Page 138 of When Ben Loved Jace

Jason unslings one of his arms to take it. “Why do you go by Jace?”

“That’s just what my family has called me my entire life. What about you?”

Jason chews his bottom lip again, as if deciding if he wants to answer. “My mom used to call me Baby Boy,” he says with an edge of rawness to his voice.

Feeling as though I should contribute something to the conversation, I ask, “What about your dad?”

“He doesn’t call me anything,” Jason grumbles. “He’s dead.”

“Oh!” Blood rushes to my face. “I’m really sorry.”

“I’m not,” he shoots back.

“Why don’t we all get comfortable?” Michelle quickly suggests, ushering us toward the couches.

I sit down next to Jace and pretend not to notice the way Jasonhas hung back, angling himself away from us so he can murmur, “I don’t want to do this.”

“Give them a chance,” Michelle replies in hushed tones, rubbing his upper arm affectionately. “For me.”

Jason sighs. He plops down on the couch next to her with a sullen expression.

“Let’s each share something about ourselves,” Michelle suggests. “Whatever comes to mind.”

“I’m a flight attendant,” Jace says, “which is really cool because most of my workday is spent among the clouds.”

Jason snorts. “I’m not a little kid.”

“I am,” Jace replies, not sounding offended in the slightest. “I still feel that way whenever I get to fly. People take it for granted. Most of them only glance out the window, if they look away from their phones at all, but I think it’s amazing. A bunch of human beings in a metal tube, shooting through the sky… What a miracle! Have you ever flown before, Jason?”

He shakes his head.

“We’ll change that. You’re going to love it. Where we end up doesn’t really matter. Just imagine being able to see a cloud up close. Or from above. Flying through them isn’t as interesting as you might imagine. You still need to experience it though.”

Jason snorts again, a smile playing about his lips. “That does sound cool.”

“Great!” Jace replies before looking to me.

“Oh. Uh… I’m a speech language pathologist at the hospital. And, um, I also do some theater work.” Trying to take inspiration from my husband, I add, “Which means I get to pretend to be someone I’m not.”

“I wouldn’t want that job,” Jason says, crossing his arms again. “That’s how I feel whenever I have to go live with some dumb family.”

“Jason!” Michelle chastises.

“What? It’s true! I’d rather stay here.” He sits upright, turning his anger on us. “You’re not doing me a favor, you know.”

“Of course not,” Jace replies. “We’re the ones who need you.”

Jason considers him before slumping into the couch again.

“We’re not exactly a traditional family,” I venture. “Do you think it would be weird living with two gay guys?”

Jason’s head swivels in my direction. I wish I could see his eyes better. It’s hard to get a read on him.

“No,” he says eventually. “I don’t think that’s weird.”

“We have a trailer parked in our driveway,” Jace says. “A classic Airstream. Do you know what those are?”

“Kind of.”