Pressing the heels of his hands against his forehead, David thought of the times he was hoping to achieve on both runs. Anything less than 15:00 on the 5,000 would be an extreme achievement. He had only run that fast once during a recent practice. While replicating the time seemed nearly impossible, David knew his competition would be fierce, and he needed to step up to the task and make it happen if he wanted any scouts watching for future college recruits to notice him.
The time for the 10,000 was something David knew would be his biggest challenge. If he could run thirty minutes flat, David would celebrate. He had seen Kevin break 30:00 once and hoped Kevin could carry out the seemingly unrepeatable time once again when it counted.
There was so much to think about, so much at stake, including Kevin’s deal with John. David wanted West Hartford to win, but he also wanted John to leave Kevin alone. John was beginning to cross lines with Kevin no boyfriend wants to watch crossed. Despite Kevin’s resistance to John’s ongoing temptations, David was worried.
“David, where are you? You need to eat a high-protein breakfast with just the right amount of carbs. Don’t you want to be at your optimal physical level?” Steve’s summons from the kitchen broke David’s obsessive and stressful thoughts. Taking a deep breath, he followed the aroma of freshly brewed coffee and a variety of breakfast foods.
When he entered the kitchen, David found a plate of eggs, whole-wheat toast, and Canadian bacon waiting at his usual seat. There was a tall glass of fat-free milk, the only kind his fathers bought, as well as a twenty-ounce bottle of water, presumably for David to take to the meet.
As he reached for his utensils to try to force the nutritious breakfast down his throat, Rob placed a hand gently over David’s wrist, halting his actions. “I want you to know, no matter how you do today, we love you, and as far as Steve and I are concerned, you’re already a winner. You’ve turned our lives around and brought them to a gold medal level.”
David chuckled. “You know that’s probably the corniest thing you’ve ever said to me.”
“My secret is out. I’m actually corny when I’m not on the air. One thing is certain, every word is true.”
His father’s words found their way into David’s heart, and he felt his shoulders relax and the building tension began to subside. “Thank you. You said just the right thing at just the right time.” David looked from Steve to Rob. “I’ll probably have to say something as wise to you guys next week.” He grinned. “After all, it’s the best man’s job to keep the groom calm and in line, and I’ll have two grooms to deal with.”
Steve smiled. “I like how you think. Now eat up. I want you to be at just the right nutrition levels for running today. The last thing the team needs to hear is their coach couldn’t feed his own—” Steve cut himself off and stuffed a piece of toast into his mouth, clearly to cover his inability to know how to finish the sentence.
David swallowed the forkful of eggs he had in his mouth and turned to Steve. Maybe he and his dad weren’t the only guys in their family who needed reassurance from time to time. “It’s okay. You can say it. We both know I’m your kid too, and as far as I’m concerned, it’s true in every way that counts.” David saw Steve smile and then turned toward his dad as he heard Rob let out a sigh of relief.
Although he planned to wait until the following week, this morning seemed like it was the best time to give his fathers their wedding gift. “Listen, you guys, I was going to do this next week, but it feels like the right time now.”
David watched as both Steve and Rob furrowed their brows, demonstrating their confusion.
“We all know I don’t have a pile of money. Sure, I’ve sold a couple of small articles to a local newspaper, but that wasn’t enough to buy you the kind of gift you deserve.”
“You don’t have to give us anything.”
“Dad, it’s okay. This doesn’t cost anything.” Watching the clock, David knew he had to come out with it now or they would all be late for the meet, especially since the coach needed to arrive earlier than the rest of the team. “I’ve thought about this and even told Kevin and Jesse to see if they thought I was crazy.”
Both men nodded, seemingly struck silent as they waited for David to continue.
“Kevin and Jesse thought you’d both be happy about this, and I hope you are.” David looked directly at Steve. “When we’re not at practice, if it’s okay with you, I wouldn’t mind calling you Pop.” David waited to see their reactions, looking from one man to the other and back.
Steve finally broke the developing awkward silence. “Are you sure?”
Before he could answer, David spotted the moisture building in Steve’s eyes, noting his dad’s reaction was nearly identical, and knew he had given them the right gift at the perfect time. “I’ve never been more certain of anything, other than wanting to live with you guys for as long as you’ll have me. I’m just glad my moms agreed, even though they were kind of reluctant at first.”
Standing from his chair, Steve walked around the small kitchen table. David stood up to look directly into his eyes. No words were spoken. Steve wrapped his arms around David and held him close.
Rob finally broke the silence. “You’ve given us the best wedding gift we could have imagined, Son.” David looked over Steve’s shoulder at his dad. “And you’ve rendered our wordsmith speechless.”
David heard Steve’s breath hitch, and then he finally released his arms. “Are you okay?”
“I’ve never been better. This is already an award-winning day for me. Nothing at the track meet can top this.” Steve brushed a hand over David’s tousled, shower wet hair. “For a guy who thought he could never have any of this when I came out, I’m about to have a husband and I have a son. I’ve got a kid of my own!”
“It’s okay, Pop. I’ve always wanted a real father in my life and now I have two—and you’re both getting pretty good at it, despite the late start.”
“Damn. Now I don’t know what to say.” David laughed at his father.
“Well, I know what to say. If I don’t finish this great breakfast, I might as well not run because I’ll have no energy.” Diving into his eggs, David had far less trouble stomaching the next bites. Knowing he was living in a family with parents who loved him unconditionally was all he needed to calm down. He knew there were others like him all around the world, but now he was part of the elite group of kids who had four parents, all happy in their relationships and all four made up his family. David was also confident in knowing his well-being was their top priority. There had been a lot of changes since David had arrived in Connecticut the previous summer, but for the first time he knew why spring was called a time of rebirth. Now if his legs would do their part, the day would be the best ever. Without warning, David felt the butterflies return to his stomach. He hoped it wasn’t a premonition of things to come.
ARRIVING AT the Southern Connecticut State University Track and Field Center was scary. Even scarier was watching the guys whose times he had been following arrive with their own coaches at the check-in area. The West Hartford team had met at their high school and then boarded a school bus to ensure they all arrived on time and together, accompanied by their team coach and the school’s head coach. Coach Wilkins and Coach Garrett both guided the boys to the registration table, reviewing the lists for the individual races to confirm their accuracy.
Many runners for the shorter races would be participating in preliminary heats the first day, and hopefully, after qualifying, participate in their finals on day two. The 5,000- and 10,000-meter races would both be run only once. No heats, it would be all about the race once the gun went off.
Shortly after they arrived, as David scanned the overwhelming size of the crowds of people assembling at the venue, both as participants and spectators, Kevin came from behind, swatted David on the ass, and then quickly kissed him on the cheek. He then whispered in David’s ear, “That’s just a quick appetizer. More when this meet is done.”
David n
odded and smiled. He looked up at the stands and noticed several men and women with tablets in hand, sitting in the VIP section. “Are those the scouts?”
“Good eye for a first-timer. I just hope one of them notices me.” Kevin tried to sound calm, but David knew how much he hoped to be noticed.
“How come there are so many?”
Before Kevin could respond, Steve chimed in. “Coach Wilkins just informed me Connecticut runners have been getting a lot of attention lately for faster times than ever before. Apparently we don’t have only local and regional university reps present, but there are reps from Texas and California too. This is a much bigger meet than I realized.”
Kevin started to gnaw on his thumbnail.
Steve patted him on the back. “Don’t worry. We’ve worked hard; you’ve worked hard. They’ll notice you. Just get out there and do what you do best.”
David noted the forced smile Kevin plastered on his face. It was clear he was nervous. David hoped it wouldn’t affect Kevin’s speed. Relieved he didn’t have the pressure of being a junior, David hoped to outrun the others his own age and do his school justice, as well as set himself up to be a notation as someone to watch in the future.
It wasn’t long before Steve took on the role of stern Coach Garrett. He gathered the team in an area designated for their school and gave a firm pep talk. Coach Wilkins nodded in agreement. David was impressed knowing the head coach could have added to his father’s speech, but obviously felt Steve had delivered the complete message to the team.
As the stands rapidly filled, the energy at the track and field venue grew by the minute. There were more spectators than David had anticipated. It took him a few minutes of scanning the growing crowd, but he finally found his dad, Kevin’s parents, and Jesse. When he made eye contact with his best friend, she started waving madly, followed by David’s dad. Pointing out their location, David made sure Kevin knew where his family was seated.
“Thanks, but I can’t even look at them. I’ve never had so much riding on one meet before.”
“The scouts will love you, just not as much as I do.” David was happy to hear Kevin chuckle along with him.
“I’m pretty sure they won’t love me. I’ll leave that to you and only you.” Kevin smiled.
“Duly noted. But they’ll be clamoring to get you on their teams.”
“From your mouth.” Kevin looked just beyond David and sighed. Following his eyeline, David spotted John with a group of guys from another school. His former Trumbull Academy friends were obviously back on their team.
“You stay here and get ready. I’ll see if there’s anything worth listening to.”
Leaving Kevin to do some breathing and relaxation techniques to help him focus, David slowly inched closer to John. His eyes widened as he overheard the conversation.
“So now you’re part of the gay world. I hope they don’t tickle you to get you to run faster.”
John combed his fingers through his hair. “Cool it. They’re a good team and they let me in when I needed a place.”
“You should have waited it out like the rest of us.”
“I guess my parents weren’t willing to chance the coach backing off from his permanent removal of us from the track team. I need a scholarship when the time comes, or I won’t get to college.”
“So now you have to suck up to the fags.” The bastards started laughing at their own jokes. David wondered how John would deal with them, and he sure got an earful.
“Yeah, well I tried to suck up to them, but they wanted track talent; no other kind qualified.” John took a deep breath. “Truth is, I wish our captain wasn’t so hooked on his boy toy. He’s kind of hot.”
“What the fuck are you talking about?” His old friends looked like they’d seen a ghost. Their shocked faces were almost comical.
“I mean, you bigoted morons never knew, and I was too afraid to admit who I was, who I am. My parents now know, and maybe if I don’t fuck up with my new team, I’ll finally be happy and able to run at the same time. No pressure to be someone I’m not.” John started to walk away without waiting for their reactions.
It didn’t take more than a split second for one of them to call after him. “Glad we don’t have any women on our team.” The assholes all started to laugh but were silenced when John stopped, turned, and yelled back.
“Neither do we, but we have some of the fastest fags you’ll ever lay your homophobic eyes on.”
David smiled, watching John turn away and jog toward him, in the direction of their team’s staging location. “I’m impressed.” David spoke up as John moved past him.
“Shit. I didn’t know you were there.” John stopped short.
“I know.”
“How much did you hear?” John stared at David.
“Enough to know you may have learned a lot more than geometry, social studies, and how to run even faster than you did at Trumbull, since you came to West Hartford High.”
“It took a while.”
“Not everything happens fast. I learned that this year too.” David was willing to give John a little support after hearing his declaration.
“Let’s hope running does happen fast, for all of us.”
“It will, especially when you can focus on the positive.”
“You sound like some philosophical old man.” John chuckled.
“I live with my two gay dads. Some of their advice had to rub off on me at some point. They’ve been through more ups and downs than we’ll ever know, or crap we’ll ever have to deal with.” David looked at the team as they came closer. “I won’t say a word. At least not now.”
“Thanks. I want my actions to speak for themselves.”
“They will. And I’ll be right behind you, except on the track where I’ll be way ahead.” David laughed and was glad to hear John join in. He had a nice laugh, but not nearly as nice as Kevin’s. David thought about John’s participation in the attack months earlier. He took a deep breath. Although it would take time to forgive John, David didn’t want the memory of that day to define the future. David made the choice to cautiously befriend John, hoping he wouldn’t be disappointed.
This would either be the greatest weekend of their lives or the worst. As the officials called the first heat in the 100 meters, the team assembled as close to the track as they were permitted to cheer on their teammates. Kevin glanced to his immediate left and smiled at David. He gestured, indicating he noticed John standing next to David on his other side and furrowed his brow. “It’s okay, Kevin. I think he’s going to be okay, and so will you. This is your time.”
“It’s our time.”
David silently smiled and nodded in response as the first gun of the meet fired to start the race.
Chapter 32
THE TRACK meet progressed as expected. The West Hartford team members took home their fair share of medals, as well as losses. An assistant coach was busy filming all the races to use for training purposes at a later date. Unlike some of the other coaches David observed throughout the day, Steve did not raise his voice in anger when one of their team members didn’t do as well as he should have. From experience, David knew Steve would make sure the run was reviewed, critiqued, and ultimately broken down into pros and cons when they returned to school. In the guise of Coach Garrett, Steve felt it never did any good to chastise a runner after their race, especially if they were finished for the meet.
By the time the 5,000-meter race was called, David’s adrenaline was pumping so intensely he felt like he was ready to jump out of his skin. He knew he was prepared well enough to achieve a personal best, but the waiting had become agonizing. Taking a deep breath, David approached Kevin and John, who had both already taken their places at the starting line.
“Are you guys all set?” Kevin looked from John to David.
“Yes, Captain.” John saluted and smiled at Kevin.
David hadn’t had the opportunity to give Kevin all the details of what he’d overheard between Joh
n and his former teammates; however, it was clear there was a new sense of comfort among the three. “I’m ready, Kevin.” David tried to smile despite his nervous energy.
“Good.” Kevin nodded turning away from John and David to face the track. “Let’s take this home.”
As the remainder of the field took their starting positions, Kevin whispered to David, “Now’s the time. Run for it all.”
Glancing at his dad, already cheering in the stands, his pop on the sideline, and Kevin beside him, David smiled. “I’ve already got it all, and the race to get here was pretty damn long.”
“You’re trying to wax poetic now?” Kevin chuckled.
“No better time.” This time David’s grin was genuine and unforced.
The runners were all in place. David focused on his usual strategy, prepared to run directly behind Kevin, knowing Kevin would want to go out in the lead where he was most comfortable. The day had been long, and David felt a rush of excitement coursing through his body. He just hoped he had the energy to keep up, and possibly exceed his best time.
Hearing the starting gun go off, Kevin, David, and John all flew into action. Kevin set the pace with David on his heels. Even more invigorating, David could feel John’s presence alongside him. There was a small crowd of competitors around them, hoping to keep up the arduous pace set by Kevin, but in less than 2,500 meters, the pack had thinned considerably.
The strength of West Hartford’s long-distance trio was clear to everyone at the venue. Their reputation was already well known in the track community. The long-distance runners were known for running clean and fast, and today was no exception. David risked a quick glance and discovered fewer than ten runners remained in the lead pack. Aware he was feeling great, his sense of energy increased. David was thrilled to realize there was no sign of exhaustion beginning to affect his body. It was as if his legs had a mission all their own, knowing what was expected after all the months of training as well as running in the early morning hours before school. David now could feel the benefits of all his preparation.
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