Page 37 of Out on a Limb

“Sophie is starting ballet on Thursdays, and she has Mandarin on Mondays. Maybe on Friday?”

“We’ll check our calendars. Where did you find your Mandarin tutor? We’re on the hunt for a good French tutor.”

Walker tuned out. He could only take so much of this. He didn’t know how Doug wasn’t dropping dead from exhaustion.

In college, Walker gained about a million friends when they started dating. Doug treated each of them as they had a special relationship, but Walker knew Doug was his at the end of the day. Doug’s compact size and charm reminded people of Truman Capote. Precious was his nickname on campus. He liked being the strong, silent type to Doug’s social butterfly.

Walker thought they were going to make it. They didn’t want to do long distance after graduation. Doug began his master’s at Browerton, and Walker stayed. He turned down a job in New York City. Because he loved him. Because Doug made him into the man he always wanted to be. He thought they were forever.

And maybe they were, until Ron came along.

Doug elbowed him in the ribs. Walker was mid-yawn. He covered his mouth.

“What’s the matter, Walker? Your pretty young thing wearing you out?” Doug asked, louder than he needed to. Melinda and the other moms turned their heads.

“I just had a busy day, that’s all.”

“Pretty young thing?” Melinda asked.

“Walker’s newfriendis graduating Browerton this June.” He placed extra emphasis on friend, even though that was technically the truth.

Walker’s face flushed a whole new color of red. “He’s a friend.”

“I met him. He seems like a great friend.”

The moms traded looks that Walker tried to ignore.

Walker wanted to tell the other father of his child to shut the fuck up, but he would take the high road. The high road ate at his insides, but it was the right thing to do.

“Go Hobie!” Walker threw his hands up and clapped for his son tumbling at the moment. Doug followed suit not to be outdone.

Hobie took a bow for the parents, which cracked up Walker. Only Walker, apparently. Rather than join his class in a nearby circle, Hobie ran to the corner of the room and proceeded to jump on a pile of gym mats.

“Not again,” Doug whispered to Walker.

“It’s not that big of a deal.”

Hobie rolled himself into one of mats like he was sushi. Walker nodded at him to rejoin his classmates.

“His instructors spoke to me about this the other day,” Doug said. “He’s been doing this every class. Running off to do his own thing.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

Doug didn’t bother to answer that. He was the default A parent, and Walker was B, though Walker didn’t know when those roles were decided.

“He’s a little quirky,” Walker said. “He’s still tumbling. It’s really not that big of a deal.”

“Or it could be a sign of something else,” Doug said in one of those tones that doctors used to describe spreading cancer cells. Walker rolled his eyes at his ex-husband’s dramatics.

“He’s fine. He’s just too cool for his class.”

Doug shot Walker a withering stare. He shook his head with a toxic mix of disgust and disappointment.Yeah, well I’m bound to you, too, Doug, Walker’s eyes said back.

All of those college memories with Doug seemed far away, not just timewise. Walker didn’t know how he got here, and he didn’t know whom he got here with.

CHAPTER thirteen

Cameron