it’s better this way. You can go back to New York and get on with your life. Instead of waiting for me.”
“I would have, you know. Waited for you.”
Silence.
“I’ll sleep on the couch tonight.”
Ben nodded. “I’m sorry.”
David turned around and walked back into the house. Ben stayed on the porch and thought about what he would say to his brothers, not to mention Travis. A moment later, Colin opened the door and stuck his head out.
“Is it safe to approach?” he asked.
“Yes, come on,” replied Ben, waving him onto the porch. “I’m sorry you got involved in all this.”
“Please,” said Colin as he stepped out and closed the door behind him, “don’t apologize to me. Well, maybe at least tell me it was a momentary lapse in judgment. Do you honestly think it matters to me if you date a mechanic?”
“I’m not dating a mechanic.”
“Not yet. But there’s clearly something going on.”
“I know, but what? The whole thing makes my head hurt.”
“It doesn’t matter. You know I don’t really like the term, but in this case it’s appropriate. You were a douche, Ben. You owe Travis an apology, prospective boyfriend or not. And I’d do it tonight, if I were you. Honestly, do not go back in there and face your brothers until you patch things up with him. Now, across the street with you. Git, as he would say.”
“Okay, I’m going. Tell them where I am?”
“Of course. As it was so eloquently pointed out to me this evening, I always cover your ass, Walsh.”
“I know. Thanks for that.”
B EN headed across the street and knocked on Mrs. Wright’s side door. He knew that Travis would be able to hear him. He could see light coming from underneath the closed door of the back bedroom. As soon as he knocked, he saw a shadow dart randomly along the thin strip of light at the bottom of the door.
Mrs. Wright called from the living room. “Travis! Someone’s knocking.”
A few moments later, Travis opened his door and saw Ben’s face, visible through the glass panes. Travis looked panicked and uncertain, but finally grabbed his jacket and passed through the living room to the kitchen.
“Who’s at the door, Travis?”
“It’s just Ben, Mrs. Wright. From across the street.”
“Oh, those poor boys. Tell him we’ll be praying for his family tomorrow at church.”
“I will.”
Travis opened the door and Ben stepped off the stairs onto the driveway. Travis locked the door behind him and then turned to face Ben.
“Your eyes are red.”
“We should take a walk,” Travis said, ignoring Ben’s comment. “Mrs. Wright says she’ll be praying for you tomorrow.”
“Yeah, I heard. God knows I need it.”
“You ain’t gonna hear no arguments from me.”
Ben turned and started to move down the driveway, lagging enough until Travis caught up with him. The street where they lived was a cul-de-sac, though in Texas they didn’t bother with the French and just called it a dead end. They walked in the middle of the dark street, making their way onto one of the main thoroughfares and then past St. Paul’s Lutheran church, which had a bell tower that played seasonal hymns every day at noon and six. Ben considered it one of the perks of living in its shadow, infusing the neighborhood with an air of grace. Eventually, Travis stopped and took a seat on a bus-stop bench.
Ben pulled out his phone and looked at the time.
Eight thirty-eight.
He sat down next to Travis on the bench. They gazed out at the street, watching the cars race by.
“Why are we here?” asked Travis.
“Catching the bus?” Ben’s attempt to lighten the mood fell flat. “Sorry. I want to apologize.”
“So apologize.”
“I need to know something first.”
“What do you need to know?”
“Who I’m apologizing to.”
Travis glanced over at Ben and frowned.
“What does that mean?”
Ben turned his head and looked at Travis.
“Who am I apologizing to? Because it makes a difference. Are
“I would have, you know. Waited for you.”
Silence.
“I’ll sleep on the couch tonight.”
Ben nodded. “I’m sorry.”
David turned around and walked back into the house. Ben stayed on the porch and thought about what he would say to his brothers, not to mention Travis. A moment later, Colin opened the door and stuck his head out.
“Is it safe to approach?” he asked.
“Yes, come on,” replied Ben, waving him onto the porch. “I’m sorry you got involved in all this.”
“Please,” said Colin as he stepped out and closed the door behind him, “don’t apologize to me. Well, maybe at least tell me it was a momentary lapse in judgment. Do you honestly think it matters to me if you date a mechanic?”
“I’m not dating a mechanic.”
“Not yet. But there’s clearly something going on.”
“I know, but what? The whole thing makes my head hurt.”
“It doesn’t matter. You know I don’t really like the term, but in this case it’s appropriate. You were a douche, Ben. You owe Travis an apology, prospective boyfriend or not. And I’d do it tonight, if I were you. Honestly, do not go back in there and face your brothers until you patch things up with him. Now, across the street with you. Git, as he would say.”
“Okay, I’m going. Tell them where I am?”
“Of course. As it was so eloquently pointed out to me this evening, I always cover your ass, Walsh.”
“I know. Thanks for that.”
B EN headed across the street and knocked on Mrs. Wright’s side door. He knew that Travis would be able to hear him. He could see light coming from underneath the closed door of the back bedroom. As soon as he knocked, he saw a shadow dart randomly along the thin strip of light at the bottom of the door.
Mrs. Wright called from the living room. “Travis! Someone’s knocking.”
A few moments later, Travis opened his door and saw Ben’s face, visible through the glass panes. Travis looked panicked and uncertain, but finally grabbed his jacket and passed through the living room to the kitchen.
“Who’s at the door, Travis?”
“It’s just Ben, Mrs. Wright. From across the street.”
“Oh, those poor boys. Tell him we’ll be praying for his family tomorrow at church.”
“I will.”
Travis opened the door and Ben stepped off the stairs onto the driveway. Travis locked the door behind him and then turned to face Ben.
“Your eyes are red.”
“We should take a walk,” Travis said, ignoring Ben’s comment. “Mrs. Wright says she’ll be praying for you tomorrow.”
“Yeah, I heard. God knows I need it.”
“You ain’t gonna hear no arguments from me.”
Ben turned and started to move down the driveway, lagging enough until Travis caught up with him. The street where they lived was a cul-de-sac, though in Texas they didn’t bother with the French and just called it a dead end. They walked in the middle of the dark street, making their way onto one of the main thoroughfares and then past St. Paul’s Lutheran church, which had a bell tower that played seasonal hymns every day at noon and six. Ben considered it one of the perks of living in its shadow, infusing the neighborhood with an air of grace. Eventually, Travis stopped and took a seat on a bus-stop bench.
Ben pulled out his phone and looked at the time.
Eight thirty-eight.
He sat down next to Travis on the bench. They gazed out at the street, watching the cars race by.
“Why are we here?” asked Travis.
“Catching the bus?” Ben’s attempt to lighten the mood fell flat. “Sorry. I want to apologize.”
“So apologize.”
“I need to know something first.”
“What do you need to know?”
“Who I’m apologizing to.”
Travis glanced over at Ben and frowned.
“What does that mean?”
Ben turned his head and looked at Travis.
“Who am I apologizing to? Because it makes a difference. Are
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