Page 39 of Something Like Winter

His mother stopped singing.

“I keep telling him what real Mexican food tastes like and how it’s different from the Tex-Mex around here, so I thought maybe he could stay.”

“Why don’t you ever bring your girlfriend by for dinner?”

Tim’s stomach sank. “Because she eats like a bird. So what do you think?”

His mother was quiet a moment.

“Please?”

Ella dropped a couple more peppers into the oil. “Set another place at the table.”

“Thanks!”

Tim kissed her on the cheek and ran back to the entryway, feeling twice as nervous now. Ben didn’t seem too comfortable, either. He was staring at the stairs he had snuck up so many times at night, but when he saw Tim, he put on an easy smile.

“How’d it go?”

“We’re good. I hope you’re hungry.”

“Starving!”

Tim took a deep breath. “Look, I was thinking. Just let them get to know you this time. Don’t play the gay card. Not tonight.”

“Tim—”

“Some other time, okay?”

Ben’s expression was grim, but he nodded. The knot in Tim’s stomach loosened slightly. Then he remembered he had to set an extra place at the table. He was doing so when his father came in the dining room, followed by his mother a second later, carrying the peppers.

“Mom, Dad, this is my friend Ben.”

His father’s brow furrowed.

“He’s staying for dinner,” Ella explained. “Gordito,get the rice from the kitchen. Your friend can bring the salad.”

“See?” Ben said when they were in the kitchen. “I’m part of the family already.”

Tim didn’t laugh. Was it too late to bail? Couldn’t they slip out the back door and disappear? The atmosphere at the table felt tense when they returned and were seated. Ben had met his match this time, Tim was certain. At least Ben was prepared. Tim had coached him as best he could, starting with the way his family said grace. Without any prompting, Ben bowed his head before reaching for any food, intoning the words seamlessly along with the rest of his family.

“And thank you to the Wymans for being kind enough to share this food with me,” Ben added at the end.

Tim glanced at his parents. His mother appeared pleased or amused, but his father watched with stoic puzzlement. Tim helped his mother serve. Ben made a big deal over how good the food tasted, launching into a big speech about how interested he was in Mexican culture, and how he had done a paper for school about Mexico City, where—surprise!— Tim’s mother just happened to be from. To Tim it all sounded phony, but his mother laughed at all the right moments and seemed genuinely flattered by his interest.

Tim was sure they were doomed when Ben started talking sports with his father, but that went even better. Ben got Thomas raving about the Kansas City Chiefs—a smart move since it meant Ben spent most of his time listening and nodding. Tim stopped waiting for the world to end and focused on stuffing his face. Really, this was nice. Usually when Tim ate with his parents they spent most of their time talking to each other. Now, with Ben playing moderator, they were treated like the couples his parents occasionally entertained.

“It is so nice to finally meet one of Tim’s friends,” his mother said. “He’s been so protective of his social life since Kansas.”

“Not protective,” Tim said. “I just like going out instead of staying home. I’m too old for sleepovers, you know.”

Ben’s mouth twitched with amusement, but he hid the smile, thank god. They weren’t playing a game here!

His mother turned to Ben. “Do you know his other friends? His girlfriend?” Mrs. Wyman asked.

Tim nearly choked on his food. He hadn’t thought to brief Ben about this. Romance was his mother’s passion. She loved her husband more than anything, more than him, so the one aspect of Tim’s world she always inquired about was his love life. If he didn’t have a girlfriend, she obsessed over it, so it was easier to lie and say he had one. “Of course he knows Krista!”

Ben didn’t miss a beat, even if his voice was strained. “She’s really pretty. Popular too.”