I invited the Bonums over this Saturday,” Eric’s mom said. Eric had been eating breakfast. The spoon he was holding wobbled.
Eric’s dad was buttering toast. “What?” he barked. “Why?”
Maddie continued to eat.
“Because we haven’t had them over yet. They just moved back. It’s the right thing to do.” She put some orange juice on the table.
“There’s a reason for that,” his dad said. “We don’t want them over. I don’t want him in my house.”
Eric was glad to hear his dad talk this way. Somebody wasn’t just going along, finally. Eric thought Dan was weird. He didn’t want to be around him. Why did he have to be?
“Who?” Maddie asked. She looked up from her cereal. “Who don’t you want in the house?”
“Nobody,” his dad said. He took a bite of toast. “Tell them we’re busy. Say you forgot. I don’t care. Just don’t have them come here.”
“What’s the big deal?” his mom said. “It’s only going to be for a few hours.”
“A few hours? That will be a few hours too long.”
“You used to love that family. We always did things together. How many baseball games did we see? I lost count. And they love Maddie.”
“I want them to come over,” Maddie shrieked.
Eric eyed his sister. She didn’t understand. Maddie couldn’t understand. To her, Dan would be just another person.
But he wasn’t.
The two fathers had been good friends too. Right before the family moved away, everyone went to a baseball game. Eric and Danielle went to buy hot dogs. They found a place where there weren’t many people. Then they made out for almost two innings.
“I wish we didn’t have to get back,” Danielle had said.
“Me too,” Eric had sighed. He’d stared into her eyes. Until then, he’d never needed another person.
“I promise it will be a quick meal.” Eric’s mom’s voice cut into his thoughts.
“Look—” His dad eyed Eric and his sister. “Don’t you two need to get ready for school?”
“Yeah,” Eric said. He stood up.
“I’m already ready,” Maddie whined.
“Go with your brother.”
The two kids walked out of the kitchen. Eric eavesdropped.
“What’s the big deal?”
“I don’t want him in my house,” his dad said.
“Do you feel that way about your brother?” his mom asked.
“No. But I don’t have to see him all the time.”
Eric and Maddie walked into the living room. She picked up a book she’d left on the couch.
Eric walked down the hallway. He didn’t think about his uncle Max much. Max lived in New York. He was gay. Max had been married to his husband for a few years.
Eric didn’t really know his uncle. He’d only met him a couple of times. His dad never spoke about him.
He went into his room and grabbed his backpack. What was with people like Max and Dan? He didn’t get it. And he didn’t want to. There were a million reasons why. Did this make him a bad person? Maybe.