Page 105 of The Meeting
“Mom, you need to stop setting me up with women. I mean, I wasn’t lying when I said I wasn’t interested.”
Jane looked back and forth between Sandy and Derek. “I’m sorry, Sandy. I didn’t know.”
Sandy held a hand up. “It’s okay, Jane. I knew. I agreed to come for support.”
“You knew?”
Sandy glanced at Derek and gave him a smile. “I’ve always known.”
For once since Kailynn met Jane, Jane was silent. She leaned back in her chair, her mouth slightly ajar as she stared at Derek. Rob stood up and came around the table to where Derek sat. He reached a hand down for Derek to take and hauled him to his feet before pulling him into a hug.
“I’m proud of you for coming out to us. That couldn’t have been easy,” he said.
Derek’s eyes glassed over with unshed tears as he hugged his dad back.
“Thank you, Papa. That means a lot.”
Jane finally stood up and walked over to Derek as well. “I’m sorry I’ve always tried to set you up with women. I honestly had no idea.”
Derek pulled her into a hug. “It’s okay, Mama. I knew you meant well.”
Kailynn looked over at Chase, who still sat dumbfounded. She bumped his shoulder, and he looked over at her. She tilted her head in question, asking why he hadn’t said anything yet.
Chase remained seated, but leaned forward. “Derek, I feel like I should have known.”
Derek shrugged as everyone took their seats again. He scooted his chair back up to the table and put his elbows on it. “I tried to keep it a secret.”
“Why?”
“This is a very conservative area. I wasn’t sure how it would be received.”
Kailynn watched the two brothers as they seemed to share a silent conversation, but she hoped Chase would say more than that out loud.
“I’m happy you felt comfortable telling us now,” he said.
“Thanks, man,” Derek said.
Jane clapped her hands together. “Okay, let’s eat dinner before it gets cold.”
And with that, the subject changed.
25
Chase helped his mom and Kailynn gather items from the kitchen for s’mores by the fire, while his dad and Derek lit the fire in the fire pit. Sandy had excused herself after dinner and had gone home.
He was still shocked he hadn’t known about Derek. They grew up together and were close all throughout their childhood, so why hadn’t he known? He should have. Disappointment in himself creeped straight into his chest.
And to think his brother went through his life keeping an enormous secret all alone. Or, apparently, not as alone as Chase had thought, since Sandy said she had known. He knew it wasn’t about him, but it hurt to know his brother hadn’t trusted him with that information.
Chase thought back to their childhood to see if there were any signs where he should have figured it out. Nothing huge stood out, except the fact that Derek wasn’t interested in going on dates with girls despite him being on the popular side. Most of Derek’s friends had been female, but there wasn’t any romance there. The girls rarely hit on him for long. It was like they all knew.
Then the morning came back to mind. John had been in the house early and was shirtless, while Derek was still in his boxers. It all made sense. John even went out of his way to avoid Chase. He should have seen it.
“Are you okay?” Kailynn asked, quietly, after they set all the s’mores ingredients on a fold-out table his mom had set up.
“Yeah, I’m just stunned. If I think back, there were signs. I just didn’t see them.”
She nodded.
