After filing his company for bankruptcy, Kyle's wife leaves him and his three-year-old son. Now a forty-two-year-old divorcee with no parenting skills or money, Kyle decides to move back to the small home town he grew up in.
He should have lost all...
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"Yes, I thought about you and got a little lonely when I realized Otis wasn't here." The woman's voice echoed through the phone's microphone. "I'm in my study catching up on work."
Kyle remained quiet.
"Anyway, how's my little boy doing?" the woman asked.
"He's doing fine," Kyle muttered in response, squeezing Chaska's hand as he used the other to drive them out of the parking lot and into the road. They passed by the noisy bar, and Anastasia seemed to notice.
"Are you outside? I can hear the music."
"Yes," Kyle replied, licking his lips. "I went out for the night."
There was silence, and then a cough. "Did you leave Otis alone by himself?"
Kyle sighed. "No, he's with my mother, and was fast asleep when I left at eleven."
"Okay."
The call was silent for a bit until the woman on the other end cleared her throat. "How are you getting along with Otis? The last time I called he was crying a lot."
"That was months ago," Kyle sighed as his eyes shifted a bit. He looked embarrassed to have that said in front of Chaska.
"I know, but I was worried," Anastasia sighed through the receiver. "I hope things are better now."
"They are," Kyle said, smiling. "We're getting along better. He's a good kid."
"I'm glad," the woman hummed from the other end. "I kept wondering if letting you have custody was a good idea. I wanted you to take care of your son," she said, and Kyle nodded, even though she couldn't see him.
"I have some help," Kyle said, stopping for the red light. "So, it's not like I figured things out alone," Kyle added.
"Ah, yes, your mum. I'm sure she's been helpful—"
"Not her, Ana," Kyle said looking at Chaska from the side of his eyes. "I met someone." The silence that followed showed that it had clicked in Anastasia's head.
"You're seeing someone?" she asked, and Kyle hummed in response.
"Yes." Kyle moved his hand out of Chaska's hand to squeeze the man's thigh. "He's wonderful."
Kyle telling his ex-wife that he was a man, made Chaska panic a bit. He wondered what the woman's reaction would be. He wondered if she was one of those people that didn't want her kids around gay people for fear that they would get 'infected.'
"Oh." Was the only thing the woman said. Kyle kept driving, not saying anything in response for a while. Chaska became nervous and started to squeeze his fingers of his free hand into his palm. The reaction didn't sound good.
