Connor woke to Jude shaking his shoulder. Connor sat up, hearing the high pitched bleep of the alarm clock. He rolled closer to his side of the bed and slammed his hand on the off button. He sat up, feeling stiff and terrible. He glanced over at Jude, who was flopping his hand around.
"You put it to sleep," Jude said.
"Sorry," Connor said. He picked up Jude's hand and kissed the knuckles.
"Stop, it stings."
"Sorry," Connor repeated. "I'll go get Mikey. You start breakfast."
Jude nodded and they split their separate ways as they usually did. Jude headed down the stairs, still wringing his hand, and Connor entered their son's room. Mikey was sprawled out; his blankets were rumpled and messy and his bright red hair was fluffed out across his white pillowcases. Connor sat down on the edge of the bed and gently shook him.
"Mikey. Mikey."
He shook his head and curled his knees up to his chest, pulling his blanket up over his head. "No. I'm tired."
"I know. It was a long night. But you'll perk up once we feed you breakfast. Come on."
Mikey poked his head out over the top of his blanket, his hair nearly obscuring his eyes as he looked at Connor. "Are you still mad?"
"I was never mad at you. I was just sorry that things got some complicated and it hurt you."
"So … you're going to keep me?"
Connor nodded. "For so long you're going to get sick of me!"
Mikey smiled and he jumped out of bed and wrapped his arms around him. Connor hugged him tightly.
"Does Father hate me?"
"Not even a little bit. Come on, I'll give you a piggy back downstairs and you can see for yourself."
"Okay!"
Connor carried him down the steps, bouncing a little to keep him awake. They burst into the kitchen, where Jude already had scrambled eggs already going on the stove.
"Morning, Mikey."
Mikey squirmed down from Connor's back and ran to Jude, jumping up on him. Jude caught him easily and lifted him.
"How are you feeling this morning?" Jude asked.
"I'm sorry."
"I'm sorry too," Jude said.
Mikey threw his arms around Jude. He turned his head to the side and saw Connor. "I like you living with us again."
Connor hugged him and Jude in his arms. Mikey had one arm around him and one arm around Jude.
"Just remember," Connor said, "No matter what, we love you most."
"I love you too."
Jude kissed Mikey's cheek. "Hungry?"
"Yep!"
They put Mikey down on his own two feet and Jude handed over a plate of scrambled eggs. Mikey carried his plate off to the dining room and Connor went to track down Mikey's school bag. He had just packed Mikey's reading books into it and carried it into the kitchen so they could put Mikey's lunch bag in it, when Mikey started making dramatic groaning noises.
"Something wrong?" Jude called.
"I think I'm sick."
Connor poked his head into the dining room. "You ate all your eggs."
"I just feel sick."
Connor glanced back in at Jude.
"Chris and JP," Jude guessed in a low voice.
Connor nodded. He went into the dining room and sat beside Mikey. "You know what might help with that."
"Staying home?" Mikey suggested.
"Saying you're sorry to Chris and JP."
"I hit them. It wasn't nice. They'll be mad."
"Maybe. But you should still say that you're sorry. You know that hitting them was wrong."
"I know." Mikey looked down at the table. "They were telling the truth."
"Saying you're sorry will help, even if they're still mad. And it's okay if they are. People are allowed to feel things and you have to give them some time to work through it."
Mikey nodded. He sucked in a deep breath and swung his feet under his chair.
"You should go get dressed, okay?"
"But what if they never talk to me again?"
"I don't think that will happen. But you know what the right thing to do is. I know you do."
Mikey didn't seem so sure, but he hopped off the dining room chair and walked slowly up to his room. Connor took his breakfast dish and carried it into the kitchen, where Jude had split the rest of the eggs onto two plates for them.
"Thanks."
"Is he okay?"
Connor shrugged. "We'll see what happens when he gets home."
They ate their small portion of eggs quickly and were preparing their morning coffees when Mikey came back downstairs. He moved slowly as he took his lunch bag out of the fridge and packed it into his bag. Connor and Jude walked him out to the front porch. They lingered there as Mikey made his way down the driveway. He was about halfway when he spun around suddenly and raced back to the porch. He hugged Jude and Connor tightly.
"I love you, Dad. I love you, Father."
"I love you too," Jude and Connor said together.
Mikey nodded and lifted his head, as if he were steeling himself for something. Then, he was back down the driveway, barely catching the bus. When the bus was out of sight, Jude collapsed backward onto their front porch swing. Connor followed suit, putting his arm around Jude's shoulders when Jude leant against him.
"Tired?" Connor asked.
"I still feel so bad," Jude admitted, "about everything that happened yesterday."
"We need to be more careful. Until we tell him something concrete about us, I mean."
Jude nodded and Connor let out a breath he hadn't noticed he'd been holding. There was still an 'us'; there was still a 'them'. They didn't have much else to say. Connor rocked the porch swing back and forth gently.
"Are you okay?" Jude asked.
"What do you mean?"
"Last night wasn't just hard for Mikey and me. I just wanted to be sure that you were feeling all right."
"It wasn't fun." Connor sighed. "I think I feel a little more grounded than the two of you. Not to say I don't care. It's just that I feel like I can be there for you without breaking down."
"What else do you feel?"
"I feel like Mikey's going to needs us to be there for him more than usual. I feel like we need to talk to him more about what he did to Chris and JP because that was way over the line, no matter what we did. I feel like I'm glad we're sitting here because it would have been easy to step away, seeing what Mikey was doing, but it's going to be better this way, with both of us together. I feel like I'm really proud of you for not hurting yourself last night, even though it would have been easy for you to." Connor picked up Jude's free hand and kissed over one of the bandages.
Jude was silent for a moment. "But, Connor?"
"What?"
"What about you?" Jude sat up and looked at him. "That was all about me and Mikey. What about you?"
Connor shrugged. "What else is there?"
"There's you. What do you think? Or feel? Even if it's selfish and terrible. I just want to know you."
"You know me."
Jude let out a huff, thinking. Then he said, "Enough to know you'd let yourself get lost inside of us. Enough to suspect you might just be trying to protect me. But I don't need you to protect me. I need you to treat me like an equal. You know every terrible thing that goes through my head. Sometimes I feel like I'm still guessing at you. Especially since you came back."
"Is that one of your holdbacks? You feel like I don't talk to you enough?"
Jude shrugged at first, but then he nodded. "And we've talked about it … Let me in a little more, please."
"I did have a terrible thought," Connor confessed. "When Mikey came home and we found out why. I thought … I mean, I was hoping that you would tell him that we were getting back together for real. I was relieved he was upset because I was hoping it would make you say something. And that makes me hate myself a little bit."
"Oh, Connor. You shouldn't hate yourself for that."
"He was so hurt, Jude. And I was glad it happened for selfish reasons. What kind of parent does that make me?"
"A human one."
Jude held his hand and his Band-Aids itched at Connor's palm.
"You didn't have thoughts like that."
"I've had worse ones," Jude reminded him. He let go of Connor's hand to rub at his neck, where there was no trace of anything ever happening to him. "We're all human. We all think dumb stuff. But you didn't let it show to Mikey. Not even a little. He knew you were there for him and that's what matters most."
Jude put his arm around Connor's shoulders and Connor leant into him.
"You're a great, dad, Connor. We're both lucky that you're around. Even if we don't always know how much we appreciate it."
Connor looked up at Jude, meeting his eyes. "You really think so?"
"I know so," Jude answered. "With everything I have."
Connor shook his head. Sometimes he doubted it. His home and life had fallen apart and, though it was starting to come back together, he couldn't help but believe that he'd been solely responsible for all of it.
Jude caressed the side of his face. "You're perfect, Connor. You're perfect for us. This is where you belong, you know."
"I know." Connor used his foot to rock the swing. "I love you."
"I love you too."
Jude shifted closer.
"Sure we're not too public? I don't want anyone to say anything else."
"No one will," Jude assured him.
And they kissed there, on the front porch swing, like they were in some kind of romance movie and it was a perfect scene set up. The early morning sun was beating down on them and Connor found it so easy to pull Jude closer, even as he heard Jude's coffee mug drop to the deck so that Jude could curl his hand around Connor's waist. After a moment in the perfect scenario, Connor dropped his head to Jude's shoulder. Jude didn't let go; in fact, Jude held him even closer.
"Do you think," Connor began, "that we've just missed each other physically? Because a lot of us seems to be kissing and holding onto each other and … and all that …"
Connor could feel Jude shaking his head.
"I know we've missed physicality," Jude said. "We always liked that. We liked kissing and sex and everything in between." Jude leant back and tilted Connor's head up so that they were looking at one another. "This isn't just physical. If you never touched me again, if all you did was sit next to me at the dinner table and tell me about how your day was and how you felt, then I'd still be okay. Because I love you. And, I know, we talk a lot about how to change things and how to make things different, but that's for the both of us. That's supposed to be so that the both of us feel better in this. And if it's ever not, if you ever feel like you aren't important, I need you to say so. Because I don't want you to feel like that. You are one of the most important things in my entire life, Connor. And I don't want you to feel like anything less. Never again."
Connor smiled and hid his face against Jude, feeling the warmth of Jude's skin through his t-shirt. Jude just held him, easily sensing that this was what Connor needed.
"Tell me," Connor whispered.
"I love you, entire," Jude whispered. "I love that I married you. I love that you're my son's father. I love that you're here on this swing with me, even after everything that we've been through."
Connor held him closer. He felt Jude's fingers stroking the back of his head and through his hair. Connor relaxed into him.
"And," Jude added in a low voice, "I love that you're about to go take a nap with me."
Connor squeezed Jude. "I love that you're a mind reader."
Jude was smiling as he pulled Connor to his feet. Then, Jude collected his dropped coffee cup. He inspected the light green mug.
"Perfect," he declared.
"Not the only thing," Connor answered.
He and Jude headed back into the house. They paused only for a moment to put their dirty coffee mugs into the dishwasher and then they were upstairs, falling back into the bed that they hadn't wanted to leave a mere hour and a half before. Connor rolled over, facing his nightstand.
"What are you doing?" Jude murmured.
"Setting the alarm. Should I put it an hour or half an hour before Mikey gets home?"
"Do you really think we'll sleep that long?" Connor didn't reply, so Jude added, "An hour."
Connor set the alarm and rolled to face Jude. Jude was on the edge of the bed, facing him.
"Come here," Connor said, beckoning Jude to his side. "I want to be cuddled."
"I'm always happy to cuddle you."
Connor curled up in Jude's arms and Jude kissed the top of his head.
"Night, Connor."
"Night, Jude."
Within moments, despite the morning light and despite their coffee, they were both fast asleep.
(-.-)
Connor drove down his and Jude's street, feeling anxious as he drove. Overhead, the sky seemed to darken, as if feeling his nervousness. He parked in the driveway and sat there for a moment, staring at the house. He didn't want to go in there. But it was ridiculous. This was his house; there were no monsters in there. He opened the car door and got out, walking slowly up the drive. He got to the front door and turned the knob, only to find it locked. He looked down at his hand. His key ring was suddenly there.
Connor fit the key in the lock and the door opened quickly and easily. He stepped inside but the house was quiet. Connor looked around the front entryway. Mikey's favourite pair of sneakers weren't in the grey tray. His son wasn't here.
"Jude?" Connor called.
Jude was always home.
There was no verbal response from Jude. Then, Connor heard a sound that he had never thought he would hear again. Over his head, up the stairs, coming from their bedroom, there was a loud thump. Connor's heart constricted. No, this wasn't happening again!
"Jude!" Connor shouted, already racing toward the stairs. "Jude!"
He threw open their bedroom door, knowing what he had to do next. Pull Jude down, call 911. Then everything would be okay. But Connor stopped dead in his tracks as the door banged off the wall behind it. There was a stench of death in the room. Even just looking at Jude's body, Connor knew his swaying husband had been dead for days. This didn't stop Connor from pulling the cold body down from the rafters; it didn't stop him from calling 911 and screaming Jude's name until his throat went hoarse and the paramedics wrapped him in a body bag.
Connor sat back on the plush of their carpet, unable to think or breathe, just entirely ready to give up.
The world blurred around him, and then he was in Stef's and Lena's living room. The two women were wrapped around one another on the couch, heaving such sobs of grief that, even though Connor's broken heart felt like a lead weight in his chest, he felt like an intruder. Connor blinked back his tears, trying to be strong for his mothers-in-law.
When he opened his eyes, he was sitting in his car, parked in Brandon's driveway. Mikey was sitting in the passenger seat, looking at him inquisitively.
"Dad?" he asked. "When do I get to go home? Father hasn't called me in three whole days."
Connor was shaking his head. He couldn't do this. He could not do this.
"Mikey, I have to tell you something."
"What?"
"It's going to be very hard to hear," Connor said, already beginning to cry. "And I'm very sorry."
"Sorry about what? Dad, I'm scared."
Mikey looked so small curled up in the passenger seat. Jude had sat there so many times. Jude had sat there and laughed so many times. But Jude would never get in another car. He would never laugh again. He would never do anything again. He was dead; they were getting him ready for burial. But Connor would never be ready to accept that.
"Mikey … Father's … Father's …" There was no easy way to say this. It would be the worse news that the little boy would ever hear and it would only hurt more if Connor tried to avoid saying it. Connor had already put it off for as long as possible. "Father died."
Mikey went pale and rigid. He started shaking his head, even before the news processed.
"Mikey …" Connor reached for him.
"NO!" Mikey screamed. "I want Father!"
"I'm sorry, Mikey. Everybody did everything they could!" The words pained him, because he knew it wasn't true. They had all failed Jude. They hadn't even noticed he had even needed saving.
"Where is he? I want him!"
Connor reached across the seats and gathered Mikey in his arms. The boy fought his embrace for a moment, calling for the father who would never answer him. Then, Mikey collapsed against Connor and together they cried. There was nothing more that they could do.
Connor looked up to see a coffin across the room from him. The room was full of sad faced people; Jude's family milled about with red eyes and tight lips. Mikey's hand was in his own. Connor took a shaky step toward the coffin. That was Jude in there. That was his husband; his son's father. He was a dead body now. Connor hadn't been able to save him. Connor had let him down.
Mikey clung to Connor as Connor walked up to Jude's coffin. How could the body lying there be the man that he had loved for over twenty years? How could this be the man that he married on a hot summer's day? This couldn't be the same person. It really couldn't be. This man was cold and rigid. He'd never read another bedtime story to his son; never agonize over a new breakfast recipe because he wanted to get it right for his little boy. The man that Connor had loved would never have left his son. Never. He stared down at Jude, thinking that if he looked long enough, he would be able to figure out why.
Next to him, Mikey peeked over the edge of the coffin. "Father? Father?" Mikey reached into the coffin and grabbed onto the dark sleeve of Jude's funeral suit. "Father!"
"Oh, Mikey."
Connor picked Mikey up, but Mikey screeched to be put back down. "I want to be with Father!"
Connor didn't have any words. He didn't know how to comfort Mikey or be with him through this. He had never anticipated this. He didn't know what to do. Against his shoulder, Mikey began to sob for Jude.
"I WANT FATHER!" Mikey screamed.
Me too, Connor thought. Me too.
Connor began to cry as Mikey leapt from his arms, back to Jude.
(-.-)
Connor woke, tears streaking down his face. He couldn't breathe; he felt like he was being choked. He sat up in their warm bedroom, looking around. It was a beautiful, sunny day and Jude wasn't hanging from the rafters or buried in the unforgiving ground. Jude was fast asleep next to him, his features nearly glowing from the bright sun. For a moment, Connor could do nothing but stare at him; he could do nothing but watch the rise and fall of his chest. A sob came out of Connor's mouth. This moment, this piece of real life, felt as real as the dream had.
"Jude. Jude."
Connor reached for him. He needed to see Jude alive and moving. He needed to erase the dream. He needed to kill the lump in his throat.
Jude stirred at the sound of his name. He blinked once, not realizing what was going on, and he shut his eyes. "I didn't hear the alarm."
"I had a dream and you were dead and it was so real, Jude."
Jude was sitting upward in an instant, his eyes open and awake. "I'm okay. I'm okay."
"I saw you in a coffin."
"I'm alive," Jude reminded him.
"How could you do that? How could you do that to him and to me?"
"I don't know," Jude whispered honestly. "I'm sorry, Connor."
"What would I have done if you hadn't lived?" Connor demanded. "That was the scariest day of my life and it could have gone so much worse and how could you have done that, Jude?"
"I wasn't thinking of you or him. I wasn't thinking about how it would affect you or what you would do after. And I'm sorry for that. I know it hurt you. And you must still be so angry. I don't know how you don't hate me."
"It still just hurts. The image of you hanging there … That's going to haunt me forever. I'm always going to be upset about that. I'm never going to get over it."
Connor curled forward onto Jude's shoulder. He couldn't stop crying as Jude rubbed his back.
"I know. And I'm going to try and spend every day doing my best to prove to you that I'm not going anywhere and that you don't have to be scared and that I'm sorry. It's not going to happen again. I know that much." Jude kissed the side of Connor's neck and Connor cried even harder.
"It felt too real," Connor hiccoughed. "Telling Mikey and seeing you in a coffin and seeing your moms cry over you and finding you dead and I just … It was so real. It was almost so real. If I had been five minutes later. If I had never come over at all."
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for doing that to you."
"You can die. You can't."
"I'm not. I'm not."
"You almost … You almost …" Connor dissolved again.
"I know. I know. And it hasn't been that long. We'll get through it, Connor. It's okay."
Jude's voice had started to crack and break and Connor started to feel guilty and apologetic. Jude wasn't strong enough for this. He was here to take care to Jude, to make sure that Jude was okay, not to be a burden. He started to pull away and tuck his feelings down. Was he really crying over a dream when Jude's attempt had been months ago and Jude was perfectly safe? It wasn't rational. It wasn't good.
"I'm here for you," Jude said.
He sounded strong and sure and capable and Connor fell apart all over again. Jude could handle this. He was sick; he wasn't weak. He could be there for Connor just as much as Connor had been there for him. Connor just had to trust him to do it.
"I've got you," Jude assured him. "Just let it out. I've got you."
So Connor did. He clung to Jude until his tears had dried and Jude's shirt was soaked. He caught his breath and then he rested his head on Jude's dry shoulder.
"I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me."
"It's okay. I know you haven't been able to talk about what September was like for you. With me or with anyone else. You've got let it all out sometimes. If you don't want to with me, maybe with someone else. Moms, maybe. Lena would listen to you. And she knows, now, about what we're trying to do and about how we're trying to work things out. You know she'd be there for you."
"Sometimes I'm surprised by how much I feel about it. I don't mean to stuff it away, really. I put you and your mental health above everything else."
"You don't need to do that," Jude said. "You need to make yourself matter too. You won't be any good to anyone if you don't take care of you too."
"Can I make a confession?"
"Of course. Tell me anything and everything. I want to know about it."
"I'm scared to talk to you. I don't want to hurt you. I don't want to weigh you down even more than you already are."
Jude gently rested his forehead against Connor's and he threaded the fingers of both their hands together. "I sense that sometimes. And that hurts me. It feels like you're not talking to me at all. It feels like you're moving away from me and hiding away."
"I'm not doing it intentionally. I promise. I just … I try so hard to protect you. I don't realize I hurt you. I'm sorry. It's no excuse.'
"We'll work on it. That's the only way, right?"
Connor nodded.
"You can talk to me whenever you need to," Jude added. "I'm strong. I can take it. You lean on me. I'll lean on you. I think that's how this marriage thing works."
"You'd know better than me."
Jude kissed Connor's forehead. "Talk to me."
"I feel helpless. I want to help you. I want to do better. But I feel like I can't do anything. I can't …" Connor drew a deep breath and shrugged.
"Connor, you do everything. Everything," Jude repeated for emphasis. "From getting me out of bed in the mornings to literally saving my life. You keep this place running. You keep us in this place with your job. You make meals and make me clean. You're so essential. You're so important. Without all of the work that you do and all that you do, Mikey and I would be caught in limbo. I know. We were there. You're not helpless. You're our Superman."
Connor smiled as Jude pulled him back into his embrace and rocked him back and forth.
"You really think so?"
"I know so."
From Connor's side of the bed, the alarm started going off.
"Why don't you turn that off," Jude suggested, "and I'll make you lunch?"
Connor reached over and killed the alarm. He took Jude's hand and they walked down to the kitchen.
"Will you make coffee again?" Connor asked.
"Yeah. That sounds good."
Jude prepped the coffee machine and let it do its thing.
"What do you want for lunch?"
"Whatever you want. Pick something."
Connor peeked in the cupboard behind him.
"We still have Alfredo sauce!"
"And penne noodles," Jude said, checking another cupboard. "It sounds good to me."
He started boiling water and heating the sauce. When the coffee was done, Jude made up their cups. He carried Connor's over to him and then sat up on the counter next to him. From his point, Jude was able to reach the stove and take care the sauce and the noodles. Absently, Connor kicked his feet against the cupboards.
"Is that where Mikey gets that from?" Jude asked, tapping at Connor's leg.
"Maybe. But you'll be the reason that he chews his lips off."
Jude rolled his eyes lightly. "No, not at all. Mikey's nowhere near as anxious as I am."
Connor let out a laugh. "That's true. Do you think he's doing okay at school?"
"I think so. Chris and JP are both good, sweet kids. And Mikey's a good, sweet kid. I think that they'll work out. Maybe not today but they love each other."
Connor nodded. "I just hate to see anything come between them."
"I think they'll work it out," Jude repeated. "We'll know soon enough."
Connor nodded. They ate their lunch sitting next to one another on the counter. They had just turned on the dishwasher when Mikey came home. He didn't throw open the door with his usual exuberance and Jude and Connor exchanged worried glances.
"We're in the kitchen," Connor yelled.
Mikey slunk in. He sat his backpack on the floor and opened it. He went through his usual motions of digging out his lunch box and emptying it. His sandwich box went into the sink and the bag itself went up on the counter to be used the next day. His task completed, Mikey propped his bag against the wall.
"How'd it go?" Jude finally asked.
"They're mad. I said I was sorry. I said I knew they weren't lying. I said I would never ever hit them again." Mikey slumped forward, defeated. "They're still mad. I told them that this morning but they didn't talk to me at recess or at lunch. I tried to say sorry again but they didn't even listen."
"Did they say anything at all?"
"JP just said he didn't want to talk. And then Chris just said that he … he was really hurt and that he didn't want to be friends with someone who hurt him." Mikey started to cry. "I'm sorry."
"I know, I know. Come here." Jude hugged him and then crouched down in front of him. "Remember what we talked about? When we said that people were allowed to feel their emotions? And that people sometimes needed time to work through things?"
Mikey nodded. "But I miss them. They're my best friends!"
"I know. Maybe things will look different in the morning. Tomorrow is a whole new day! They might talk to you tomorrow!"
Mikey looked uncertain. "What do you think, Dad?"
"I think time is important."
Mikey sighed.
"And," Connor added, "if things don't look better by the weekend then maybe we'll give Andrew a call and see if we can't all sit down and talk about it."
"Okay," Mikey agreed, but he still had a sour look on his face.
"Do you want to do something?" Jude asked. "Go somewhere?"
Mikey didn't look enthused.
"Do you want to call Marley?" Connor suggested. "You could go see her or see if she wants to come over here?"
Mikey nodded. "Okay … Yeah. Let's call Marley." He skipped over to the kitchen phone and picked it up. "Five five five," he rattled off. Then, more hesitantly, he said, "zero … seven … six … eight?"
"Right."
After a few minutes of speaking, Mikey turned to face them. "Can Uncle Brandon pick me up on his way home from work? He says I can eat supper over there."
"Yeah, sure," Connor said.
Mikey turned back to the phone. A few more words and then he hung up.
"You should get your homework done now if you're going to go play with Marley."
"Okay, Dad," Mikey said.
"What do you have to do?"
"I have to finish a word search and I have to colour in a map of the continents," Mikey said. "Each continent has a different colour and then all the oceans are blue."
"Shouldn't take long, then."
Mikey nodded and then headed off to the dining room to do his homework. He had a little more pep in his step as he went.
"All alone for supper?" Connor said in a low voice. "What do you want to do?"
"Well, how about an improvised date three?" Jude suggested, rocking onto the balls of his feet and then back onto his soles.
"I thought you said date number three wasn't going to be a food thing."
"Well, I have something else planned too."
"Well, now I'm curious, so we have to go."
"It'll be fun," Jude said. He glanced in the direction of the dining room, although he couldn't really see into it from where they were standing. Then, he kissed Connor on his cheek.
After that, they puttered around the house. Jude did laundry and Connor did some catching up work. Sleeping all day was what he wanted to do, but it wasn't what he was allowed to do. He went downstairs when Brandon picked Mikey up.
"What time do you want him home at?" Brandon asked. "It's a school night. Marley goes to bed at nine."
Eyes wide, Mikey turned his head to stare at Jude and Connor.
"We can pick him up," Connor offered. "Around eight?"
Brandon nodded. "Come on, Mikey. Let's go. I'm hungry."
"Me too! What's for supper, Uncle Brandon?"
Connor shut the front door.
"Nope, no time for that, get your shoes on," Jude instructed.
"Where is this dinner date?"
"It's not far but we're on a schedule." Jude jangled his keys against his palm.
Connor laughed. "Let's go, then."
Jude locked the door behind them and then he and Connor got into Jude's car.
"So," Jude said, "I was looking at classes for the next term. You know I've been e-mailing with the school and I have to pick soon."
"I know. Did you pick?"
"Yeah. I picked two, actually. One meets every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and the other every Tuesday and Thursday. So I'll have a little something to do every day."
"That's good. What did you pick?"
"The Tuesday and Thursday one is just a basic law course. It won't really count if I do get into and go to law school for real but I know it's something I'll like. So I wanted to take it."
"This is all about what you want to do. What's the other one? The one that meets on three days?"
"Basic Spanish," Jude admitted. "I mean, I never did that well in it in high school. But learning another language is never a bad thing."
"No, of course it isn't! You don't need to keep justifying."
"You think it's good?" Jude asked.
"I think it's great. I really think this is the best decision for you."
"Me too."
Connor looked up as Jude pulled into a parking spot. He squinted at the building in front of him. "Is this a bar? Are you really taking me to a bar?"
"No. I know you're not that kind of a date."
Connor laughed.
"Come on."
Connor followed Jude into the building. A smiling host took them to a front table and handed them a couple of menus.
"All food orders have to be in before the show starts," he said. "Drinks can be purchased at the back bar at any time. Waiters will be back during intermission to take orders again."
Once he was gone, Connor turned to Jude. "The show? What is this?"
"It's an improv show. From the college. I saw it advertised when I was looking at classes. I wasn't going to suggest it because it's only tonight but then we had the night free. So I thought it'd be fun. We need a laugh."
"We need a laugh," Connor agreed.
Jude ordered a cheeseburger and Connor decided on the fish and chips. For an appetizer, they split a plate of spicy wings. The wings had just arrived when the lights dimmed.
"Don't worry," the waitress assured them, "We're still bringing the food out."
They nodded at her and turned their attention to the show. Within four lines, they were laughing and smiling. Connor glanced over at Jude during the exact moment Jude snorted around the wing in his hand. It was hardly an attractive face that he made and there was wing sauce on the corners of his mouth. But it was real and it was genuine.
Jude was happy.
Connor was happy.
Don't forget to send me playlist ideas if you have them! This week's songs are: Always Somewhere Close by Lifehouse; and What Do I Have To Do by Crystal Shawanda.
So, on tumblr I'm: we are all of legend now (with dashes between every word). If you want to find my replies to anon reviews, add backslash tagged backslash anon dash replies. If you want to see anything I post about Hand In My Pocket, to my tumblr URL add backslash tagged backslash hand dash in dash my dash pocket. Punctuation is spelled out due to Fanfiction's restrictions. If you're having any trouble accessing the tumblr content please send me a pm and I can format it for you in a different way.
~TLL~