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Authors: R. Cooper
Tags: Romance MM, erotic MM
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way to treat him as family from
almost the beginning, which meant giving him chores and
involving him in disputes and the conspiracy to get George to
quit smoking a few years ago.
Perhaps that was why the tension coming from the
kitchen now held him back. He had a sense, however
irrational it may have been, that those inside had waited for
him to be gone to give them freedom to talk. He also had a
feeling, far less irrational, that it was a conversation they
had had before; perhaps it was the exhausted frustration in
Everett"s voice with every answer.
63
A Wealth of Unsaid Words • R. Cooper
Leaving them for so long, not driving down for parties or
Thanksgiving, suddenly seemed like an unforgiveable
mistake, though he"d had his reasons.
It had been a year since he"d last driven down here.
Many things must have taken place that he didn"t know
about. But the sound of voices in the kitchen, conversations
happening without his knowledge, made him go utterly still.
He was breathing too hard for the short walk back from
the park and shook his head at his own stupidity. Of course
life went on without him, and people spoke even when he
wasn"t there. Of course Everett and his mother would have
things to say they would not say with him around.
But a noise slipped from him despite his clenched jaw,
and he pressed closer to the door, on the outside listening in
for any scrap of Everett"s secrets.
“Where did you put my vanilla, Everett?” Ally stopped in
the middle of whatever she had been saying to ask the
question. Alex inhaled and thought he smelled chocolate, as
though she was making cocoa. She probably was. The
children had said something about it waiting for them when
they returned from the park.
Everett must have responded silently, because she
dropped the question and went inexorably back to the
subject that had left Alex frozen on her doorstep.
“You aren"t getting any younger, Everett.” He"d never
heard her use that tone, at least never on Everett.
“I know that.” Everett"s voice held a thread of irritation,
or maybe embarrassment. Alex thought of Everett at his
64
A Wealth of Unsaid Words • R. Cooper
birthday again, and his face over the warm glow of so many
candles, and the faint sensation that Everett was counting
more than candles when he"d looked at him.
Alex let out a breath.
“Then what are you waiting for?” Ally, or someone, did
something with a pot or pan that drowned out anything else
she might have said.
It must not have been the first time she"d asked.
Everett"s voice went lower, quiet with desperation and
warning.
“Mom.”
“There"s no such thing as perfection.” Ally went on, and
Alex wondered, vaguely, if she was holding herself upright
with that angle to her chin that Everett got when he was
being stubborn, and if Everett was as well in that moment.
“I know that.” This was even more hushed, as though
Everett had turned away.
“I think everyone knows that, Mom.” Robert piped up
from somewhere farther away. Robert wasn"t seeing anyone
right now that Alex knew of, so if anyone ought to be getting
a lecture about his love life, it was him. Maybe Molly, but
Molly was younger and still had some leeway that Everett
was being denied.
Alex pictured him cornered by his mother behind the
counter, sticky with dough or icing, and trying not to stare
back at her. But he would eventually. They were too alike,
and she"d see through his attempts to hide anything.
65
A Wealth of Unsaid Words • R. Cooper
He wished he had her powers and immediately felt like a
hypocritical ass, because if he"d wanted Everett"s few
remaining secrets, he could have had them whenever he
wanted.
“There will never be a time when everything is great,
when everything is better. What you do have is the ability to
work to try to keep things mostly good, and even that takes a
lot of work.”
“I know , Mom.” Everett did. Couldn"t Ally hear it
almost the beginning, which meant giving him chores and
involving him in disputes and the conspiracy to get George to
quit smoking a few years ago.
Perhaps that was why the tension coming from the
kitchen now held him back. He had a sense, however
irrational it may have been, that those inside had waited for
him to be gone to give them freedom to talk. He also had a
feeling, far less irrational, that it was a conversation they
had had before; perhaps it was the exhausted frustration in
Everett"s voice with every answer.
63
A Wealth of Unsaid Words • R. Cooper
Leaving them for so long, not driving down for parties or
Thanksgiving, suddenly seemed like an unforgiveable
mistake, though he"d had his reasons.
It had been a year since he"d last driven down here.
Many things must have taken place that he didn"t know
about. But the sound of voices in the kitchen, conversations
happening without his knowledge, made him go utterly still.
He was breathing too hard for the short walk back from
the park and shook his head at his own stupidity. Of course
life went on without him, and people spoke even when he
wasn"t there. Of course Everett and his mother would have
things to say they would not say with him around.
But a noise slipped from him despite his clenched jaw,
and he pressed closer to the door, on the outside listening in
for any scrap of Everett"s secrets.
“Where did you put my vanilla, Everett?” Ally stopped in
the middle of whatever she had been saying to ask the
question. Alex inhaled and thought he smelled chocolate, as
though she was making cocoa. She probably was. The
children had said something about it waiting for them when
they returned from the park.
Everett must have responded silently, because she
dropped the question and went inexorably back to the
subject that had left Alex frozen on her doorstep.
“You aren"t getting any younger, Everett.” He"d never
heard her use that tone, at least never on Everett.
“I know that.” Everett"s voice held a thread of irritation,
or maybe embarrassment. Alex thought of Everett at his
64
A Wealth of Unsaid Words • R. Cooper
birthday again, and his face over the warm glow of so many
candles, and the faint sensation that Everett was counting
more than candles when he"d looked at him.
Alex let out a breath.
“Then what are you waiting for?” Ally, or someone, did
something with a pot or pan that drowned out anything else
she might have said.
It must not have been the first time she"d asked.
Everett"s voice went lower, quiet with desperation and
warning.
“Mom.”
“There"s no such thing as perfection.” Ally went on, and
Alex wondered, vaguely, if she was holding herself upright
with that angle to her chin that Everett got when he was
being stubborn, and if Everett was as well in that moment.
“I know that.” This was even more hushed, as though
Everett had turned away.
“I think everyone knows that, Mom.” Robert piped up
from somewhere farther away. Robert wasn"t seeing anyone
right now that Alex knew of, so if anyone ought to be getting
a lecture about his love life, it was him. Maybe Molly, but
Molly was younger and still had some leeway that Everett
was being denied.
Alex pictured him cornered by his mother behind the
counter, sticky with dough or icing, and trying not to stare
back at her. But he would eventually. They were too alike,
and she"d see through his attempts to hide anything.
65
A Wealth of Unsaid Words • R. Cooper
He wished he had her powers and immediately felt like a
hypocritical ass, because if he"d wanted Everett"s few
remaining secrets, he could have had them whenever he
wanted.
“There will never be a time when everything is great,
when everything is better. What you do have is the ability to
work to try to keep things mostly good, and even that takes a
lot of work.”
“I know , Mom.” Everett did. Couldn"t Ally hear it
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