox tenses up, and I quickly give him a soft smile, hoping it will calm him. “Breathe, honey. You don’t have to say anything if you’re not ready.”
He gives me a weak smile. “No, L… I want to tell him. Can you stay with me?”
“Of course,” I say before raising my voice, “Caleb, could you come in? We need to talk.”
The door opens, and Caleb steps in, looking dashing in a shirt and a pair of jeans. His eyes widen as he takes in the scene before him–me with my half–styled hair, sitting between our two gigantic sons on the bed.
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Chapter 89
“Is this an intervention
I look at Maddox, silently asking if he wants me to start. He nodso I take a deep breath.
“Caleb, Maddox has something he wants to share with us. Something very important and personal,” I begin and take Maddox’s hand in mine, squeezing it. He squeezes it back before he looks up at his father.
“Dad, I. I’m gay.”
Silence falls, and I can tell Maddox’s anxiety is growing.
which is why I give Caleb a meaning look that says, “Ehem? You gonna snap out of it, or what?
Caleb immediately straightens up when he sees my expression and smiles. This chases away my own anxiety, especially when he walks over to the bed and kneels in front of Maddox, placing a hand on his son’s knee.
“Maddox,” Caleb says. “Thank you for telling me this. It couldn’t have been easy, and I want you to know that this changes nothing. I’m still proud to be your father. Who you like or love doesn’t change that.”
Tears that you rarely see on our son’s face well up in Maddox’s eyes, and then he lunges forward, wrapping his arms around Caleb in a tight hug. Thanks, Dad,” he mumbles into Caleb’s shoulder.
Caleb hugs him back. “Always, son. Always.”
Since I am a weakling who can’t even watch Disney movies without shedding tears, I feel my own eyes getting misty. Ethan catches my eye and grins, giving me a thumbs up.
After a moment, Caleb pulls back, keeping his hands on Maddox’s shoulders. “So, do you have a boyfriend? Or someone you like?”
Maddox blushes and shakes his head. “No, not yet. I just… I just figured it out recently. I’ve been dating this girl, but it wasn’t working out.”
“Elsie, right?” Caleb asks. “The popular girl:”
“Yeah.” Maddox sighs. “I thought I could force myself into liking girls if I dated the most popular one…”
Caleb’s expression softens. “Oh, buddy. You don’t have to pretend to be someone you’re not.”
I nod in agreement. “Your father’s right. Just be yourself.”
Maddox wipes at his eyes, a small smile forming. Thanks, Mom. Thanks, Dad. 1… I feel a lot better now.”
Ethan throws an arm around his twin’s shoulders. “See? I told you they’d be cool about it. Now, can we please finish Mom’s hair? She has a hot date to get ready for.”
We all laugh, the tension in the room dissipating. Caleb stands up, ruffling both boys hair. “Alright, you two. Hep your mother get ready. I’ll go check on Jessie and make sure everything’s set for when Danielle and Stina arrive.”
As Caleb leaves the room, I turn back to the mirror, letting Ethan resume working on my hair. But my mind is still on Maddox. “Honey, are you sure you’re okay? Do you want to talk more about this?”
Maddox shakes his head, a genuine smile on his face now. “No, Mom. Pm good. Really good, actually. I feel.. lighter.”
I reach out and squeeze his hand. “I’m so proud of you, Maddox And remember, you can always come to us about anything.
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Chapter 89
okay?”
“I know,” he grins mischievously after saying that “Now go enjoy your date with Dad. Maybe you two can finally give little sister we’ve been asking for.”
1 gasp
sp in mock outrage while Ethan makes exaggerated gagging noises. “Maddox! That is not an appropriate thing to say to your mother!”
But I’m laughing as I say it, and soon, we’re all giggling together As Ethan puts the finishing touches on my hair. I sit on the chair and smile like a fool. My family is a wild one. Something always happens underneath our roof, but I love it and wouldn’t trade this life for another.
I just hope Caleb doesn’t find it boring once the kids move out and they are no longer there to fulfill our days. I’m actually worried that he is going to think our date tonight is boring, too. But that’s silly..right?
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