Page 122 of Seasons of Love
The problem with taking the job working for Ellis is that I didn’t consider how often he’d be home.
It’s summer break, so it makes sense that he doesn’t have to go to the school. I’m just the dumb person who forgot that tiny detail.
I shouldn’t complain because he’s so generous looking after Sara, which he says he really enjoys. In fact, I suspect he stays home on purpose when he knows I’m coming in to work.
The problem is that spending so much time around Ellis means I’m getting to know him better.
The devotion he has for his students when he talks about his plans for his classes. The way he moans about his brother and sister, but I can tell he’d do anything for them. How he’s building relationships with people in the soup kitchen. Even from my side of the double doors, I hear it. He’s popular with people in my neighborhood.
They all think he’s funny for going all Mr. Teacher on a bunch of people that are much older than him, and the other day I heard Emy say he was bribing some of the guys with extra rolls to get them to convince Brian to come over and have a proper meal.
Once upon a time, I wondered what it’d be like to face my dad’s best friend again. Especially after everything he did. But I doubt the cantankerous old man will ever come to the soup kitchen.
Regardless, I don’t think Ellis will give up easily.
He’s a solid person. The kind that would never let you down.
My silly little gay heart keeps beating a little faster every time he’s around.
I can’t stop it, and that’s a bad, bad thing.
Because once all this is over, I’ll go back to being the three-day-a-week cashier struggling to pay the bills, except I’ll be doing it with a sad heart that wants Ellis more than ever before.
Why is life so unfair?
“Hey, Milo. Do you want a drink?” Ellis calls from the porch.
“Sure.”
I don’t even know what the time is. I’ve gotten so lost in my thoughts as I work on flattening the ground before I prepare the foundation for his deck.
As usual, I shake off as much dirt as possible before I go inside without my work boots. I grab my clean shirt and then go to his bathroom.
I wash my face and under my arms and use the dirty T-shirt to dry off. It’s so hot outside that I know it’ll be dry again by the time I put it back on.
After using water to make my hair somewhat straight-ish and with the clean T-shirt on, I go to see how my girl has been.
“Hey, baby-boo. What exciting and wonderful things have you been up to?”
She raises her arms from the high chair that recently appeared in Ellis’s kitchen, so I pick her up.
“Well, let’s see, she’s started out by helping me with my banking, then she pointed out that I had my autumn lesson plans back to front and that Christmas isn’t indeed in September, and then we agreed to disagree on whether whole peas are better than mushy peas.”
I laugh. “Sounds like a very productive morning.”
“Don’t know about her, but I could use a nap,” Ellis says, going to the fridge and taking out a bottle of lemonade.
“I’m sure there’s enough formula in her bag to put you both to sleep if you want. I’ll even throw in a bedtime story.” As I say it, Ellis hands me the lemonade, and our fingers brush just a little, but it’s enough to send sparks all the way through my body.
I don’t miss how Ellis tenses too.
“I was joking,” I say.
“Huh?”
“About…um, the bedtime story and…um, never mind.” I open the bottle and gulp a fair amount.
Fuck, I’ve just made things weird. Well done, Milo.
