Love In Design

Chapter 27 - Stranger

KALEY

Zack has been staying at his parents for the past two weeks. I had to swallow the knot in my throat when I said goodbye to him at the airport, but I'm sure he'll be better there. His mom got hysterical when he told her the reason he was coming home and wanted to come here immediately. She only calmed down when he reassured her that he wasn't alone and we were taking care of him. The moment he messaged me that his parents had picked him at the airport I felt I could finally relax. David has been a great support in this situation. He grounds me. Especially when I came home after spending the weekend at Zack right after his attack. I'm having trouble digesting the news of Zack's addiction. It has been going on for years and what I attributed to his personality was him being under the influence. I began research for rehab places near his parents. That's when David stopped me and made me realize that if Zack didn't accept Cam's help, he won't accept mine either. The need for change has to come from him.

David and I sit in the backyard in this beautiful Sunday where we've cleared enough plants to make space for two chairs and a small grill. He sits with a magazine in his left hand and dozes off as he reads it, half a glass of lemonade hangs from his right. An idea pops in my mind, and with some trouble, I stand up from the low Adirondack. I grab the glass about to fall from David's hand and put it on the table.

"Where are you going?" He sits up straight and rubs the sleep off his face.

"I need to make a call," I kiss his forehead and head inside.

Once sitting on the comfortable couch, I get the house phone and dial a number.

"Hello?"

"Mom, it's me."

"Kaley! How are you? I have missed hearing your voice."

"I have missed you both. Sorry for only messaging and not calling earlier. It has been pretty crazy here in the last months."

"I assumed so from the short messages. How are things going at work?"

"Better than ever. We landed a huge project with a beauty company. It's pretty much taken up our lives."

"Impressive. How are Zack and Elvam? You should bring them around soon."

"Zack is back at the old neighborhood for a while. He got attacked in his apartment about three weeks ago and didn't feel safe staying there."

"Please tell me that he's okay."

"He has a few fractures and bruises, but he told me he was feeling improvement the last time we spoke. It was a case of mixing with the wrong crowd and them assuming he had money. Elvam... I don't know what's going on with him. He seems upset all the time but brushes me off when I bring it up. I'm worried about him."

"That boy's been stuck in my heart since you brought him around for the first time. Sometimes he would go in the living room and sit next to your dad, but wouldn't start a conversation unless someone else did."

"Maybe he missed the company of a father figure. His father kicked him out of his house when we were in college and hasn't spoken to Elvam ever since."

"What a terrible situation."

I take a big breath. It's time I reveal the real reason of my call.

"Mom, I have news, big news. I have a boyfriend."

I hear a squeal at the other side of the line that makes me put the phone away from my ear while I laugh. I hear my dad in the background, then my mom mumbling something and his delighted chuckle.