The Spring before Obergefell by Ben Grossberg

Author:Ben Grossberg [Grossberg, Ben]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: FIC019000 FICTION / Literary, FIC068000 FICTION / LGBTQ+ / General
Publisher: Nebraska

* * *

Dave gets up not long after sunrise. I might have slept a few minutes here and there. It’s hard to tell. At the moment, though, I feel clear-headed, at least partially because my stomach is empty. I’m going to be a wreck this afternoon.

My father is awake, so I get out of bed when Dave does. We both pull on our underwear and jeans. No shirts though it’s cool in the house. I leave the bedroom first. My father is at the sink, washing dishes. I point Dave down the hall to the bathroom, then go in to let my father know I’ve got a guest.

“Hey Dad,” I say, walking into the kitchen. “I’ve got a friend here.” I sit down at the table. My father continues washing up.

He turns from the sink. “I put your Chinese in the fridge,” he says. “Do you want me to put on some coffee?”

I tell him that would be great. I’m going to need it. I sit for a few moments and think through what happened last night. I had mostly avoided this train of thought lying in bed, but now that I’m up, I don’t seem to be able to. Dave is here, still here, and there might be something else I should say to him. Like I’m a damn lawyer. Like this might be the last chance I have to make my case.

The toilet flushes and a few moments later, Dave comes in. He’s got his blue shirt back on, untucked, partially buttoned. I introduce him to my father, who can be gregarious with new people. This jarred me when I was a kid. I’d always thought of my father as sullen, quiet, quick-tempered—then I came to work with him one day, and on site he was a different person, smiling, asking people how they were, slapping them on the back. Some of that comes out now. He goes over to shake Dave’s hand, says he’s glad to meet him, offers him a cup of coffee. Then he says he’s going to make oatmeal and Dave is welcome to have some.

Dave calls my father by his first name, Peter, which is also jarring to me. “Thanks, Peter,” he says. “I’m going to head out in a minute. Though I could use the coffee if you’ve got it made.”

My father begins talking about the weather, getting past the worst of winter, spring being just a couple of weeks away. He asks Dave how he feels about winter and says that he can’t stand the cold and darkness anymore. Dave says that my father should move to the Sunbelt, and my father runs with that, talking about the desert Southwest. While he’s talking, my father brings over a mug of coffee and sets it in front of me, then hands a mug to Dave, who remains standing. My father sits across from me with his own mug. He gestures to Dave to sit.

What would I say to Dave? Maybe I’ve already made my case.

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