Tyed

chapter fifty seven

It must be half an hour later that they're sitting in a park, holding coffees, of which Tyler has barely touched his own, and the conversation feels a bit lighter, easier to handle. Well, not really- none of it is super fun- but it's not Kevin, which Tyler is thankful for.

"It could be much worse," Kali is saying. "I got used to how things were, so- so it's better, I think. I just don't keep much for myself."

"Our foster system is garbage," Nancy sighs. "It doesn't sound easy, that's for sure."

Kali smiles sadly. "I can only compare with what I had before. In that light, I would call it good."

Her eyes land on Tyler. "How is Trey? And your mother?"

Tyler sighs. "Trey's okay," he nods, "generally doing alright. He lives in assisted living on his own now, and my mum and stepdad still live in Gem Varily in the same house." He decides not to mention his dad. Not yet. Just because the thought cuts deep, another loss he's sustained.

"Stepdad?"

"Yeah. They got married pretty quickly when I was- I wanna say sixteen or seventeen? I don't remember. Saxon is fine, he's just kind of boring and he's not really interested in others, I guess. I assume my mum married him for money reasons, but I never asked."

Kali nods, and Nancy looks at him pointedly; Tyler assumes it's the lack of mentioning his dad. The words she mouths confirm that- aren't you going to tell her?. Kali looks to her and back to Tyler, and Tyler sighs.

"Okay, fine," he says, "my dad is getting out of prison."

Nancy blinks. "I was talking about the fucking sugar daddy thing, but-"

"Wait." Tyler doesn't blame Kali for struggling to take all that in at once. She probably took psychic damage from that exchange. "Your dad is..."

"Getting out of prison. Kind of. He's like, dying, so he gets out in his last week or two."

"Oh, that's... awful," Kali remarks. "I forgot how old he was. Since- well, yeah. He's awful. Awful. Glad he's dying."

Tyler's so thankful someone else gets him and she wasn't about to give him the whole but he's your father speech, so much so that he almost misses the fact that she almost said something, some since that followed discussion of how old he was, and it chills him to realise she probably knows. She probably put two and two together and she probably knows.

He's going to have to beg her not to tell Nancy, beg her not to make him lose a friend. Like glee over a dying father, the lack of disgust about being a creature of incest probably isn't common outside of Darkfilly Copse and its survivors.

"But- backing up," Kali looks to Nancy, "what did you say?"

Nancy grins at Tyler, oblivious to horror he's just realised Kali probably knows of. "Tell her, Tyler."

He supposes it's preferable to further discussion of his father. Most things are. "So, uh." He finds himself rubbing the back of his neck and lowers his hand. "I wouldn't say sugar daddy-"

"Yes you would."

She probably thinks it's funny, it's more just annoying, but Tyler lets it slide. "Anyway, I met a guy. Yes, he is rich and I did originally go looking for financial help but I do really like him."

Nancy looks at him over her coffee with a mischievous grin. "So that's how we're framing it, huh? Making sure it's clear how much you like-like him?"

Tyler kicks her under the table.

"Well that's- honestly, good," Kali says, looking still a little shaken. "I- sorry. It's a lot to take in at once, is all." Accepting Kevin is gone and doesn't fill that part of Tyler's life anymore. That's probably what she's not saying: "What's his name?"