Page 125

He and Arlo were a we now.

Arlo’s mam held it together for another two seconds before she burst into tears. She wrapped her arms around her son and pulled him close.

“It’s OK, Mom,” Arlo said, his voice thick. “We’ll see you in December. That’s quicker than my exchange was.”

Bren turned to Arlo’s da for some reassurance that he wasn’t ruining their lives but looked away at the tears threatening to spill over there too.

They were a very damp family.

A watery chuckle trickled away from their little group as Arlo’s mam put a hand on the back of her son’s head and rocked with him a few times, then she sniffed and pulled herself away.

Bren didn’t have time to take Arlo’s hand again when he was pulled into a hug that squeezed the air from his lungs. His arms were rigid at his side, but because things couldn’t get any more awkward, he returned the hug, patting her back in a clumsy rhythm.

“He’s going to pretend he’s okay a lot more often than he is,” she told him. “Don’t let him get away with it every time, OK?”

Bren sniffed. Jeez, this family.

“I’ll take care of him. As long as you let me go.”

Arlo’s mam released him, and Bren watched as Arlo and his da broke from their own hug.

“Alright,” Arlo’s mam said, looking like she was fighting with the urge to hug her son again. “Go start that new chapter. And don’t forget to call from Toronto!”

Bren waited until they were queued at security to take Arlo’s hand again. It was wet with tears.

“You doin’ OK, Robolad?”

Arlo sniffed and smiled.

“You’ve seen how I am in airports.”

“I dunno, you were pretty macho back in Dublin, like. Until—”

“Until my boyfriend got all emotional and tackle-hugged me by the escalator.”

The memory of the black hole in his chest stirred and Bren tightened his grip on Arlo’s hand.

“You were shakin’ that little arse at me and you know it.”

Arlo snorted.

“Yeah, I always get low when I think my boyfriend doesn’t care I’m leaving.”

The agent waved up a family of four and the line moved forwards.

Guilt pressed down on Bren, coupled with an annoyance he didn’t feel right about having.

“Did you really think I didn’t care?”

“I thought I was saying goodbye to Mickie for a minute.”

“As if Mickie woulda taken you to the airport at all.”

“I dunno,” Arlo grunted, slinging his bookbag onto the rollers that lead to the X-ray machine. “I’ve been known to make some pretty tough guys do all kinds of silly things.”

“Yeah, but Mickie’s not a tough guy. He’s just a dick.”

“And what a dick he is,” Arlo said with a far-off stare.