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“Don’t worry,” I said, as I took his hand and alked down the center of the road “I’ve got you”

“I’d often tried to iine what your hometoas like, but I was so far off”

“What did you picture?”

“Well, a town, for one thing,” he said “We’re out in the middle of nowhere”

“The town center is about arocery store, a post office, a library, and about four or five businesses that have soed to keep their doors open over the years Then there’s also a gas station and three fast food places out by the highway Everyone drives into Shreveport or Monroe for their seh school that barely has a hundred students but still has a football team, and of course a shitload of churches”

“I can’t even i up out here in the country You’re just so—”

“Genteel?” I flashed hi smile

He grinned atto say cosmopolitan”

“I like to think of myself as the ultimate self-made ”

“I love the fact that you and your parents are so close, even though you couldn’t be more different”

“I just adore them Neither one has a cruel bone in their body, and I never had to wonder if I was loved They just put it all out there” I glanced at him and added, “I know they’re a lot to take if you’re not used to theood sport about all their eccentricities”

“I like thereat that they’re so accepting of your sexuality, especially given where they’re froht a h not to mention the fact that I look like I’m older than both of them”

“You do not,” I said “All three of you could pass for thirty”

“Which is weird in their case, since that’s almost how old their son is”