Jake Hart sat on his bed reading a car magazine when he heard his mother call him down to dinner. The brunette eighteen year old stared into space for a moment as he prepared himself to sit through another uncomfortable meal. The large Texan home was surprisingly quiet, throughout the years the home was filled with noises but once his eldest sister Cheyenne, brother in law Van and niece Elizabeth moved out the house became a quiet shell. His other sister Kyra was on tour around the nation with her rock band and happily engaged to their drummer Stitch. Despite his supportive and happy family Jake felt he just couldn't find his place in the group or anywhere else for that matter. When he was younger he was just the baby, a cute distraction for his mother when her heart was breaking but as he aged the rest of the family had bigger problems that didn't have room for Jake. He found solace for the loneliness in after school activities and the stories he created but kept hidden from the world. His relationship with the family was good but over the years he put his two cents in less and less, on the verge of leaving home Jake rarely opened up other then a few snarky comments or a few deep thoughts when his mother begged for him to speak with her.
"Jake get a move on!" Jakes mother called out
Letting out a sigh the teen headed down the stairs to the kitchen where his mother placed a hot plate of chicken fried steak on the table.
"There you are honey." Reba Hart said seeing her son saunter into the kitchen
"Hey" Jake said in his usual soft tone
"I made chicken fried steak I know how its your favorite."
"Thanks mom. It smells real good."
"Thank you sweetie."
"What's the occasion?"
"No occasion."
"Ok what favor do you need to ask?"
"I am not going to ask you a favor."
"Mom you made me my favorite meal and it's not my birthday. Also you are being so nice it scares me." Jake said with a half smile as the two sat down for their meal
"Can't a mother and son just have a nice meal together."? Reba said nervously
"Mom."
"What?"
"What's going on?"
"Nothing."
"Fine…wait there are three other plates."
"Yeah well.." Reba's words were cut off when Jakes dad Brock, his wife Barbra Jean and their son Henry came through the kitchen door.
"Hey guys sorry we're late. Somebody felt the need to reorganize the entire fridge right before we left." Brock said glaring over to his wife
"What?" Barbra Jean said timidly "I can't have the red sauce so close to the ranch, I mean that's just silly."
"Wait what are you guys doing over here its not Friday night?" Jake asked noticing the nervous smiles on his loved ones faces with the exception of Henry who was lost into his video game. Without answering the question the three sat down to the kitchen table and began to dig into the home cooked meal. After about fifteen minutes of awkward silence and a few blatant stares at Jake the silence became unbearable.
"Did you use new potatoes Reba?" Brock asked nervously
"Uh no but I did use a bit more pepper." Reba responded nervously
"You know I always feel the need for more pepper in my life." Barbra Jean chirped in
"Yeah my memaw always used to say that pepper…Jake are you gay?" Reba sputtered out
"What!?" Jake asked almost chocking on his chicken
"I said my memaw always used to say that pepper Jake are you gay?"
"What…no…why would you even ask that?" Jake exclaimed
"It's just that we barely talk Jakey, you always lock yourself away and you never bring a girl around so I just wondered."
"Oh my god mom!"
"Because you don't have to lie to me honey! I will love you no matter what."
"Yeah Jake we all will. I always wanted a hairdresser for a step son." Barbra Jean said quickly
"What?" The table asked in unison looking over to the panicked blond
"I'm just trying to make him feel better" Barbra Jean said holding up her hands
"Thanks honey." Brock said patting his wife's arm "But stop."
"Guys I'm not gay!" Jake said sternly
"Oh thank god!" Brock exclaimed but quickly added "but I love you no matter what bud." When seeing Reba's glare
"Told y'all" Henry said bordely as he stared down at his plate
"I'm sorry honey it's just I know nothing about you. I don't know anything about what is going on in your life and that just aint right!" Reba said as she began to tear up
Nothing broke Jakes heart then seeing his mother cry, immediately he began to ease up "I'm sorry mom. What do you want to know?"
"Well how about how is school going? What friends do you have? Are you ok?" Reba whimpered wiping tears from her eyes
"School is good, I was offered an internship for the summer." Jake said matter of factly
"That's wonderful! Where?" Brock asked happily
"At the local mental institution. I'm one of the most promising kids in psychology apparently so I could work there during the summer. I mainly just observe the patients but if I also agree to join their cleaning crew they will be willing to pay."
"That is wonderful." Barbra Jean beamed
"Yeah I guess one of the perks being the Valedictorian." Jake said blushing slightly
"Oh honey I am so proud of you." Reba exclaimed running around the table and crushing her son into a hug
"Mom I can't breathe." Jake muffled in his mother's embrace
" Our little boy is growing up!" Barbra Jean exclaim a she threw her arms around the red head and brunette
Brock and Henry shared an eye roll as they watched Reba and Jake be smothered by an overly excited six-foot blonde