The Imperfection of Swans Read Free Page A

with his moms in JP, though he assumed that was normal. Not many people remember their first three years. In spite of being a downtown city boy at heart, the “street car suburb” had become a place of safety, at least within the walls of their home. Jamaica Plains itself had changed greatly over the years, gentrifying after he’d already been an adult. As a kid, JP had been a touch more… well, there was good reason his moms had been able to buy such a large home with a small house budget. In actuality, the old chaos outside of his childhood home seemed to fit the emotional state he used to live in. Still. Home was home. And if home also came with a healthy dose of pressure, he didn’t hold it against it. After all, what didn’t?
    Driving up the curvy South Street lined with simple Victorian and colonial homes, instead of falling into the peaceful state of mind they normally induced, his anxiety spiked. He had to pull over into one of the few parking spots left on the newly updated Hyde Square shopping district, to try to regain control. He turned the BMW’s air conditioner on full blast. Putting his face close to the stream, he let the air simultaneously fill his lungs and cool his skin. He could do this. He could. Sure, it wouldn’t be fun, but he could do it. It was just dinner. Just his moms. It wasn’t like he was breaking huge news to both of them. And Noelle was already on his side.
    Right, like she would be the reason to be nervous anyway.
    Just as his brain began to enter a deeper level of freak-out, he put the car back into drive and pulled out of the parking spot without looking. He took little notice of the blaring horn behind him.
    At least there would be wine with dinner. He didn’t love his mother’s favorite Chianti, but it would do the trick.
    Taking a right onto Jamaica Street, he passed St. Thomas Aquinas Parish, looking every bit of a tiny castle. Boston was full of stunning cathedrals and churches, and JP, despite its heavy influx of gays and lesbians, was no different. Maybe he could go in and pray. It was still ten minutes until seven. It would be a quick prayer.
    Too bad he didn’t pray.
    With each sloping turn of Jamaica Street, Kevin began to get greater control of himself, to the point he turned the air conditioner back down and was actually able to breathe without assistance.
    Until he saw the driveway of the narrow three-story home.
    “Goddammit, Noelle!” And like that, the sweating was back and the air conditioner was switched to full power once more. He knew a scheme when he saw one.
    He recognized the three cars filling up the driveway, and he also knew the three that were missing. Despite his panic, he could almost make the connection, and knowing Noelle, there had to be one.
    He could go home. Call and say he’d gotten sick.
    Hell, he could intentionally get into a fender bender. They couldn’t argue with a car wreck.
    Sure they couldn’t….
    He drove a few more blocks looking for a free space. Might as well get whatever torture Noelle had planned over with. Postponing it would only make it worse.
     
     
    AFTER PARKING and nearly slipping twice on the icy sidewalks, Kevin made his way up the front walk of his childhood home. It looked like Noelle had added more Christmas lights since last Sunday, though how that was possible, he couldn’t fathom. The lawn had already been lit up like a tacky runway at the airport.
    Kevin paused at the front door, letting the crisp air soothe him. Or at least trying to. Before he was ready and before he could knock, the stained-glass front door opened, and Noelle joined Kevin on the porch, then shut the door behind her.
    “What have you done?”
    Noelle wrapped Kevin in a warm embrace, ignoring his accusing tone. “What I needed to. And don’t fight me about it. Just go with the flow, and it will all be all right, you’ll see.”
    He pulled back from his mother’s embrace to look at her pretty face, which appeared to be flashing red