On Friday morning, Justin took Nick to Daphne’s for her to keep him until late Saturday, or early Sunday. Nick was excited to spend time with Justin's best friend but he made sure to hug his dad extra hard and make him promise not to fight with Brian again.

“We are so talking about this,” Daphne demanded, as she walked Justin to the door.

“We will. Maybe we’ll grab coffee on Monday?”

“Make it lunch at the deli across the hospital and you have yourself a date,” she teased.

“It’s settled. Thank you again.”

“Don’t mention it. Be careful.”

“Can everyone stop worrying? I’ve never been more content and stress-free in my life, especially around Hobbs,” Justin said, exasperated. “I really have to go. I’m already late.” He checked his phone. “Be good for Daphne, Nick!” he called into the living room, earning a big huff from his son.

Justin bounded down the stairs of Daphne’s apartment building, and hurried to get in the Jeep. He had to meet Hobbs at the Starbucks near the Emerald View Park. He wasn’t that far from his destination, but with the morning rush hour, it would take him at least fifteen minutes. And he had set the location and day and hour through his sister. He should have asked her for her fiancé’s number.

It took Justin no less than twenty minutes to reach his destination and another five to find a parking spot.

He spotted Hobbs at an outside table, staring off at the river across the street.

Justin walked to him, taking a deep breath. Now that he was all alone with Hobbs, he could feel the ghost of his usual tingles of anxiety crawling under his skin, but he pushed away all unwanted thoughts and fears.

He decided to approach this conversation with an open mind, as if the past never happened.

“Hello,” he said, making Hobbs jump. “Traffic is insane at this time of morning,” Justin continued.

“Good morning. It’s okay. I didn’t mind waiting.”

“I’ll get something and be right back,” Justin said, waving toward the coffee house.

It didn’t take him long to have an ice coffee with extra ice cubes, before he returned to where Hobbs was once again staring at the river.

Justin placed his drink on the table, throwing himself in the chair across from Hobbs. He stared at his profile, until Hobbs turned to him slowly.

Justin lifted a hand to stop him from saying whatever he was about to say. “Let’s forget the past. I’ve already been accused I’m insane by everyone, so go ahead to say I’m insane, too.”

Hobbs actually smiled, and it reminded Justin why he had been infatuated with him until he met Brian. Then he forgot any other man existed.

“I was telling your sister how I wished to wipe off what I had done to you…everything…from the way I treated you to how I hurt you. But that part of my past will always be a heavy boulder I’ll have to carry for the rest of my life.”

Justin could hear real remorse and anguish in his voice. “Okay, we’re talking about that.”

“I guess it’s the best way to put it to rest. And I will understand if you decide I’m not suited for your sister,” he admitted.

Justin sipped from his drink, scowling. “Like I told Molly, I will never forbid her to marry you. It doesn’t matter we have…our differences…but I know what it’s like to not be accepted. I know the pain of having my family not accepting who I was dating. I never want Molly to feel that. And trust me, I plan on using these exact words tomorrow when we see Mom.”

Hobbs looked taken aback, before he nodded slowly. “As it’s different than your situation, you’re right. It’s similar.”

Justin took out his box of cigarettes, offering it to Hobbs, who accepted one. They lit their smokes and took a few pulls in silence.

“Look, I was all for starting anew on the way here. Though, like you said, we can’t wipe out the past,” Justin started. He waved the hand holding the cigarette. “We can’t ignore the fact that you fucked up my life, or the fact that I thought we’d be even when I came after you with a gun.”

Hobbs squirmed, gulping thickly. “Right…that was crazy.”

Justin held his eyes. “I’m sorry.”

Hobbs stared at him incredulously. “I should be the one saying that. But I feel like no words can ever express how I feel about my eighteen-year-old-self did.”

“Not quite eighteen,” Justin quipped, sipping from his coffee. “You’d be in prison if you weren’t a minor when you did it.”

“Right.”

Justin flicked ash on the small tray on their table. “Now that I’m older and I had been through so much shit in my life…I’m curious what the fuck could have caused a kid to want to kill another kid.” He could hear his voice shaking slightly, but it wasn’t in fear, it was in pain at what sort of upbringing Hobbs had to make him act like that.

Hobbs finished his smoke in several puffs, stubbing out the butt and grimacing. “Like everyone in that school, I came from a wealthy family. I heard what had happened to you during your last year, how your dad had kicked you out of the house, because you were a homosexual.”

“Fucking asshole. Yeah, I figured…influenced by your family’s beliefs,” Justin commented.

“And…after that detention…” Hobbs caught his eyes, lifting a brow. Justin bit on his cheek, trying not to laugh at how Hobbs was suddenly blushing. “I was terrified of what that said about me.”

Justin rolled his eyes. “Jesus. It was just a hand job,” he groaned.

Hobbs looked around anxiously, making Justin laugh. “You were also brazen and you weren’t afraid to tell anyone who you were.”

Justin lost his amusement. “What does this mean?” He frowned, lighting himself another cigarette. “I mean…you’re engaged to my sister.”

“You made me question everything that afternoon in the detention. It also didn’t help I wasn’t really that much into Tina, my girlfriend at the time. You have no idea how many nights I tossed and turned, wondering if I was a fag because I enjoyed the hand job or…it’s not funny,” he hissed, when Justin doubled over in laughter.

Justin would have never guessed he could sit across from the man who had attempted to kill him, and laugh over their past.

“Then my friends decided to adventure to Liberty Avenue…” Hobbs continued. “And something snapped inside of me. I don’t know why you got under my skin so badly. It turned into more than bullying you in school, when you told everyone about our time in detention. My friends made fun of me for weeks, even my girlfriend was disgusted with me for a while. I hated the mere sight of you.”

“Yeah…not my brightest moment to tell your friends and the whole street how you enjoyed the hand job I gave you,” Justin admitted, smoking slowly. “Brian told me I had made myself a real enemy the moment you turned and left. I brushed him off, feeling all important for having outed you like that.”

“And then your boyfriend crashed our Prom.”

Justin held his breath, because a vivid image of his freshly recovered memories came at the forefront of his mind. Hobbs with wild eyes staring at Brian making his way to Justin.

Justin inhaled from his smoke, ignoring how his hand was shaking. He hadn’t expected for him and Hobbs to speak about what had happened, but it was the best therapy. He focused on Hobbs, drinking from his coffee, eyes squeezed.

“If you ask me why I did it…I couldn’t tell you. All I remember, was thinking that you didn’t deserve to be happy. When I picked the baseball bat, I wanted to beat the shit out of you and your boyfriend, but by the time I caught you in the garage, you were alone.”

“Brian had just gotten in the car,” Justin said in a cracking voice. He cleared his throat.

“Yeah, he came after me, after…you know…he broke my knees.”

Justin stared at him, unsure if Hobbs expected compassion or any other sort of reaction from him.

“The head injury affects the motor skills in my right hand. I can’t overuse it which slows my painting time,” Justin shared in an even voice. “It got worse over the years.”

Hobbs covered his face with his hands. “Nothing can be done?”

“No,” Justin said curtly.

Hobbs met Justin's eyes, and Justin was surprised to see he was crying. “And you still accept me to become part of your family?”

“I can see you love Molly, and she loves you. We covered the fact I would never hurt her the way my family had hurt me.”

They finished another cigarette and their coffees in silence.

“What about Brian?” Hobbs asked, suddenly.

“He thinks I’m insane. It might take a while for Brian and Mom to accept you.”

“Since we’re talking about crazy, for me, all that matters is that you are understanding. Even though, I don’t deserve your kindness.”

“You’ve been through shit because of your family. I’m been through shit because of my family…and you didn’t make my life easier, but I want to believe we’re all grown-ups and we can see the present and future. People change all the time.”

“I’m definitely nothing like I was back in high school. Hell, nothing like when you came after me that night…” he added. “That was my waking point, that night. I literally crawled inside the house and thought about everything I had done to you. It might not sound very manly, but I cried the whole night wishing one day I could apologize to you.”

“I don’t need your apology, and I hope you know I will never forgive you for what you did to me. It might have been a different version of you, but it was you, Chris Hobbs, who did it.”

He nodded seriously. “I had several rocky years after I quit working for my dad at his construction company. It took me a while to open my own company, which is slowly threatening to become bigger than his.”

“Good for you. This is the best way to show asshole parents that their kids are better off without them.”

“Don’t get me wrong, I still talk to my parents, but we view things differently. Ever since I started earning enough, I decided to donate to the Grassi House. You know the place?”

Justin snorted. “Obviously. It was named after someone I knew.”

“Oh. Of course, you know it. I’m also in talks with the owners to renovate the place.”

Justin choked on his last gulp of coffee. He coughed loudly, thumping his chest as tears sprung into his eyes. “I’m fine,” he croaked. “Did you talk to Tannis?”

“Yes, and Phillip…I think his name is.”

“Was she on drugs when she accepted to renovate the place?” Justin asked, shocked. “It took a lot of dough for Brian to convince her to change the name of the center.”

“She sought me out.”

“Is the world still spinning?” Justin asked, laughing. “She’s, like, the most communist person I have ever met. Did you get to actually work with her?”

“No, we met for the first time last week. How bad can it be?” Hobbs wondered.

“I’ll let you discover.” Justin's phone started ringing on the table, and he was amused at Brian checking in on him when he saw the Caller ID. “Hey,” he answered, shaking another cigarette from the box.

“I need the car,” Brian said in a hurry.

“Everyone okay?” Justin was on the edge of the seat, ready to get up.

“I have to be on the other side of town in one hour.”

“I’ll come over in fifteen minutes tops. I’m actually not that far away from Kinnetik.”

Brian hung up, but Justin heard him shouting at someone about mock-ups being ready.

“Uh, I have to go. Brian needs the car.” Justin got up.

“It was good finally having a civilized chat, Justin.”

“I agree. Uh, see you tomorrow.” He rushed toward the Jeep, and all the way to Kinnetik, he ran over his conversation with Hobbs in his head. He also realized he should start calling him Chris, but that might take some time for Justin.

Brian checked if Justin was alright when they met outside Kinnetik, before he got behind the wheel, and drove away, in a hurry to get to his meeting.

Without a vehicle, and no other plans, Justin went to Debbie’s after a stop at the diner to get lemon squares.

Debbie had officially stepped back from the diner after her health scare. It had taken her to forget to renew her heart pills and break her wrist in front of Nick, for her to grasp how the diner could survive without her…unlike her family.