“You didn’t tell mother to stay in Atlanta, did you?” Millie asked. He scowled at her petulance.
“You’re twelve years old, Millie, I need you to act like it for a little while here.” Millie stared at her father, not one for being stern all that often. She nodded. Clint’s gaze was steady on Jay, though. He didn’t appear surprised they were about to have whatever conversation they were going to have.
“Y’all are old enough, I feel I can talk to you for real.”
They nodded solemnly, Millie looking a little wary.
“Now, you know your mama and I were never going to get back together. We told you when we split up, it was nothing to do with y’all, we just … we didn’t work.” More nods. “Millie, when your mama said she was coming home, she meant she’d probably live with your grandparents or in Winona. Which you know is a lot closer, only thirty minutes. But she isn’t going to live here.”
“I know that, Daddy.” She said, seriously. He studied her carefully, noticing just how much she’d grown. She was, for all intents and purposes, a young lady now. Didn’t mean the news was going to be taken easily, but at least he wasn’t about to try to explain this to a six year old. He didn’t know if he’d have been able to handle this if they’d been any younger.
Hell, he didn’t know if he could handle it now. Again, he found himself wishing he had Landon here, but that wouldn’t be fair. He hadn’t even told Landon what he wanted. He was entirely too wrung out to think on that right then, so, much like Old Jay, he tucked that away until the task at hand was completed.
“Millie, you know how when me and mom separated, we didn’t want you to be uncomfortable, or to feel like you were keeping secrets, but that the divorce was a grown-up thing?”
“Spit it out, Dad,” Clint said.
Jay slumped. “You guys can tell who you want. I’m not going to make you keep secrets. It’s not my place. If you need to talk to someone, I won’t stop you.” Clint and Millie shared a long look. “I’ve been figuring out some things, talking to a professional, and all.” Jay didn’t imagine there was an easier way to say it. “I’ve been seeing someone.”
“Mr. Petty,” Clint said, expression open. Jay’s eyes flicked between the kids. Millie seemed startled by the news, but neither of them looked angry.
“How?”
“I saw you guys.” Clint’s face went scarlet at his admission.
“You did?” Millie asked, clearly grossed out.
“When you came home last week?”
“Ew, Daddy!” Millie said. “That’s why you were out in the dark?”
“No,” Clint said, quietly. “I went to the office before we went to Atlanta and the door was open and you guys were… making out.”
Jay closed his eyes, feeling his own face flush. “Oh, son, I’m sorry… I know it must have been a surprise.”
“Not that it was a man…” Clint rolled his eyes. “Okay, I did freak out about that, but we were away all that week and I realized mostly I was freaked to see my dad making out with anyone.”
“Gross,” Millie stated again. Her nose scrunched up. “A man, Daddy? People are gonna be such jerks about this. I can’t believe you’re gay.”
Clint grimaced. “Are you?”
Jay had to be honest. “I don’t know that I’m completely gay. I did care very much for your mother. I still do, in my own way. But I also have been seeing Landon, and I think I’m getting to be okay with that. But your mom is having a hard time with it. Which is absolutely not her fault. I understand if you guys do, too.”
“I don’t know, Dad. This is gonna suck so bad,” Millie said, a tear falling.
Clint looked at Millie in that superior way teenagers tend to look at those they deem less intelligent than them. “It wouldn’t if you kept you mouth shut.”