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Kevin Price loved aspects of his life. He loved being a teacher and inspiring new minds to learn. He loved cooking for his family. He loved his daughter. If you asked him, he'd say he loved his wife and the church. When he was 21, young and naive, he had loved another man. That was six years ago and, since then, he'd grown to ignore that part of himself and put all his love and energy into his classroom. During his mission in Uganda, he had taken on the task of teaching the village kids alongside the local teachers. When he returned to Utah, he got a job teaching elementary students. He felt that it was his calling, and seeing his kids' growth and how they light up when they get the correct answer has made Kevin feel like everything had been worth it. His own daughter was only five, but she was so smart. Kevin took so much pride in how well she learned. When he looked at her, he almost forgot what he had given up.

He remembered when he opened his Facebook to find an event invitation from Arnold. This wasn't out of the norm; he and Arnold were still best friends and Arnold loved inviting Kevin to things. There was something different about this invitation, however. There were 9 people in the group, all names Kevin recognized. His heart dropped as he read the event title: District 9 Reunion!!!!!The date was set for next Friday, and the location in Salt Lake City. Three people already responded they would go—Chris Thomas, David Neeley, and Connor McKinley. James Church and Matthew Zelder responded with a 'maybe.' Kevin stared at one name in particular, the one belonging to a man who was once his district leader, before clicking on the profile, glancing around in case his wife had come home. Not that he needed to. She wouldn't question anything if she saw Kevin on Connor's Facebook and Kevin had nothing to hide.

Connor's Facebook wasn't very active, but there were a few things to note.
1) Connor wore glasses in his profile picture.
2) There was a rainbow in the background of Connor's profile picture.
3) Connor looked good.
Connor didn't post often, but Kevin could tell the man was happy. He had posts about theatre and the occasional selfie from night-outs with friends, namely James and Chris. It was evident that Connor was no longer in the church and appeared to have accepted himself. Kevin stopped his secret Facebook stalking when he heard the garage door open, indicating Eden was home. He clicked back to the event invitation and hesitantly clicked 'Going' before turning the computer off and walking into the kitchen. Today, he planned on making a simple spaghetti, so he had been waiting for the sausage to thaw. The door opened and little footsteps were heard running through the hall. He smiled when he felt little arms wrap around his leg.

"Daddy! Daddy! Mommy got cookies!" The little girl bounced excitedly.

"Mommy got cookies? Well, you must have been really good at the store," Kevin replied, picking her up.

She nodded, "Mhmm, I was really good."
Eden walked into the kitchen, carrying bags of groceries, "Have you started dinner yet?"
"No, the sausage just finished thawing," Kevin replied, looking at his daughter, "Wanna help daddy make meatballs?"
The little girl nodded and pushed out of her dad's arms to run to the bathroom to wash her hands. While she was gone, the two adults shared a look.

"Kevin, you haven't even started?" Eden asked, beginning to put groceries away. "It's already 5:30."
"I know, I got preoccupied," Kevin replied, sighing as he helped put groceries away, "Arnold invited me to a reunion dinner with the guys from our mission."
She paused, looking at him, "All of the guys?"
"Yes, all of them. Why would he leave anyone out?" Kevin knew why. "It's just dinner and they're good guys." In reality, Kevin knew how Eden felt about his former fellow elders. He and Neeley were the only ones from District 9 to stay in the church. Chris and James (Elders Thomas and Church) had been quick to leave the church and pursue a relationship after Chris came out as bi and James as gay. Arnold had left the church as soon as they got back to Utah, though he had never been super into Mormonism anyway. The rest of the elders followed suit, leaving the church due to lack of faith and questioning aspects of the church. Finally, Kevin stayed in the church for fear of being rejected by his family and kicked out like Connor. However, there was a difference between Kevin and Connor; Kevin wasn't gay and chose to ignore his gay thoughts. In short, Kevin knew why Eden was weary about this dinner.

"I just think you could spend your time with better influences."
"Maybe I'll be a good influence on them and some of them will join the church again," Kevin said, "Some of them, at least."
"Yeah, well, you know how I feel about Arnold and I can't imagine the rest of them are much better."
Kevin frowned, turning to her, "Look, I wish Arnold would come back to the church, but that doesn't mean he's a bad guy. He helped me through so much in Uganda and, frankly, I don't like you speaking so poorly of my best friend."
"Kev, I don't even know what happened in Uganda! You never talk about it! All I know is what I've heard at church and that doesn't paint your friends in a good light at all."
Kevin winced, "I just don't like talking about it, you know that. It was traumatic and having a friend who knows what I went through is nice so I don't have to repeat what happened. Now, can we stop talking about this? I'm going to the dinner next week and that's that."
Eden frowned, "You never listen to me." She finished putting the groceries away and stormed out of the kitchen into the living room.
Kevin sighed, running a hand through his hair. He knew she just wanted to help him, but he couldn't tell her what happened. It was too painful to retell; everything with the General, the pain, Connor. She'd judge him too much.
Emily came bounding back in, oblivious to her parents' fight. She pulled herself onto a stool by the kitchen island, "I'm ready to make meatballs!"
"Thank you, Em." Kevin smiled and gave her a plate and some sausage. "I'm going to mix the sauce while you do this, but just ask if you need help."
She nodded and got to work rolling meatballs, humming tunes from Frozen as she did so. Kevin started mixing the sauce and boiling the noodles, humming alongside her before the two began to sing Emily's favorite song: Love is an Open Door. Kevin was obviously Anna.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

All week, Kevin was distracted. He tried to grade papers, but he kept thinking about how much of a mistake it would be to go to this dinner. Eden was right; this group was full of bad influences. One bad influence stood out to him and pictures of Connor from their mission flooded Kevin's mind. He gave up on grading. Instead, Kevin continued his Facebook stalking. He was at work this time and didn't need to worry about his wife. It was his planning period, so he had no students. He planned his lessons, so he could scroll through Connor's page. Connor hadn't passed Kevin's mind in years, but seeing his name in the dinner invitation made it impossible for Kevin to stop thinking about him and their time in Uganda together. You see, Kevin was weak back then. A lot had happened to him, and his mind was vulnerable to the events surrounding him. He and the rest of the Elders had finished their two years in the village, helping in their own way without the church. They had let go of the many rules they followed: they drank coffee and alcohol, they went to sleep when they wanted and woke up later than usual, and they accepted different sexualities. Kevin partook in all of this, and he enjoyed it. He loved coffee and having fun once in a while with alcohol (they only drank a few times, but it was fun). He loved having a flexible sleep schedule, especially since his nightmares made sleeping difficult. And he loved being with Connor. They hadn't gone too far. That was something older Kevin was thankful for. The most the two boys did was kiss in bed, but they kept their hands above their hips.

Kevin closed his eyes and let out a breath as he remembered the feeling of Connor's lips. It had taken a long while for Kevin to be okay with others touching him after his run-in with the General. It started with hugs from Arnold, which quickly turned into a form of comfort after nightmares. Then, Kevin slowly became more okay with Connor. First, it was their shoulders bumping on accident. Then, it was Connor's leg next to his while they watched movies when both of them couldn't sleep. Next, it was Connor's hand on his back. Finally, they kissed and Kevin was okay with it. It took nearly a year for this to happen, but once it did, it became Kevin's favorite form of comfort.
Kevin's eyes flew open when he heard someone clear their throat. Standing in front of him was one of the other teachers, Elijah Grant. Elijah went to the same MTC as Kevin and respected Kevin for coming back to the church after rumors of a bad mission. The church kept the details on the down-low. Elijah was handsome. He had blonde hair that was cut short on the sides and styled neatly on top and grey-blue eyes that weren't as bright as Connor's. Elijah had grown into his looks since the MTC, Kevin thought. Back then, Elijah still had a bit of a baby face. Now, his jawline was more prominent and littered with light stubble. Even if he wasn't gay, Kevin could admit that Elijah was a good-looking guy.

"Oh, hey, Mr. Grant." Kevin cleared his throat.

"Sleeping on the job, Price?" Elijah joked, sitting on a desk near Kevin's.

"No," Kevin said, "I was just daydreaming."
"About?" Elijah wagged his eyebrows.

Kevin shook his head, "Nothing interesting. What do you need?"
"What, a guy can't come talk to his buddy?"
Kevin raised an eyebrow.
"Alright, fine. I heard your mission group is getting back together," Elijah said, leaning in. "Are you going?"
Kevin frowned, "Where'd you hear that from?"
"The grapevine. So?"
"Yes," Kevin sighed, "I'm going. I may not agree with everything they've decided to do with their lives, but they are good guys."
"Hm, I heard, like, three of them turned gay. Is that true?" Kevin didn't mind Elijah most of the time, but one thing he didn't love was how much of a gossip the other man was.
Kevin sighed, "Two of them are gay. One of them is bi. I don't see why that matters."
"Bi? Why doesn't he just own up to being gay if he's gonna be with a man?" Elijah asked. "Besides, 3 out of 8 turned out to be queers? That's not great."
"And 5 of us stayed normal," Kevin shrugged, "Plus, bisexual isn't the same as being gay."
"Whatever. Isn't your buddy marrying one of the villagers?"
Kevin nodded, "Yeah, he is." He smiled, "I'm really happy for him. Nabulungi is an amazing woman."
"I'm just shocked he could pull."
Kevin frowned slightly, "Why? I know he's not conventually attractive, but Arnold has an amazing personality. He's incredibly creative and always super nice. He's one of the best people I've met."
"You sound like you're in love with him," Elijah joked, laughing at himself.

Kevin felt his face warm, "Did you only come here to gossip? I have work to do."
"That's why you were sleeping, right?" Elijah smirked. "Whatever, I'll let you get back to 'work'. Let me know how that dinner goes, yeah?"

Kevin sighed, "I don't think it'll be very interesting, but sure."
"Great," Elijah stood up, "I'll see you later!" He walked out, leaving Kevin alone to think about the dinner more. His mind wandered back to Connor, causing him to become curious as to what the redhead was like now. He had been a great leader, stern yet kind. He'd have been a great teacher or coach of some sort. He knew Connor also liked musical theatre, so Kevin wondered if he had gotten a job somewhere as an actor or director. The rest of the day went by quickly, with Kevin getting no grading and lots of thinking done.
——————————————————————————————————
He felt guilty. He hadn't thought about men like that in so long and just seeing Connor McKinley's name on his screen made him reverse all the hard work he'd put into being 'normal'. Kevin was standing by his closet, wondering if he should wear blue or white to the reunion dinner, when he realized that it didn't matter. He had no reason to impress anyone there. He grabbed the white shirt and threw it on, checking himself in the mirror. After fiddling with the buttons, he decided the blue shirt looked better on him. He buttoned the blue shirt up and tucked it into his pants, simple black trousers. In truth, he felt that the white shirt with black pants made him look too much like a missionary, like the old Kevin Price these guys knew years ago. He went to the bathroom, grabbed his hair gel, and ran his hands through it to style it. That was one thing that hadn't changed much over the years; he was still anal about his hairstyle. He spent roughly 20 minutes in the bathroom making sure his hair was perfect.

When he walked out, he called out to his wife, "Dear, do you think I should wear a tie?"

Eden walked in, "I don't know. How formal will it be?"
"I'm not sure," Kevin said, holding a couple ties to his chest, "I could always take it off."
She nodded, "Wear the dark blue tie, then. it goes well with the shirt."
Kevin nodded, setting the other tie down, "You’re good with watching Em tonight? I don’t know how late I’ll be out.” He looked in the mirror, tying the knot of the tie.
“Yes, Kevin, I can take care of my own child,” Eden said, bitterness in her words. “Just, don’t stay out too late.”
“I’ll try not to,” Kevin said, making sure not to promise. He knew there was a possibility they lost track of time. He walked over and kissed her on the cheek, “I’ll text when I’m on my way.” He walked out of the room, being sure to walk quietly as Emily was in her room taking a nap. He was thankful for that, as she had a tendency to cry when she saw him leave. Getting into his car, Kevin took a deep breath and started on his way to the restaurant Arnold had sent him to.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Kevin arrived at the restaurant at 5:48, twelve minutes before the agreed meeting time. He assumed no one else was there, so when he walked into the restaurant and asked the hostess where to go for the reservation under 'Arnold,' he was shocked to see a head of floppy red hair. The one person he'd been dreading seeing that night was, of course, the only one who'd arrived early. Connor looked good. His hair was longer and curlier than it had been on their mission, worn with less hair gel slicking it back. He also wore glasses, round metal frames that highlighted his bright blue eyes perfectly. He had taken his coat off, showing off his dark blue shirt patterned with white dots. He'd grown some stubble along his jawline, but not enough to make him look messy.

As Kevin thanked the hostess, Connor looked at him with an expression that showed he was just as shocked as Kevin. "Kevin," he breathed, "hey." After a moment of silence between the two, Connor stood up and engulfed Kevin in a large hug. "It's been a while!"
Kevin stiffened at the sudden hug before nodding, hugging back, "Ah, yeah, it has." He pulled away quickly, clearing his throat. "You look... good. Different."
Connor grinned, "Yeah?" He looked Kevin up and down, "You look good, too. Not much different, though." He giggled as he sat down, "Sit, sit. We can catch up while we wait for the others. Chris already texted me that he and James will be late. Shocker."
Kevin nodded and slowly sat beside Connor, "How have you been?"
"Good, good. I've been working tons, so I've been busy," Connor smiled, "I'm glad I had tonight off, though. I have the weekend off, actually."
"Where are you working?"
"Here and there," Connor replied. "I'm finally doing theatre, so I move around a bit. I'm currently working in a dinner theatre," he giggled again, "Not quite Broadway, but we all have to start somewhere."
"That's great! You used to talk about how much you loved theatre," Kevin smiled lightly, "You'll make it to Broadway in no time."
"I'm glad someone believes that," Connor nudged his shoulder, "What about you? What are you up to these days?"
"I'm an elementary teacher," Kevin replied, "I love it. Working with the kids in Kitgali really spoke to me. I work with younger kids," he smiled, "My daughter's joining our school next year, and she's so excited to have her daddy as her teacher."
"Daughter?" Connor asked quietly, "Are you... married?" He glanced at Kevin's hands, nodding as he got the answer to his question. "Wow, um..." He furrowed his brows, mumbling, "That explains a lot."
Kevin's face flushed as he fidgeted with his ring, "Yeah, uh, Eden and I have been together for five years, now. It'll be six in April."
"Eden?" Connor's confusion was etched into his features as he put the puzzle pieces together, "Wait, you're still in the church?"
"Yeah?" Kevin frowned, "You seem shocked. Look, I know how I acted back on our mission, but when I came home, I was brought back to my senses." He bit his lip, remembering the reactions he'd gotten when he mentioned leaving the church to his parents—when he mentioned Connor to his parents. "I got help and met Eden and I couldn't be happier."
Connor bit his tongue, choosing to stay respectful, "Well, that's great for you..." He stood up, "I need to use the restroom." Before Kevin could respond, Connor was around the corner and headed to the restrooms.

Kevin frowned, confused. He hadn't realized that the others might not have known he was still in the church. Everyone knew Neeley was due to his consistent posts and keeping up with everyone. Still, Kevin had stayed pretty well to himself. His therapist had told him it would be better if he didn't contact the guys who left the church, especially Connor. Keeping in touch with them would have hindered his healing. After all, they were the group that had helped pull him away from the church in the first place (Kevin didn't mention that he was actually the one to pull them away from the church). He began to sweat, suddenly much more nervous about the dinner. Maybe he could just leave. Never talk to the guys again. He pulled at his tie as he became lightheaded, finding it harder to breathe. He squeezed his eyes shut and focused on breathing, tapping his fingers on the table but skipping his ring finger. He wasn't sure how long he'd been doing this when he heard another familiar voice behind him.

"Kevin!" Arnold exclaimed, hugging Kevin from behind.

Kevin jerked away, still lightheaded, "Arn..."
"Kev, hey, are you okay?" Arnold was quick to sit next to Kevin and rub his back. This time, Kevin didn't move other than a nod. "What happened?"
Kevin shook his head, still not sure himself. "I don't know," he whispered and squeezed his eyes shut again, "You didn't tell them I didn't leave the church?"
"What?" Arnold frowned, "Oh, no, it didn't come up. I didn't think about it. Why?"
Kevin shook his head, "Nevermind." His breath was coming back to him as he pulled his tie off, shoving it into his coat pocket. "It'll just be a shock to them, that's all."
"Right... Is anyone else here?"
"Connor."
"Oh." Arnold understood Kevin's panic now. "Well, Network is gonna be here soon. Are you excited to see her?"
"Yeah," and he was. Kevin and Nabulungi had grown quite close during the mission. They didn't really have a choice, considering Arnold was close to both of them and forced them to hang out together, not that either of them minded. "Eden stayed home with Emily."
Arnold nodded, "Probably a good call." Kevin didn't need to ask what he meant by that to know he was right.
Soon, the rest of the elders slowly began showing up. The only one who hadn't shown was Elder Michaels, who'd said in the group chat that he had to work. When Chris Thomas and James Church showed up, Chris quickly excused himself to the bathrooms, claiming it was a long drive. Kevin was sure, however, that Connor had asked to talk to him. The two were companions, after all. Kevin felt guilty, though he wasn't sure why. He hadn't done anything wrong. He'd answered Connor's question of what his life was like. It was a shock to Connor, but was Kevin meant to lie? Lying would've been worse. When Connor and Chris returned to the table, Kevin noticed Connor's hair was slightly messier than before. They took their seats, Connor choosing to still sit by Kevin.

Kevin leaned over and whispered, "Are you okay?"
Connor nodded with a tight smile, "Couldn't be better. Ah, everyone's here?"
Kevin nodded, deciding to let Connor lead the discussion. "Yeah, Michaels won't be here, but everyone else is here."
"Great, I'm starving," Connor said, looking at the menu. "So... I'm guessing you don't drink?"
Kevin shook his head, "No, I don't.” He’d practically reverted to his pre-mission self after the intense therapy from the church. Coffee was a big no-no in his household.

"Well, I'm going to order wine." He glanced at Kevin, "I'll share."
"I'll pass this time," Kevin said carefully. Connor just shrugged and went back to look at the menu. Kevin decided to look at the menu, too, when he was stopped by David Neeley.
"Price, you're still in the church, too?"
Kevin looked around the table at everyone staring at him before nodding, "Um, yeah."
"Really?" Matthew Zelder asked, looking shocked. "You were, like, the king of leaving the church!"
Kevin felt his face heat up, "Oh, well, a lot happened in Uganda." He had to choose his words carefully; not all of them knew what had happened. "I guess, I went off the path for a while. When I got back to Salt Lake, my parents got me some help to get back on the right path."
"What do you mean by help?" Connor asked, leaning on the table.

"Oh, um," Kevin shrugged. He didn't like talking about the therapy he'd gotten; it was very personal and uncomfortable, "Just help. Talked to someone through the church."
Chris and Connor shared a look before Connor sat up, accepting the answer. David smiled, "Good for you, man. I'm glad you were able to find happiness in the church."
Kevin smiled and nodded, unsure where his happiness came from, "You too. Not that it's bad you all didn't, but there's something nice about having the community."
Connor hummed, "I found a new community."

Not the right one, Kevin wanted to say but didn't. Instead, he smiled and nodded, "I'm glad. Really. Community is important. I wouldn't know what to do if Emily didn't have the daycare we have through the church."
"Who's Emily?" Matthew asked.
Kevin beamed, "My daughter. She's five and the apple of my eye. It's true what they say about kids, guys. You really love them in a way you've never felt before." He pulled his phone out to show the table a picture of him and Emily smiling at the camera.

James took his phone, cooing, "She looks just like you, Price!"
"She's cute," Connor said. "Just like her dad." Chris kicked him under the table, earning a glare from Connor.

"I can't believe you have a five year old! We've only been back in the states for six years. You work fast, Price," David laughed. "Olivia and I are waiting until we get a house. Hopefully that's any day now."
"If you're staying here in Salt Lake, I can set you up with our realtor," Kevin said, "She's amazing. She helped Eden and I find the perfect house for our family."
"That'd be great, man! Thanks."
"Of course," Kevin said, "That's what friends do."
The hostess came back in, asking if everyone was ready to order. They all ordered their drinks and food; Kevin and David both got water while Connor, Chris, and Matthew got some form of alcoholic drinks, and Arnold, Naba, and James got sodas. She took their orders and told them she'd return with their drinks. When she left, Chris stood up.
"Before we get back to conversation, I want to make an announcement." He wore a massive smile as he held James' hand and pulled the other man onto his feet, "James and I are engaged!"
The table broke out into cheers and congrats as everyone gathered to hug the couple. Kevin stayed in his seat, quiet. He counted in his head, trying to push away the feeling that had arisen. Jealousy. Why would he feel that way? He had a wife and a child. He had the perfect life. There was no reason for him to be jealous of the two men in front of him. He focused on tapping his fingers on his leg, skipping the ring finger. Once the commotion went down, he felt a hand land on top of his tapping fingers.

Connor looked at Kevin, concerned, "Kevin? Are you feeling okay?"

Kevin cursed himself for having two anxiety attacks at this dinner as he nodded, "Yeah. Just... yeah, I'm fine."
Connor's thumb lightly stroked Kevin's hand, which quickly calmed Kevin's beating heart, "Okay, just breathe. Do you need to step away?"
Kevin didn't want to draw more attention to himself then, so he shook his head, "I'm fine." He smiled to Connor, "I might take you up on that wine, though." He regretted it almost as soon as he said it, but something about the impish grin that grew on Connor's face made him think it may be worth it. He'd just repent later.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Kevin told himself he'd just have one glass of wine, but the hostess continually refilled it. The rest of the dinner had gone well, that he remembered at least. When he woke up the next day, the first thing that he noticed was a splitting headache. He groaned as he covered his eyes, the sunlight that was coming through the window making his head hurt worse. The second thing he noticed was that he wasn't in his bed. He was in a bed, but not his bed. He sat up, looking down at his bare chest. He felt his heart drop when he looked over and saw a familiar mop of red hair. He stared at the other man, who was still asleep and also shirtless. Kevin scrambled out of the bed, grabbing his clothes, which were hung on a chair in the corner. He looked around the hotel room as he slipped his pants and shirt on before his eyes landed on Connor, who had begun to stir. Kevin tried to button his shirt but found it difficult due to his hands shaking and his head thumping.
Connor stretched his arms, sitting up in the bed. He put his glasses on and looked at Kevin, "Leaving already?" His voice was low and rumbly, causing Kevin's stomach to warm. Connor yawned and slipped out of the bed. Kevin noticed he was wearing pajama pants.
"I, uh," Kevin started, "I have to get home..."
Connor nodded, walking over to the coffee pot on the table. "Want coffee first?"
"No," Kevin responded quickly. He'd only gotten two buttons done.
Connor shrugged, turned the pot on, and leaned on the table as he waited for it to warm up, "How are you feeling?"
Kevin shook his head, "Hungover. Jesus Christ!" He sighed, still struggling with the buttons.
Connor walked over, taking over in buttoning Kevin's shirt. "Why are your hands shaking so much?"
Kevin flinched, "I think you can guess." His tone was rough and scared.
Connor raised an eyebrow, looking up at Kevin, "I don't think I can."
Kevin's eyes flicked down to Connor's lips for a split second, "I..." He closed his eyes, counting to ten. "Did we...?"
Connor was silent for a moment before Kevin heard him giggling. When Kevin opened his eyes, Connor was holding his stomach, bent over laughing. "You- You think we-?" He laughed more before sitting on the bed and wiping a tear.
Kevin frowned, "This isn't funny, Connor! What am I supposed to think when I wake up in my boxers next to-" He paused.
Connor giggled, "Next to what?"
"You know what," Kevin spat, "I'm married with a kid, Connor!"
Connor's laughs died when he noticed how serious Kevin was, "Relax, Kev. We didn't do anything."
Kevin let out a breath of relief, "We didn't? Then what-"
"You threw up on your clothes," Connor said lightly, "So, I offered to bring you here to clean them for you. I didn't have anything that would fit you, though, so you had to do with just boxers."
Kevin stumbled before he found the bed, sitting next to Connor, "Oh." He stared at the floor, embarrassed. Of course, he didn't sleep with Connor because he wasn't gay. "Right, of course."
Connor looked at Kevin, taking in the sight of the other man. Kevin's hair was messy from sleep, and he had light bags under his eyes. His pants and shirt were wrinkled. All anger left Kevin's face and was replaced with something that resembled fear. His eyes were dull and tired. "Kevin, are you okay?"
Kevin turned to look at Connor, "I..." He searched Connor's face, taking in the bright blue eyes and brown freckles dotting his nose. He still had sleep on his face, making him look irresistibly adorable. His hair was messy but still looked nice. Kevin's eyes traveled down Connor's face, following trails of freckles to his shoulders. Kevin gulped, tearing his eyes away. "I'm fine."
Connor frowned, "Don't lie to me, Kevin. I lived with you for two years, I know when something's on your mind."
Kevin felt tears prick his eyes, "I just... I was scared."
Connor nodded, waiting for Kevin to continue.
"I was scared that I..." Kevin paused to look at Connor again, "I was scared that I did something stupid again."
Connor's frown deepened, "Again?" He laid a gentle hand on Kevin's shoulder. The other man leaned into the touch before responding.
"I can't say it," Kevin whispered.
Connor nodded, "That's okay. Just tell me what you're okay saying."
Kevin nodded, clearing his throat, "I... After you know what, you were the person who comforted me the most." He furrowed his brow, "That confused me. I... I'm not gay. I was just yearning for comfort."
Connor frowned, "Kevin, that's not how feelings work." He shifted to look at Kevin better, moving his hand to the taller man's jaw. "I know it's scary, but... I don't think what we had was just comfort."
Kevin shuddered when Connor's hand traveled to the back of his neck, "Yes, it was. I-I love my life now."
"All of it?" Connor asked. "I don't want to pry, but you had a lot to say last night."
Kevin's blood ran cold, "What did I say?"
"That Eden is really overbearing," Connor said, "and that you love Emily."
Kevin nodded, "Well, I was drunk, so you know... emotional."
"They say drunk words are sober thoughts," Connor said. "You also told me you missed me."
Kevin huffed a laugh, "That was true. I missed all of you guys."
"Hm, but you said you missed me specifically," Connor grinned.
"We were close," Kevin said, "I wasn't very close to the others." Was Connor getting closer?
"You said you missed what we were."
"Well, that's ludicrous."
"Kevin," Connor's face was only inches away, "let me ask you something now that you're sober."
Kevin nodded, "What is it?"
"Do you want to kiss me?"
"I..." Yes, Kevin thought. He wanted to. His mind was hazy, and his eyes flickered to Connor's lips again.
"Last night," Connor mumbled, "You tried to kiss me. I told you that we'd try when you were sober. Do you remember that?"
Kevin shook his head, "I'm sorry."
"Don't be," Connor said, "I just didn't want to take advantage of you." He looked Kevin in the eyes, stern and earnest, "I want you to kiss me, but only if you want to kiss me."
"I..." Kevin began, licking his lips. "I can't." He pulled away from Connor, looking at his lap, "Eden... She doesn't deserve that."
Connor leaned back, nodding, "Okay. I understand."
"I'm sorry."
"It's okay, Kevin," Connor smiled.
Kevin looked back at Connor, "You don't deserve that."
"Honey, you don't know what I deserve," Connor stood up, walking over to the coffee pot and pouring the ground beans in.
"I know you deserve love," Kevin said, fiddling with his ring, "Everyone does."
Connor pushed a button on the coffee pot before turning to look at Kevin again, "Do you?"
"What?"
"Do you deserve love?"
Kevin shrugged, "I have love."
"I don't mean parental love. I don't doubt you love Emily and she loves you. I mean romantic love. Sexual love."
Kevin paused, unsure how to answer. He was sure Eden loved him romantically. He knew she loved him sexually. There was the looming question of whether Kevin loved Eden in either way. "I'm not sure how to answer."
"That's okay," Connor said, pouring coffee into two cups. He walked over and handed one to Kevin, who declined. "You don't have to say it out loud."
Kevin looked up at Connor, who was now standing in front of him and sipping his coffee. He looked less tired now, alert and staring at Kevin. "Do you have love?"
Connor grinned, "I love someone. I don't know if he loves me back, though."
"Oh," Kevin felt a pang of jealousy in his chest, which he pushed away as quickly as it arrived, "I'm sorry to hear that. I hope he comes to love you."
Connor hummed, "Me too." His eyes never moved from Kevin's face as he smiled warmly and sipped his coffee. "What are your plans today?"
"Well, I didn't get any grading done yesturday, so I planned on getting that done," Kevin replied.
"Right, you're a teacher!" Connor exclaimed, "Hey, you can do that grading later. I'm in town all weekend, we should do something." Kevin was about to protest when Connor added, "We can invite the others, too. We haven't seen each other in ages! I want to make the best of my time here."
Kevin glanced at his watch—it was nearly 10 am already. He hadn't slept in that late since his mission. "I don't know," he said, "Eden wanted me home last night and she'll be really mad if I don't get home."
"Invite her and Emily," Connor said, "I'd love to meet them."
Kevin chewed his lip. That was a terrible idea. Connor and Eden in the same room? Not good. "I don't know..."
"Please?" Connor asked, pouting his bottom lip slightly.
"I..." Kevin sighed, grabbing his phone, "I'll call- it's dead."
"Oh, use my charger." Connor sauntered to the side of the bed, holding a cord up. "Guess you'll have to stay longer." He winked.
Kevin sighed and moved to plug his phone in. As soon as it turned on, his phone buzzed with notifications. 6 missed calls and 17 text messages, all from Eden. He cringed as he read the texts:

[8:02 PM] When will you be home?

[8:46 PM] Are you coming home soon?

[8:54 PM] Kevin.

[9:27 PM] It's late, come home.

[9:38 PM] Kevin Moroni Price, get home.

[9:59 PM] Answer my calls!

[10:13 PM] Where are you?

[10:39 PM] I'm getting worried, Kevin.

[10:54 PM] Are you okay?

[11:02 PM] Kevin, please answer.

[11:29 PM] I called Arnold. He said you got drunk???

[11:36 PM] Kevin Price, answer my calls!!

[11:42 PM] Where are you?

[12:01 PM] Called Arnold again. You're with Connor McKinley? Really?

[7:15 AM] Did you stay the night with him???

[8:04 AM] Emily wants you. Can you please come home now?

[9:38 AM] Are you alive?

"Shit..." Kevin mumbled, opening his phone to call Eden.
She answered rather quickly, "Glad to know you're alive." She sounded furious.
"Yeah, I'm sorry," Kevin said, "My phone was dead."
She scoffed, "That doesn't explain the drinking? Kevin, I thought you were over this."
"Look, I meant to just have one glass, but the hostess kept filling it," Kevin knew it was a flawed excuse.
"So, you had to keep drinking it and go home with a queer?"
Kevin winced at her word choice, glancing up to look at Connor, who was watching him from the table, "I threw up and he offered to help clean my shirt. I crashed."
She was silent for a moment, "When will you be home?"
"Um, actually, Connor invited me to hang out more today," Kevin said, quickly adding, "And said that the other guys and you and Emily should come too."
She laughed, "Really? You want to hang out with them more? You want me and Em to hang out with them?"
"They're good guys, Eden. I think you'd like Matt," Kevin said, hoping he sounded convincing. "Plus, Naba will probably tag along, so you two can have girl talk."
"Fine," she said, "I want to know what's the big deal about these guys. Emily's upset, by the way. She kept asking why you weren't here."
Kevin chewed his lip, "I'm sorry. Tell her I'm sorry. I'll come home to change, and then we'll go to the mall?" He looked at Connor, who gave him a thumbs up, texting on his own phone. Kevin assumed he was asking the others if they wanted to join them.
"Okay," she said, "As long as I can shop as much as I want."
Kevin sighed, "Within reason, please. I get a teacher's salary."
She hummed, "I'll see you when you get home." And with that, she hung up. No love you's were exchanged.
Kevin sighed, setting his phone down. "She's open to going to the mall as long as Naba's there."
Connor grinned, "Great! Arnold and Naba already agreed, as did Chris and James. Still waiting to hear from the others."
Kevin nodded, hoping the others agreed. "Great. Uh, would you give me a ride home?"
"I don't have a car, Kevin. I flew here," Connor said, finishing his coffee.
"Right, well, maybe we can share an Uber, then? Get my car from the restaurant and go pick up Eden and Emily. Ah, are you okay riding in the back with Em? She'll probably bother you a lot. She loves meeting new people."
"Yeah, of course," Connor smiled, "I love kids. I'll get changed while you call the Uber." He bent down by the bed, pulling his bag open. Kevin did not watch as Connor bent down. Instead, he busied himself with ordering an Uber to the hotel. He hadn't expected Connor to change right in front of him.
"What are you doing?" Kevin asked when Connor pulled his pants off.
"Changing?" Connor replied, holding his clothes up.

"Right here?"
"What? You want me to change in the bathroom?" Connor rolled his eyes, tugging a cream-colored sweater on. "Jeez, we're both grown men. Plus, I saw you in your boxers. It's only fair."
Kevin blushed lightly, "That wasn't my choice."
Connor shrugged as he pulled his jeans on, tucking the sweater in. "How do I look?" He twirled.

Kevin raised an eyebrow, "You look... good."
"Good," Connor beamed. "Let's go wait for that Uber, shall we?"

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Kevin was unsure why he thought getting an Uber with Connor was a good idea because now the two men were seated in an enclosed space very close to one another. Kevin reminded himself that he was headed to pick up his wife and child and should not be having thoughts about the man next to him. Connor sat by the window, staring out at the buildings as they passed.

When they got to the restaurant, Kevin handed the driver a cash tip before getting into his own car. Connor followed, climbing into the passenger seat.

"Nice car," Connor commented as he glanced around the vehicle. "There's a lot of room."

Kevin nodded, pulling out of the parking lot, "Eden wants more kids, so we got a vehicle that would last us a while. Better to have too much space than too little, right?"
Connor nodded, noting how Kevin said Eden wanted more kids, "Makes sense."
An awkward silence filled the car as they headed toward Kevin's house. Kevin glanced at Connor once in a while, not sure what to say. Connor didn't seem bothered by the silence as he stared out the window again. Neither of them talked again until Kevin pulled into a driveway.

"Well, here it is. Casa de Price," he said, getting out of the car. "You can stay out here or come inside and wait."
Connor got out of the car, looking up at the house. It looked like an average home, painted white with an admirable garden out front. A cross hung in the window, declaring to the world that the people who lived here were God-fearing citizens. "Nice house," Connor said, holding back any snarky comments he wanted to say.

Kevin smiled, "Thanks." He led Connor to the house, unlocking the front door and holding it open for his guest. When he walked in, Kevin took his shoes off and yelled, "I'm home!"

Connor heard little feet patter against the floor as a little girl ran through the house before hugging Kevin's legs, yelling, "Daddy!!"

Kevin laughed and picked her up, kissing her cheek, "Hey, kid. How was your girls night with mom?"
The little girl shrugged, hugging Kevin, "We watched Frozen. I like the snowman. He sounds like Uncle Arnold."

"You watched Frozen without me?" Kevin faked hurt; at least,
Connor assumed it was fake. "Well, that's fine. I'm sorry I wasn't here this morning to make breakfast."
"That's okay! Mommy said we're gonna go shopping!" The girl pulled away from the hug, and that was when she noticed the man standing next to her father. She stared at him with a frown, "Who are you?"
Connor cleared his throat and smiled, "My name is Connor."
"Connor was one of the guys on Daddy's mission," Kevin said, smiling. "He's friends with me and Uncle Arnold."
"Hmm," she narrowed her eyes at Connor before smiling, "Okay! I'm Emily! I like Frozen and Barbie!"
Connor laughed, "You're a Disney fan just like your dad, huh?"
Emily nodded, climbing out of Kevin's arms, "Daddy, can I show Connor my Disney toys?"
Kevin looked at Connor, who shrugged and smiled, "Yeah, go ahead. Daddy needs to change."
"Yay!" Emily grabbed Connor's hand and dragged the man through the house, "They're in my room! Daddy gets me Disney toys all the time!"

Connor laughed as he followed her, glancing at Kevin once more before entering her room. Kevin smiled as he watched them, happy that Emily liked Connor. He turned to go to his own bedroom when he came face-to-face with an upset Eden.

"Why is he here?" She asked, crossing her arms.
Kevin sighed, walking over to her, "He doesn't have a car, so I offered for him to ride with us." He kissed her cheek and smiled. "You look nice."
She had done her hair, putting it half up with a bow clip. She wore a yellow sundress with light makeup, something she didn't do often. "You look like a mess."
"I know," Kevin said, "I'm sorry. I didn't want to get drunk, I just..." wanted to stop feeling things. He couldn't admit that he had to get rid of the feelings he'd felt seeing the other Elders—seeing Connor. "I wasn't thinking."
"Whatever. Just don't do it again," she said, looking less upset, "I don't like when you get that way."
"I know, I'm sorry," Kevin leaned in and kissed her cheek again. "I need to shower and change. Please be nice to Connor."
"Alright, I will. Hurry, though. I don't want to be alone with him for long."
Kevin nodded before walking to the bedroom. As he searched for clothes, he reflected on the events he remembered from the night before. He'd drunk the first cup of wine slowly but gradually drank faster as his glass was filled more. Chris and James talked about their engagement, reciting the proposal to everyone, which made Kevin jealous, and he was still unsure why. He was married; there wasn't any reason for him to feel jealous. Except there was. Kevin shook his head, pulling out a dark green t-shirt and jeans, laying them on his bed. The bed he shared with his wife. He stripped his clothes, tossing them in the laundry basket before walking into the bathroom connected to the master bedroom. He turned the water on, waited for it to warm, and stepped in. As soon as the warm water hit his neck, he felt his muscles relax. Something about the shower always reminded him where he was. In Uganda, their showers were room temperature at best. He scrubbed his body, unable to feel as clean as he had the day before. Ignoring the feeling, he washed his hair quickly and stepped out, wrapping a towel around his hips. He looked at himself in the mirror, again feeling like his younger self. He felt like he was back in Uganda, looking into the mirror and seeing the 21-year-old who had fallen in love, the 20-year-old who called himself an atheist, the 19-year-old who had just failed his mission.

Kevin grabbed the hairdryer hanging on the wall, blasting his hair with heat to bring himself back to where he was now, a 27-year-old with a wife and kid. A straight 27-year-old who didn't think about men. He ran a comb through his hair as he dried it, brushing out any tangles. He hung the hairdryer back on the wall and grabbed his hair gel. The same hair gel I used my first month in Uganda. He'd run out after a month and didn't bother getting more. He didn't need to look nice at that point. Not that he looked bad; he just didn't gel his hair back. He'd cut it just short enough to hang over his forehead but stayed out of his eyes. That made it easier for Connor to run his hands through Kevin's hair.

Kevin squeezed his eyes shut, mumbling to himself, "Get it together, Price." He counted to ten before running gel through his hair, styling it in his signature way, not letting a single hair move out of place. Once his hair was perfect, he moved to open the door and enter his room. He took a deep breath before leaving the bathroom and removing the towel. He pulled a new pair of boxers on, pausing as he went to grab garments. He had woken up shirtless and hadn't grabbed garments this morning in his rush. He groaned, realizing he'd left them in Connor's room. He must've dirtied them, seeing as the other man felt the need to take them off. Kevin grabbed a fresh set, pulling them on before turning to put his clothes on, but froze when he saw someone had opened the door and was standing in the doorway.

Connor's eyes widened, and he looked away, "Sorry! Ah, your wife wanted me to check if you were almost ready. Emily's getting antsy."
Kevin nodded, "O-Okay, I'm almost ready." He pulled his jeans on, "You can look. I have my garments on."
"Right," Connor said, slowly looking at Kevin, "Your room is nice."
"Eden decorated it," Kevin said as he pulled his t-shirt on.

Connor smiled lightly, "That's good. You'd have made it look like Walt Disney threw up on the walls."
Kevin laughed, "That's what my daughter's room is for." He winked at Connor.

Connor laughed, "I saw that. She's basically a mini version of you."
"Yeah, she is," Kevin said, smiling at Connor.

The two stared at one another, soft smiles on their faces, for a tad too long before Connor cleared his throat. "We should probably get going. Chris and Arnold said they're on their way already."
"Right," Kevin said, leaving the bedroom and walking down the hall. He hated how easy it was to talk to Connor again. He felt himself becoming more like his younger self, the version of him that did reckless things like running into the General's camp and falling in love with a boy.
—————————————————————————————————————
In the end, the ones who showed up at the mall were Chris, James, David, Arnold, and Naba. Kevin silently thanked the Lord for David being there. Everyone else was there before Kevin, Connor, Eden, and Emily, so when they walked in and met the large group, Emily clung to Kevin's leg. She liked meeting new people, but only once at a time. A big group like this made it harder for her to warm up to someone, so she hid behind Kevin. Eden introduced herself, eyeing Chris' and James' matching rings, but smiling politely anyway.

"And," Kevin said, smiling down to Emily, "This is Emily. She's being a bit shy."
James bent down and waved to Emily, smiling brightly, "Hi, Emily! My name is James. I like your skirt." Emily wore a skirt with Ariel, her second favorite Disney movie, painted on it.

Emily slowly waved and smiled, "You like Ariel?"
"Like?" James said, "No, I love Ariel! I think she's absolutely amazing."
And just like that, Emily's shyness towards one new person disappeared as she rambled on about how she'd met Ariel at Disney World. As the group walked through the mall, Eden and Naba went on their own way, leaving the men (and Emily) alone. Before walking away, Eden shot Kevin a look that said Don't let my daughter get too close to them. Kevin just smiled at her before turning his attention back to the group. As the day went on, the group dispersed more. Arnold went off to find Naba since she had all their money. Chris, James, and David wandered away, their eyes catching something interesting in Game Stop. This left Kevin and Connor to watch Emily, who insisted the latter carry her.

"Daddy, daddy! Connor looks like Ariel!" She exclaimed at one point, pointing at his hair.

Kevin laughed, "You're right. He just needs the tail."
"Nuh-uh," Emily said, "Ariel is human, remember?"
"Yeah, Kev, Ariel is human," Connor said, matching the sass of the little girl in his arms.

"Right, how could I forget?"

"Yeah, you, of all people, should know that," Connor joked. "I don't think I could count how many times I heard you singing 'Part of Your World' in the showers."
Kevin blushed, "Hey, you loved my singing."
"Yeah," Connor smiled, "I do."
Kevin blinked, unsure how to respond. I do. Not I did. I do. He was about to ask Connor to clarify when Emily interrupted them with a loud gasp.

"Daddy!!" She pointed toward the window of Hot Topic, which showed off a display of Disney plushies and shirts. "Daddy, can I get one?"

"Em, you already have so many," Kevin said.
"But I don't have that one!" She said, moving her hand to point at a Flounder plushie. "Please??"
Kevin sighed, "Well, Mommy has the card, so we'll have to ask her."
"I could pay for it," Connor said, smiling lightly.
"No, Connor, I can't ask you to do that," Kevin said.
"Think of it as a gift," Connor said, smiling at the pleading girl.
"Yeah! I have gifts from Uncle Arnold. I can get gifts from Uncle Connor, right?" She asked, looking at Kevin excitedly, unaware of the impact her words just had on her dad. Uncle Connor. That meant she really liked him. Arnold was the only other friend of Kevin's she called Uncle.
"Yeah," Connor smiled, "Let Uncle Connor get her a gift."
Kevin looked at him before nodding, "Okay, sure." They walked into the store to pick up the plushie. Kevin held Emily as Connor paid for it, not missing the way the cashier looked at them.

She smiled, "Did you find everything alright?" She glanced at Kevin with a glint in her eye that said, What a cute family.

Connor nodded as he laid the stuffed fish down, "Yeah, thanks. She knew exactly what she wanted."
The cashier chuckled as she rang it up, "They usually do. Your total is $—."
Connor slipped his card in, "That they do."
Emily was bouncing excitedly in Kevin's arms. Still, the only thing on Kevin's mind at that point was the look the cashier gave him. He wanted to correct her idea—they weren't a family. He and Connor weren't a family. He opened his mouth to say something, but Connor turned around and handed the fish to Emily, who squeezed it tightly. Connor laughed at her excitement, and any words Kevin wanted to say left as he realized that he wanted to be a family with Connor. He'd never felt this way when he and Eden were out with Emily. He'd always felt like something was missing, that the puzzle pieces didn't quite fit. With Connor, however, they fit perfectly. Emily had only known the man for a few hours, but she loved him. And Kevin knew why; he felt the same way, which was a problem.

As they walked around more, laughing and telling stories, Kevin realized that he didn't want this day to end. He wanted every day to be like this, but he knew it had to end at some point.
"Mommy!" Emily waved at Eden, who was standing with Naba and Arnold, with a frown as she watched the scene before her: her husband laughing and blushing next to the gay ex-Mormon he'd lived with for two years in a foreign country. As Kevin met her eyes, one thing was clear to both of them: Kevin hadn't moved on from Connor.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Connor had invited Kevin to join him, Chris, and James for dinner, but Kevin knew he had to decline. He was already in too deep and having dinner with the guys—specifically Connor—two nights in a row would upset Eden. She was already suspicious of his actions at the mall and dinner would only raise her suspicions more. On the drive home, Kevin and Eden were silent while Emily bumbled in the backseat about how much fun she'd had "meeting Daddy's friends." Listening to his daughter's excited speech, Kevin felt his chest tighten. He wanted Connor to be in his life and Emily would've been more than happy to see him more, too. However, there was a slight issue and she sat next to him. Eden didn't even want him to go to the first dinner; there'd be no way she'd be okay with Connor being a regular guest. Part of Kevin didn't care, but the other part knew not seeing Connor ever again would be the only way to save his marriage. The question he had to ask himself was: did he want to save his marriage? He and Eden had been going strong (or not so strong) for five and a half years now. He wondered if it was fair to Emily for them to split. He wondered if it was fair to Eden to stay together. He'd only married her to appease his parents and attempt to live a 'normal' life. After his disastrous mission, he did everything he could to get back in their good graces.

Now Kevin was realizing the mistake he'd made. He loved becoming a teacher. He loved becoming a father. He hadn't loved becoming a husband and the therapy he had received from the church. Seeing Connor again made him sure of that. The uncomfortable feeling he'd had the last five years wasn't sin; it was the feeling of loss. He'd lost Connor. He'd lost himself. Pulling into the driveway of his home, looking up at the house he'd gotten as a 22-year-old husband, Kevin decided to find himself again.

"Eden," he said, turning his head to look at her.

She kept her eyes trained on the house, whispering, "Don't. Not with Emily in the car." She got out of the car without looking at him and helped Emily out of her car seat. "Go wash up for dinner, Em." Emily nodded and ran inside.
Kevin sighed and got out of the car, "We need to talk." His voice cracked, so he cleared his throat. "Eden, I need to tell you something."
Once Emily was inside, Eden turned to Kevin with tears brimming her eyes, "Please don't say it."
"I have to," Kevin said, "For you. For Emily. For myself."
"For him?" Eden asked, tears slowly falling down her cheeks.
Kevin nodded silently, tears forming in his eyes. "I'm so sorry. I tried to change. I really did. I got therapy and I thought it had worked, but I..." He paused, wiping his eyes. "I'm starting to think I just can't turn it off."
Eden shook her head, "Kevin, please. We can fix this. We have to fix this... for Emily."
"I can't be fixed!" Kevin cried. "I used to think it was okay as long as I didn't act on my thoughts, but it's not. Something's missing, Eden. I love you and I love Emily, but my love for him is different. It's been pushed away, hidden for years and I just can't push it away anymore."
"Two days!" Eden yelled, crying. "You saw him two days ago and he's already breaking up our marriage?"
"I met him eight years ago," Kevin said, "That's how long he's been in my heart." He felt light-headed. "I'm sorry, Eden, but I can't do this anymore. Seeing him with Emily and how much she adores him... it's like a light turned on."
"You're funny if you think I'm allowing Emily to be around... gays!" Eden yelled, "Jesus, I can't believe I married someone like you."
"I'm sorry."
"I feel sick."
"I know." So did he.
"So what? You're just going to give up on us? On me?"
"It's not fair, Eden," Kevin said, "It's not fair to you or to me. You deserve to find love, and so do I."

"It's not right for a child to grow up in a broken home." She was trying any excuse to get him to stay, but Kevin knew he couldn't.
"Many children do," Kevin said, "And I'll still be present. I want to be. I need to be."
"I can't be a single mom, Kevin," Eden said, "I work full-time. You know I don't even have time to make dinner."
"We can talk about custody later," Kevin said. He wanted to say he'd claim full custody, but they were both emotional and not in the right head space to talk about that right now. "It's better to split now than to grow hatred for one another. That's not good for a kid."
"So, what? I don't have a say in this?"
"I'm sorry, but no. I can't live like this anymore, Eden. I'll go crazy if I do."
She scoffed, "I can't believe this."
"We don't have a healthy marriage," Kevin said, "We fight all the time. Even Emily can see it."
"Stop trying to make this about Emily! You're being so selfish! This is all about you! You don't love me. You're not happy. You want to leave!"

"You're right. I'm being selfish. Let me be selfish." Kevin used to be selfish. Before his mission, he wanted nothing less than the best. During his mission, he learned the value in being selfless. After his mission, he stopped wanting things for himself. He hadn't been truly selfish since. "Please."
"I can't look at you," Eden said, turning to look at the house, "Please leave."
"Leave? Where am I going to go? I'll sleep on the couch, but Eden, I don't have anywhere to go," Kevin pleaded, "Look, I'll make dinner and hide away in the office-"
"No! Your little boyfriend has a hotel, right? Go there." Eden walked into the house, slamming the door. Kevin was left alone in the driveway, staring at the front door. As the air around him grew silent, he was able to process what had just happened. He's getting divorced. He let out a long breath and closed his eyes, leaning against the car. He couldn't possibly go to Connor's hotel. Right? No, Connor was at dinner with Chris and James. Kevin opened his eyes and looked up at the sky, which was a light blue shade that reminded him of the tie Connor had worn when they first met. He smiled to himself, remembering the jingle Connor had sung to him that first day and how they'd changed it later. Turn it off. Like a light switch, just go flick. It's a nifty little Mormon trick—We love to dance and shout; and let all the feelings out. Now was his time to let his feelings out.

Kevin pulled his phone out, dialing Connor's number. The phone rang a couple of times before Kevin heard the sweet voice of the man he loved.

"Hello? Kevin?"
"Hey," Kevin said, "Mind if I join you for dinner?"
"Oh! Of course not," Connor said, sounding surprised, "I thought Eden-"
"She's not coming. It's just me."

"Oh, okay. Well, we're at The Other Place. Is that okay?"
Kevin smiled, "More than okay. Oh, um, also... would I be able to crash with you tonight?"
There was a pause on the other end, "Yeah, sure. Is everything okay?"
Kevin wiped his face, "Yeah. I'll tell you about it later. I'll see you in a bit."
—————————————————————————————————————
When Kevin walked into the restaurant, he spotted the three men sitting and talking. He smiled and walked over to the table, sitting next to Connor.

"Hey, sorry for crashing your dinner," Kevin said.
"It's okay! I had invited you," Connor said, bumping Kevin's shoulder, which sent a shiver down the taller man's spine.
"Right," Kevin said.

"You're always welcome," James said, smiling.

Chris raised an eyebrow, "I thought your wife wanted to have a family meal, though." James elbowed him lightly.
Kevin cleared his throat, "Right, uh, well, we kind of got into a fight."
"Oh… I'm sorry," Chris said, feeling bad for his snarky remark.

Connor frowned, "Is everything okay? Is that why you need a place to stay tonight?"
"Yeah," Kevin nodded, "But it was my own doing. It's my fault. I... I told her I wanted to get divorced."
The table went silent as the other three men stared at Kevin in shock. Connor slowly put a hand on Kevin's arm before asking, "Is it okay to ask why?"
Kevin took in a sharp breath, looking down at Connor, "I... Well, I'm..." He hadn't actually said the words aloud. He'd barely said them in his head. He glanced around the table, knowing this was a safe space. Of course it was. Connor was openly gay and the other two were literally engaged. Still, it was hard to admit. "I'm… gay."
Another silence fell over the table as the men processed what Kevin had said. Chris and James shared a look, which Kevin couldn't read. He assumed it was them conveying that they'd known to some degree. Kevin looked at Connor, who was staring at him with a shocked look. Kevin was sure he wasn't shocked by the fact that Kevin was gay, but more that Kevin had admitted it. They had a past, so Connor had known to some degree.
"Um," Kevin said, "Emily doesn't know. I don't think she'd understand yet. Eden... I think she's known for a while but didn't want to believe it. Like me... I kind of just ignored my feelings until I couldn't anymore."
"Kevin," Connor said, "First of all, thank you for trusting us with this information." Chris and James silently agreed, nodding with slight smiles on their faces. "It means a lot that you told us." Connor smiled warmly, the hand on Kevin's arm squeezing lightly.

Kevin smiled back, "Honestly, I need to thank you." He looked up at the couple across the table. "You too, guys. I hate to admit this, but I was so jealous when you announced your engagement, which I am still very excited about. You're great together and… that's what made me so jealous. After thinking for a while, I was able to realize why I was jealous, despite being married. It wasn't her I wanted to be married to. I'm sorry for making your announcement all about me."
James smiled, "Kevin, we're used to you making things about yourself." This made Chris laugh beside him. "Kidding, but really, I'm glad you're able to accept it."
"This is huge, Price! Do you know what this means?" Chris asked. Everyone looked at him, waiting for him to continue. "Half of District 9 is queer."
Kevin paused before laughing, "That's your response? Oh my goodness."
Connor chuckled, leaning in and whispering in Kevin's ear, "I'm glad you're being open to yourself."
Kevin looked back at Connor, "It's all thanks to you."
Connor blushed and shrugged, sipping his soda. "What's the next rule for you to break... again?"
Kevin rolled his eyes, "I think I'm going to be less impulsive this time around. I'm already admitting to sodomy, but caffeine? That's too far."
"Really? You were the one who made us get a coffee pot for the house," Chris said.

Kevin shrugged, "Yeah, I gave that up when I got back here. I do miss it, though." He missed a lot from those days. He missed coffee. He missed sleeping in and staying up. He missed alcohol. He missed not wearing garments. He missed the community. He missed being himself. As the conversation shifted and James rambled on about wedding planning, Kevin found himself feeling genuinely happy for the first time in years. He didn't worry about what Eden would think. He didn't care what the church thought about what he did or said. For the time being, he was happy and unafraid.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

When Connor opened the door to his hotel room, Kevin suddenly felt nervous. He'd been in this room once before, but he was drunk that time. Now, he was sober in more ways than one. Connor motioned for Kevin to go in, so he did, taking a seat on the bed. They hadn't spoken since they left the resteraunt, letting the implications of Kevin's actions hang in the air.
"Do you want something to drink?" Connor asked, latching the door behind him. "I have alcohol, soda... just Coke, though."
Kevin shook his head, "I'm good for now. Thank you, though."
Connor nodded, grabbing a Coke for himself before sitting down next to Kevin, "How are you doing?"
Kevin shrugged, "I'm still processing it." He scrunched his eyebrows. "I don't think I've fully grasped what I did."
"Maybe talking about it would help," Connor said, voice calm and quiet as though he were trying not to scare a mouse, "If you want to tell me what happened, I'm all ears."
"I'm not sure where to start..." Kevin sighed. "I don't know when it began." His gaze was set ahead, staring at the carpeted floor.
"Well, maybe you could start with what happened today after you left the mall? You can always add context later."
Kevin nodded, "Okay. Well, first, Emily went on and on about how much fun she had with you and the others." He smiled lightly, looking at Connor, "She loves you."
Connor smiled back, "She's a great kid."
"Yeah," Kevin breathed, "She is." He looked down at the floor again. "When we got home, Emily went inside and I... I told her." Tears filled his eyes. "I think she'd known for a while... but I just couldn't turn it off anymore." He let out a wet laugh, nudging Connor's shoulder. "That really doesn't work, huh?"
"No, it doesn't," Connor said, rubbing Kevin's back.
Kevin nodded, "So, I told her that I couldn't keep lying and I can't be fixed. I told her my love for her and Emily is different than my love for..." He trailed off. Connor just nodded, letting Kevin know he didn't need to say it. "We got into a fight, obviously. She doesn't want to be a single mother and I understand that—I do. But I told her I'll still be there to help with anything and everything, but I... I need to be selfish. I haven't done anything selfish in years, Connor. I know that's hard to believe, but I've pushed back so many feelings and wants just so Eden and Em could live a good life with the church." By now, Kevin was full-on crying, not bothering to wipe his face. "It's not fair to them or to me if I continue going like this... and when I saw how happy Emily was with you, something inside me just... for lack of better words, turned on. I realized that I wanted a family with, well, with you."
"Kevin..."
"I know, that's kind of sudden and I'm probably putting a lot on you. Please don't feel like I'm forcing you into a role like this. I understand you've probably moved on. Hell, it's been six years, I couldn't blame you. I just needed to tell you."
"Kevin, shut up for a moment," Connor laughed lightly. Kevin nodded and shut his mouth, looking up at Connor. Connor reached a hand up and wiped the tears from Keivn's cheeks, "Look, I do like you. I really do. But I don't think it's smart for you to rush into anything right now. I'll be here for you and I'll support you, but you need time to discover yourself. I'll wait as long as you need."
Kevin nodded again, "You're right. God, you're always right." He laughed. "I'm a mess, huh?"
"Yeah," Connor grinned, "But that's okay. You're a cute mess."
They sat there, smiling at one another silently. Occasionally, Connor would wipe tears from Kevin's cheeks while Kevin contemplated what more he should talk to Connor about. There was a lot to discuss: their missions, their lives after the mission, their lives in the future. Kevin decided not to say anything. The silence was enough. The previous validation from Connor that his feelings were reciprocated was enough.

It was Connor who broke the silence after what felt like eternity, "Where will you stay when I go home?"
Kevin shrugged, "I'm sure Arnold wouldn't mind being roommates again. I'll call him later. When do you go back?"
"My flight is tomorrow at 11."
Kevin nodded, "How has the city been?"
"It's not bad,” Connor smiled, “I like how busy things are, but it can get overwhelming sometimes. I've had a few acting jobs, which has been... an experience," Connor chuckled, "No Broadway yet."
"Hm, that's their loss," Kevin said, "You'd be amazing on Broadway."
"Stop brown-nosing," Connor blushed, "Would you ever leave Utah?"
Kevin thought for a moment. On one hand, he wanted to follow Connor to New York. He wanted to taste the thrill of the Big Apple and get far away from the Mormon church. On the other hand, he couldn't leave Emily. He had to stay in the same town as her. He answered honestly, "I don't know. I'd like to, but my family's here." His family. What were his parents going to say when they heard what he'd done? Would they disown him? Threaten to send him to therapy again?

"I understand that," Connor said, "I think it'd be good for you to get out of Salt Lake, at least."

"I don't know if I could. I can't leave Emily and I'm not sure I could get full custody... I mean, Eden's a great mom, so there's no reason for me to get full custody. With my luck, I'll only see her on weekends."

"Hey, don't beat yourself down. You're a great father and Emily loves you. I don't think she'd be happy only seeing you on weekends."
"The court doesn't care what she wants," Kevin frowned, "And I don't think my... orientation will help my case."
Connor frowned because Kevin was right. The court, despite claiming to keep religious and personal views out of decisions, might've seen Kevin as inadequate. "That's bullshit."
Kevin huffed a laugh, "Yeah, it is. I need a damn good lawyer." He groaned, laying back on the bed. "I can't believe I did this..."
Connor laid down next to him, "I won't lie and say I'm not surprised... but I am happy for you. Take it from me, you're going to be so much better off being yourself."
Kevin smiled lightly at Connor, "I hope so... I can already hear my parents saying that I've failed them again..." He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "I'm trying not to think about that right now, though."
"You should visit New York sometime," Connor said in attempt to change the subject, "You could stay with me and I'll show you around."
"I think I'd like that," Kevin said, "I think Emily would like to go, too." He paused. "Okay, maybe when she's older. She likes to run around too much and New York is a bit too big for her."
Connor chuckled, "It's okay to take a vacation by yourself. Eden could watch Emily."
Kevin nodded, "Yeah, I know. I just haven't travelled by myself... Even on my mission, I had Arnold, who talked the entire flight. When we got home, I didn’t have a chance to go anywhere before I was getting married. The first time I traveled after the mission was to Disney World when Emily was two."
"How many times have you taken Emily to Disney World?" Connor asked.

"We go to Disney World every year..." Kevin replied sheepishly.

Connor laughed, "I'm surprised you only go once."
"Well, it's expensive and I'm a teacher. We can only really go in the summer," Kevin said, "I used to dream of living there."
"I know. I remember you telling me that we'd live in Orlando and get jobs as characters," Connor smiled, "Who was I going to be? Price Eric?"
"Of course," Kevin said, "Your eyes are the perfect shade of blue." He sounded completely serious, which made Connor's face redden. "You could be Prince Florian, too."

"Hm, would you be Ariel or Aurora?"

Connor was concerned with how hard Kevin seemed to actually think about this. "Aurora doesn't get enough screen time, but I don't think I'd look good as Ariel, despite how much I hate to say that. I think I'd be a good Belle."
"I'd pay to see that," Connor said, "You should do Disney drag."
"Drag?" Kevin asked, "Isn't that really expensive and time consuming?"
"Yeah, but it's fun," Connor said, "I did drag once for a show. I was a background character, but it was so fun."
"Maybe I'll start a bucket list. 1) Do Disney drag with Connor."
"With me?"
"Yeah, I don’t think I’d have the guts to do it alone. Besides, you'd make a good Ariel."
"Because I'm a redhead?"
"Because you're a cute redhead."
They both burst out into a fit of giggles, laughing like they had during their mission. Things felt so natural with Connor. Kevin didn't feel like he had to guard himself and force smiles. As they sat on the bed laughing at stupid jokes, Kevin felt like he’d made the right choice. It would be a hard hike from here, but for the time being he was happy. He knew Connor would leave in the morning and things would come crashing down, but he was glad to have one last hurrah before that happened.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

When Kevin woke up, he was momentarily confused by the warm pressure against his side and chest. Eden never cuddled, not even in her sleep. When he opened his eyes and was met with a view of bright red curls, his heart fluttered and memories of the day prior flooded in—this time, he remembered everything: the mall, the laughs Emily shared with Connor, the fight with Eden, dinner with the gays of the mission, and (last, but not least) the night of laughing with Connor. Nothing more happened. All they did was reminisce their mission and laugh at the memories (as well as cry).

It was Sunday morning. Kevin blinked the blurry vision out of his eyes and turned his head to check the clock by the bed. It read 8:13 AM, meaning Kevin could still make it to church if he rushed himself—church didn't start until 9:00 AM. However, as he laid in bed and stroked the red curls of the man cuddled to his chest, Kevin Price found himself not caring. Prior to this weekend, Kevin would have freaked out if he was late for church. He would've jumped up and fixed his hair immediately. This Sunday was special, though. Connor was leaving and, if Kevin went to church, he'd miss out on the next couple hours with the man. Plus, he'd have to see Eden and he wasn't ready for that. He wondered if the rumors had started yet. They usually spread like wildfire. He dreaded going to work the next day.

Connor stirred next to Kevin, rubbing his eyes as he yawned, "What time is it?" He sat up, hair messier than ever before, and sleep still in his eyes.

"8:15," Kevin replied, sitting up next to Connor, "Do you want breakfast?"
"Hm," Connor hummed, leaning his head on Kevin's shoulder, "I'm good. You can get some, if you want. I just need coffee."
Kevin laughed, "I can get us both coffee. Though, hotel coffee isn't very good."
"Better than nothing," Connor said, a light smile on his face. He tilted his head so he could look up at Kevin. "You're looking better."
Kevin was aware of how much of a mess he was the day prior—divorces do that to you. However, a night of laughing with Connor helped. "Thanks to you."
"Kevin," Connor whispered, "I need you to promise me something." Kevin raised an eyebrow. "Promise me you'll help yourself. Don't fall back into the fake comfort you had before. I don't know if I could handle that again."
Kevin smiled and kissed Connor's forehead, "I promise. You can even tell Arnold to make sure I do that, if that'd make you feel better."
"Oh, I already did," Connor grinned, "I texted him when you fell asleep last night. He was worried about you."
"Thanks," Kevin chuckled, "I'll have to call him after you leave." He felt a pang in his chest as he said the last few words—Connor was leaving.

"I won't be gone forever," Connor said, sensing the sadness in Kevin's tone, "And, you can call me—you better call me. I'll be mad if you don't."
Kevin chuckled, "Don't worry, I'll call you. I don't think I'd survive anymore if I don't."
"You're dramatic, but thank you."
Kevin laughed and climbed out of bed, stretching his back as he walked over to the coffee machine. He filled the tank with water and poured the ground beans into the coffee filter. He heard Connor hum as he pressed the button and when he looked back to see why, he saw Connor's eyes trained on him.

"What?"
Connor hummed again and grinned, "You just look nice."

Kevin looked down at himself. He was wearing a t-shirt and boxers—he usually slept in just boxers, but that felt odd given the circumstances. He blushed slightly as he realized which part of him Connor had been staring at. "You're such a pervert."
Connor threw a pillow at him, "A pervert that you like."
Kevin wrinkled his nose and caught the pillow, throwing it back at Connor, "I don't affiliate myself with perverts."
Connor raised an eyebrow, "Kev, dear, we both know what the leaders of the church are like."
"Yeah, and I'm not affiliated with them anymore," Kevin said. He paused as he took in that he wasn't in the church anymore. Well, he wouldn't be as soon as he came out.

Connor smiled, "True. Now, you're affiliated with the queers. Welcome aboard, Kevin Price."
"Glad to be here," Kevin grinned. It felt good to make jokes about it. He'd hated that part of him for so long that accepting it and making jokes made him feel more at ease. Though, it was still odd. The coffee maker beeped, signaling it was done, so Kevin turned around and poured two cups of coffee. He rolled his eyes and blushed when he heard a whistle behind him. "You're so immature for someone who used to be the District Leader."
"What can I say," Connor said, standing up and sauntering over to Kevin to grab a cup of coffee, "You bring something out in me."
Kevin looked at Connor and smiled. Things felt so natural with them. It almost scared Kevin how easy it was to fall back into their normal banter—the banter that lead to kisses and gropes when they were younger (which he knew they'd have to actually talk about sometime). Kevin wanted to fall back into that, too, and the more time he spent with Connor, the harder it was to hold back. But, he knew he had to. He wasn't ready for it. Banter and yearning was one thing, but acting on those feelings were a level he was scared to get to. He was also excited to get there.

———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
Kevin drove behind Connor so he could drop the rental car off before getting a ride to the airport. Kevin walked Connor to the gates, as far as he could without a ticket.

"So, this is it," he said, setting Connor's bag down. "I'll miss you."
Connor smiled lightly, "I'll miss you, too. This isn't a goodbye, Kevin. I'll visit again. Or you'll have to visit me. Or we'll meet in the middle somewhere. Either way, we'll see each other again."
"I know, but I... I'm being selfish. I just kind of figured things out and now I... I don't want you to leave."
Connor laughed and hugged Kevin, tears pricking his eyes, "Stop being so sweet. We'll FaceTime, 'kay?"
"Okay," Kevin said, wrapping his arms around Connor. He almost didn't let go. "Call me as soon as you land."
Connor laughed into Kevin's shoulder, "Okay, dad. I'll let you know I'm safe."
"You tease me, but I am a dad."
"I know, and it's so cute." The question hung in the air—What will Emily think about this?
"Everything will be alright," Kevin whispered, hoping he was right, "I love you."
Connor smiled and whispered back, "I love you, too."
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
Kevin drove to Arnold's house—the Cunningham's were more than happy to house him for a while. Arnold already knew the basics of what happened: his fight with Eden, his somewhat coming to terms with himself, and his talk with Connor. Kevin felt bad about infiltrating their home, but Arnold and Nabulungi assured him it was okay. God, he was so thankful for them. When he got to their house, he was welcomed with open arms and crushing hugs from both of them.

"I am just about to make lunch," Naba said as she pulled him inside, "Arnold told me what happened. I'll make extra for you, yes?"
Kevin smiled, "Thank you, Naba."
Arnold followed them into the kitchen, "So... Kev, how are you doing?"
"Well," Kevin said, taking in a deep breath, "Honestly? Better than I expected. I'm not sure what the future has in store for me, but I'm sure it'll figure itself out. Maybe. Hopefully."
"It will," Naba said, "I know it."

Kevin believed her. Something about her—the way she talked or maybe how she carried herself—made him always believe her. "Thanks, Naba. I promise I won't impose on you for too long."
"Stay as long as you need, buddy!" Arnold exclaimed, throwing an arm around Kevin's shoulders. "Me casa, es su casa!"

Kevin chuckled, "Okay, thanks."
"Are you going to stay in Salt Lake?" Naba asked, beginning to grab ingredients for dinner.

"I don't know yet," Kevin said, fidgeting with his hands,"I want to leave and never look back, but I can't leave Emily. And even if I get custody of her, it'd be difficult to move too far since Eden will want to see her and she has friends here."
Naba nodded, "Yes, it would be difficult. Maybe moving to a new town, one still close, would work?"
"Maybe," Kevin said, "but I'd like to live somewhere more... open-minded. Somewhere I don't have the church breathing down my neck."

Arnold piped up, "Somewhere a certain redhead might live?"
Kevin blushed, "He's not the only factor in this, but yeah. I guess... I'm afraid if I stay here, I'll get pulled back in by the church. Plus, I'm not sure how much longer I'll have a job."
"They can't fire you for being gay, can they?" Arnold asked.

"Not technically, but they could probably find something else to blame it on. Even if they don't, I can just imagine what the other teachers will say behind my back. Especially Grant. He, uh, was saying some not-so-nice things about everyone when he heard about the reunion dinner."

"Well, maybe no one knows. Eden wouldn't necessarily tell people, would she?" Arnold asked.

Kevin shrugged, "I don't know. I wouldn't like to think so, but... She deserves to talk to someone about this. She was hurt. I wouldn't blame her."
"Kev, she'd be outing you," Arnold said, "That wouldn't be okay. Especially if it puts your job on the line."

Kevin sighed, "Well, it hasn't happened yet. I don't really want to think about that right now, if I'm honest. My head hurts."
"Do you need more rest? You can lay down," Naba said, "I will wake you when dinner is done."
"No, thank you," Kevin smiled lightly, "I slept well last night."
Arnold wagged his eyebrows, "I'm sure you did. In Connor's hotel room."
"We didn't do anything," Kevin rolled his eyes, "We just talked and cuddled. We're going to take things slow. We both need to. I'm dealing with shit and I doubt he expected this to happen. I hurt him all those years ago. It'll take time for that to go away, even if we are kind of a thing now."
"I'm so happy for you, Kev," Arnold smiled, "I've been waiting for ages for you to be happy again."
Kevin looked at his friend, "What do you mean? I've been happy."
"Only with Emily," Arnold said, "Which isn't a bad thing. It's good she makes you happy, but... buddy, I saw how happy you were in Uganda after we left the church. I know you guys attempted to hide it, but I saw how happy Connor made you. When I came back to the states to see you'd married Eden, I... I saw how distant you were. You were content, but not happy."
Kevin hated with Arnold said things that made sense. Arnold was oddly perceptive of other people's feelings and, over the years after their mission, had somewhat learned what to say to them. "You're right, Arn. Thank you." Kevin leaned over and hugged his friend.

"Anytime, buddy."
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
The next morning, Kevin woke up to his phone ringing at 6:00 A.M. He usually woke up around this time for school, so he assumed it was his alarm. When he reached over and grabbed his phone, however, he realized it was actually 2 minutes before 6:00 and it was Eden calling him. He felt his heart clench as he stared at her name. Why was she calling? She should be on her way to work. Worried, he hesitantly answered the call.

"Hello?"

"Kevin," her tone was cold and distant, "I didn't want to talk to you, but I don't have much of a choice. I need to drop Emily off with you so you can take her to daycare."
Right, he was the one who always took Emily to daycare since they didn't open until 7. Eden always left for work much earlier than him, so he'd get breakfast ready for him and Emily and take her to the daycare on his way to work.
"Oh, uh, okay. I'm at Arnold's," Kevin said, yawning. He hadn't slept well. "Are you on your way now?"
"Yes, she's dressed and has her bag, but hasn't eaten," Eden said, "I'm driving there now. Be ready." And with that, she hung up. No good bye. Kevin figured he deserved it.

Grunting, he climbed out of the bed in Arnold's spare bedroom and stretched his back. He was in for a long day. He hadn't grabbed any clothes the day before and he couldn’t wear the jeans he’d worn to the mall, so he knew he’d have to stop by the house on his way to work. Maybe he’d pack more while he was there. Either way, he put the jeans and t-shirt on and walked out to the bathroom. Arnold had given him a toothbrush (unused) and toothpaste, so he brushed his teeth as he looked at himself in the mirror. His hair was messy and the bags under his eyes were more prominent. He looked awful. He splashed water on his face in an attempt to wake himself up and used a hair gel Naba had let him borrow. It was stronger than his usual gel, but it made his hair look neater nonetheless. Once he was done, he looked better. Not great, but better.
There was a knock at the door, impatient and frustrated. He sighed and walked to the door, hoping not to wake Arnold and Naba. When he opened the door, Emily pounced on him and yelled, “Daddy!!”

Kevin grunted and laughed, shifting her to hug her properly, “Hey, kiddo.” He looked at Eden, who looked almost as bad as him. She wore her normal clothes and did her hair the same as usual, but her eyes showed the same vacancy as Kevin’s.

“I’ll pick her up when I get off work,” She said.
Emily pouted, “Can’t I stay with Daddy and Uncle Arnold and Auntie Naba?”
Kevin saw Eden’s face fall slightly before she sighed, “Fine, whatever. I’ll pick her up tomorrow.”
Kevin nodded, “Okay.” He hoped Arnold and Naba were okay with Emily saying. “Hey, um… for what it’s worth, I’m sorry. I didn’t want to hurt you.”
“Well, you did,” she glared at him. Emily cocked her head to the side, confused about what her parents were saying. “We’ll talk later. Bye.” She leaned over and kissed Emily on the cheek, “I’ll see you later, baby.” And with that, she left.

Kevin stood and watched her drive away before turning his attention to Emily. He smiled, “So, how was your second girls night?”
Emily went into a ramble about watching The Little Mermaid and how she wished he was there. Apparently, Eden didn’t appreciate Emily comparing Ariel to “Daddy’s friend, Uncle Connor.”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

When Arnold and Naba finally drug themselves out of bed, they found Kevin and Emily sitting at their kitchen island eating cereal.

Kevin looked up and smiled lightly, “I didn’t want to wake you, but Eden dropped Em off on her way to work. I figured Uncle Arnold would be okay with his favorite niece eating his cereal.” He winked at Emily, who giggled and nodded.

“Aw, how could I say no to that face?” Arnold walked over and ruffled Emily’s hair before pouring himself a bowl, “Just don’t eat all of it.”
“No promises!” Emily grinned, little colorful pieces of fruity pebbles stuck to her teeth.
“Hey, Naba?” Kevin asked, turning to shoot her a guilty grin. “You love me and Em, right?”
“What did you break?” She asked, scanning the kitchen.
“Nothing, nothing. I just… Emily wants to stay the night. Is that okay?” He felt guilty. They were kind enough to let him stay, but was it too much to ask if his daughter could stay, too?
Naba’s eyes shined, “Of course! More than okay, in fact!” She turned to Emily, “We are going to have such a fun night.”
Emily smiled, “Can we watch Frozen?”
“Of course we can watch the best Disney movie ever,” Arnold piped up. No one was sure why Arnold loved the movie so much, but he was quite the ‘Frozen’ fenatic.

Kevin smiled lightly, leaning on the island as he watched his best friend and daughter talk about their favorite parts of ‘Frozen’. The night before was rough. He hadn’t slept well and couldn’t stop thinking about how much he’d fucked up. He’d ruined his marriage, reputation, and (a bit dramatic) possibly his entire life. Seeing something so pure as the way his daughter’s eyes light up at the mention of her favorite snowman made everything seem okay. Sure, he’d go to work later and have to deal with more hardships, but knowing he would still come back to his daughter made it seem doable. His phone rang and when he looked at it, his heart warmed just a bit more. There was a picture of Connor smiling with the redhead’s name scrolling across the top of the screen. Naba shot him a grin and motioned for him to go into the hall. He mouthed a quick ‘Thank you’ before slipping out of the chair and into the hallway.

“Hello?” He answered, hoping he sounded somewhat put-together.

“Hey, Kev,” Connor’s voice sounded from the other line, “I wanted to see how you were doing. I texted you that I made it home and you, uh, you didn’t answer.” Shit.

“Shit, sorry, Con. I got to Arnold’s and… a lot of emotions, you know? I’m sorry. I’m glad you made it safe, though,” Kevin rambled.
“It’s okay, Kev. I assumed you were preoccupied. That’s why I didn’t call last night… I really wanted to, though.”
“You could’ve,” Kevin said, leaning against the wall, “I would’ve liked to hear your voice. I didn’t sleep well.”
“Maybe I’ll have to call just to sing you a lullaby, then,” Connor chuckled.
Kevin laughed lightly, “You’d be singing to two. Emily’s staying tonight.”
“Eden’s okay with that?”
“Not really, but she couldn’t say no to Emily. I think she realized it’d be easier… I always take Em to daycare, so it was kind of an odd morning. Speaking of which,” Kevin said, checking his watch, “I’ve gotta get her there. I didn’t realize it was 6:50 already.”
There was a pause on the other end, “…Hey, Kev?”
“Yeah?”
“You know you can talk to me whenever, right?” Connor’s voice sounded concerned—worried.

Kevin smiled, “Yeah, I know… Hey, Connor?”
“Yeah?”

“…I love you.”
“I love you too, dear. Have a good day. I’ll call you tonight.”
Kevin smiled, “I’ll wait for your call… bye.”
“Bye, Kev.” Pause. “Am I going to have to hang up?”
Kevin laughed, “If I didn’t have to get a little girl to daycare, probably. I don’t want to stop talking to you.”
“Then… text me. I don’t have rehearsal, so I’ll answer.”
“Okay,” Kevin smiled, “Okay, I’m hanging up now. Bye, Con.”
“Bye, Kev.”

As he hung up, Kevin turned to head back into the kitchen. As he entered the room, he found the smile on his face grow. Arnold was showing Emily how to get a spoon to balance on her nose—which she was failing at. She was laughing as her spoon kept slipping off her nose. Naha was filming them, laughing along at Arnold’s goofy concentration face.

“Em, are you almost ready for daycare?” He asked, taking a seat next to her.

She nodded, “I finished my cereal!”
Kevin looked at her now empty bowl and smiled, “So you did. Good job, pumpkin. Can you go get your shoes on while I help Aunt Naba and Uncle Arnold clean up?”
“Yeah!” She jumped off the stool and rushed to the door where her shoes laid.
Kevin turned to Arnold and Naba, “Thank you so much. Honestly, I can’t express how grateful I am for you two.”
Arnold waved him off, “You’re my best friend, buddy. We’ll always help you out.”
“We love you and Em, Price. Stay as long as you need. That goes for her, too,” Naba nodded toward the little girl slipping her shoes on.
“I appreciate that,” Kevin said, glancing at his daughter, “I want to get our own place soon. I just need to figure out where that is.”
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
When Kevin dropped Emily off for daycare, he felt a pang of guilt. He wasn’t able to pinpoint it right away, but he felt guilty for changing her life so dramatically so quickly. He knew he had to do it, but he was concerned if she’d understand now or when she got older. Would she grow to hate him? He hoped not, but it was something he feared. If he moved farther away, it became more certain she would. If he stayed, he wondered if he’d be able to find happiness. Was there a middle ground? The middle ground was taking Emily with him to move, but he also felt guilty for putting that on Eden. She didn’t deserve that. Would she move, too? Probably not—why would she? She had a great job, friends, and family in Utah. Kevin felt trapped. He felt like Utah was grasping at him, keeping him put. Questions and situations like this swarmed his mind as he drove to work. He dreaded walking into the building. He hadn’t gone to church the morning before, so there’d be questions as to why. What could he say? Did Eden tell people or did she lie for him (or for herself)? Was it plausible to say he was just not feeling well? What about upcoming Sundays? He didn’t plan on going to anymore church, so he needed an excuse for the rest of his days in Utah. The school year had two more months in it, so he had 7 more Sundays to endure at least. The teachers had gotten their contracts for the new year. Kevin had originally thought stay was a no brainer, but now he had to consider not renewing it. He had one more week to decide and he didn’t know what to do.

“Price!” A loud, obnoxious voice sounded behind him as he walked into the building. “Where were you on Sunday?” Elijah slung an arm around Kevin’s shoulders—so clearly, Elijah hadn’t heard about Kevin’s apparent homosexuality.

“I was feeling under the weather,” Kevin responded, trying to shoulder the other man’s arm off.

“Were ya?” Elijah questioned, humming. “Eden said you stayed home to grade papers.”
Kevin tensed up—of course they hadn’t come up with the same excuse. “Yeah… well, I did grade papers. I like to get work done if I’m skipping something like church to feel somewhat productive.”

“Mhm, sure. Anyway, how was the dinner, man? Did the homos get to you?”
Kevin glared at him, “Look, I don’t appreciate you talking about my friends like that. You may not agree with the way they live, but that doesn’t mean you have to be a dick about it. The dinner went lovely, thank you. I think David Neeley was thinking about moving back to Salt Lake, so I gave him the number to the realtor Eden and I used.” Kevin felt his heart pumping and his blood rushing—he was heated. “James and Chris are engaged—and I’m happy for them. I really don’t care what your opinions are, Mr. Grant, but I would appreciate you being more considerate when we’re at school.” He pushed Elijah’s arm off his shoulder and huffed, “Thank you. Have a good day.” He left Elijah standing in the parking lot—stunned by Kevin’s snapping. Kevin walked into the building and to his classroom at the fastest walking speed he could. He felt dizzy and found breathing becoming increasingly difficult. His hands shook as he unlocked his classroom and opened the door, only to shut it behind him. He usually left his door open for students that got dropped off early, but he needed to be alone. He closed his eyes and sat at his desk, tapping his leg with his fingers. He shocked himself. In the past, he would’ve been able to stay calm and brush off Elijah’s comments. They hadn’t been personal in the past, not consciously. Now, however, Kevin recognised himself as one of the ‘homos’ Elijah openly hated. The tapping, his usual method of grounding himself, didn’t work. The dizziness and fuzziness and heat he felt all over consumed him. Blindly, he patted his pockets until he felt a box and pulled his phone out, clicking on the first name in his phone app.

The phone rang a few times before Connor’s soft voice answered, “Hello? Miss me already?” He chuckled at his own joke.
“Con,” Kevin gasped, “Talk or-or sing- something- please.” He knew he sounded bad. His breathing was shallow and he was scared. Connor’s voice was quiet—Kevin wasn’t sure if his phone was quiet or the ringing in his ears was too loud. He didn’t care what it was, he just brought the phone closer to his ear.
“Kevin? Are you okay? What’s wrong?” Connor had grown concerned, something Kevin expected. He just needed Connor to talk more.

“Just—please,” he pleaded.
Still confused, Connor responded, “Okay, but you have to explain later.” He began to sing quietly. He sang something he knew Kevin would love—‘I See the Light’ from Tangled. He sang both parts, making his voice softer and sweeter for Rapunzel’s parts. As the song went on and Kevin focused on Connor’s voice—the breathiness, deepness with a hint of inflection, the way his voice rose and sank. Kevin imagined Connor in front of him singing, holding his hands as he lifted Kevin out of his attack. Slowly, Kevin was grounded. The fuzz of dizzy left his head and the ringing in his ears lowered, making him realise how loud his phone actually was. He didn’t move it, though. He let Connor finish the song, smiling lightly as he listened.

“Thank you,” Kevin whispered, “I hope you weren’t busy.”
“I wasn’t,” Connor said, “I’ll never be too busy for you. Are you okay?”
“I am now,” Kevin responded. He felt a tad lightheaded, but still better than before. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologise, Kev,” Connor replied, “What happened? You scared me.”
Kevin sighed, “Um… Elijah Grant just said something that set me off… I panicked. I think I may have outed myself to him. I don’t really remember what I said, though. When I walked away, I started having a panic attack…”
“Oh, Kevin, honey,” concern continued to fill Connor’s voice, “I wish I could’ve been there for you. Physically, I mean. Do you have panic attacks often?”
“Um, only recently. I had them a lot in Uganda… but I tried to keep it on the down low. Arnold knew, but I didn’t… I didn’t want you to see me like that,” Kevin said, “They slowed down when I got back to Utah and lived a ‘normal’ lifestyle. Since I started… realising myself again, it’s been more often. I keep thinking about what people will think when they find out and how it’d reflect on my job and Emily and Eden. I think about how I’ll explain things and what Emily will think when she’s old enough to understand. Then, I panic. I can usually ground myself, but today… I couldn’t.”
“That’s why you wanted me to sing?” Connor asked.
“Yeah…” Kevin smiled, “I like hearing your voice.” He paused, looking around his still-dark classroom. “I’m going to have kids coming in soon…”
“Do you want me to hang up?”
“Not really,” Kevin sighed, “But I need to get ready for the day.”
“You can call me during your lunch, if you want,” Connor said, “I’m getting lunch with a friend at 1, so I might still be out, but I’ll answer.”
“I don’t want to interrupt your plans,” Kevin said, “I’ll call you when I leave the school, though. It’ll be around dinner time for you.”
“I look forward to it,” Connor said, “Don’t hesitate to text me throughout the day. I’ll probably worry if you don’t.”
Kevin chuckled, “I will. Thank you, Con.”
“Anytime, dear. I’ll let you go get ready for your kids.”
“Right, thanks. I’ll talk to you later.”
“Kisses,” Connor said before hanging up.

Kevin took a deep breath and walked over to the door, turning the lights on. He braced himself and opened the door, smiling brightly. He waved to a teacher walking by his classroom, who smiled and waved back. Everything was normal. No one looked at him with disgust. Clearly, Eden had stuck to her ‘Kev had work to do’ between everyone. No one suspected the truth and Kevin planned to keep it that way.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Kevin's day was long, to say the least. Mondays always were. Students were wired and excited to talk about their weekend. On top of Kevin's own personal issues, this created chaos in his classroom. By the time his planning period came around, he was glad it coincided with lunch. This gave him an extra 30 minutes to his planning, meaning he had a long break from the chaos. As his students left his classroom, he watched them enter their classrooms before closing his door and sighing. He took in the silence and sunk into his desk chair. He had lessons to plan and worksheets to grade, but he needed a brain break. He encouraged his students to take brain breaks—he should lead by example, right?

He pulled his phone out and grinned when he saw Connor had sent him a picture. It was a selfie of him and his friend (someone Kevin didn't recognize) holding coffee cups. Connor had sent a message after the picture saying:

Bet you're jealous

So jealous. I need more coffee ☕️ I love these kids, but they're a lot sometimes.

Are you on your break?

Yeah, I have planning and lunch right now. I didn't get to pack my lunch, so I have to eat school food.

Yuck... I don't miss school food.

Do you wanna call? Or are you too busy?

I'll call you. I can't focus on grading, anyway.

Kevin clicked on Connor's name and hit 'call', listening to the ringing until he heard a chipper, "Hello, love!"
He smiles and answered, "Hey. Sounds like you've had a good day."
"I have, actually. It's been good to have the day off and relax," Connor replied, "What about you? You sound tired."
"I am," Kevin said, "My kids were pretty chaotic today. They had a lot of energy that I just couldn't match today."
"Because of this morning?"
"Yeah, and everything else," Kevin sighed, "I've been trying to figure out how to move forward."
"Take your time, Kev. I guarantee you Arnold is excited to have you there ."
"I know he is, but..." Kevin trailed off. He wasn't one to usually voice his concerns—not since he got back from Uganda, at least. In Uganda, he voiced his concerns all the time. Well, most of the time. There were concerns he didn't voice. He was different, now, though. He was back to the accepting Kevin he'd devolved from years ago. "I guess, I don't want to feel like I'm taking advantage of them. I know they love me and won't throw me out, but it's a lot for them to take me and Emily in. After this morning, it felt like Eden might let Em stay more, which I love and I'm more than happy to have Em more... I just don't want to be a burden."
"Oh, Kev," Connor's voice was soft, "You're not a burden. It's good you want to move forward, but it's okay to take the help until you figure out what to do."
Kevin smiled lightly, "I know... God, I wish you were here."
"I wish you were here, too," Connor said, letting the implications hang.

After a brief moment, Kevin sighed, "I just want to be in the same town as you... Why does life have to be so complicated?"
"Because that'd be too easy," Connor chuckled.

"Let's just move to Europe or Asia or back to Africa. I don't care where we go, I just want you. Em would love Japan's Disney."
Connor laughed, "You dream big for someone who gets a teacher's wage."
Kevin grinned, "You'll have to make up for my lack of pay." He sighed when he heard the bell ring, "It's lunchtime. Mind if I call you later?"
"I'll never mind," Connor said and Kevin could hear his grin through the phone.
"Awesome... I love you..." Kevin said, smiling.

"I love you too, Kev. Have a good lunch."
"You, too. I'll call you later," Kevin said, handing up. He wanted to avoid questions, but he had to go to the teacher's lounge for lunch. He knew he'd get questions about why he skipped church on Sunday and he just didn't want to explain. He took in a deep breath and walked out of his classroom, walking to the cafeteria. He stood by the wall, waiting for the line of students to go through first. As he waited, he spotted Elijah and felt a knot form in his stomach when the other man seemingly noticed him too, making his way around the bundle of kids.

"Hey, Price," Elijah said once he made it next to Kevin, "I just wanted to say I'm sorry about this morning."
Kevin furrowed his brows and looked over, "Really?"
"Yeah," Elijah sighed, "I thought about it and you were right. It was kind of a tasteless joke. Sorry about that. I didn't realize how close you still were with those guys."
"Oh, uh, thank you," Kevin said, "And yeah, I'm still friends with them. It's hard not to be close to someone when you went through the things we did."
"I bet," Elijah said, shuffling his feet, "I've only heard stories, but I heard it was rough."
"It was," Kevin said, watching the line grow smaller, "But I got some amazing friends out of it."
"Seems like it. Miss Heart said she saw you and Eden at the mall with the lot of them," Elijah said.
Kevin paused, "Yeah... We wanted to do more hanging out while they were in town... and Emily was excited to meet them."
"I'm sure she was," Elijah said, "You don't really go out much, do you?"
Kevin shook his head, "No, not really. I get overwhelmed easily in crowds."
"We should hang out sometime," Elijah said, "Go golfing or bowling. I can only imagine what it's like not getting a break from a house of girls."
Kevin frowned, "I don't mind staying home. Eden gets home late, so I usually take care of dinner and Em..." And now, I don't even live with them. "I guess I just feel too busy to really go out."
"A man deserves time with his friends," Elijah said. "Think about it." He pushed off the wall and went to grab food, leaving Kevin puzzled.

Kevin pulled his phone out and texted Connor: Elijah Grant just apologized for this morning... and invited me to golf or bowl. Then, he got in line behind Elijah and grabbed food of his own. He followed Elijah to the teacher's lounge and sat at his usual spot, at the corner of the big table to stay out of the spotlight but still able to hear and engage in conversation.

Mrs. Brown elbowed him, "We missed you on Sunday."
Kevin flushed slightly, "Right, I was feeling under the weather. I graded papers since I didn't want to get anyone sick."
"That's too bad. Too much partying with your old mission mates?" She smiled.

Kevin laughed lightly, "Maybe. I'm feeling better, now, though."
"Good. The kids need you, Mr. Price," she said, "You're probably their favorite teacher."
Kevin smiled. He knew the kids liked him, but it was still nice to hear. It hurt, though, knowing he might have to leave. "I do my best."
"Are you ready to sign your contract? They're handing them out soon, right?"
"Ah, yeah..." Kevin trailed off, unsure how to respond.
Her eyebrows quirked, "Is that hesitation I hear?"
"Well," Kevin started, "I've thought about trying out middle school. I'm not sure, though."
"Middle school?" She laughed, "I mean, if anyone could do it, it'd be you. You have so much patience, Price."
Kevin smiled, "I learned a lot during my time in Uganda. There's always a reason for kids to act out, you just need to figure out why." He felt his phone buzz and saw a text from Connor: Are you going to take him up on it? Kevin bit his lip before responding: I don't know. I'm still upset.

"Your daughter will be coming here next year, right? Is that why you might transfer?"
Kevin blinked, hesitating before answering, "Yeah... I'd love to be here with her, but I think she'd feel more independent if I wasn't. I'm not sure how much I want that, though." He laughed lightly.

"You'll have to decide soon," she said.
That was what Kevin was so worried about. How could he decide where to go from here in such a short amount of time? "I know..." Kevin said, smiling, "It's just a tough choice."
"Whatever you choose, you'll succeed."
"Thank you," he smiled, "That means a lot." He felt his phone buzz in his pocket, so he pulled it out to read Connor's text: Maybe it'd be good. If you stay there, you'll want more friends. He knew Connor was right to some degree, but he also knew he couldn't keep his divorce a secret—and he knew the truth of the divorce was likely to come out, too. He didn't want to live in the closet forever, so was it worth making friends with someone who had been so openly against queer people? He sent a quick: I'll think about it back to Connor before opening his texts with Eden. The last messages were from the night of the dinner, the night Kevin decided to turn his life upside down. He sighed and texted her: We need to talk about where to go from here.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

TW: MENTIONS OF THE GENERAL AND THE BOOK—AKA MENTIONS OF SA—Skip to the end where I will explain the contents of the chapter if this is too much for you.

It was clear by the look on her face, Eden was still upset with Kevin. He expected nothing different, but it was a fairly new look on her. Arnold and Nabulungi agreed to take care of Emily while the two parents talked. There were papers on the table and silence in the air—Kevin decided to break it finally.

“I know I’m at fault,” he said. “I’m the reason we’re divorcing.”
“Good job, Captain Obvious,” Eden replied, rolling her eyes. “Want a medal?”
“No,” Kevin said slowly, “I want peace between us. It’d be easier on Emily if we can get along.”
“I agree with that. I just don’t know… I don’t know how, right now. You hurt me Kevin—a lot. I spent the last six years married to you. I had a fucking child with you. And I find out you never actually loved me? That hurts!”
Kevin flinched, “I know, I know… I did love you—I do love you. Just… Not in the same way you love me. That’s not an excuse, though. I was horrible to you… I used you as a way to convince my parents I was straight again. And for a while, I believed it. I believed I was no longer gay and only attracted to women, but… that was just a lie. I’m sorry I dragged you into this. You deserve to hate me.”
Eden’s eyes softened as she sighed, “I don’t hate you, Kevin. I’m pissed at you and don’t want to be here, but I don’t hate you. I… I did some reading about therapy and… I don’t know what they did to you, but it must have been bad. I understand why you did what you did, but I still don’t agree with it.”
Kevin nodded, “And I don’t fault you for that. I don’t agree with it, either. I’m sorry it took me so long to realise.”
“I won’t lie and say it’s okay, but it might be okay some day,” Eden said, running a hand through her hair. She kept her eyes on the papers were signed by the two of them, “I never thought I’d get divorced.”
“Me neither,” Kevin said, looking at the papers, “It’s strange. My entire life revolved around the church. When I went to Uganda, I thought God hated me.”
“You never told me what happened there,” Eden said, looking at Kevin, whose face had paled slightly.

“It’s not something I like talking about,” Kevin said, his eyebrows scrunching, “It… It’s hard to talk about. There were little things that made my beliefs falter and then…”
“You don’t have to tell me.”
Kevin looked up at her as he blinked away tears, “I was sexually assaulted. It was awful… It hurt and no one other than McKinley and Arnold took it seriously… To be fair, they were the only two that knew the true story. Everyone else just thought I was just stupid for storming the General’s camp… I didn’t want everyone to know what had happened. It made me feel so weak, but I felt safe with those two. Every time I heard a gunshot or saw the General or was touched, I went back there. I had nightmares about it and…” He paused, taking in a breath as he wiped tears from his cheeks, “Connor helped me through it. All of it. He didn’t get mad when my screams woke him up or when I flinched when he touched my arm. He didn’t care if I asked for the day off from chores because I hurt or was too anxious. He held me as I cried and reassured God’s love for me. He’s the reason I don’t completely disbelief in the Lord… I know you don’t like him, and I understand why, but he’s a good person. He’s a good person that I hurt, just like how I hurt you,” Kevin groaned, “Lord, I’m so sorry, Eden. I never wanted to hurt you.”
Eden, who was now crying, reached over and put a hand on top of Kevin’s, “Kevin, I’m so sorry that happened to you. Look, I… I’ve done a lot of thinking the past few days and I realised that… we really weren’t happy, were we? Even if you weren’t… into men, we wouldn’t have been happy. I’ve also done a lot of reading on homosexuality…” She paused, thinking over her words, “You really can’t change it?”
Kevin shook his head and smiled slightly as he held her hand, “I can’t. I tried so many times and so many things. Therapy, repenting, more therapy… I’m gay and that won’t change. I’m sorry that it took me so long to realize that and hurting you in the process.”
Eden shrugged, “I got a wonderful child out of it…” She took a deep breath, “Part of my job is to keep with the times. I have obviously not done a great job at that, but I want to learn. If you want to be with him, I won’t hold it against you.”
Kevin teared up and kissed her hand, “I do want to be with him. Um, that’s actually the reason I wanted to talk in person. I want to leave Utah, but I… I can’t be away from Emily.”
“I figured that was coming,” Eden smiled lightly, “Where do you want to go?”
“Well, Connor’s in New York,” Kevin said, “But I really just need to go somewhere less… Utah. Not necessarily New York, but somewhere else.”
Eden nodded, “New York is far.”
“I know and I completely understand if you wouldn’t want that. I want to stay with Emily, but if it’d be too much for you to-“
“Kevin, there’s something I need to tell you,” Eden cut him off, “Something I meant to tell you, like, a month ago, but I was worried how you’d react.”
“Oh,” Kevin said, “Yeah, what is it?”
Eden bit her lip, “I got a job offer in New York. Not the city, but in a town a few hours from the city.”
Kevin blinked, processing, “What? You… New York?” This felt like too much of a coincidence. There was no way the universe was doing this.
“Yeah, I didn’t tell you sooner because I was afraid you’d shut it down.”
“I probably would have before this,” Kevin admitted.
Eden nodded, “I know… I really wanted this job… It’s a higher position at the company’s HQ, so I’ll be paid more and have better hours. I accepted it yesterday.”
“You’re moving to New York?” Kevin asked, feeling like he was missing something. He wanted to move to New York—was Eden really doing the same?
“Yeah,” she said, “Not until December, but yeah. I wasn’t sure what your plans were, but after this morning… I realized that I couldn’t take care of Emily alone. I’d have to hire a babysitter before and after daycare, which is already a huge expense. Your work hours would be the same as her school hours, so it made more sense for her to live with you. And, honestly, I knew you didn’t want to stay here. It’s obvious this isn’t the most open-minded place to live and… well, your boyfriend lives in New York and I can make pretty accurate assumptions… sometimes.”
Kevin’s face flushed. If he was honest, he wasn’t used to having a boyfriend yet. “You’re not wrong that I wanted to move to New York. I didn’t think it would happen if you weren’t willing to move or let Emily move… I wouldn’t be able to leave without her and I know you wouldn’t want to be without her, either.”
Eden smiled slightly, “She wouldn’t want to be without us. If you’re willing… maybe we could talk about split custody in New York.”
Kevin smiled back, “I’d like that… I hope we can be friends someday. Actual friends and not just divorcees.”
“It might take a while for that,” Eden admitted, “But I think I’d like that.”
Never did Kevin think he’d be smiling and happy about signing divorce papers—or that Eden would be smiling as she signed them, too. Now, all he had to do was apply for jobs in New York and tell his parents the news. One of those things was harder than the other, so he decided to start on the easy part. Sitting in Arnold’s living room, Kevin was scrolling down jobs on his laptop. There were plenty of jobs open—some in the city and some near. He wanted to apply to multiple, just in case, but he did research the schools before hitting ‘Apply’. Over the course of the next week and a half, Kevin applied to seven schools—three in the city and four in surrounding towns. One was even in the town Eden would move to. After hitting the final ‘submit’ button, he face-called Connor with the widest grin.
Connor answered, tooth brush stuck in his mouth, “What are you so giddy about?” He propped his phone up so he could use his hands to move his toothbrush.

Kevin’s grin grew more, “You’ll never guess what I’ve been up to.”
Connor’s eyebrows furrowed, “Should I be scared?”
“No.” Kevin playfully rolled his eyes. “You should be happy. Because I’ve applied to some new schools.”
Connor’s eyes lit up, “Really?” He spit the toothpaste out and looked at his phone. “Where at?”
“Just this little state known as New York,” Kevin said.

Connor shrieked and jumped up and down, “Really?! Oh my gosh, you better not be joking! What about Eden? Is she-“
“She’s okay with it,” Kevin laughed, “She got a job, actually, in New York, too.” His face was starting to hurt from all the smiling he was doing as tears filled his eyes, “Con, we’re moving to New York.”
Connor jumped up and down in a celebration dance, “Yes! Oh my gosh, I’m so excited! I’ve been trying not to say it, but I miss you and Emily so fucking much.”
“We’ve missed you, too,” Kevin said, “Not all of the schools I applied to are in the city, but they’re all near.”
“I’m so happy! I’m happy for you and Emily and Eden—and myself, honestly. That’s selfish, but I miss you so much. When do you think you’ll move?” Connor asked before swishing mouthwash.
“Honestly, I don’t know. Probably June? Just to finish out school, finish the divorce stuff, and hopefully have a job.”

“I can’t wait. Are you…” Connor paused, “Okay, this might be too fast, but are you thinking about… living with me?”
“I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t thought about it,” Kevin admitted, “I just… would that be too fast?”
“It’d make rent easier to manage,” Connor said before leaning closer to the phone, “Plus, I don’t like my neighbors.”
Kevin laughed, “Alright, well… Let’s do it. I mean, we lived together for two years before. We’ll just have a little girl with us, this time.”
“Honestly, she’ll just be like a mini you,” Connor said. He smiled and danced again before singing, “I’m gonna live with Kevin~ I’m gonna live with Kevin~”
Kevin smiled and watched Connor. His heart was growing warm as he watched his boyfriend dance and sing about them living together. Last year, this life would have been a nightmare for Kevin. He would have woken up in a panic and bent down to pray instantly. Now, however, he felt like he was in a dream.

“You better start looking for apartments—and remember, I only get a teacher’s salary.”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Kevin Price was not a quitter. When he was a child, he joined baseball and played all throughout high school. He always did his best to excel in both academics and religious activities. On his mission, he quit for the first time, but even then he was talked back into not quitting. When he got back to the states, he didn’t quit meeting his family’s expectations. He didn’t quit being a father. He only recently quit being a husband. And now, he was holding his unsigned contract outside his boss’s office preparing to quit his job. After hyping himself up, he knocked and walked in when he heard the go-ahead.

“Kevin!” His principal happily said, “I was about to come find you. I was getting worried that I hadn’t gotten your contract yet. You’re usually the first to hand it in.” He laughed. “Please, take a seat.”
Kevin nodded and sat down, taking in a deep breath, “Yeah, about that…” He sat the blank document on the desk. “I actually won’t be returning next year.”
His principal’s smile wavers, “May I ask why?”
“I’m moving,” Kevin said with a soft smile, “to New York, actually.”
“Oh, wow. I must say, I’m shocked. Did Eden get a new job there or…?”
“Yeah, but, um, that’s actually not why I’m moving,” Kevin said, keeping his posture straight, “Eden and I are getting a divorce, but we want to stay near one another for Emily’s sake. I, um, I have an old mission companion who will split rent with me.”
“I’m so sorry to hear that, Kevin,” his principal said sincerely, “You two always seemed so happy.”
“I would like to say we were, but I would be lying,” Kevin said, “And please don’t think poorly of Eden. The divorce was a mutual decision due to my own issues.”
His principal nodded, “I won’t press any further. We will be sad to see you go, though.“
Kevin smiled, “I’m sad to go. I love this school and everyone here, but this is what’s best for me and my family. I’m sure you understand.”
“Of course, of course. If you need, I can recommend you to a ward near the city.”
“I appreciate that, but that won’t be necessary. Eden has already found a ward.”
“That’s good to hear. Well, thank you for telling me this in person.”
Kevin nodded, “I wouldn’t do it any other way. I respect you far too much for that.” He smiled and stood up. “I should go open my classroom.”
His principal nodded and stood up, holding his hand out for Kevin to shake, “It’s been a pleasure working with you.”
When the rest of the teachers heard of Kevin’s departure, many of them hugged him as they passed by him and wished him well in the future. None of this surprised Kevin—he’d always been fairly close with his coworkers. What did surprise him was Elijah’s reaction during planning. Kevin was getting ready for the following weeks when, without knocking, the blonde teacher walked in.

“I heard you’re moving,” he said, strolling over to Kevin’s desk.

Kevin looked up and smiled politely, “Yes, Eden got a job in New York and I want to stay near her. It’s better for Emily.”
“And the divorce…” Elijah trailed off, “I’m sorry to hear that.”
“It was for the best,” Kevin replied, “We weren’t happy. I think we’ll both be much happier as friends and co-existing parents.”
Elijah sat on a desk and raised an eyebrow, “Hey, I know I’ve been… bad with my jokes in the past, but you can open up to me.”
Kevin furrowed his brows, “What… What does that mean?”
“I mean,” Elijah sighed, “Look, it’s a big deal with people get divorced. And you’re good at acting fine when you’re not.”
Kevin chewed his lip, “I am fine, Elijah. Eden and I are going to stay friends. It was a pretty mutual decision… though, I am definitely at fault. She did nothing wrong. You do understand why I’m so weary to talk to you about this, correct?”
“Yeah, but we used to be so close,” Elijah said, “Back when we were at the MTC, I looked up to you. I guess I still do.”
“You shouldn’t,” Kevin said. He didn’t feel like he was worthy of that admiration. Before his mission, his ego was so inflated that a comment like that would’ve only made it grow. He felt like he was so much better than everyone, but ended up helping less people in the long run. If Elijah knew who he really was, he’d take back those words instantly. Kevin wanted to tell him how wrong he was. He wanted to spill his guts about how he failed his mission and only Arnold could fix it. He wanted to tell Elijah about Connor and the real reason for the divorce. But, then everyone would know and, while Kevin was definitely more secure in his identity, he wasn’t ready for everyone to know. He needed to tell his parents first, at the very least.

“Don’t say that,” Elijah rolled his eyes, “You’re so modest. Look, I don’t know much about your mission, but Uganda sounds rough. I know they put on an interesting performance for the mission president, which technically got you guys shut down, yet you and the rest stayed for the rest of the two years to help out. It’s clear you’re a good father with how much Emily loves you. That’s enough to be proud of.”
Kevin blinked and stared at Elijah in shock. He hadn’t expected Elijah to praise him—especially about the mission. “Oh… Well… Thank you, Elijah. But I’m really not the man you think I am.” He smiled sadly, “I’m not perfect. No one is. I appreciate the sentiment, but there are things you don’t know. Things I can’t say right now. I used to think I’d be the new prophet, but I’m honestly one of the most normal people alive.” He laughed. “If anyone’s a prophet, it’s Arnold.”
“Don’t put yourself down too much, Price,” Elijah said as he stood up, “You’re a great teacher and father. That’s something to be proud of, even if it’s not prophet-level. Have a good time in New York.”
Kevin smiled, “Thank you, Elijah. I appreciate that.”
“What are friends for?” He winked as he walked out. “Oh, and, good luck with everything.”
Kevin watched him walk away, slightly more confused than before Elijah came in. Good luck? It felt sincere, yet Kevin felt weary about it. He shook it off and decided to shoot Connor a text: I quit my job today :) Hopefully some interviews roll in!
Kevin was more than happy when multiple schools got back to him asking for Zoom interviews—since he wasn’t able to fly to New York while school was still in. Two in-the-city schools interviewed him as well as two out-of-the city schools. Three of them were elementary schools and one was a junior high. He’d never taught junior high, but he felt like he’d be good at it. Though he was hoping to get a job in the city, he knew he’d be content with one out of the city. It’d probably be slower paced and safer for Emily, though Connor would have to drive further for his work. Still no Broadway, but dinner theatre was fine enough for now.

The rest of the school year finished out relatively smoothly. Kevin decided to wait until school wrapped up to talk to his parents. He’d grown more distant from them during this year and it did not go unnoticed. While Connor signed a new lease on a condo in a town right outside New York City, Kevin drove to his parents house. Emily was with Eden (Kevin debated bringing her to soften the blow, but he decided he didn’t want her to see the possible fight), so he was on his own. Connor had his phone ready to call if Kevin needed and Arnold’s door was unlocked. Kevin was prepared.

He walked up to the door and knocked, a far-too-familiar knot forming in his stomach. He felt like he was 20 again, coming home from Uganda to face his parents’ wrath. He took in a deep breath and plastered a smile on his face when his mother opened the door.

“Kevin!” She pulled him into a hug, “Why didn’t you tell us about your marital problems before you divorced? We know great couple’s counselors!”

Kevin hugged her back, “That’s what I’m here to talk about, actually.” He pulled away from the hug. “Dad’s here, right?”
She nodded and held the door open for Kevin, “He’s in the living room watching his game shows. Your brother is here, too!”
That was unexpected. Kevin wasn’t sure how Jack would react, but he supposed he could kill two birds with one stone. His brother was still very much involved in the church, but more progressive than their parents. Maybe it’d be better this way. “Awesome.” He let his mother lead the way as he prepped himself to break the news.

When they walked in, Kevin’s dad waved to him, “Hey, bud. You haven’t visited in a while.”
Kevin smiled awkwardly, “Yeah, sorry about that… There’s been a lot going on and I wasn’t sure how to talk to you guys about it, but I’m ready to, now.”
Jack raised an eyebrow, “We know you’re divorced, Kev.”
“Yeah, I know,” Kevin said, “There’s just… more to the story that I want you to hear from me.” He turned to look at his mom. “You might want to sit down for this, Mama.”
She frowned and took a seat, “Is everything okay, dear? Is someone sick?”
“Um, no,” Kevin said, “Well, you might disagree with that… Um, I want to start this off by saying that Eden and I are still friends and will work together to keep Emily as happy as possible.” He paused, looking around at his family. “Firstly, we are moving to New York. Eden got a great job offer and I… found someone to live with.”

His mother hesitantly asked, “Who is it, sweetheart?”
Kevin felt tears prick his eyes as he responded, “Connor McKinley… He and I… We’re dating. I’m gay.” He wiped his eyes as he felt the tears drop. “I-I always have been and the therapy didn’t work—it never would have.” His voice was hoarse as he looked at his family, hoping they’d understand. “I tried so hard to change. I prayed, I did therapy, I prayed more, I pretended, I shamed myself, but it’s impossible.” He cleared his throat and straightened his back. “I’m gay and I think that’s okay.”
The room was silent for a beat before Kevin’s father stood up and slapped him, yelling, “You’re a disgrace!” He stormed out of the house, shoulder checking Kevin on his way out as he mumbled, “A fucking disappointment.” Kevin stumbled into a chair, holding his cheek in shock. His mother held herself and cried. Even Jack cried. For a few minutes, the only sounds were the sounds of sobs from the three remaining family members.

“Don’t you want to try to be normal again?” His mother asked after a while, her voice quiet and soft.

Kevin looked at her and smiled sadly, “To me… I am normal. I only pray you think the same one day.” His eyes flicked to his brother, who kept his eyes averted. “Jack? Can you say something, please?”

Jack closed his eyes and took in a breath, “I’m trying to be open minded about this. I know… I know it’s not something you can change, but… You don’t have to act on it, Kevin.”
“That’s not fair, is it?” Kevin asked, “I think Heavenly Father would want me to be happy and he makes me happy. He makes Emily happy. We make him happy… Can’t you be happy for us?”
Jack looked at his brother with red eyes, “I don’t know. Maybe some day.”
Kevin nodded, “That’s all I can ask.” He smiled sadly, wiping the tears that fell down his cheeks.
His mother stood up, “This is all a prank, right? You’re not— You and Eden love each other!”
“Yes,” Kevin said, standing up to face her, “We do, but… not in that way. She’s the mother of my child and I wouldn’t have it any other way, but neither of us were happy being married to one another. She deserves to find someone to love her and so do I.”
She shook her head, “I-I thought you got over this—this—“ her hands flew in the air “—this phase!”
“It wasn’t a phase! Can’t you see that?” Kevin pleaded with her, “If it were a phase, would I be standing here now? Would I feel so deeply in love with Connor in a way I never could with Eden?”
“You didn’t try hard enough!” His mother cried. Jack stood up and hugged her, trying to calm her down. “I knew you shouldn’t have stopped therapy!”
“I hoped you’d be more understanding… but I guess I was naive,” Kevin shook his head, “I’m leaving. I have a lot of packing to do. You have my number if you change your mind.” He turned to leave before looking back, “Tell dad I don’t want to hear from him again.” He walked out, holding his head up high until he got to his car. Once he closed the door, he broke down. He sobbed into his hands. He knew this outcome was the most likely scenario, but part of him wished his parents had changed. After about ten minutes, he shakily called Connor, who answered right away.

“Hey, how’d it go?” Connor’s voice was soft and warm, a stark contrast to his father’s cold and harsh tone. Kevin let out a sob, unable to answer in words. “Oh, dear… I’m so sorry. Do you want to FaceTime?” Instead of answering, Kevin clicked the FaceTime button on his phone and wiped his face. Connor’s face filled his screen, worry etched into his features despite the warm smile. “There’s my handsome guy.”
Kevin, despite the sobs shaking through him, laughed slightly, “God, I love you.” He took in deep breaths, trying to calm his crying. “I-I don’t know what I expected. I mean, I expected this, b-but I just— I don’t know— hoped it’d go better?”
“I know, dear,” Connor hummed before frowning, “Is that— Oh my god, Kev, he hit you?”
Kevin looked away in attempt to hide the red mark on his cheek, “I… Yeah, he did. I’m okay, though. It could’ve been worse.”
“Fuck that,” Connor said, “I can’t believe this— God, I wish I was there with you.”
“Me too,” Kevin said, smiling lightly at his phone, “But this is enough for now… I’m just happy to see your face. Soon enough, we’ll be together for good. I don’t know how to explain the move to Emily yet, but she’ll be happy enough to know you’ll live with us.”
Connor smiled slightly, “I can’t wait. Oh! Wanna hear some good news?”
“Always,” Kevin said, wiping his cheeks again. “I need a good distraction.”
“Guess who got into a second round of auditions for Broadway.”
Kevin gasped, “No way! Connor, I’m so proud of you!”
Connor laughed, “I got the call earlier today. They’re considering me for two roles—both of them are side characters, but it’s still broadway!”
“I knew you’d make it!” Kevin grinned, “I’m dating a Broadway actor.”
“I’m not on Broadway yet,” Connor blushed, “Don’t get your hopes up too much. They could still pick someone else. I’m honored for the auditions, though. It’s for a revival show, so no original casting yet, but I’ll get there.
“Yeah you will,” Kevin said, “God, I love you so much. I’m so happy for you.”
“I love you, too,” Connor smiled, “Are you good to drive home, now? I wanna celebrate with you.” He winked, which made Kevin blush.

“You’re ridiculous.”
“So you don’t wanna…?”
“I’m driving now.”

“Good.”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

The end of the school year came quickly—which was different than usual. Normally, for teachers and students alike, the end of the year dragged out. However, Kevin's upbeat mood contrasted with the tiredness of the other teachers and his consistent calls with Connor helped pass the time. He was still stressed—final grading did that to someone—but he was just excited to move. His Zoom interviews went well and he was offered a job at a middle school in the same town Eden would be working, which he accepted very quickly. He had an appointment set up to tour the school once he's moved in and settled a bit, which he was psyched for. Before he packed up and moved, however, he had something he needed to do: something to give himself closure.It was the last day of school and the students had gone home for the summer. Every teacher in the district was standing outside the high school, grills and lawn games were playing, and coworkers were laughing and talking to one another. Every year on the last day of school, the district celebrated the teachers and their commitment, as well as said good bye to the teachers leaving. The principal stood up with a microphone connected to a singular speaker and began his speech."Hello, everyone! I want to start off by saying we appreciate all of the hard work you all do for our district and students. You are all so devoted and we applaud you all. We have some teachers leaving us this year and, while we're sad to see them leave, we want to wish them all the best on their journeys. One of these teachers wanted to say a few words, so while Mr. Hall finishes the grilling, I'd like for you all to give Mr. Kevin Price your attention." He smiled and handed the mic to Kevin, who was sweating from more than just the sun."Thank you, Mr. Berg," Kevin said, "I want to start this off by saying I am so blessed to have spent these last few years working with each and every one of you—even those in different grades. Being able to see our students grow in your classrooms has been such a privilege. I'll be working in a middle school in the upcoming year, so I might have questions for some of you—if we're still on talking terms." He cleared his throat, trying to stop his hands from shaking—but to no avail. "Um, as you all may know, Eden and I are separating. We are still on good terms and are excited to continue co-parenting Emily; however, I haven't been completely honest about the split. It's true that Eden is not at all at fault—I am." His eyes scanned over the confused faces of his ex-coworkers. He could read the questions on some of their faces: Did he cheat on her? Abuse her? Have an addiction? Kevin took in a deep breath. "I'm telling you all this not because I want you to think differently about me, but I do feel I need to clear the air somewhat. I... I'm gay." Gasps and looks of shock flooded the yard of the high school as Kevin continued. "I know it may come as a shock, but it's true. I've always been gay and nothing will change that—trust me, I've tried. I'm moving for two reasons: one is to stay close to Eden for Emily's sake... the other is to be with the man I love: Connor McKinley." More shock grazed their faces. "I didn't want to leave you all with a lie. You've all been so kind to me and you deserve to know the truth, even if you don't accept it." He handed the mic back to his principal, whose face was just as shocked as the other teachers. "Thank you."Kevin knew he'd be less than welcome to stay, so he gathered his things and began walking away. No one said anything directly to him, but he heard whispers and mumbles as he walked past people—some of shock and some of hate. He took in a deep breath, ignoring the comments as he walked toward his car, only to be stopped by the very Elijah Grant, who was running after him."Kevin, wait!" Elijah placed a hand on Kevin's shoulder, making the latter man freeze in his place. "Look, I know I've made some insensitive jokes in the past, but I... Look, I don't care if you're gay."Kevin turned to look at Elijah, slight confusion etched into his brow, "Wait... Really?""No," Elijah said, "I mean, I might still be awkward about it and make dumb comments, but I kinda guessed it. You seemed very happy to see your old mission companions."Kevin searched Elijah's expression for any ounce of joking or sarcasm, but he found none. He felt tears forming in the back of his eyes, but blinked them away and cleared his throat, "I appreciate that, Eli. I hope we can continue to be friends."Elijah smiled, "Yeah, of course. I'm sorry, again, for the stupid comments I made. I was just trying to be funny.""I know," Kevin said, smiling back at him, "I should probably go... I think you're the only one who'd want me here right now and I have packing to finish. We should get drinks before I leave.""Totally! Text me when you're free."Kevin smiled and nodded, "Will do. Have a good time, Elijah." He walked away, straight to his car without looking back again. Once he got into his car, he let out a long breath he felt like he'd been holding for hours—because he had been. He wanted so badly to call Connor, but he knew his boyfriend—he'd get used to that word soon—was busy at his second round of auditions. Instead, he called the next best man."Hey, best friend," Arnold exclaimed, "Naba and I were just talking about dinner if you wanna join. Unless you ate at that grill out thing.""I didn't eat," Kevin said, his chest swelling with appreciation for his best friend, "I'd love to join you two. I have something kind of interesting to tell you." He turned his head to look back at the group of teachers on the lawn, some of which were scandalously whispering to one another while others seemed to have moved on. Elijah, on the other hand, was rolling his eyes at something someone said."A good interesting?" Arnold asked."Yeah, it's good," Kevin responded, "What do you wanna eat?""Naba and I thought about ordering pizza."Kevin grinned, "Perfect. I'll be home soon."~~~Kevin pulled into the driveway of his best friend's house, thankful for the first time to not have Emily that night. She and Eden were having another girl's day—one which Emily seemed more excited for. This meant that Kevin could relax and not have to worry about his daughter—and he didn't have to worry about her asking questions. He walked into the house and was greeted by the smell of pepperoni pizza wafting from the living room. Taking his shoes off, he exclaimed, "Honey, I'm home!" He walked into the dimly lit living room, lit only by the light of Disney + on the TV, and smiled."Kev! What do you wanna watch?" Arnold asked, "It's your pick."Naba smiled and handed him a plate with two pizza slices on it as he sat down next to her, "Arnold thought you needed a comfy night in." She then handed him an unopened beer with a grin.Kevin grinned back, "Arnold was right," and took the pizza and beer. "I, uh, I came out to my ex-colleagues today."Arnold gasped loud enough for the neighbours to hear, "Really? I'm so proud of you, buddy! How'd it go?""Well," Kevin said, "You're not going to believe me when I tell you Elijah Grant was the only supportive one. Outwardly supportive, at least.""Grant?!" Arnold exclaimed, "I thought he was seriously homophobic!""I think he used to be," Kevin said before taking a bite of the warm pizza. He hummed as he chewed and continued, "I think he realised how dumb it was.""That's great, Kevin!" Naba grinned, giving her friend a hug, "You have no idea how proud I am of you."Kevin hugged her back, "Thank you, Naba... I can't wait to tell Connor and hear how his audition went.""Trust me," she said as she pulled out of the hug, "He's just as excited to tell you. He was texting me non-stop before his audition."Kevin chuckled, "I'm not shocked. He's been gushing about it all week.""Well, while we wait for you to get distracted by Connor, what movie should we watch?" Arnold asked.Kevin grinned, "The Little Mermaid. Please.""I'm so shocked," Arnold teased as he turned the movie on, leaning back to cuddle into Naba and eat his pizza.The rest of the movie went uninterrupted. When the movie ended, Arnold switched to a new movie as Kevin checked his phone. Still nothing from Connor. Surely his audition wasn't still going... right? He decided to give him a call just in case. He could leave a message if Connor doesn't answer. To his delight, Connor did answer."Oh em gosh, Kev, I am so sorry. I meant to call you, but I got asked to get drinks and completely forgot. I'm so sorr-""It's okay, Con," Kevin laughed, "I just wanted to make sure you were okay... Are they celebratory drinks?""They sure are! Hold on- it's loud in here-" Kevin heard shuffling on the other side of the phone before the loudness of the pub patrons died down. "Okay, I'm outside. But, yes, celebratory! Nothing is decided, but I have a really good feeling, Kev."Kevin laughed, "That's great news! I knew you'd do great.""You were right as usual~" Kevin could hear a slight slur to Connor's words, as well as a warmth of his voice. "God, I love you... Oh, how was your last day?""It was good," Kevin said, "The kids were sad to leave, but they were so sweet. They all gave me hugs, which made me sob more than them." Connor laughed, which made Kevin's grin grow. "And... I told my coworkers that I'm dating you."Connor gasped loudly, "What?! How'd that go? Are you okay? Jeez, I should have called-""It went well," Kevin interrupted his lover's tangent, "Well, kind of. No one beat me up, so that's good... The only one who told me they were okay with it was Elijah Grant, actually...""Really? The homophobe?"Kevin laughed, "That's him... Clearly, he's changed. I think it's a genuine change, too. I hope so.""Oh, Kevin, I'm so proud~! Ugh, I wish I could just hug and kiss you right now," Connor whined, "Why aren't you here yet?""I'll be there in a week... Just one more week and we get to spend every day together.""Mm... I can't wait. I can't wait to see Emily, too," Connor said, "How is she? Is she excited to move?""Yes and no," Kevin said, "She's excited to see you and all of that, but she doesn't want to leave her friends... She's so outgoing, though. I expect she'll make plenty of new friends there.""She definitely will," Connor said, "If you are worried, I know someone with a kid around her age. She's an actor friend of mine and her little girl is just so cute. She's quite a bit shyer, but I think Em could use a quiet friend."Kevin smiled and listened to his tipsy lover talk. He stopped paying attention somewhere around "her ex is a dick" and "we loved karaoke in college." He was just happy to hear Connor's voice in such a happy way. He began to doze off, tired from a long day and comforted by his lover's voice, when Connor called his name."-evin? Kev, are you still there?""Hm? Oh, yeah, yeah... sorry-" He yawned, "I almost fell asleep.""Long day?" Connor asked."Mhm," Kevin hummed, "Doesn't help that your voice is so soothing..."Connor laughed, "You're so cheesy. Well, I'll let you sleep. My friends are probably wondering where I went, anyway... I'll call you in the morning?"Kevin smiled, "Sounds like a plan... Text me when you get home so I know you're safe, please.""Of course, my love," Connor replied, "And I will be careful. We have a DD ready to get us home.""Good," Kevin said before yawning again, "Have fun.""Will do," Connor laughed, "Alright, I'm gonna go... I love you.""Mm, love you, too, Connor," Kevin mumbled happily before Connor laughed again and hung up. Kevin stood up, letting the couple on the couch watch the movie on their own, and went to his bed. It truly had been a long day, so when his head hit the pillow, Kevin fell asleep instantly.