Hidden Burdens (working title)

Revelations

Kayla came out to the garage while Ben put away both blowers to work on the yard tomorrow. For now, he wanted to find something to distract his mind.

"Everything okay?" She asked sincerely, reading his face right away.

Ben carefully dropped his dad's blower with theirs, plus the gas container on the bottom shelf. He stayed silent momentarily, unsure if he wanted to talk about it.

Kayla moved closer and wrapped her arms around his waist from behind. She laid her head against the back of his shoulder.

Ben leaned his head against hers, closing his eyes. He placed his hands on top of hers, relaxing a little just being in her arms.

They remained that way for a moment until Ben felt ready enough to share what happened. It took longer than he felt was reasonable, but Kayla wasn't pushing him.

"Mom and I got into a fight when I went over there to ask for Dad's help with the blower."

Kayla held a kiss to his shoulder for sympathy. "About what?"

Ben hesitated with his response. He couldn't even look his best friend in the eye. The one he promised to spend the rest of his life with. The one Ben made vows to honor, cherish, and love. But he couldn't even open up to her and show the ugliness that was raging inside. He had to be strong and breaking down like a small child wasn't strong.

Kayla reached up to gently take hold of his jaw and encouraged him to look at her this time. "What happened, hun?"

His heart raced as the emotions rose in his throat. He searched for the right words to tell her.

Kayla let go and instead grabbed his hands, having him face her. She pulled him close and wrapped him in a warm, comforting embrace, offering words of support and comfort.

Ben instantly took hold of the woman, dropping his head on her shoulder like the small child he felt inside. He could feel the emotions he had been holding back fighting to surface again and Kayla's words weren't helping. Though, that was the intention, to begin with. Soon, his eyes glossed over with a film of tears. He tried to blink them away but that only made them fall down his face.

He felt Kayla rub her hand along his back in soothing motions. Ben tightened his hold on Kayla. Not too tight to hurt her, but enough to never want to let go. She held another kiss, this time to the front of his shoulder, longer than the first.

They stayed that way for a while. Ben tensed whenever he heard a car drive by while Kayla reminded him it was okay.

Eventually, it was Ben who pulled away and wiped a hand down his face as he sniffed in.

He stared out at the street, placing his hands on his sides. Ben mustered the words to briefly explain his mom's outburst and his dad telling her about Calvin.

"When I tried to confront Dad about it, he argued that was his wife so of course he would tell her. And Mom agreed."

Kayla looked at him, sympathetically. "Of course, hun. That's what I've been trying to tell you. I want to know everything that is going on with you, too. Sure, you don't have to tell me everything. But if something's been bothering you, Ben, I want to help. And I know something is."

He glanced her way but looked away at the garage floor.

"You can't keep that stuff bottled up, it's gonna kill you one of these days."

Ben turned and went over to sit on an ice chest they used for picnics. He rubbed his hands along his face, thinking about Matthew West's song. Of all the times for the song to play it had to play right after a fight with his mom?