Thomas Julian Kemp (asterismos) wrote in nevermore_logs, @ 2013-02-24 00:21:00 |
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Entry tags: | emma kemp, thomas kemp |
WHO: Thomas and Emma Kemp, open to Jamie
WHAT: Mummy times!
WHEN: Friday evening
WHERE: Thomas' place
As she tended to do, Emma Kemp dropped by her son's apartment without prior warning. It was after dinner and Thomas had been sitting on the sofa with a mug of tea while he tried to avoid thinking about his situation with work. Which was unfortunate since it was all he could think about. The knock on his door was a relief and he went to pull it open. "Mom!" he said happily, going in for a huge hug as soon as the door was closed.
The fierceness of the hug surprised Emma slightly, but she embraced her son back. "Hello, darling. Everything alright?"
Thomas continued to cling, for a moment more before finally letting go. "Yeah," then his face twisted a little, "no. No, not really. Argh."
"Alright," she lifted her hands and placed them on his cheeks before stepping up to kiss his forehead. "Come on, tell me everything."
"But you didn't come here for that. Did you need something?"
"I wanted to drop off some food," she placed a bag on his kitchen counter. "But you know I will always listen to you, come on." She waved him into the living room and he followed obediently.
"Mom, you don't have to keep bringing me groceries." Though he knew she was going to do so anyway. She had been doing it since he was seventeen, it was habit by now. He sat beside her and then without hesitating, he leaned against her shoulder. Sometimes it was just nice to let her mother him. "People at my job are being stupid really." He was careful to keep his voice low so Jamie couldn't hear. "They found out Jamie is gay and they keep slipping pamphlets for 'gay therapy' places. And I just don't want to work there any more. It's so upsetting."
Emma wrapped her arm around him and she squeezed his shoulder. She kept her anger to herself. Thomas didn't need to see it, though she was definitely going to rant at her husband later. "Well they're shitheads, obviously. Do you know who did it?"
"No," Thomas sighed. "And I don't even care. I know there are assholes at any job, but I don't- I asked Clea if I could work at her school and she said there's a position opening, but not until next year. I just have to wait it out. I just don't feel comfortable there any more. I don't mind feeling judged, but I don't want my son judged like that, just for being who he is. They have no right. It just makes me so upset."
"And that's no way to live," Emma agreed. "Does Jamie know?"
"Absolutely not," Thomas whispered. "I don't want him to find out either. It would just upset him and there's no reason for it." Thomas took a deep breath and then he closed his eyes and buried his face in his mother's shoulder. "He's so wonderful, why do people get so hung up on sexuality?"
It was something Emma wondered about too. She shook her head slowly. "I have never understood, but people are coming around and starting to see logic. I hope it spreads. You're a good father, you know? Finding a new job because you won't be in a place where your son isn't accepted is commendable. I'm proud of you."
"I'm just making it up as I go along," Thomas admitted. "I honestly have no idea what to do. Is it obvious?"
Emma laughed and she turned to kiss his hair. "It really isn't. He's graduating soon, how are you feeling about it?"
Thomas groaned and he hid his face in his hands. "I'm freaking out. What if he moves out? What if he goes across the country? What if I have no idea how to be me without him?" It was something he had been thinking about a lot lately. Jamie had been in his life now for over half of it. Thomas had been a father since he was sixteen and it was basically all he knew. It was all he was. He was fairly sure his life would be very empty without Jamie around all the time, and he was also pretty sure that was pathetic. He knew he would have to deal with Jamie moving out eventually, he just didn't want it to be so soon. The idea terrified him.
"Even if he moves across the country, he's still going to need you," Emma assured her son. "And for some reason, I don't think he has any plans to go very far. He's as fond of you as you are of him. Which is hardly surprising."
"I know it's hypocritical of me to say this since I moved out when I was seventeen, but I hope he lives here instead of in a dorm."
Emma chuckled and she patted his arm. "As long as you support him either way, you can hope whatever you like. It's going to be alright, Thomas. You'll move to your new job and Jamie will go to college and you'll forget you were ever worried about it."
"Blerg," was Thomas' reply. "I'm just going to lie here and pout for awhile, even though I know you're right. I feel like being petulant anyway." His mother was here, which meant he could be the child instead of the adult. Sometimes it was nice to regress.
Emma laughed at that. "Well that's allowed. I'm guessing this means you won't be dating that nice woman at your work. Is her name Claire?"
"Her name is Claire and she's a friend, Nosy Nellie." Thomas laughed anyway. "Though I did meet someone at a coffee shop the other night. I was at a poetry reading because I was so frustrated at the job stuff I wanted to get out of the house. Her name is Lena. She sort of...came home with me." Thomas was caught off guard when his mother whooped. "...Christ, Mom." It was a good thing he hadn't told his mother about Jamie's new boy. The sound would be impressive.
"Are you going out again?!"
"I don't know! Shhhh, you'll wake the dead. Anyway she's nice, even though she surprised Jamie on accident. I hadn't warned him she was here and he walked out to find her in the kitchen." Thomas still felt bad about that. "She's a musician and a dancer. I don't know if there's any sort of future there, but I'm glad I met her. For reasons I am not going to discuss, no matter how hard you poke me."
"I would never," Emma said, innocently.
"Liar. Lying to your own son. How could you?" Thomas asked with a grin.
"I am horrible, I admit it. Would you like me to leave?" She didn't actually mean it, but she still smiled softly when he answered.
"No! No...could you just stay for a little while?" Thomas wrapped his arms around hers, and he stayed leaning against her. "I don't feel as shitty with you here."
Emma pushed his hair off of his face before saying gently, "of course, Thomas. As long as you want me to."