She held my gaze for a moment as I replied, “Annie, you don’t understand. I haven’t been back to the city since Devin left me.”
She smacked the steering wheel, “What the hell does he have to do with anything?”
I swallowed hard and remained silent as she continued shouting, “Now I’m sick and tired of this. What do you think is going to happen if you go back to the city? He never gave a damn about you. So why do you even care what he thinks?”
I contemplated for a moment then asked, “But what if he’s mad that I didn’t ask him to stay while he was here?”
She waved in dismissal, “If he loves you as much as you love him, and I know for a fact that he does, then he will be over the moon to know you came all that way just to get him.”
I nodded and took a deep breath. She reached behind my seat and passed me a grocery bag, “Here, you’re going to need this to keep you alert on the road. It’s about a three-hour drive from here.”
I smiled at her, “Thank you, Annie.”
“Eh, sometimes you just need someone to give you a swift kick in the ass to point you in the right direction.”
I quickly got out of the car and ran inside. I couldn’t get dressed fast enough. I threw on my jeans, a clean flannel shirt, and my boots. After running a comb through my hair and beard I glanced in the mirror. I was going to get my boy. The phone chimed from the nightstand with a message, “I wish we were together.”
I lowered it and smiled, “Wish granted, my love.”
I didn’t have time to eat the dinner Annie had brought me so I shoved it in the fridge, grabbed my keys and sprinted out the door.
**
Mom was more than excited to see me when I got home. She welcomed me with a big hug and while we ate I filled her in on how everything went at grandmas. Somewhere along the way, I started telling her about Darby and that I was gay. She didn’t even bat an eye. She just listened and apologized for the way things went down between us. She also told me that I should never be afraid to talk to her about anything.
I hoped so much he would have asked me to stay there with him and I just couldn’t figure out why he didn’t. Maybe I’d done something wrong during sex last night? I mean, it was my first time. All kinds of thoughts were spinning around my head like a hurricane.
Maybe this was just a summer affair, destined from the beginning to end? Or maybe he liked his freedom and didn’t want to be tied down by some kid who was still trying to figure out who he wanted to be? Still, my heart said that my mind was wrong.
Maybe the truth was that he loved me so much, that he felt that he would be holding me back from making something out of my life? Unfortunately, I would never know because I had already decided not to go back. It would hurt too much to know he was just down the road. The fact that he didn’t ask me to stay, and that he hadn’t replied to any of my texts today spoke volumes.
I had hoped things wouldn’t end this way, but I would do anything to make him happy, even if it meant staying away from him. Eventually, I would stop texting him and leave him alone, but for now, I needed that connection. It was all I had left of the best summer of my life.
After mom and I said goodnight, I made my way to the bathroom to get cleaned up and change into some PJs. Tomorrow I had to face reality and move on with my life. I’d never forget him or the wonderful time we shared together.
Next week I’d start looking at colleges nearby so I could take some general study courses. It would still take me some time to figure out what I wanted to be. I’d learned a lot from Darby so something in the building or architecture business might be nice.
I’d brought his shirt with me to bed and as I slowly drifted into dreamland I held it close to me. I didn’t hate him for not trying to keep me there with him. In fact, I understood what he was trying to do, even if it was a little cowardly. What hurts the most is knowing how much he loved me, but he just wouldn’t say those three little words, “Baby, please stay.”
It was close to midnight when a pounding on the front door woke me up. Mom rushed by my room and yelled, “Don’t move sweetie.”
I wasn’t about to let her answer the door alone, so I jumped out of bed and ran after her, “Wait, mom!”
She had a baseball bat in her hands as she turned to me and quipped, “I thought I told you to stay put!”
“And what mom, let you be the one who gets murdered or raped?”
She pointed her bat at me, “I’ve got this. Keep in mind I manage a grocery store and nothing scares me.”
I rolled my eyes as she cautiously approached the door and shouted, “Who is it?”
A muffled voice replied, “Is this the Detwiler residence?”
Mom shouted back, “Who wants to know?”
The voice replied, “Darby, Darby Monroe!”
I rushed toward the door and shoved mom to the side. She was lost in the confusion as I flung open the door and crashed into him. We fell to the ground and he was laughing as I shouted, “What are you doing here.”
I was lying on top of him as he gazed up at me, “I was just in the neighborhood and thought I’d drop by.”
“Bullshit,” I quipped. “I know you’re terrified of the city!”
We sat up and he held my hands as he said, “Some things are more powerful than fear.”
Mom interjected from behind, “Caedmon, who is this?”
“This is Darby, my boyfriend!”
Darby smiled and waved, “Hi.”
Mom waved half-heartedly, “Well, as long as you know who he is then I’m going back to bed.”
“Okay mom, Goodnight.”
She waved in dismissal as she turned around and fluttered down the hallway.
Excitedly, I turned my focus back to Darby. He tousled my hair, “Your mom seems nice.”
I lowered my gaze, “She is, she runs a grocery store in town and has to be up early or I’m sure she would have been more friendly.”
He shook his head, “It’s okay.”
As we stood up, he tucked his hands into his pockets and smiled, “So, I bet you’re wondering why I would show up like this?”
I grinned, “I have an idea, but it would be nice to hear it from you.”
He twitched his nose and chuckled, “Boy, you’re just not going to go easy on me at all are you?”
I shook my head, “Not a chance.”
He glanced away and traced the ground with his foot, “Well, the truth is…I just…”
He met my gaze, “I never thought I could love anyone again. I ran away from everything I knew to keep it from happening and I thought if I let you go that eventually you’d forget about me and move on with your life.”
I frowned and shook my head as he continued, “You see, I always thought I was better off alone. That maybe I did something to Devin that pushed him away and if that was the case, maybe I am better off alone.”
He sighed, “But I was wrong, so very wrong. He and I were never meant to be. The universe in its infinite wisdom had other plans.”
He took my hands and sniffled as tears started to well up in the corners of his eyes, “I love you, Caedmon. I love you more than the sun and the stars that God taught how to shine. Once in your life, you meet someone who shows you what it means to live and before I met you I was dead inside.
You’re my boy and I can’t imagine my life without you in it, so come back with me. Please come home and I promise I’ll never let you go again.”
I cried out, “Oh, Darby,” and crashed into him.
He wrapped his arms around my neck and wept, “Please don’t hurt me.”
And I replied, “Never.”
Fear is a funny thing. Sometimes it helps us escape situations when our lives are in danger. Other times, it keeps us from pursuing things we love because it won’t allow us to see the good in a situation.
The night Darby came to get me we decided to go to a hotel in town. I would have asked him to stay with me at mom’s house but I didn’t think she would t
ake kindly to having a man she didn’t know spend the night with me in her house.
The next day we met for lunch so she could get to know him a little better. They hit it off pretty well. When he went to the bathroom I asked her what she thought. She said he was nice and as long as I was happy, that’s all that mattered. I think she was a little concerned about our age difference but as time goes by I think she’ll get more used to it.
Since he was so close to his parents in Reidsville he wanted to make a quick trip to see them. We ended up spending a few days in town visiting with them. Darby said they really liked me and that I was a well-mannered little sweetheart, unlike Devin.
On the way back to Brasstown, we stopped by mom’s so I could grab some clothes and things. She was sad, but part of her was happy someone would be close by to keep an eye on grandma.
When we got back to town, grandma waived Darby’s rent and said as long as he and I were seeing each other she didn’t feel right about charging family rent. He’s not rich by any means but he does make a little money from his carpentry work as well as commissions from when he sold insurance.
We’re looking forward to the holidays and come next spring I’m going to start taking night classes at a little community college in town. In the meantime, I’ve been helping Darby finish up a few little projects leftover from summer. I’ve really learned a lot about woodwork, he even dubbed me his little apprentice.
Some people think I’m still too young to know what I want but I’m one of the lucky ones. I came here as a boy to take care of my grandma’s property but somewhere along the way I grew up and became a man.
If you look beyond the thick of the trees, in the tiny mountain town of Brasstown, North Carolina you’ll find an old farmhouse where a rugged carpenter lives with his boy and that boy is me. I am Caedmon, Caedmon Detwiler, the carpenter’s apprentice.
THE END
About The Author
Daniel Elijah Sanderfer
Daniel Elijah Sanderfer is a retired Hospitality Manager who currently resides in Southern Indiana with his husband William. Originally from the Blue Ridge Mountain region of Virginia, he moved to Indiana to be closer to his then-fiancé.
They have been married for three years and together for sixteen total years. He was always interested in writing even from a young age and was featured in a few poetry collections as a teen. Now he has over thirty published works available on Amazon.
When he is not writing he is a caretaker, as his husband is disabled and requires full-time care. He also enjoys going to antique stores, and in the summer he enjoys going to yard sales and being outdoors in his garden.
He currently writes LGBT fiction that covers many different tropes and genres. The best place to keep up with Daniel is on social media, specifically in his Facebook group Sanderfer's Socialites.
The Carpenter's Apprentice Page 5