Puzzles and Pieces ✔

Chapter 19

Chapter 19

No matter what I did, I always seemed to end up at the hospital. I don't think I've ever been the one lying in the bed either.

It was strange seeing him in a hospital bed again. This time he wasn't surrounded by as many contraptions and could actually look at me with his head completely turned. I cleared my throat, breaking the awkward silence.

"How are you feeling, Mr. Matthews?"

"I'm doing alright. Don't worry about me." His eyes flicked to the empty space beside me and my mouth formed into a thin line. "How about the kid?"

I felt my mouth go dry. "He's at home now. He doesn't want to talk to me though."

"I see. He'll come around eventually." He said it so stiffly but I could tell he was trying to be sincere.

"I hope so." My eyes drifted to the ground, not really wanting to talk about it further.

"Don't make the same mistakes as I have. When Kyle stormed out, I couldn't help but think about Caleb and the last time I really saw him was when he ran away." His eyes wandered to the window. "You may spend the rest of your life feeling regret."

"Noted, sir."

"I never really asked, but... when... you were with my son..." He held a fist to his mouth and coughed.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes, yes. I'm fine. Anyways," he continued. "I want to know when he was... Sorry. I can't find the words to say it."

He put a hand on his forehead and closed his eyes. He took a shaky breath and I watched him with slight concern.

"It's okay, if you want to talk about it another time when you're better..."

"I'm alright. Really." He reassured me for the third time as he dropped his hand onto the bed. "How did you meet my son?"

"We met in university. He was living on the streets at that point but he had signed up for my tutoring lessons." I paused and looked to Mr. Matthews. I saw he was staring at me silently with focus and nodded to let me know that I could continue talking. "Anyways, he needed a place to say so I helped him for some time by directing him to university resources. Luckily, they had accommodations for special situations like this. He was paying tuition after all.

"We got close during that time. Since we were still tutor and student, we didn't really act on anything since it would be inappropriate behaviour. Eventually, I stopped tutoring and met Caleb again in a lecture. Apparently, we were in the same class again and he wanted to take me out for coffee to thank me for all the help."

Tears began to prickle in my eyes and I blinked rapidly to hold them back.

"Did he make you happy?" Mr. Matthews leaned forward and placed a hand on my forearm.

I couldn't help but choke when I opened my mouth to speak. I quickly shut my mouth and took a deep breath. "He made me so happy."

"And I'm sure he was happy with you." He sat back in his bed and closed his eyes. "I thought... liking men meant that all of you were a bunch of sissies that just went to bars all the time choosing a life of bad decisions. But... I see that no one would choose to be this way. You're just a normal person."

I pursed my lips. "Thank... y–?"

"But not just any normal person," he interrupted. Not letting me finish my sentence. "You're a good person as well."

"I am?"

"You are. My ex-wife, she actually left Caleb and I when he was just a baby. She walked out on us saying that she never loved me and never wanted to have a child with me. I never knew why she ever did leave but it broke my heart. I never wanted Caleb to know that she ever said that or ever go through that pain like I had."

"I'm so sorry to hear that, sir."

He shook his head, lost in thought. "She didn't care that if her own son would be taken care of. She didn't even want to see him again."

"That's... so cruel."

"I bet if she hadn't left then, she would've when I had that accident. If you weren't there, I wouldn't have been able to survive. You're more family to me than people like her."

"I'm flattered, sir."

"Just call me dad." I lifted my head to look at him saw his expression showed he was being earnest. "Is it alright if I call you son?"

The tears I was holding back leaked and trailed down my face.

"Yes, thank you dad."

He gestured for me to give him a hug and I did so, not noticing the uncomfortableness of the puzzle piece that was wedged between us.