Page 23 of Worth the Wait

“I want to watch a movie with you.”

“How?” Callum asked, voice still sleepy.

“I can share my desktop or something. I’ll put one on. I just want to… do something with you.”

“You’re making me wish we could snuggle, Daddy.”

“Me too, kitten.”

“Okay, let me turn on my computer. Hold on.”

Jack opened his laptop and queued up a movie while he waited for Callum to come back on the line. The intensity with which Jack felt an ache to physically touch Callum was almost enough to send him straight to the airport this second, fears be damned.

“What are we gonna watch?”

“Something old,” Jack told him, sharing his screen with Callum then pressing play on his favorite Jimmy Stewart movie.

“I love this one,” Callum told him when the opening credits rolled.

They sat across the country in comfortable silence while the movie played, laughing together at parts they both found funny. Jack was worried his sleepy kitten would fall asleep in the middle, but he recognized the sound of the groan Callum made when he stretched his body at the end.

“That was nice,” Callum said, his voice a little sad.

“It’ll be nicer in August.”

Callum huffed out a small laugh, “That seems like a lifetime away.”

“I promise it’ll be here before you know it. Are you going to pick me up from the airport when I come?”

“I’ll even make you a sign.”

“Oh?”

“Definitely.”

“And what will the sign say?”

“Lost kitten searching for Daddy,” Callum teased.

“You think you’re so clever.”

“I am so clever.”

Silence.

“Are you sure we have to wait until August?” Callum finally asked.

Jack’s fears slammed into him like a freight train and he swallowed them down bitterly.

“August, kitten. Then you’ll never want to see me again.”

“Unlikely,” Callum scoffed. “Anyway. How was brunch? How was your weekend?”

“Brunch was good. I found out two of my friends are sleeping with each other, so that was pretty hilarious. I had lunch with Travis and Holly for the first time yesterday after I was done at the shelter. That was new.”

“I love that you love animals,” Callum told him.

“Not enough to own one.” Jack laughed.