Chapter 26
Jay
While the circumstances aren’t ideal for a family reunion, I’m glad Aiden gets this chance to reconnect with them.
For once, I get to support him, instead of the other way around. He’s done so much for me over the past year, first as a steady, faithful friend and then as the most devoted boyfriend I could ever ask for. I love this man, and everything about our life together.
Tuesday morning, we leave early with the sun barely above the horizon as I drive us to the Portland airport. Aiden keeps checking his phone, tracking their flight. The closer they get, the more anxious he becomes.
“Hey,” I say softly, reaching over to link our fingers. Touching him seems to soothe his tension a bit. “You doing alright?”
He exhales and nods, giving me a tight smile as he squeezes my hand. “Yeah, I’m okay. Just nervous. I know where James stands, but I don’t know about Luke. What if he doesn’t accept me?”
I glance over at him, my voice steady. “Aiden, whatever’s going on in Luke’s head, it doesn’t matter. You don’t owe anyone an explanation for who you are. And he’s walking into our home, surrounded by people who love and support you.
“If he thinks he can show up and spew sanctimonious, homophobic bullshit, he’s going to learn real fast that it won’t fly. Especially not with my sister in the room.”
That earns a genuine laugh from him. “You’re right. Heather would eat him alive.”
We arrive at the airport early with plenty of time to spare. My mom meets us here since there isn’t enough room for everyone in one car.
We sit on a wooden bench in the newly renovated terminal, and she turns to Aiden and offers a suggestion.
“I think it’d be best if I hold back when they arrive,” she says softly. “I don’t want to overwhelm your mom too much all at once. This is going to be an emotional moment for her.”
Aiden nods, looking grateful. “That’s a good idea. Thank you. It means so much that you’re willing to support my mom like this.”
“There is nowhere else I would rather be,” she replies.
My mom is one of the most remarkable women I’ve ever known. No matter what life throws at her, she remains kind and steady. I know this is hard for her, losing her friendship with Susan all those years ago, and going through her divorce without her. I know she missed her friend.
Aiden’s phone buzzes in his hand, and he shows it to me.
James: Off the plane, headed your way.
He immediately tenses up, stands, and begins pacing. My mom moves to the seating area across from us, while I remain seated on the bench, waiting for him to greet them first before he reintroduces me. They still don’t know we’re together.
I spot Susan before she sees us. She’s aged for sure, but she’s still a beautiful woman with kind eyes and the same long, blond hair. Even in casual travel clothes, she looks poised and well-put-together.
James and Luke aren’t identical twins, but they look alike. They’re the same height, with lean builds, olive skin, and unmistakable family features that mirror Aiden.
Even from a few feet away, I can hear Aiden’s voice as he approaches.
“Hey, Mom,” he says, wrapping her in a warm hug. “God, it’s so good to see you.”
Through tears and a trembling voice, she chokes out, “I missed you so much, Aiden.” Her shoulders are shaking with sobs as she clings to him for several moments.
James and Luke watch, misty-eyed, with James clasping his girlfriend’s hand.
Once Susan finally releases him, there’s a long-overdue bear hug between Aiden and James, and a tentative hug between Aiden and Luke. James introduces Shelly before Aiden turns toward me and beckons me over.
“I’m sure you all remember Jay,” he says, reaching for my hand.
Susan stares at me for a moment, her eyes wide with disbelief. “You found each other?” she exclaims, and before I can respond, she pulls me into the tightest hug I’ve ever received.
She’s sobbing so violently that her body shakes against me, smearing tears and snot all over my shirt, but I don’t care.
After a few deep, shuddering breaths, she pulls back just enough to cup my face in her hands. “You deserved so much better than how we treated you, Jayson. I am so, so sorry.”
I swallow the lump in my throat, barely getting the words out, “It’s okay now. We found each other, and we’re happy.”
“You don’t know how happy that makes me,” she says, tears and mascara pouring down her cheeks. “And your mom…is she okay?”
I gently turn her around and point, “Why don’t you ask her yourself? She’s right over there.”
My mom stands, tears streaming down her face. The sound that escapes Susan’s mouth is raw, almost primal. It’s a guttural sob that knocks the breath from her lungs.
I reach out to steady her as her knees nearly give out. She stumbles toward my mom, and they fall into each other’s arms, crying so hard I’m afraid they won’t recover.
We’ve become the spectacle of the airport. Around us, people are staring, some with tears in their eyes, a few with their cell phones out, recording the emotional reunion.
Eventually, we calm them down enough to head to baggage claim and pick up everyone’s luggage.
My mom drives Susan in her car, while Aiden and I take the rest of the group. It’s a short drive from the airport to my mom’s house, so there’s not much time for conversation.
James and Luke didn’t know Susan would stay there and that they’d be separated from her, but after witnessing their emotional reunion, they realize it’s exactly where she needs to be.
After Aiden drops his mom’s bags in the spare bedroom, we all settle into the living room.
My mom, ever the gracious host, starts fussing.
“Can I get anyone anything to drink? I can put together some snacks, too,” she offers.
Once everyone has given her their requests, Aiden and I help her gather everything, then we all return to the couch.
The air is thick and heavy. No one is sure where to begin.
There’s some polite small talk, just enough to fill the awkward silence, before James cuts through it all with a pointed question. “Okay, now that we’re all together, Mom, will you finally tell us how long this has been going on?”
She looks to my mom for reassurance, grasping her hand as if it were a lifeline. In the brief time between here and the airport, it’s obvious they’ve already connected and had a conversation.
My mom nods gently at her. “Sue, you need to be honest with them. They’re not little boys anymore, and they deserve to know the truth.”
Susan looks up, tears beginning to fall again from her already red, puffy eyes. She takes a few moments to center herself, then begins.
“The first time I suspected anything was a few weeks before the Taylors moved,” she says. “Your dad had been on the city council for a few years, and he wanted to expand his political career. He went to a conference in Albany, and when he came back, something was off.
“I found a receipt from a bar in the pocket of his suitcase when I was unpacking his things, which wasn’t like him. All of his clothes had already been laundered, which was odd.”
She pauses, taking a deep breath. “I’d confided in Ronda about it, and she encouraged me to confront him. I didn’t accuse him of anything; I just asked about those things, and he quickly cut me off. He had reasonable excuses for everything, and I just accepted it, even though it didn’t feel right.”
James frowns. “So, what happened after that?”
Susan glances nervously at Aiden, then at me. “Not long after… was when everything happened between the two of you,” she says quietly, shame creeping into her voice.
The room falls dead silent; you could hear a pin drop.
She reaches out and takes Aiden’s hand.
“It was a shock to find the two of you together.” She swallows, glancing between us. “And when I told your father, his reaction was… extreme. It was beyond anything I could control.”
She shifts her gaze to her hands. “I knew he would be angry, but I didn’t know he’d go that far—“ she hesitates. “Not only to separate the two of you but also to cut off my friendship with Ronda entirely.
She looks up, her voice steady. “Looking back, I think he saw it as an opportunity to isolate me from the only ally I had.”
Tears well up in her eyes again as she meets Aiden’s gaze. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t understand it at the time, but I’ve done a lot of my own studying and soul-searching. The two of you belong together.”
Aiden stands and pulls her into a warm hug, holding her tightly.
I watch, my heart swelling in my chest. This is what I’ve hoped for—his family to love and accept him for who he is.
Looking at James and Shelly, it’s clear they’re fully supportive, but Luke’s expression is unreadable.
For the next hour, Susan provides a vague timeline of Reg’s betrayals. She’s editing details for her sons’ sake, leaving out the ugliest parts. But it’s still enough to paint a damning picture.
The first confirmed affair came to light when she discovered a pair of women’s underwear in the pocket of his suit jacket after another conference.
When she confronted him, he told her he was a man with needs she couldn’t meet.
That, as a pastor’s wife, she needed to be submissive in her role and stay pure and blameless.
The second affair was a bit more public when a church member caught him with a young woman who worked in the children’s ministry. The church board quietly swept the whole thing under the rug, paid the woman to go away, and no one was the wiser.
After that, she had suspicions—more hints in receipts, strange items, and unexplained late nights—but she stopped questioning him, and she didn’t have anyone to talk to. My heart breaks for her, with how much she had to endure completely alone.
The most recent came a year ago. Another young woman in the church accused him of sexual harassment. That led to another payoff, and another cover-up.
For the first time, Luke speaks, his voice trembling. “Wait, Dad said she was an addict, and he’d been counseling her. That she was trying to get money for drugs. I defended him. Are you telling me it’s true?”
Susan looks heartbroken. “I’m sorry, Luke. I thought I was protecting you.”
Luke’s on his feet in a flash. He walks out without a word, the door to the back patio slamming shut behind him.
Shelly leans over and whispers something to James, who nods. She quietly slips outside after Luke. I have no idea what the dynamic is there.
James looks prepared to fight. “Mom, you need to take him for everything he’s worth and end this. He’s been spewing bullshit our whole lives and—“
Susan snaps upright, her voice cutting through the room.
“James Henry Amato. Stop right there.” She fixes him with the look only a mother can give, her finger raised in warning. “You will be respectful. I’m fully aware I need to do something, but you won’t speak to me like that.”
James visibly shrinks in his seat. “Yes, ma’am. I’m sorry.”
Aiden looks amused as he watches his little brother being put in his place.
Shifting gears, he gently takes her hand. “Mom, what do you need?”
She exhales, long and shaky. “I need some time and space. Ronda has graciously opened her home to me and has offered a listening ear. I haven’t had that in a very long time. I need to sit with this, just to breathe and figure out what’s next.”
“Then that’s what we’ll give you,” Aiden says. “I think it’s time we head out, anyway.”
“Thank you,” she replies, sweetly palming his cheek. “I want to spend some time with you while we’re here. If it works for Ronda, maybe we can visit you in a couple of days?”
“That works great; I’d love that. We’ll take care of the boys until then.”
She smiles weakly, weariness brimming in her eyes.
Once James rounds up Luke and Shelly from the backyard, we say our goodbyes and head to the car.
During the drive to Astoria, the conversation stays light and safe, covering Aiden’s business, James’ school program, and Shelly’s plans after college. Luke barely speaks; his responses are brief and only when asked a direct question or prompted by James.
We pretend, for those couple of hours, that things are light, but the truth hangs heavy in the air. Everyone knows that once we’re home, the hard conversations really start.