betsy: Day Five

“You don’t need him,” Julian said on the one side of Cabe. “He was too high-strung for you anyway. You should try to find someone who actually wants a family.”

“Have you tried calling him?” Harvey asked.

“He doesn’t need him,” Julian stated.

“The more I apologize the harder it’ll be to get him to come back,” Cabe sobbed, pausing to take a drag of his cigarette. “He’s too stubborn. The best I can do is leave him alone and hope he remembers me.”

“You could make him jealous by sleeping around,” Julian suggested. “I can help with that.”

“But Gavin would have to know about it,” Cabe sighed. “And I don’t even know where he is.”

Cabe looked at his cell phone, but didn’t see any messages waiting for him. Harvey rubbed Cabe’s back as Julian patted Cabe’s inner thigh. “It’ll be fine,” Harvey said. “He’ll be back for you, and then he’ll realize he wants a family and everything will be okay.”

“Yeah if you live in a fucking fairy tale world,” Julian said, upturning his nose at Harvey.

“I used to live in a fucking fairy tale world,” Cabe whined. “With emphasis on the fucking.”

The bar turned out to be a less than productive evening. Cabe went home feeling worse (though drunker) than he had when he left. He flopped down on the couch. Cabe definitely didn’t want to lay in an empty bed. He pulled out his cell phone and checked it again.

Still no messages from Gavin.

He stared at his phone, willing Gavin to call him. He’d be happy to just have Gavin yell at him more. He searched through his contacts, lingering on Gavin’s name.

Then he flipped back up to find his dad’s name. He knew he could call his dad at any time, in any state of mine. He pressed the phone to his ear and let it ring.

Cabe started coughing as he dad answered, “Hello?”

Cabe continued coughing, “Hello? Cabe?”

“S-sorry,” Cabe said, clearing his throat. “Sorry dad. Yes, it’s me.”

“You have a distinct cough,” his dad, laughed. “What can I do for you?”

“Do you know what time it is?”

“Shouldn’t your phone tell you that?” his dad asked. Cabe could hear his smile fading. “It’s one in the morning, is something wrong?”

“Dad,” Cabe started, “Gavin left me.”

His dad was quiet for a moment before asking, “What happened?”

Cabe told the story that Gavin had told Jeff hours before, the same story he told Harvey and Julian in the bar. His dad listened patiently.

Cabe found the tears welling up in his eyes as he told the story. He walked around the apartment to find a tissue for his nose. When he was finished he asked, “Dad, what do I do?”

“Well, Gavin’s not the type to come crawling back, is he?”

“Maybe,” Cabe said, timidly.

“Do you want to be in this relationship?”

Cabe hesitated. He wasn’t sure anymore. Gavin didn’t like his friends. Gavin didn’t want a family. Gavin thought he drank and smoke too much. He didn’t seem to like much about what made Cabe, Cabe.

“I don’t know, dad,” Cabe said.

“Then maybe you should take a break,” his dad said. “It could give you some time to think about it without him distracting you.”

“I feel terrible,” Cabe moaned.

“I know, son,” he replied. “But you’ll feel better soon. Maybe not tomorrow since it sounds like you’re going to have a hangover, but you’ll feel better.”

Cabe nodded, though his dad couldn’t see it. “Thanks dad,” he said. “Sorry for waking you up.”

“Ah, I was up anyway,” his dad said.

“You’re a terrible liar,” Cabe replied.

They exchanged goodnights and Cabe hung up the phone, resting it on his chest. He couldn’t decide if Gavin would get angrier the longer he waited, or if Gavin would cool down. But he realized that he didn’t really care. He’d take his dad’s advice and think things over, without distractions in the shape of Gavin.