Kellen's Moment

by Robin Alexander

  *******

  “You okay?” Stevie asked with a smile. Kellen was still chuckling as she served slices of Trulee’s French silk chocolate pie for dessert on the deck.

  “You stomped a foot when you were screaming about deodorant, just like you did in the video you showed me.” Kellen cracked up again. “I’m sorry, I’ll get it together.”

  “Tell me something embarrassing you’ve done but never admitted to anyone,” Stevie said with a challenging grin. “Tell me the first thing that comes to your mind because that’s what we usually want to hide the most.”

  Kellen’s thoughts went straight to Mr. Sealy in her closet. “Oh,” she said, dragging out the word. “Okay, some people like to purge their thoughts into a journal, I prefer to talk…to…a creature that’s not alive. I used to vent my frustration on it, but gradually, that changed, and I just stare into its eyes and say what’s going on in my head.”

  “Is it a stuffed—”

  “It’s Mr. Sealy!” Kellen exclaimed, unable to stop herself.

  “Are you telling me you have that thing in your house?”

  “Yes, my hall closet is like a Zen garden containing coats and a bronze seal.” Kellen blew out a breath. “I’ll put it in your car if you want me to since it does rightfully belong to you.”

  “I hate that damn thing,” Stevie said with a scowl. “When I turned eight, my job was to go to my dad’s office every Saturday and clean off bird shit and the gum people stuck on Mr. Stupid Sealy. Do you know how gross it is to handle some stranger’s chewed gum after they made fake boobs out of it? My dad acted as though Rodin himself had made that smiling stupid-ass thing just for him. It was the best day ever when he came home and told us Mr. Sealy had been stolen, so thank you for that.”

  Kellen smiled. “You’re welcome. Just so we’re clear, you don’t want me to load him in your car, so you can give him back to your dad?”

  “If you put that thing in my car, I’ll drive it to Trent’s shop and cut it into strips with a welding torch.”

  Kellen’s jaw sagged. “All the time I spent clacking on that thing’s head with a hammer, and it never occurred to me to do that. Damn. Okay, well, tell me your embarrassing thing.”

  “My thing is my laugh, it’s horrible.”

  “I’ve heard you laugh, and I don’t know why you’d say that,” Kellen said with a bewildered smile.

  “You know how you lost it in the woods over the deodorant confession? When something makes me laugh that hard, I sound kinda like I’m yelling ack. People have actually thought I was sneezing when I’ve forgotten to suppress it.” Stevie sighed. “This is why I don’t allow myself to get drunk around other people because I’ll forget and let that monster out, and it’s humiliating. I’m so serious, it’s awful. The ack comes out, and it’s followed by a loud squeaky inhale, ack, ack, ack, wheeze, ack, ack. If I ever make the mistake of doing that in front of you, choke me until I stop or pass out, please.”

  “You bark, and I talk to a seal.” Kellen shrugged. “I think we have a good thing going here, and we’re headed to a second date.”

  Stevie smiled. “Me too, and I was dead serious, choke me out if I start up with the acking.”

  “I’ll probably think it’s adorable.”

  “Trust me, you will not,” Stevie said wide-eyed.

  “We do have to talk about the fact the more we see each other the higher the risk we have for being caught. What is that gonna mean for you?”

  Stevie sighed. “When my family finds out that I’m seeing you, my mom is going to ruin every one of my favorite Fleetwood Mac songs. Their Rumors album is her happy place. She sings those songs when she’s stressed.”

  “I’m serious,” Kellen said with a laugh and cleared her throat. “I really am.”

  “I wasn’t joking about the singing.” Stevie twirled her fork. “I wouldn’t be surprised if they disowned me. Image to them is a priority. I think having a lesbian in the family involved with a McLin would be too much.”

  Kellen swallowed hard, and her voice sounded strained when she asked, “And you’re willing to take that risk?”

  “I don’t want to do anything to hurt them, but if they choose their image over me and disown me, what does that say about our relationship?”

  “It’s sobering to accept I’m putting you in that position,” Kellen admitted.

  “No, I’m putting myself in that position because I’m inexplicably drawn to take that chance.” Stevie smiled. “There you go, my cards are on the table.”

  “Me too,” Kellen said with a slow nod, and her gaze fixed on Stevie’s. “But since you stand to lose a lot more than I will in regard to family, I think we should take Trent’s advice, and—”

  “You want me to sniff your armpit?”

  Kellen laughed. “No, let’s spend more time together before we have to face the firing squad.”

  “I’m good with that. If I could drive my car straight through the woods, I think I’d come out in your backyard.”

  Kellen cocked her head. “You’re brilliant. It’s not a straight line, and you wouldn’t be able to get your car through there, but my four-wheeler would make it. I’ll get my phone and show it to you on the map. By the way, may I have your number?”

  *******

  Not only did Stevie’s wish to sit on the deck and drink coffee with Kellen come true, that moment was topped when they sat together wrapped in a blanket watching the sunset. “What’s your middle name?” she asked as she burrowed in closer to Kellen.

  “Layne, what’s yours?”

  “Rae.”

  Kellen smiled. “Stevie Rae Sealy, that—”

  “Does not have a ring to it, yes, I know.”

  Kellen laughed. “I wasn’t gonna say that.”

  “My parents are so uptight, the wildest thing they’ve ever done was name their kids after the members of a band. It’s hard for me to believe my mom can love Fleetwood Mac’s music. If you met her, you’d peg her for the classical type. Have you ever met her?”

  “I’ve heard about the Sealys all my life, but I’ve never seen your mother face to face. I didn’t even know you existed until Trent told me and Kyle not long after they started dating that you were his best friend as kids. Did you ever see Walt when you used to go to the diner?”

  “Trent was with me at the old gas station that used to be next to the diner. Walt drove up, and Trent told me who he was. I kept my head down, but I caught a glimpse of him. What’s he like when he’s not hating a Sealy?”

  “He’s stubborn as a mule, and he’s set in his ways. I call him Walt because Kyle and I always have, but I consider him my dad. I’ve forgotten a lot of things about my childhood, but the memories that’ve always stuck out in my mind are moments with him and Trulee. Walt taught me and Kyle to play the guitar, and Trulee, as you know, taught me to cook and can. They were—are—real parents to us.”

  “What’s your favorite memory of Walt?” Stevie laid her head on Kellen’s shoulder.

  Kellen laughed softly. “When I was in sixth grade, my P.E. teacher made us learn a bunch of jump rope routines, and we were gonna have a test on them. I could play just about any sport, but unlike the other girls in my class, I could not jump rope. It was humiliating. The test was on a Monday, and I went home the Friday before with my little rope and spent more time with it wrapped around my head than under my feet. Walt saw me sulking and asked what was going on and I told him. Are you ready for a dose of Walter McLin parenting?”

  “Yes,” Stevie said with a grin.

  “He said, ‘Kellen Layne, McLins don’t back down from nothing. Now you tell me the name of a kid that knows how to do this shit.’ I did, and the next thing I know, Dede Hawkins and her mother show up at the house, and Walt has cut himself a piece of rope. While Dede is demonstrating the routines, Walt is trying to do them, and he looked worse than I did. He and I spent the entire weekend jumping our ropes, and by Sunday night, Walt couldn’t get out of his recliner, but I had the ro
utines down. I remember him lying there with an ice pack in his lap telling me, ‘You knock that teacher’s socks off, then you strut back to your seat, you hear me?’”

  “Did you do that?”

  “Like a boss. I wish the mic drop would’ve been a thing back then.”

  “Aw, he does sound sweet. I should hang on to the positive memories with my parents instead of the ones that always pissed me off. Christine was the perfect child they wanted. She won beauty contests, she was always on the honor roll, my dad always praised her for having the Sealy poise. They never told me I needed to live up to the standard Chris set, but I always felt like they expected me to. I rebelled and went the complete opposite, and that caused tension. That’s one of the reasons I got stuck cleaning Mr. Sealy and Christine’s chores were things like straightening magazines on the coffee table. I hate to admit this, but I was embarrassed by my parents. They never noticed how people looked at them, but I did. You could see and feel the animosity coming from the people who worked in stores and had to wait on them. My mom would never buy meat that sat in the case in the grocery store. She’d make the butcher cut it, and he always had to cut steaks or chicken two or three times before she was satisfied.”

  “I get that she might’ve wanted a thicker or thinner steak, but what was wrong with the chicken?” Kellen asked.

  “Nothing. I think my mom enjoyed making him do it over. That kind of thing drove my grandma crazy, too, and I remember her telling Mom that she’d never acted like that before and wanted to know why she changed. My mom told her she was a Sealy, and Sealys demand the best. Grandma called her shallow, and they didn’t speak for almost a year. My family was and probably still is despised by the people who live in Sealy. That’s why I was all too happy to leave, and I didn’t really want to come back.”

  “I’m glad you came home, though,” Kellen said with a smile.

  Stevie rose up and grinned at Kellen. “I’m gonna kiss you now. A lot.”

  Chapter 11

  “Wait, why do you want a lightbar on your four-wheeler?” Kyle asked sleepily.

  “I need to be able to see better at night,” Kellen said as she drove to work the next morning. “Stevie came up with a great idea. After dark, I’m gonna drive through the woods to a meeting spot that isn’t far from the cottage and pick her up. We don’t have to worry about anyone seeing her coming to my place. I just left Dravon’s Motor Sports where I bought the bar. All I need you to do is install it today between jobs, and I will owe you a big fat favor.”

  Kyle opened one eye and looked at his bedside clock. “You’re better at wiring than I am.”

  “I have a full day at the office, plus at lunch, I have to meet Chance to look at a tree to see if we can save it. Please do me this favor.”

  “I got your back. The first date went well, huh?” Kyle asked with a smile.

  “It really did. Kyle, she’s the—”

  “Don’t say it! You might jinx it. Kell, do you need me to tell you all the reasons you should slow your roll, starting with she’s never been with a woman?”

  “I know all the reasons,” Kellen retorted. “Don’t blow me shit.”

  “All right, don’t get all salty. Did y’all discuss a timeframe for when y’all might let it out of the bag that you’re dating?”

  “We both agreed that we’d like to see each other a while secretly. I know she has a lot at stake, and I want her to be absolutely sure about us before she takes that leap with her family. My head isn’t completely in the clouds, I am thinking logically.”

  “That’s good, give yourselves some time, even if it’s a pain in the ass,” Kyle said with a yawn. “Looking back on it, I should’ve been more patient with Trent and him telling his dad. I’d been out for so long it was hard to be secretive again. Everyone knew I was gay, so if we were seen in public, a lot of people would start talking, and it would get back to Jack. We were having to do just what you’re doing, hiding. As my feelings for him grew, so did my fear that he’d get comfortable having me in the closet with him. You and Stevie are in a closet within a closet with all this family bullshit.”

  “I’m willing to give her all the time she needs. I’m not in any hurry to crush Walt, either. I know he’s gonna feel like I’ve betrayed him, and that breaks my heart.”

  “Here’s the deal, he doesn’t want to hurt you, either. If you fall for Stevie and you make each other truly happy, he’ll eventually allow himself to see past his Sealy hatred and recognize what she means to you. I think he’ll open his mind where Stevie is concerned, but he ain’t ever gonna have a few beers and share fishing stories with her dad. You can bet her people aren’t gonna get the warm fuzzies about having you over for dinner. Jack is always polite to me and shakes my hand, but I know that’s for Trent’s benefit only. I think he still sees me as the guy that lured his son into the gay, even though Trent’s told him that’s not true.”

  “Oh, yeah, I’m sure the Sealys will blame me for that too. I wonder what Dave’s messages will be like after she drops that bombshell.”

  Kyle laughed. “He sure won’t invite you to have lunch with him anymore.”

  *******

  Stevie was having a hard time keeping her focus on her latest project, an instruction manual for a home gym system. It wasn’t something she normally worked on since most of her clients were electronics businesses. The project had come from a former boss who’d started his own company, and he’d been exceptionally kind to Stevie, so she wanted to return the favor.

  As soon as she’d get into the flow of explaining how to assemble the home gym, a word like deck would trigger a memory from the day before. Deck made her think of the time she spent with Kellen on hers, and that led into the way Kellen’s fingers felt on her neck while they enjoyed a half-dozen good night kisses. The word friction broke her out in a sweat. It had taken her hours to complete the assembly instructions alone. Right as she started to get into the operational part, there was a knock.

  “This is a gift from Christine and me,” Joan said when Stevie opened her door and walked in carrying a couple of boxes. “Let’s put it together, I can’t wait for you to see how fast it brews a cup of coffee.”

  “Mom, thank you, but I’m right in the middle—”

  “Where did you go yesterday? You were gone when we got home from church, and your car still wasn’t here when we left for the night service.”

  Stevie recited the lie she’d mentally rehearsed. “I went to see a friend who lives in Belle Chasse. I met her when I went to UGA, and we bonded because we were both from Louisiana.”

  “You mean Megan, the one you roomed with in your freshman year?” Joan asked.

  “Yes,” Stevie said, even though her roommate then was named Kelsey.

  “I’m so glad you’re reconnecting with old friends,” Joan said as she opened the box containing the new coffeemaker. “You see, Belle Chasse and New Orleans are a short drive from here, we’re like a suburb. You don’t have to live in the middle of the city to enjoy the benefits. You could buy a huge house and land here for a fraction of the price you were going to pay for that tiny garden home in New Orleans.”

  Stevie’s brow furrowed when Joan pulled a plastic bag from the pocket of her jacket filled with fluid. “What is that?”

  “You have to soak the water filter for these things before you install them. I already did that, so we could enjoy the first cups of coffee from your new brewer.” Joan glanced at Stevie with a frown. “You’re not considering moving to Belle Chasse, are you?”

  “I haven’t considered it, but you just said it’s not that far away.”

  “I know I can’t expect all my babies to stay in Sealy, but I would love it if you completed the nest.” Joan took the coffeemaker from the box and set it on the counter. She handed the water reservoir to Stevie. “Fill this to the line, please. You’ve only been home for visits since you left for college, and I feel like I’ve missed out on half your life. You’ll understand what that’s like when yo
u have your own children.”

  “Don’t get your hopes up high on that. After Kenzie got syrup in my hair and climbed all over me, I’m not really hip to the idea of kids.”

  “It’s different when they’re your own. You find a well of patience you didn’t realize was inside of you. I will admit that well does run dry at different times. First are the terrible twos, then pre-teen and, of course, the teen years. By the time the last of your babies is a young adult, your poor well is dry and cracked, but somehow you repair it when the grandkids come along. It helps if you refill it with wine.”

  Stevie decided to test the well water with her mom and said, “I drove through McLin on my way to Belle Chasse, and I was shocked to find it a nice little town.”

  “I wouldn’t know, I never go that way, and I know we warned you against it.” Joan sounded annoyed.

  “I think it’s silly to drive ten miles out of my way to the interstate just to avoid that town.” Stevie hooked the reservoir to the coffeemaker. “Mom, don’t you ever think about how dumb the feud with the McLins is?”

  “Of course, it’s dumb. You don’t know how tired I get of hearing your father talk about those damn McLins,” Joan said wearily. “I wish they would just stop being such jackasses and making those signs and Kellen would work with him on the parades and festivals.”

  “Mom, if you want the stupidity to end, then tell Linden to make his son stop provoking them. I heard Linden bragging to Dad at Saturday breakfast that Jordan has an assembly line in the garage where he makes his own signs. Linden pays for the supplies.”

  “Jordan is a teenager, the McLins are all supposedly adults.”

  “That may be so, but that doesn’t make our family innocent in this idiotic war. Yes, Jordan is a kid, but his adult father and grandfather are encouraging his behavior, so they may as well be making the signs themselves.”

  Joan opened another box and shoved a small cup into the coffeemaker. “Why are you defending the McLins all of the sudden?”

  “I’m not. I think it’s ridiculous that I’m not even supposed to drive through McLin because of the stupid fight. You just admitted that you’re tired of it too, so do something about it.”