Page 54 of After Hours Lectures

“Good.”

We fell into small talk on the two-hour drive until Tyler told me about going to see his mother. That turned into more than just a casual conversation.

“Remember how I mentioned my bio mom sucked?” he asked.

“Yeah.”

“Well.” He blew out a breath. “She contacted my brother, and we ended up going to see her.”

“Really? How did that go?”

He shrugged briefly. “She didn’t seem all that thrilled that I was there, but still tried to act like she’s done nothing wrong and everything should be lovey-dovey with us three— or at least with my brother, Dylan.”

“You mentioned before that your relationship with her isn’t good, but you weren’t specific. What happened with her?” I probed.

“Growing up, she never put me and my brother first. She dated a lot of guys and then once she got with her last husband, it became worse. She turned into a homophobic bitch when she found out my dad was dating a man. Or maybe she’d always been one, who knows? Anyway, she and Miguel, who was only her boyfriend at the time, tried to defy the custody order by keeping me and my brother in Texas.”

“Does she know you’re gay?”

“Well.” He chuckled. “She does now. I told her right before my brother and I walked out of the restaurant.”

My eyes widened. “Seriously?”

He lifted a shoulder. “It just sorta slipped out.”

“How did she take it?”

“Not well. She had the audacity to blame my father’s influence when I told her I had a boyfriend.”

“Wait. You told her about me?”

“Just that I’m dating someone and happy.”

“You’re happy?” I grinned.

“Isn’t it obvious?”

“Yeah. I’m happy too.” We smiled at each other until I quickly looked back at the road. “What’s going to happen now between you two?”

He looked out the window at the hills outside his window. “Hopefully it sunk in that we never want to see her again.”

I wasn’t super close with my parents, given their baby wasThe Hub, but I still couldn’t imagine never seeing them again. They were nothing but supportive of me, and to think Tyler hadn’t had that from his biological mother was heartbreaking.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered.

“It’s okay.” He turned back to look at me. “I have Jamie, and she’s the only mother I need.”

“Your stepdad’s ex-wife, right?”

“Yeah, Chase. He played for the Rockies and moved to San Diego when he retired. He and my dad went to college together and then reconnected years later when my father became Chase’s son’s travel ball coach. It’s a crazy story.”

I was racking my brain for a former Rockies player named Chase and then … “Wait. Chase Matthewson is your stepdad?”

“Yeah. You know who he is?”

“Do I know who he is? Jesus, Tyler. I grew up a Sox’s fan. Chase Matthewson was responsible for us not winning the World Series like eleven years ago. I was there that night covering the game forThe Hub.”

“Wow, that’s cool.” I shot him a playful glare. “I mean, not cool your team lost, but cool you know who my dad is.”