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  Please, Mr. Rattenbury, make this go away soon. I don't want to lose any of my sons.

  Chapter 10 – Caleb & Olivia

  Caleb stepped onto the second-floor platform as he came off the back staircase, rounding the corner toward the bedroom. He stopped in the hall and watched Jake from a distance, his body leaning against the doorjamb.

  The master bedroom was their private oasis. Merging their sometimes-differing styles, as Jake was prone to pop culture and modern art while Caleb preferred more traditional styles, was easy for once. They both wanted the room to have a natural transition from the outdoors but also appear comfortable and cozy. Nestled in the corner, a Cherrywood mantle they'd built themselves adorned the bluestone fireplace.

  Jake lifted the suitcase onto the chest and shut the zipper looking around to verify he packed everything. His eyes met Caleb's at the doorway. “I didn't hear you come up. How long have you been standing inside?”

  “Just a minute. I enjoy watching when you don't know that I am. That's when I capture your innocence.” Caleb flirted with his eyes before kicking off his running shoes.

  “I'm always innocent. You're the one with the guilty conscience,” Jake said. “I'm packed.”

  Caleb thought back to the day Jake moved into the house. Jake had taken extra care not to disrupt anything or leave boxes in the open. Caleb soon realized Jake didn't acknowledge the house as his own. As the weeks passed, Caleb removed his older pictures from the wall and donated furniture he'd considered ready to replace, even though it was only a few year's old, symbolic of their lives joining as one. Once Jake noticed Caleb had cleared the place for him to decide together the style of their shared home, he relaxed and welcomed every minute of it.

  “You look good, but you'd look even better if you took off those clothes,” Caleb replied.

  “Exactly what I had in mind.”

  When Olivia crossed the Maine border, the trees stood taller, and the setting sun drenched the limitless sky with a beautiful blue and purple hue. The reflection off the coastal sea and the sweeping views and massive cliffs in the western backdrop encouraged a sense of serenity around her, especially the clean fresh air as it blossomed in her nose.

  Olivia adjusted the silver band on her left wrist and glanced at the time on the glass faceplate. Too many people relied on cell phones to track time, and they ignored the need to wear a watch these days. For Olivia, the watch you wore revealed a bold statement. If you selected large and showy, you were an attention seeker. If you chose a digital timepiece, you had no respect for history. If you didn't wear a watch, you weren't detail oriented. Olivia's timepiece, a 1940's Waltham silver and diamond antique watch, was a gift from her grandmother on her eighteenth birthday. Today, she wore it around her wrist as a badge of courage to give her the confidence she needed in seeing Caleb for the first time in his own home.

  She wasn't due to arrive at his place for a few more hours, but Victor hadn't encountered any traffic, putting her just a few minutes away. She planned to surprise Caleb by arriving early to take him out to dinner. Victor exited the highway and turned onto the final one-lane road leading to Caleb's house.

  The muscles in Caleb's throat contracted restricting his air flow. “Are you sure you don't mind staying at the hotel while my mom visits? I know we agreed it best if I spent a few days on my own to check if it was the right time to tell her about you, but you own this place, too.”

  Jake said, “I know. And we decided together. I won't be far away, so if you choose to tell her, I can run right over and do a song and dance for my entrance.”

  “Please don't.”

  “What do you think? A little Britney? Gaga? Maybe I'll go old school and pull out some Barbra?”

  Caleb ambled toward the bed and threw a square burgundy pillow at Jake. As Jake tried to block it, Caleb tackled him, and they fell on the shag rug. “You will not do a song and dance for my mother.”

  Jake moved his lips toward Caleb's and whispered. “I won't do a song and dance, but I am going to do something else before I leave.” He unfastened Caleb's brown and blue plaid button-down shirt, unhooked his belt, and pressed his mouth against Caleb's pulsing neck.

  Caleb moaned, curling his toes at the touch of Jake's fingers, and let him continue on his path. “Open for business, sailor.”

  As the car traversed the long driveway, the enormous green balsam fir trees leading up to Caleb's house reminded Olivia of the holidays. Ben always ensured they had a twelve-foot Christmas tree in the hallway foyer, as it was her favorite season. Victor parked the car and helped Olivia with her bags. As he lifted out the last piece, Olivia summoned pride and comfort over the massive house standing before her. Caleb had built his dream home, the one he talked about as a teenager every day and night. Its brilliance as picturesque as any painting she'd ever seen, still carrying his signature look of ornate beauty and natural elegance.

  She stepped to the open porch handing Victor a generous tip. “You don't need to stay. Caleb expects me and that's his Jeep.” She pointed to the side of the barn.

  “You gonna be okay, Mrs. G? You were awfully quiet the last leg of the drive.”

  “Yes, I'm just remembering Ben. He would have wanted to visit with me. I'll call you if I need anything else before the end of the week. Thank you, Victor.”

  Victor shut the trunk and started the engine. “Be good, Mrs. G. I'm glad you took the trip up here. Mr. G. would have loved this part of the country.”

  As he drove away, Olivia inhaled with a deep breath, pulled the red sweater closer to her body and sensed an intoxicating burnt hickory smell reminding her of childhood campfires.

  Jake twisted his arm out from under Caleb's back and stood at the edge of the bed. “I better go shower before I head to the hotel. I should get your scent off me, you know.”

  As Jake walked to the bathroom, Caleb shifted toward the fireplace, grabbed the poker, and pushed another piece of hickory in the hearth. “I'll pour a couple of glasses of Malbec before you leave. It's the one we bought at the Mendoza Vineyard with those locals who thought we were from Australia.”

  Jake winked at him. “We've already been down-under twice today, Mr. Jackman. Even I could use time to refuel.”

  Caleb ignored Jake's banter and awful Australian accent. He grabbed a pair of sweats from the bottom drawer tossing on a t-shirt and light jacket before heading toward the staircase. Their bedroom sat on the second floor, but the kitchen and wine room were on the first.

  Olivia took one last breath and pressed her chilled hands on the iron knocker of the wooden door before her. She pulled back, surprised at its heavy weight, and pushed forward with her entire body against the last restriction that kept her from reconnecting with Caleb.

  As the thunderous sound echoed behind the house's exterior walls, anticipation over the visit filled her mind. Caleb didn't tell her not to come, but he hadn't appeared too thrilled with her request to spend a week together in his remote Maine home. It was time to talk to him about finding a wife and settling down. She'd force him to understand why it was necessary.

  Jake rinsed his hair one last time and rotated the copper knobs stopping the pulsing rainfall above his head. As he grabbed a towel, the boom of the front door knocker echoed in the house. Drying off his body, he shouted to Caleb. “Is someone at the front door?” He tied the towel around his waist, swatted at the steam near his eyes, opened the bathroom door, and headed to the hallway.

  Caleb had finished pouring the second glass of wine when he heard both the front door and Jake's voice. “Yes, someone's here, probably a delivery. I'll check.” He put the bottle of Malbec on the counter and took a sip of the wine.

  Passing the dining room, Caleb took a right into the main hall and placed the wine goblet on the antique Edwardian console table by the stairs. Jake descended the stairs in only his bath towel, pausing when Caleb appeared closer to the door.

  “You're dripping on the floor.” Caleb smirked at Jake.

  Jake
smiled while he bent over scanning the front window to see who stood at the door. “I can take the towel off to dry the floor if Mr. Blackwell doesn't approve of my outfit.”

  “No. I need to answer the door. Go put clothes on.”

  “I dress for the image. Not for myself, not for the public, not for fashion, not for me.”

  Caleb squinted at him. “Explain.”

  “Marlene Dietrich. A bit of a dominatrix.”

  “Maybe no lessons right now. You'll tempt the delivery boy.” Caleb grinned at Jake, swung open the door and looked out, first noticing the black suitcase on the steps followed by a red blur flash by him. His eyes moved upward to his mother's excited grin and red crocheted maxi cardigan flowing in the wind. His right arm stiffened, his teeth sliced across his tongue, and all clarity disappeared from his head.

  Jake pressed down another step. “Babe, who's here?”

  Olivia looked first in Caleb's direction. “I'm early, no traffic…” Her eyes darted from Caleb to Jake, who stood a few feet behind her son, stunned when his towel hit the floor, exposing his naked body.

  “Oh Lord,” Olivia gasped.

  “Put something on, Jake.” A mix of embarrassment and humor carried Caleb's voice. He attempted to block his mother's view of Jake.

  Jake stepped forward to reach for the towel, suddenly losing his grip on the handrail, his feet reaching the drops of water falling from his skin. Within seconds, his legs gave way and his body slipped on the final step sending him a few feet forward landing in front of the Welcome rug where Olivia stood. When he came to a full stop, with his naked body sprawled across the foyer and his legs spread wide apart, Jake closed his eyes and tried to hide the faint glimmer of a smile.

  Olivia tried to turn away, but her eyes locked in on the metal bars piercing Jake's nipples, and when she lowered her head to avoid staring, they landed on his waist. “Penis. Cover your, oh, what on God's green earth is going on,” she stuttered. “That must hurt… are you okay?” She bent further down and pulled straight up, her head whacking into Caleb's face on the return.

  Caleb, shaken from the blow, couldn't find the towel and decided to rip off his own jacket, throwing it on top of Jake to cover his critical parts. All he could do was mumble something unintelligible and shield his mother's eyes.

  Jake said, “I'm not hurt. But I could use a hand.”

  As Caleb leaned toward him, Olivia caught sight of a red bite mark on her son's upper neck, unsure what just occurred. She glanced back at Jake, threw her hands to her eyes, and backed out the door. “Who is this? What kind of…”

  “Mom, where are you going?”

  “I'm early. I should… called. Let me… a quick walk. You probably… a minute.” Olivia's voice faltered as she wandered the wood-chipped driveway in no obvious direction.

  Caleb's skin flushed tomato red, his body full of rising heat and sheer embarrassment. He couldn't summon his voice and couldn't decide whether to run after his mother or check on Jake. “I, she… you…”

  “Quit acting like a southern republican conservative belle and help me up, Miss Bankhead.” Jake's voice pleaded with Caleb as he attempted to hold back his laughter. “Well, at least she knows you're gay. Check one box off the list. Should we consider her knowing I've got several body piercings, and her son gets turned on when I bite his neck as the extra special bonus news? Just wait until she finds out you're the…”

  “I've had enough of you. Let me go find my mother and fix this. I love you but go next door please!”

  Jake's sheepish grin turned devilish.

  It melted Caleb's heart as he jogged the wood-chip pathway to remedy the situation. He ran back for a quick kiss before searching for his mother.

  * * *

  After an awkward introduction between Jake and his mother, Caleb sent Jake upstairs to dress. Not the best way to present your mother to the man her gay son lived with. Whether fear or embarrassment drove the exodus, the incident sent Jake running to the hotel sooner than planned. He exited out the back door and left a note for Caleb to call him later that evening, apologizing and laughing in unison over the entire situation.

  An hour later, Caleb and Olivia sat across from one another at a local Italian eatery near the base of the mountain range. A Canadian transplant had purchased the old mayor's home and asked Caleb to convert it into an after-hours bar and club with a Tuscan theme, complete with live vines bearing dainty white flowers that meandered the walls and crawled through the ceiling rafters. Caleb's pride in his work shined, as he wanted to show something to his mother he'd designed.

  Olivia's silence hovered around the corner table in the restaurant when they sat. Caleb insisted on having the conversation with his mother in public, as he knew she'd restrain her emotions and practice civility. He didn't want to have an argument in his home, especially given he'd managed to keep it private for the last few years.

  Olivia spoke first, as she unfolded the cloth napkin in her lap. Her lips puckered as if she'd tasted too much lemon in her water glass. “Architectural Digest should feature this place and your house, Caleb. You have an incredible talent, and I'm proud to be your mother.”

  Caleb responded in a cautious tone. “I'm glad to know it, Mom. It was an enormous amount of work, but I didn't do it alone.”

  “Does Jake live with you?” Olivia hesitated with each word stumbling to determine exactly how to ask the question.

  Caleb had decided earlier to be honest with her, given what she witnessed when walking into his house. “Yes, Jake lives with me. How much do you want to know?”

  “You're my son, Caleb. I love you no matter what you choose to do with your life. I won't say I understand it or I'm happy about it. It can't be easy living an abnormal life. It's not what I would want for you, but I do want to know more about your new life.” Olivia lingered as she chose each word, shifting the fork and knife further away from the edge of the ruffled placemat, then swallowed a heavy gulp of the peppery red wine.

  “My life is fantastic, Mom. Jake and I have been together five years. He's a school teacher. We live a pretty quiet life up here.” Caleb planned no response to her comment about leading an abnormal life due to being gay. “Not much different than you and Dad.”

  “I wish you hadn't kept this hidden from me for so long. Have you always been…?” Astonishment percolated over his comparison of their relationships so close to his father's death.

  “Yes.”

  “Is that why you never come home anymore?”

  “Yes.”

  “Did you expect your father and I would reject you?”

  “Maybe.”

  Olivia ground her teeth with increasing pressure. “Don't answer me with one-word responses. Talk to me, Caleb. I'm your mother.”

  Caleb noticed the couple at the next table perked up when his mother raised her voice.

  “Mom, please don't cause a scene. I'm not sure how to respond or how to handle this situation. I didn't expect you to find out this way. I wanted to tell you when I thought you were ready to hear the truth.”

  “When you thought I was ready to hear the truth? What's with the men in this family? I wish you hadn't kept such an important secret from your father and me. I'm starting to hate secrets.” Her spoon dropped off the side of the table on the floor.

  The waiter wandered over with a rapid focus and brought her a new one. Caleb smiled and waved him away before he interrupted the conversation with his mother. Once it started, Caleb needed to finish it.

  He adjusted his posture, setting his back square against the stiff chair. “Selfishness triumphs again for my mother. Don't forget this was my story to tell, and I never felt comfortable. I wish I had an opportunity to tell Dad, but I'm gonna accept I'll never know how he felt.” Caleb's heart beat faster as he paused to catch his breath. “Mom, what happened with those letters from Dad that Mr. Rattenbury gave you?”

  The dreaded question. Olivia's jaw clenched tighter. “I still have them. I haven't opened the secon
d one. Your father wanted me to share it with you boys in a few weeks.”

  Caleb's foot tapped against the table. “Did he say anything in the first letter…”

  “About you or this?” Olivia jumped in before he had a chance to say it aloud. “No, Caleb. Your father didn't know you were…”

  “Gay? I'm glad you aren't telling me it's just a phase. How would he have reacted?” Caleb would give anything to find out since his secrets had been divulged.

  “I don't know. Let's talk about something else for a little while. Surely, I need time to consider everything. I simply wasn't expecting this… to learn you're… Not that it's wrong. Just, I didn't know, and I'm… I am only still thinking how much I miss your father.”

  Caleb recognized the tone. When his mother became frustrated, sometimes disappointed, she'd emphasize words differently… surely… simply… just…only still… as if she needed to defend every phrase with some extra word to later provide an escape clause. It would be better to ask again in a few days, when she'd hold an open mind and embrace a conciliatory attitude.

  He suggested lasagna, and when she agreed, he signaled to the waiter who watched them the entire time he and his mother sparred, constantly checking on the table. They spent the rest of dinner talking about Maine and his job, avoiding any discussion related to her seeing Jake naked or the fact her son was out of the closet.

  When she left for the restroom, he read the messages on his phone.

  Jake: How's Mommie Dearest? Ask her what she thought of me. But don't ask her to eat the cookie, Mother.

  Caleb: I know that one. Joan Crawford.

  Jake: Half right, my Padawan. Someday…

  * * *

  After a few days, Caleb remained uncertain if he should tell Jake to come back home. They'd chat each night from separate beds in separate places rationalizing the pros and cons. They settled on mostly cons, given she still hadn't been able to talk about the whole situation. She asked once where Jake had gone and expressed concern when Caleb told her he stayed at a hotel. Caleb took her on a few tours of the local sights, showed her the plans he drafted for remodeling the barn, and chatted about his brothers.