Harem House Chapter 38 Part 3

George and Deb listened patiently as they waited for Arthur to continue his story. He kept busy by comparison, glazing the empanadas and putting them into the oven. Deb gestured for him to sit, but Arthur immediately began the cleanup, keeping himself occupied. This was the third time in a week he’d opened this wound, the second time in as many days, and he couldn’t sit and cry like he had last night. Not with his father watching. Still, he was weary of it. He didn’t want to tell the story again. Only his parents’ patience and refusal to change the subject coerced him.

He sighed. This would be the last time, and then he was done. No more recitations for a long, long time. 

“Four years of hell were nearing their end, and Lynn and I started talking about colleges and our future.” Arthur said, continuing his tale. “We got into an argument because I wanted to stop helping her after writing her college application essays.” 

“You wrote her application essays?” George asked, glancing at their front door. 

Arthur nodded. “I knew Lynn well enough to write in her voice and put her opinions on the page better than she could. Freshman year, she at least put in some effort. By Senior year, she didn’t even try to do any of her own work. That’s what she had me for.” 

“Why in the world would you play along with this for so long if she wasn’t giving you anything in return?” George asked. “We didn’t raise you to be a simp, did we? Are you sure you weren’t getting something out of it? You don’t have to be embarrassed.” 

“George.” Deb said. 

“No, it’s okay.” Arthur said. “I wasn’t getting anything out of it other than humiliation and constant harassment, which I did not enjoy. I put up with it because I thought she was giving me my freedom.” 

His parents looked confused. 

“Everyone at school knew that I liked her.” Arthur said. “But anytime I approached her on campus, they’d tease me for being a creepy stalker.” 

“You weren’t creepy.” Deb argued. 

“I was a socially awkward teenager.” Arthur said. “And yeah, I looked like a creep at the time. You remember my hygiene and sense of style.” 

“You were just a late bloomer.” Deb said. “Look at you now!” 

“Yeah, well, back then, her threats of telling people I forced her to do things she didn’t want to do had weight.” Arthur said. “If I didn’t help her, she’d have me arrested and thrown in jail, and she wouldn’t even need proof to do it.” 

George straightened at that and glanced at Deb, who shared his look of concern. 

“You must have been frightened.” Deb said, letting Arthur continue. 

“I was.” Arthur said. “Frightened enough to keep working for her. I tried to stop it a few times, but every time we argued about it, I’d cave. Then, our senior year came, and we had a conversation after the start of the spring semester. We talked about our futures and what college might be like. Part of me wanted to go to the same school she did, but another part of me knew going to a different college was my only chance to escape.” 

“Is that why you went to Pendleton instead of the Ivy Leagues?” Deb asked, a touch of anger in her voice. She’d lost the argument of what schools he should apply to all those years ago. She’d pushed him hard to apply and attend college with Lynn. 

“There were a lot of reasons to go to Pendleton.” Arthur countered. “The financial aid was better because of the alumni scholarship, for one. And I don’t regret my choice. If it weren’t for Pendleton, I’d never have met Selene, Kat, Kelly, Mindy, Rani, or Katelyn.”

“Or Lori.” Deb added. 

“Yeah.” Arthur agreed. “I wouldn’t have met any of my girlfriends or be part of a polycule is my point. So going to Pendleton was good for me.” 

“Ha!” George slapped the island. “Fair point! You’re the big man on campus now.” 

Arthur nodded. He didn’t know if he’d phrase it that way. The school’s reaction to the polycule was mixed, and while some might see him as aspirational, others condemned him with equal fervor. He had friends, though, and wasn’t the social outcast he’d been in high school. 

“So go on. You and Lynn were going to separate colleges.” Deb said, encouraging Arthur to return to his story. She wouldn’t let him change the subject. 

“Yeah. We had a long talk about it, and Lynn seemed to finally have the change of heart I’d been hoping for. She cried, apologized, and told me things would be different. That this was the start of something new for us.” Arthur said, feeling the well of tears behind his eyes prepare for the pour that he held back. 

“Well, that’s good, right? You two cleared things up?” George said though he didn’t sound certain. “Is that why she asked you to prom? But what happened? Because, as I recall, you refused–” 

“Let him finish.” Deb said, putting her hand on George’s shoulder as she stood beside him while he sat in the raised chair at the island. 

“She lied.” Arthur said, cutting to the chase. “In a way, it was the cruelest of her lies because it gave me so much hope. I thought we were going to be together. That she loved me the way I loved her, but she lied. She hated me. She always hated me.” 

Arthur turned his back on his parents and started washing the dishes, loading the drying rack as he washed them by hand rather than loading the dishwasher. It took longer, but it gave him something to do as he continued his story. Deb and George looked at each other, both silently warning the other not to argue with Arthur over Lynn’s feelings. This was his story, and Arthur appreciated them letting him tell it, even if it’d been slow going so far. 

“You remember that motel party I went to senior year?” Arthur asked. 

“The one where you got drunk and picked a fight with the entire football team?” Deb asked. “I still can’t believe you were drinking. You’d still be grounded if–” 

“I lied.” Arthur said. “I didn’t pick a fight with the football team, and I didn’t drink a drop of beer. That’s not what happened.” 

“What are you talking about?” George asked. “We had to take you to the hospital, remember? You were black and blue for weeks. There was that video, and we had to fend off assault charges from that kid you hurt.” 

“You did?” Arthur asked, not remembering that. 

“We didn’t tell you about that.” Deb said, shaking her head. “We let the lawyers handle it. Besides, you were pretty withdrawn, and with how depressed you were, we didn’t think it was a good idea to add to your burdens.” 

“Your mother didn’t think you could handle it.” George said, earning himself a glare from Deb. “What? I’m saying I thought he was tougher than you gave him credit for. Drunk or not, it takes guts to take on an entire team of guys single-handed.” 

Deb rolled her eyes but patted her husband’s head and let him put his arm around her waist. 

“If you didn’t fight the football team, then what happened?” Deb asked. 

“I was a social outcast at school.” Arthur said, reminding his parents of his lack of friends thanks to Lynn’s efforts. His conversation with his therapist reminded him of something she’d helped him realize years ago. “She’d effectively isolated me during childhood and high school, sabotaging any friendship I attempted to make while remaining unattainable. So I wasn’t even invited to the party when it happened. I went because Lynn invited me. I was supposed to be her plus one.” 

His parents waited for him to continue. They couldn’t argue about his lack of friends in high school, even if his social circle was much larger now. 

“Lynn rented a room, and she made certain promises based on everything I’d done for her over the years.” Arthur said. 

“Sexual promises?” George asked. 

“George!” Deb chided him. 

“What? I’m just making sure I understand what he’s saying.” George said. 

“Romantic promises.” Arthur said. “This was supposed to be the start of our new relationship together, which we knew would only last until summer. It was bittersweet and romantic, typical eighteen-year-old high school stuff.” Arthur said. “She said she had something special planned for us, and I hoped that meant something romantic, possibly even sexual. I was part-right.” 

“She left you with blue balls?” George asked, earning himself a smack on the arm. George laughed and rubbed his arm, but Arthur wasn’t laughing. 

“It was worse than that.” Arthur said, his voice and heavy tone were sharp contrasts to George’s levity. 

His father wasn’t one to sit in his emotions. Not when there was an easy way out through cracking jokes, no matter how inappropriate they might be. He was lucky Deb had a good sense of humor, though Arthur supposed it never would have worked between them otherwise. His father’s lack of comfort with emotion aside, Arthur had come this far. Farther than any previous attempt he’d made to tell his mother what happened. He had to see it through, not for himself, but for the girls. This was the only way to kick Lynn out of the house and get her out of their lives for good. 

Arthur steeled himself with another heavy breath. He turned off the water and leaned against the kitchen sink, facing the back tile with his back toward his parents. He felt their eyes on him but closed his eyes and imagined the scene from last night instead. His girls were with him, surrounding him, holding him, and reassuring him. He could do this. 

“How bad could it be?” George asked. “Come on, Arthur, if you’re going to finally man up and tell us what happened, just–” 

“She forced herself on me.” Arthur said, blurting it out in one go. 

Silence. 

“She… what?” George asked. The surprise in his voice equated Arthur’s statement to something incomprehensible. Arthur might as well have confessed to being Santa Claus. It didn’t make any sense and was obviously something he’d misheard or misstated. 

Arthur’s grip on the sink’s edge tightened. His back muscles flexed as he lowered his shoulders, trying to hold in his rage. 

“She invited me to the party and to her motel room. I went. When I got there, something felt wrong. It wasn’t romantic at all. She sat in the chair by the bed and gestured for me to take the bed, but I wasn’t sure what was happening. I wasn’t thinking about sex, ironically enough. I thought we were preparing to emerge from the room and announce our relationship to our classmates at the party. I thought the night might end in sex. At least, I hoped, since we were both eighteen, but I wasn’t expecting it. I knew I wasn’t entitled to it or anything. I tried to kiss her when I got there, but she wouldn’t let me. She ordered me to stand at the foot of the bed, so I did.” 

He opened his eyes and kept them open. Closing them meant picturing the memory again, and he recalled it in all too vivid detail. The threads of her t-shirt, the strap of her bathing suit poking through the V-neck, the jeans she wore that were tight against her crossed legs. The firm mattress against his back, the rough quilt over the mattress. The smell of watered-down cleaning products and old carpet, the air still carrying the singed odor of an old bag vacuum with an ancient motor. 

“She told me to take my shirt off.” Arthur said. “It was my first time with this kind of thing, but it felt so… wrong. I wanted something romantic, and this was the opposite of that. It was her being a bully, and I felt so vulnerable and alone that I didn’t want to do it. She insisted, mocking me, threatening me, until I started taking off my clothes. She sat back and mocked everything she could about my body. She was… cruel. By the time I was down to my underwear, I was in tears. I tried to back out, to gather my things and leave, but she stopped me. I begged her to stop, and I refused to take off my briefs. She pushed me onto the bed, straddled me, held me down, and… ground herself on me.” 

Arthur took a ragged breath, still holding back tears as he plunged through this trauma once more. It hurt slightly less than last night, but he was so goddamn weary of this pain. This story. He wasn’t brave enough to look behind him, where Deb’s grip on George had tightened beyond the pale. They sat in silence for at least a minute as they absorbed the information. 

Arthur didn’t cry, at least not until his mother threw her arms around him from behind. She immediately wet the back of his shirt with her tears, holding him. She sobbed, and George, to Arthur’s surprise, joined the hug from the side. He stroked Deb’s back and held them both in a firm hug. 

George was always more of a handshake man than a hugger, especially when it came to Arthur and most people. Deb slid into his arms easily enough, but she was the only person he typically initiated physical contact with once Arthur grew too tall for George to easily ruffle his hair. 

“I’m sorry.” Arthur said, unable to say anything else. 

Deb’s sobbing didn’t let her answer. She squeezed Arthur so hard around his ribs that he worried they might break. 

“Mom.” Arthur said, his voice raspy from lack of breath. He tapped her arm twice. “I need to breathe.” Deb’s hold slackened, though she didn’t release him. He sucked in a deep inhale. “Thanks.” 

Silence reigned for several minutes as Deb cried, and Arthur let her hold him. To his surprise, the group hug stayed the entire time, even after George broke the silence. 

“Well, that explains why you were so angry at her when she asked you to prom and when you saw her again at the house.” George said. 

“Yeah. That’s what happened to cause me to hate Lynn the way I do.” Arthur said. 

“Is that the end of the story?” George asked. “How did you go from… from that to getting the shit kicked out of you by the football team?” 

Arthur turned to face his parents now that the hardest part was over. A mistake. Deb’s eyes were red with tears, her makeup running, and she refused to release him. George had a more concerned expression on his face, though his eyes looked misty. He also kept one eye on Deb, acting as her rock through this emotional storm. Arthur’s guilt at having brought this storm into their lives swelled within him. 

“I’m sorry.” He said again to Deb. 

She sniffled. “You’re sorry?” Deb asked through her sobs. “YOU’RE SORRY?!?!” She yelled. “This is all my fault. All these years… I should have known. I should have–” 

“It’s not your fault.” Arthur said. “It’s not my fault either. It’s Lynn’s fault. It’s taken me a few years of therapy to come to terms with all this, and I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner. I wanted to… but I just couldn’t bring myself to hurt you with this. You love Lynn.” 

Deb sniffled. “You’re my son.” Deb said, her grip on him tightening. “My only child. I love you more than life itself, and she hurt you in ways I—I—.” 

“She’s like a daughter to you.” Arthur said. “I know you always wanted–” 

Deb grabbed Arthur’s face, forcing him to look her in the eyes. “You are my son, and I love you, and I am so… so sorry she hurt you, and that I wasn’t there for you, or that you felt you couldn’t come to me with this when it happened. I would never have—” She broke down, the memories of all the times she’d tried to encourage Arthur to date Lynn or pushed the two of them toward each other in recent days, weeks, and years. She couldn’t even finish her sentence, but no one forced her. Arthur hugged her, and she rested her head on his shoulder as she cried. George stroked her back, standing right beside her the entire time. 

“Let’s… go sit in the living room.” Arthur said, willing to face his parents while he finished the story. 

They made their way in staggered steps, with Deb unwilling to relinquish her hold on her son. Finally, they made it to the sofa, and she clung to George in Arthur’s absence as he took the recliner that was turned at an angle to the couch, which faced the TV on the far wall opposite the kitchen. 

“So… yeah.” Arthur said, breathing. “She uh… stayed clothed the entire time, and I was in my briefs. There was no uh… No actual sex. Just grinding, insulting me, and then she left.” 

“And you didn’t stop her or fight back?” George asked the only one of his parents able to speak at the moment.

“I tried.” Arthur said. “She was stronger than I was, and she knew I wouldn’t hurt her to escape. Even if I wanted to, I wasn’t in the shape I am now. I didn’t have the muscles. Even with these, when Lynn tackled me during homecoming, I just froze. Rani said it’s natural, but…” 

“A freeze response is perfectly natural in these situations.” George said, nodding. 

Arthur raised an eyebrow. 

“Go on, son.” George said. “She left you in the motel room. And then…” 

“I chased after her.” Arthur said. 

George winced, though Arthur couldn’t tell whether it was from his words or his mother’s vice-like grip on George’s hand. 

“I was still in my underwear.” Arthur said. “And the motel was full of our classmates, so everyone got an eyeful of Lynn turning the corner and arriving at the party, and then almost immediately, the school creep came around the corner, streaking in his underwear and chasing her.” 

Now, George’s wince was from Arthur’s words. 

“Lynn screamed when she turned around and saw me.” Arthur said, recalling the startled fear in her screech. “Like we hadn’t just come from the same room. She was popular, so the entire football team rushed to her defense. That’s when they beat me up, and as you probably saw in the video, I didn’t fight back. I got knocked down, kicked, and dumped.” 

“Dumped?” George asked, confused. 

“They threw me in the dumpster after I blacked out from the pain.” Arthur said. 

George frowned. “Well, obviously, we wouldn’t have grounded you if you’d told us the truth.” 

Arthur couldn’t bring himself to chuckle at that. As if he were angry about it. “I was too depressed at the time to do anything or go anywhere anyway. I had no friends before that happened, and after? I was public enemy number one at school. I would have gladly homeschooled the rest of my senior year or gone to public school.” 

George nodded. Deb sobbed. Arthur waited, letting his mother recover herself enough to speak. 

“I am so sorry for…” Deb sniffled, and George handed her a tissue from the box on the coffee table. Deb took it, blew her nose, and dabbed her eyes with the next tissue. “For everything. For what you went through, and that you went through it alone. I should have pushed harder to figure out what happened. I should never have grounded you. I–” 

“Mom, it’s okay.” Arthur said. “None of what happened is your fault. I hid things from you out of… I don’t know. Shame. Fear. A whole slew of things. All these years, I’ve hesitated to tell you because… well, I didn’t want to hurt you. This…” He gestured to her growing pile of dirty tissues. “This is all my fault.” 

“Don’t you dare worry about me?” Deb said, blowing her nose again. “I’m your mother. I should have–” 

“You did everything you could.” Arthur said. “You always go out of your way to be there for me and support me, even when I do crazy stuff like come out as poly or decide to move in with all my girlfriends. I just wasn’t strong enough to tell you. That’s on me.” 

Deb sniffled. 

“So what changed?” George asked. “Why tell us this now when it’s–well, why now?” 

“Years of therapy?” Arthur suggested. “It wasn’t an overnight thing. Lori was the first person I ever told about it. She helped me figure some things out as we grew intimate. I uh… I obviously had a lot of baggage in that arena.” 

George nodded. 

“And the girls have helped.” Arthur added. 

“You told your girlfriends about this?” George asked. 

“Yeah.” Arthur said. “I told Rani on Sunday and the rest of them last night, which… is another reason I decided to tell you. Rani and the others were pretty insistent.” 

“Remind me to thank Rani.” Deb said, still wiping her face with tissues. “I’ll have to send her some flowers or something. Does she enjoy flowers? Or I’ll take her to dinner or something.” 

Arthur shook his head. “You don’t have to do that.” 

“How did they react to the news?” George asked. “Are they still willing to move into the house?” 

Arthur looked confused. “Well, they reacted pretty much like Mom did, and yeah, they still want to move in. They didn’t dump me or anything.” 

“No, I mean with Lynn living there.” George said. “I’m surprised you were willing to accept our deal, given what she did to you.” 

“That’s why I put stipulations about her access to the house being only in the basement. And if it weren’t my only chance to share a house with my girlfriends, I wouldn’t even consider it.” Arthur said, though a thought settled into the back of his brain as he answered his father. “But I take it that means you don’t intend to kick Lynn out, even after what I just told you?” 

“We absolutely are.” Deb said, looking at George. 

“We absolutely would if we could.” George responded, shattering Arthur’s hope. “She has a lease, Deb.” 

“You had her sign a lease?” Arthur asked, surprised. 

George frowned but nodded. “We made you sign a lease and an employment contract, didn’t we? I thought it best to have everything legally documented so we’re protected.” 

“So you can’t kick her out?” Arthur asked. 

“Well…” George gave Deb a pained look, then turned his expression toward Arthur. “Not that I don’t want to.” He said to Arthur. “Believe me, son, now that we know what happened, we never would have agreed to house her like this.” 

Deb nodded her agreement. 

“But she signed a lease until next July, and as her landlord, there are very few reasons we can evict her.” George said. 

“Wasn’t there a clause about doing something illegal?” Deb asked. 

“On the property.” George said. “We can evict her if she uses the property to do something illegal, but that’s pretty standard to keep people from, I don’t know, trying to build a meth lab or something.” 

“So there’s nothing we can do?” Arthur asked. 

George sighed. “Our grounds for eviction are: If she fails to pay her rent, causes excessive property damage, gets a pet without permission, illegally sublets the apartment, or if she engages in disruptive behavior such as excessive noise, harassment, or trouble of some kind… but that’s a legal case we’d have to be prepared to prove in court. Otherwise, we’re stuck until July, when we can decide to not renew her lease.” 

Arthur frowned. “And she’s already signed it?” 

Deb started crying again. George put his arm around her, hugging her to him as she rested her head on his chest. 

“We had her sign it before she moved in. Standard procedure and all.” George said, sighing. “If you’d told us sooner, like at that dinner we invited you to–” Deb squeezed his hand, shutting him up. 

Arthur frowned and nodded. 

“I’m sorry, son.” George said. 

“We have to do something, though, right?” Deb said, looking at George. “What can we do?” 

George looked at Arthur. “Are you going to press charges?” 

Arthur shook his head. “I don’t have any way to prove it. Lynn’s the one with all the evidence.” 

Both of his parents looked confused. 

“What do you mean by that?” George asked. “She has evidence of what she did?” 

“Well, I have her homework from high school, but she has all the evidence from the motel stuff. She took pictures and videos, I think, without letting me know. A few photographs of me in my underwear in the motel room made the rounds at school.” 

Deb looked horrified, though her expression quickly turned to anger as her cheeks blushed fiercely enough to match her red eyes. She shifted to stand, but George held her down, hugging her to him with one arm and preventing her from rising. 

“Let me go!” Deb yelled, smacking George’s chest. “I’m going to–” 

“You’re going to get arrested for assaulting a young woman in her parent’s apartment and ruin any chance we have of solving things.” George said, his voice stern and patient. 

Arthur watched them, realizing he might have more in common with his father than he realized. His father’s anti-violence lecture after Arthur’s fight with the football team popped into his head. Sometimes, being the bigger man meant actively choosing a peaceful resolution over violence. It was never the easy option, but it was the right one. 

“You’re not leaving this apartment until you’ve calmed down.” George said. “And you’re not going over to Gabe and Mari’s tonight, so you can get that idea out of your head right now.” 

“But George–” Deb said, protesting. 

“But nothing, Deb. You’re in no shape to handle this rationally.” George said. 

“You promised not to lash out, remember?” Arthur asked meekly. “I don’t want Lynn taking anything out on the girls. If you decide to act on any of this, it needs to be smart, and… well, it doesn’t sound like you can do anything anyway.” He sighed, leaned forward with his elbows on his knees, and put his head in his hands. 

He’d hoped this would solve things and remove Lynn from his life once and for all, but he’d gone through all the pain and weary retelling of his trauma for nothing. Lynn had won. She had a signed lease that prevented them from evicting her. She was attending Pendleton next semester and living in his basement, and there was nothing he could do about it. 

“Have you considered a restraining order?” Deb asked. “Could we use that, legally speaking, to evict her from the house?” She asked George. 

George shook his head. “It’s virtually impossible for a man to get a permanent restraining order against a woman.” 

“She’s been stalking me and the girls, showing up at Mindy’s parent’s restaurant, at Selene’s job, and all over campus.” Arthur said. “She even followed us to a hotel over homecoming. She keeps popping up, and not by accident.” 

George looked pained. “Unfortunately, those are all public places she may have had legitimate reasons to visit.” He looked thoughtful. “Where does Selene work?” 

“The campus bookstore.” Arthur said. 

George shook his head. “If it was your office or something like that, we might be able to establish a pattern of harassment, but even then, one of the girls might have a better chance at getting a permanent restraining order. Though, with Lynn already living in the house, that might only prevent them from moving into a location she already occupies.” 

“Can’t we do something?” Deb asked. 

“I’ll talk to our lawyer in the morning.” George said. “I’ll see what we can do.” 

“I’m supposed to have dinner with her tomorrow night.” Deb said, crying. “I can’t.” 

At the mention of dinner, the oven timer sounded, and Arthur rose from his seat to take care of the food. He left his parents on the sofa, even as Deb tried to rise to help, but George kept her in his embrace. Arthur didn’t mind. He took out the empanadas and set the tray on the stove to cool. He poked one with a fork, inspecting its crust and contents. 

The planned side dish for this evening was a salad that his mother had prepared, so Arthur put it together in the large salad bowl from the cabinet as his parents talked in hushed voices. He hated this. The responsibility for his mother’s tears settled firmly across his shoulders, and after all that pain, he had nothing to show for it. 

Sure, the relief at finally telling them lightened his heavy heart, but now he’d dragged his mother into the drama without any recourse. There was nothing anyone could do. He knew what Rani or Kelly or the others would say. She was already part of this, and it was better that she looked at Lynn with her eyes wide open. Unfortunately, that was the only consequence he could imagine. He’d broken his mother’s relationship with her surrogate daughter. Lynn would hate him for that. He could only imagine how she would counterattack. 

Then there was his dad. He would have preferred his father’s absence. Still, his dad hadn’t been as much of a barrier as Arthur expected. And he’d come home especially to have dinner with Arthur, which was an unusual amount of effort on George’s part. Of course, his father hadn’t expected this was what he’d be walking into when he decided to join them. Arthur had no doubt his old man probably wished he’d stayed at the office. 

Still, in some ways, his mom needed George there. She relied on him and didn’t have to be strong for Arthur’s sake when George was there to hold her as she cried. 

Arthur hoped he and the girls had that same kind of relationship that many years later. His parents were excellent role models of a strong, united marriage. They weren’t perfect people, but they understood each other’s imperfections in ways Arthur marveled at sometimes. George knew what Deb was thinking and what she needed without needing to ask. That kind of understanding didn’t come with time and proximity; it came with effort. Put the work in. That’s what Deb had told him before. He understood that better now as he watched his father help his mother rise from the sofa. 

She hugged Arthur on her way past the kitchen, and she retreated through the hallway into the bathroom. Arthur returned to the center of the kitchen, mixing the salad. George remained standing awkwardly in the kitchen, at the crossroads of the kitchen aisle between counters and the hallway. 

“I uh…” George hesitated. “I just want to let you know that your mother and I love you, and we’re here for you.” 

Arthur nodded. “I know. Thanks, Dad.” 

“If you need anything, you don’t even have to ask.” George assured him. “If you want to press charges against Lynn, we’ll support you and pay for the lawyers. If you need money for therapy or whatever mental health expenses you have, we’ll help you cover them. We’ll do whatever we can, though your mother is probably a better listener with the emotional stuff than I am.” 

Arthur stared at his dad. The offer wasn’t a small one, and the brief glimpse into his father’s support made him realize that the older man was doing his best. He didn’t know how to handle the situation, but he was putting in the work. He was making the effort despite his unease at the new territory. Manning up, as it were. 

“Thanks, Dad.” Arthur said, moving toward his father. He embraced him, hugging his dad and holding him in the hug rather than immediately releasing him. 

His dad hugged him and didn’t signal for release by patting his back like usual. “And uh… I’m sorry if I was a bit insensitive. I’m not great with these situations. I tend to make inappropriate jokes to try to lighten things up all the time. Stuff like this makes me uncomfortable.” 

Arthur squeezed his dad, then released him. He put a hand on his shoulder, patting it. “I get it. I do the same thing sometimes, which I now realize I learned from you, so… my girlfriends might yell at you for my terrible sense of humor.” 

“Ha!” His father said more than laughed but slapped Arthur’s shoulder in return as their embrace pulled apart. “Come on, I’ll help you set the table. Why don’t you fill me in on what you’ve been learning in school?” 

“Sure.” Arthur said, almost thankful for the abrupt change in subject. It let them return to normalcy after the heavy emotional labor he’d endured. 

Arthur pulled the plates, bowls, cups, and silverware from the cabinets and drawers. His father helped him set them around the table as Arthur filled him in on how the semester was progressing academically. He moved the empanadas to a serving dish and the salad bowl. By the time they’d finished setting the table, his mother emerged from the bathroom with her makeup removed rather than fixed. She hugged Arthur again, not letting him go. George finished setting the table, even as the two continued their conversation, exchanging ideas about management techniques. 

George pulled Deb away from Arthur and guided her to the table. She reluctantly released her son and sat. 

Arthur squeezed his mom’s shoulder on his way past her. She patted his hand. He took his seat across from his mother while his father sat at the head of the table with his pack toward the balcony. George offered a brief prayer of thanks for the food, out of tradition more than faith, and the three began passing the food around the table to fill their plates. 

“So you skipped class to come here tonight?” George asked. 

Arthur nodded. “Things have been escalating between the girls and Lynn, and I needed to finally tell Mom about what happened.” He sighed. “It’s been a lot, having this conversation three times in the last week, but at least now everyone knows, and it’s done.” 

George and Deb shared a glance and nodded. 

“We won’t push you, of course.” Deb said. “But if you want to pursue legal action, your father and I support you. You know that.” 

“I told him.” George said, almost defensively. 

“Yeah, Dad mentioned it.” Arthur nodded. “I don’t think it’s a good idea, honestly. I’ve got no proof, and she doesn’t need any to ruin my life or the girls’ lives.” 

Deb frowned at that and tore a chunk from her empanada with her teeth. 

“It might be the only way to get her out of the house, though with how long court cases take… it might not be quicker than waiting until July.” George said, sighing. 

“We could always confront her and simply ask her to leave.” Deb said. “Mari would have to understand.” 

George gave his wife a soft, compassionate expression but shook his head. “We believe Arthur without evidence because we know he wouldn’t make something like this up, and we know him and Lynn and what we’ve observed during their high school years.” He explained. “Gabe and Mari love Lynn, probably a little too much, and they’ve spoiled her absolutely rotten. And if we confront her, it’s far too easy for her to try and spin this on Arthur.” 

“I’ve thought about that.” Arthur said, nodding. “It’s one of the reasons I was hesitant to tell you guys. I wasn’t sure you’d believe me.” 

“How could she possibly spin that on Arthur?” Deb asked. “He had bruises! We have medical records and–” 

George shrugged. “You take a girl like Lynn and put her in front of a court. She testifies that Arthur enjoyed it, that they had an arrangement between them for such a thing. Or worse, that he expected sexual favors in exchange for the homework he did for her or something like that. Then he became aggressive when she said no, and the football team intervened to rescue her. To a judge, it’s the far more likely scenario and much easier to believe. No offense, Arthur. I’m not saying I believe that at all. I’m just saying what a judge might think.” 

“Don’t worry. It’s nothing I haven’t already said.” Arthur said. “Lynn’s a better actor than I am. She can convince most people of anything. That’s how she gets away with everything.” 

“You don’t give yourself enough credit.” Deb said, still frowning but not pushing the issue. “You’re a much better actor than she is. Now that I know what she really is… I’m embarrassed I ever thought… I never should have…” 

George reached across the table and squeezed Deb’s hand again, holding it in his and not letting her go. “You always think the best of people, honey.” George said. “You never would have thought Lynn capable of that without Arthur telling you. Don’t beat yourself about what’s done. Let’s figure out how to handle her moving forward.” 

Deb nodded but didn’t trust herself to speak. 

“Obviously, you shouldn’t go anywhere near her.” George said to Arthur. “Don’t spend any time alone with her, and try to have someone you’re not dating with you if you’re with her. Any testimony your girlfriends give in your defense will be automatically suspect since you’re dating them.” 

“Well, at the house, it’ll be all the people I’m dating. So that’s not really a thing I can do.” Arthur said. “But I can record our conversations, and I’m already doing my best to minimize face-to-face contact.” 

“Obviously, you’re not going over to the Barrera’s after dinner like Lynn wanted.” George said. It wasn’t a command, per se, but a statement of the obvious. 

Arthur nodded. He wasn’t going anywhere near Lynn if he could help it. 

“We should walk him to his car when he leaves.” George suggested to Deb. 

“Of course.” Deb answered. “And next time you visit, I’ll be there in the garage to greet you.” 

“You don’t have to do that.” Arthur said. 

“I’m going to do it anyway.” Deb said in a tone that Arthur knew better than to argue with. 

“Good.” George said.

The three of them ate in silence for several minutes. Arthur finished his salad and moved on to the empanadas, enjoying the crust almost as much as the innards. The cheesy beef empanadas were delicious, and Arthur knew he’d have to ask his mother for the recipe. He’d make them for Kelly or whoever was the next dinner date that let him cook instead of going out on the town. 

“So… would it be insensitive if I changed the subject?” George asked after several minutes of silence. 

“No, go ahead.” Arthur said, almost laughing at the awkward, sheepish glance George gave Deb. 

“What are your weekend plans?” George asked. 

“Oh, I’m having a guys’ night at the house tomorrow.” Arthur said. 

His parents raised their eyebrows at that. “A party, already? You haven’t even moved in.” Deb said. 

Arthur laughed. “Not a party. Mark, Brad, and I are going to hang out, eat snacks, drink beer, and watch A Knight’s Tale.” 

“Great movie.” George chimed in. “That sounds like fun!” 

“Do you want to join us?” Arthur asked, looking at his father, who looked surprised. 

Deb nudged George in the arm. 

“Oh, uh… I don’t want to intrude on anything. I’m sure your friends don’t want some old man hanging around.” George said, waving off the invitation. 

“It’s just beer and a movie. You’re welcome to join us.” Arthur said. “I’m sure the guys won’t mind.” 

“I appreciate the invitation.” George said. Deb nudged him again. “I’ll think about it.” 

Arthur nodded. “Well, you’re welcome if you decide to join us.” He said. “Other than that, we’re heading to the Ren Faire this Saturday.” 

“You and the guys?” George asked, surprised. 

“Well, me, the girls, and the theater club and everyone’s significant others.” Arthur said. 

George chuckled. “How the hell are you getting there? A school bus?” 

Arthur laughed. “We thought about it, but I think we’re just going to carpool.” 

“Hm…” George nodded. “You’ll probably want to trade in that old Ford for a passenger van or one of those old VW buses if you keep adding girlfriends.” 

“George.” Deb said, warning him that he might be crossing a line. 

“What? The kid has charisma and is collecting girlfriends like they’re cars or something. Er… sorry, son. I just meant–” 

“It’s okay.” Arthur said, realizing why his father was apologizing a moment after he forgave him for it. “Though, for your information, I did turn someone down earlier today.” 

Both his parents looked surprised at that. He smiled, though there was some sadness to it, and filled them in on the drama with Yvonne while they finished dinner. Her reaction to the polycule, to his and Selene’s dating, her spreading rumors, her apologizing, and their conversation. She wasn’t a good fit for the harem, at least not in her current set of beliefs and desires. Maybe after some growth? Arthur didn’t know what the future held; he only knew that, for now, she didn’t even want to be friends. She wanted to break off their relationship completely and move on from him. He hoped she would eventually find peace and love. 

“Is that the confrontation that made you want to be proactive?” His mother asked. 

“One of them.” Arthur answered. “The other was this really religious girl. Mindy’s roommate. She’s been trying to save my soul or something, trying to convince me to give up polyamory. She’s been pretty nice about it, but I just couldn’t handle one more thing today, so I made a deal with her to go to therapy.” 

“If selling your soul gave you six sexy girlfriends who, by your mother’s account, worship the ground you walk on, everyone would do it. There’d be nobody in church on Sunday.” George said, chuckling to himself. 

“I never said they worship the ground he walks on.” Deb said, rolling her eyes. “But they do love you, Arthur.” 

Arthur blushed slightly. 

“And what do you mean everyone would do it?” Deb asked, her voice turning sharp as she slowly turned toward George. “Would you sell your soul for six girlfriends instead of one wife?” 

“Not at my age!” George scoffed. “I don’t have that kind of stamina anymore. I can barely keep up with you!” 

Deb glared at George but couldn’t hold the angry expression for longer than a few seconds before her mouth slipped into a quarter grin. 

“Sorry if that’s offensive.” George said to Arthur. “I’m not sure what jokes are okay to make with polyamorous people. They don’t cover that in our sensitivity training at work.” 

“Do they give you guidance on what kind of jokes to make about other sexualities?” Arthur asked. 

“The typical suggestion is to avoid any attempt at humor whatsoever. It’s too subjective, and one complaint can ruin a career, or worse–in the company’s opinion–bring a lawsuit against the company and cost them money.” George laughed, making light of a fairly genuine statement. 

Arthur chuckled along, shaking his head at his father’s antics. His mother’s mood was improving slowly but surely. Dinner was delicious, and Arthur was thankful he’d taken the evening to spend some time with his parents, even if trauma dumping hadn’t been as productive as he had hoped. 

“Well, that was delicious.” George said, wiping his mouth with the napkin after the meal. “Thank you both for cooking.” 

“You’re welcome.” Deb said. “Do you want to stay for dessert?” She asked Arthur. “I bought some pumpkin pie from the bakery. It’ll just take a few moments to warm in the oven.” 

Arthur smiled softly. “Thanks, but I think I’m full.” Arthur said, patting his abs. “I have to get back anyway. I need to stop at the grocery store on the way home. The girls keep eating me out of a full fridge.” 

“Get used to that.” Deb said, laughing. “We might have to buy a second fridge.” 

“Third.” George chimed in. “There’s one in the kitchen, one in the garage.” 

“Oh, that’s right. I forgot about the garage one. They’ll probably be okay then.” Deb said, chuckling as she stood from the table. 

George started clearing the dishes as Arthur and Deb hugged goodbye. He gave Arthur a hug farewell but kept loading the dishwasher as Deb helped Arthur gather his things. 

“Hey, Dad?” Arthur said, hanging by the front door. 

“Yeah?” George asked, shutting off the water to hear better. 

“Thanks for… everything. It was really good to see you tonight, and I’m glad you were here.” Arthur said. 

George smiled. “You’re welcome.” He said. “I’m glad, too. We’ll be in touch. Be sure to text us when you’re home safe.” 

“Will do.” Arthur said. 

“Come on.” Deb said, holding the front door for him. “I’ll walk to your car.” 

Arthur was going to protest that he didn’t need an escort, but he swallowed his pride and let his mother take his arm as they waited for the elevator. 

“Arthur…” Deb said after they’d stepped inside and the doors shut. “Thank you for telling me. I wish you’d told me sooner, but… I’m really proud of you for facing your fears and working through everything to tell me what happened. I know it’s not easy. You always think it’ll get easier with repetition or time, but sometimes, things like that stay with you and are too… vivid to face each time. I’m so proud of you for opening up to me, especially with your father there. I know you two aren’t as close as either of you would like, but he loves you. You know that, right?” 

“I know.” Arthur said. “I love him too, and you.” 

Deb squeezed him. The doors opened, and they walked through the parking garage to his car. After Yvonne’s ambush, he almost expected the same tactic from Lynn, but she wasn’t waiting for him at his car. There was no sign of her in the hallways, elevator, or parking garage. She might still be visiting with her parents, or she might have left already. Either way, it wasn’t his problem. 

Deb kissed his cheek as he opened his driver’s door. “Drive safe, sweetie. Let me know when you get home safe.” 

“Will do.” Arthur said. “I’m probably going to get groceries on the way home, so don’t panic or call the cops if I don’t text within the usual time.” 

Deb nodded. “Of course.” She patted his back. They shared one last hug, and Deb made her way back to the elevator as Arthur sat in his car. She waved to him when the elevator arrived, and she disappeared into the building once more. 

Arthur held the steering wheel in his hands and let out an exhausted breath. The draining, emotional hurdle that had loomed ahead of him for years was now cleared. Now, he simply had to look forward to see what was coming next.