Chapter 27

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Jack and Sam waited in the foyer while the housekeeper went to go fetch the Owens'. He took a moment to survey the house, to try and get a sense of who the Owens' were. The house was expensive, impeccably decorated and impossibly perfect. Jack wondered if Jeremy felt that he could never be the perfect son for the perfect life his parents had planned out for him.

Jack turned and looked at Sam who seemed preoccupied and staring off into space. She was quiet most of the ride up and he had to force himself to not ask what was troubling her. If it was something about her and Martin he'd just as soon not know. While he knew that he and Sam were still friends the last thing he wanted to be was someone she could cry to about Martin. That would hurt too much.

He heard footsteps heading their way and turned to find Owen Sr. and Susan walking towards them with concerned expressions on their faces.

"Have you heard anything?" Susan asked in a distressed voice.

"No, I'm sorry." Jack said while shaking his head. "I'd like to ask you some follow-up questions about Jeremy."

Jack noticed that the Owens' eyed him and Sam nervously before finally nodding their heads and heading into the sitting room. They took a seat on the sofa, Sam sat down on the chair but he decided to remain standing.

"Mr. Owen, how would you describe your relationship to Jeremy?" Jack asked in a noncommittal tone.

"I'm his father. That's my relationship."

"I mean, are the two of your close? Would he confide in you?"

"I don't understand what you are getting at."

Jack saw that they were not about to divulge any potentially scandalous information on their own so he decided to just lay all his cards on the table. "Did either of you know that your son, Jeremy, is gay?"

Jack saw Susan's eyes dart from him to her husband. Owen Sr. met Susan's eyes and gently reached out to hold her hand. He turned and looked back over at Jack. "Yes, we know."

"How did you find out?" Sam softly asked.

This time it was Susan who spoke up, "He told us the morning he disappeared."

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Owen Sr. and Susan are standing at one end of the kitchen while Jeremy stood across from them behind the counter.

"What do you mean you're gay?" Owen Sr. demanded.

"Exactly what I said, I'm gay dad. I'm sorry, I know you are disappointed but I am tired of pretending to be someone I'm not." Jeremy's voice cracking as he spoke.

Susan didn't say a word, she just leaned back against the sink and sobbed. Owen Sr. paced the kitchen thinking.

"No." Owen Sr. finally said.

"What do you mean 'No'?" Jeremy asked.

"No, you can't be gay. Stop it. No son of mine is going to be some freak queer. Do you have any idea what this does to our plans? Fags don't play in the NFL!" Owen Sr. shouted with a voice filled with rage. "You're going to throw everything we worked for away? What about all our plans?"

"Those are your plans – not mine." Jeremy replied defensively.

"You are throwing your entire life down the drain for a life of ridicule!" Owen Sr. shouted.

"It's my life!"

"Not yet it isn't. Not as long as you live under my roof and use my money you will do as I say. And I say you forget this foolishness and go to school!" Owen Sr. threw his coffee mug on the floor causing it to shatter and stormed out of the room.

"Mom…" Jeremy began but Susan just kept crying as she knelt down to pick up the broken mug pieces. "Mom, look at me." Susan continued cleaning up and did not once look up, even when Jeremy left the room.

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Jack nodded his head annoyed, "It would have been helpful if you had told us that from the beginning."

"Why would I want anyone to know that about my son?" Owen Sr. argued. "To have people know that my only son would choose that kind of life over the one he has."

Jack softly said, "I'm sure Jeremy would tell you that it's not a choice. It's just who he is."

Owen Sr. looked up at Sam and Jack with sad eyes and nodded.