Page 76 of Dibs
“‘Sources confirm’? What the fuck?” I muttered.
“Seems someone has loose lips,” Aron stated.
I glanced up from my phone. “Santiago.”
“Santiago? That asshole?”
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath and then explained how our former teammate was still in my life.
“I hate that son of a bitch,” Aron clipped. “He needs his ass beat.”
“Trust me, there’s a list forming of people who want to do it.”
“Let me have the first punch, would ya?” he asked.
I chuckled slightly. “Yeah, no problem, but …”
“But?” he prompted.
I took another breath. “I have a meeting with the Padres’ broadcast station for a guest analyst position. What if this news fucks that up?”
“It won’t.” Aron reached out and squeezed my shoulder. “If they have a problem with your sexuality, then they will have a fucking lawsuit on their hands. Just like being married to Drew doesn’t affect my game, dating Gage or any other man doesn’t mean you can’t do your job.”
“Right,” I agreed, but I was still fearful.
Would there ever be a time when it didn’t matter who I or anyone else loved?
* * *
The entire timewe were at the National Blues Museum, I kept looking around to see who knew the latest gossip in the baseball world. You would think there was a picture of me and Gage kissing. Instead, it was one of me three seats away from him with our kids in the middle. No one would have batted an eye if not for the so-called source.
My head was spinning and I couldn’t focus on all the exhibits in the museum. When Aron and I had returned to the table, I’d shown Gage the article while Aron distracted the boys with baseball talk.
“What do we do?” he asked.
“Are you okay with it?” I wondered.
“Yeah, if you are. Everyone we know is already aware.”
“Yeah. Just sucks that our relationship is in the media.”
“Do you know who the source is?”
I gave Gage a look to mean, are you serious?
“Miguel?”
I nodded. “I’m guessing he thinks once it’s out in the world, no judge will grant a gay father full custody.”
“That can’t be true, can it?”
“I doubt it, but he’s so fucked up in the head that he probably believes it.”
“Can we go swimming when we get back to the hotel?” Jase asked as we left the National Blues Museum.
“Yeah, buddy,” I answered. “And then we can order room service and watch Aron play on TV.”
Once we were at the pool, my man and I sat off to the side and watched the boys play.
