Scene: All Saints Day (4)
Anthony was in good spirits when he arrived home. His first few months at college had been exactly as enjoyable as he'd expected. He liked his classes, he'd made friends and gotten involved in a variety of activities. He'd already introduced himself to the Political Science Department and picked out a mentor in one of the younger faculty. His life was on track.
"Hi, Mom."
"Oh, Anthony, you're back...dinner will be a little late. Your father decided to make cookies."
Anthony smiled. Steve loved to cook when he had the time, but having the time tended to mean he took it, and took the kitchen over, too. "Okay. Jake's coming over."
"Is he staying for dinner?"
"I don't know." He kissed her cheek. "But save us some cookies." He walked up to his room and had just settled when Jake arrived.
Immediately Anthony was worried. He knew Jake's moods better than anyone's, except maybe Jamie, and his friend was upset. He opened his mouth to ask what happened, but Jake explained without prompting.
"Amelia wanted time apart, so we are not currently together."
"Uh." Anthony stared. "What?" He motioned Jake inside and shut the door. No one else was on this floor, but an open door was an invitation. Jake walked over to the bed and sat down. "Wow." Anthony realized in a rush that he hadn't said what he should have started with. "Are you okay?"
Jake shook his head. Of course not. "But staying together was hurting Amelia, and it was hurting me because it was hurting her."
Anthony sat beside him and awkwardly offered comfort. "What happened?"
"She feels ...lost," Jake explained, as best he could. "Lost in our relationship. She said she doesn't know who she is outside of it. Or what she wants or who she wants. She needs time to figure it out. Time away from me." He looked at his hands, feeling lost himself. "I assumed, once my kiss didn't wake her, that this was coming."
Anthony frowned. He thought that whole thing was absurd and probably a set up. He made a plan to go tell his sister exactly that after Jake left. He was briefly and irrationally angry at all magic users, even, or especially, his boyfriend. Most of his anger was focused on Amelia. But Jake was more important in the moment. "Maybe some space is good for you both, maybe you'll come back together stronger."
Jake nodded. It was what he hoped for.
Anthony sighed inwardly. Jake is not so good at expressing himself in the best of times. "Is there anything I can do for you?"
"I don't know," Jake answered honestly. "My entire life was based on two things: being a soldier and being Amelia's husband. Now I've lost one of those."
To Anthony it sounded very similar to what he'd given as Amelia's reasons.
"Anton." Jake's tone was serious. "Promise to make sure I don't put too much of myself into the military, and risk myself unnecessarily."
Now Anthony was really worried. "I promise," he said, gravely, and frightened for his friend. "And you have to promise to talk to me, whenever you need to, whenever... even when you don't want to."
"I promise to try to talk to you," Jake answered. It was the best he could do.
"Amelia loves you." Anthony's voice was measured. "And even she didn't lots of other people do."
"I know she loves me." He spoke very quietly, but with conviction. "And I know you love me too. "That's why I'm here."
Anthony felt pleased that Jake was secure enough in their relationship to come to him, but he felt guilty that he'd been enjoying school and focused on himself all this time. He touched Jake's hand, still awkward. "I'm sorry. I knew things were rocky and I should have been a better friend, but I'm glad you're here now."
Jake started to tell him it was okay, but Anthony continued.
"You should come to a frat party."
"I . . . what?"
"You should have fun." Anthony thought, but didn't say, that Amelia would be having fun.
"At a frat party?"
"A party at the fraternity I'm considering," Anthony clarified. "It's part of the college experience."
Jake was hesitant, but nodded. "Okay."
"Good. I'll send you the info." Jake nodded again. Anthony smiled. "You can come for the day or the weekend, and see the campus.
"Okay." Jake wasn't convinced on the party, but the visit would be nice. "Do you want to play games, like we used to?" When they were younger and relationships weren't so complicated.
"Yeah, sure." He pat Jake's arm again. Anthony wished he wasn't so awkward, but Jake found it comforting. It was familiar, that's why he'd come to Anthony. "Pick out a game. I'll get some snacks." Jake nodded.
Anthony walked downstairs to the kitchen. Steve and Jamie were surrounded by cookie clutter and having what constitutes a heated discussion in their household. His sister had been prodding her father to take this more seriously since they'd returned.
"I know, but it's not just a PR issue."
Anthony gestured to a sheet of cookies, cooling on a wire rack. "Are these up for grabs?" Steve nodded. Anthony pulled a plate down and started to pile cookies on it.
"We are all aware of that."
Jamie pursed her lips. Anthony placed the plate on a tray, and added two glasses. He turned to the refrigerator.
"Jamie, I appreciate your concern," Steve continued. "And particularly your initiative. No one is ignoring you or any of this."
Anthony filled the glasses with milk and returned the carton to the fridge. "I agree with Jamie," he said, suddenly. He straightened and met both their eyes. Steve looked mildly surprised, Jamie looked like she was trying to work something out. "Halloween was a set up. And this stuff has been going on for a while." He still remembered Lindy's tears the night before she went AWOL. He was never convinced she'd just snapped on her own. "And people are getting hurt." Jamie frowned. Steve sighed. Anthony picked up his tray. "Thanks for the cookies, Dad."
He climbed the stairs, tray in hand, and wondered if chaos was the only track their lives would ever really be on.
"Hi, Mom."
"Oh, Anthony, you're back...dinner will be a little late. Your father decided to make cookies."
Anthony smiled. Steve loved to cook when he had the time, but having the time tended to mean he took it, and took the kitchen over, too. "Okay. Jake's coming over."
"Is he staying for dinner?"
"I don't know." He kissed her cheek. "But save us some cookies." He walked up to his room and had just settled when Jake arrived.
Immediately Anthony was worried. He knew Jake's moods better than anyone's, except maybe Jamie, and his friend was upset. He opened his mouth to ask what happened, but Jake explained without prompting.
"Amelia wanted time apart, so we are not currently together."
"Uh." Anthony stared. "What?" He motioned Jake inside and shut the door. No one else was on this floor, but an open door was an invitation. Jake walked over to the bed and sat down. "Wow." Anthony realized in a rush that he hadn't said what he should have started with. "Are you okay?"
Jake shook his head. Of course not. "But staying together was hurting Amelia, and it was hurting me because it was hurting her."
Anthony sat beside him and awkwardly offered comfort. "What happened?"
"She feels ...lost," Jake explained, as best he could. "Lost in our relationship. She said she doesn't know who she is outside of it. Or what she wants or who she wants. She needs time to figure it out. Time away from me." He looked at his hands, feeling lost himself. "I assumed, once my kiss didn't wake her, that this was coming."
Anthony frowned. He thought that whole thing was absurd and probably a set up. He made a plan to go tell his sister exactly that after Jake left. He was briefly and irrationally angry at all magic users, even, or especially, his boyfriend. Most of his anger was focused on Amelia. But Jake was more important in the moment. "Maybe some space is good for you both, maybe you'll come back together stronger."
Jake nodded. It was what he hoped for.
Anthony sighed inwardly. Jake is not so good at expressing himself in the best of times. "Is there anything I can do for you?"
"I don't know," Jake answered honestly. "My entire life was based on two things: being a soldier and being Amelia's husband. Now I've lost one of those."
To Anthony it sounded very similar to what he'd given as Amelia's reasons.
"Anton." Jake's tone was serious. "Promise to make sure I don't put too much of myself into the military, and risk myself unnecessarily."
Now Anthony was really worried. "I promise," he said, gravely, and frightened for his friend. "And you have to promise to talk to me, whenever you need to, whenever... even when you don't want to."
"I promise to try to talk to you," Jake answered. It was the best he could do.
"Amelia loves you." Anthony's voice was measured. "And even she didn't lots of other people do."
"I know she loves me." He spoke very quietly, but with conviction. "And I know you love me too. "That's why I'm here."
Anthony felt pleased that Jake was secure enough in their relationship to come to him, but he felt guilty that he'd been enjoying school and focused on himself all this time. He touched Jake's hand, still awkward. "I'm sorry. I knew things were rocky and I should have been a better friend, but I'm glad you're here now."
Jake started to tell him it was okay, but Anthony continued.
"You should come to a frat party."
"I . . . what?"
"You should have fun." Anthony thought, but didn't say, that Amelia would be having fun.
"At a frat party?"
"A party at the fraternity I'm considering," Anthony clarified. "It's part of the college experience."
Jake was hesitant, but nodded. "Okay."
"Good. I'll send you the info." Jake nodded again. Anthony smiled. "You can come for the day or the weekend, and see the campus.
"Okay." Jake wasn't convinced on the party, but the visit would be nice. "Do you want to play games, like we used to?" When they were younger and relationships weren't so complicated.
"Yeah, sure." He pat Jake's arm again. Anthony wished he wasn't so awkward, but Jake found it comforting. It was familiar, that's why he'd come to Anthony. "Pick out a game. I'll get some snacks." Jake nodded.
Anthony walked downstairs to the kitchen. Steve and Jamie were surrounded by cookie clutter and having what constitutes a heated discussion in their household. His sister had been prodding her father to take this more seriously since they'd returned.
"I know, but it's not just a PR issue."
Anthony gestured to a sheet of cookies, cooling on a wire rack. "Are these up for grabs?" Steve nodded. Anthony pulled a plate down and started to pile cookies on it.
"We are all aware of that."
Jamie pursed her lips. Anthony placed the plate on a tray, and added two glasses. He turned to the refrigerator.
"Jamie, I appreciate your concern," Steve continued. "And particularly your initiative. No one is ignoring you or any of this."
Anthony filled the glasses with milk and returned the carton to the fridge. "I agree with Jamie," he said, suddenly. He straightened and met both their eyes. Steve looked mildly surprised, Jamie looked like she was trying to work something out. "Halloween was a set up. And this stuff has been going on for a while." He still remembered Lindy's tears the night before she went AWOL. He was never convinced she'd just snapped on her own. "And people are getting hurt." Jamie frowned. Steve sighed. Anthony picked up his tray. "Thanks for the cookies, Dad."
He climbed the stairs, tray in hand, and wondered if chaos was the only track their lives would ever really be on.