Forgotten

“Dad, I was wondering if… um, Liv’s mom invited me to dinner tomorrow and I wanted to know if I could go,” Jonathan mentioned offhandedly as he shifted the food on his plate. A tense silence settled for a moment before anyone spoke.

“That boy is still living there?” Daniel asked stiffly.

“Yes sir,” Liv answered. “But he won’t be home tomorrow night. He has therapy.” She whispered the last word, taking Daniel into her confidence like a true actress, and a convincing one at that. He nodded slowly and thought it over for a minute. Before he could give his response Liv cut in again.

“My mom said it was the only way he could continue living with us after, um, well the incident,” she glanced at Jonathan and Mel and Daniel understood. Sarah glanced up questioningly.

“Why I got sent to Prodigal Home,” Jon murmured softly. Sarah’s lips formed a small silent “o” and she returned to her food.

“Your mother got Caden into therapy?” Mel asked hesitantly.

Liv nodded. “Yeah. I mean, I guess she could handle the idea of Caden feeling a certain way but, um, acting on it was sorta the final straw.”

Jonathan couldn’t help but admire the ease with which Liv spun her story. He pulled his eyes away from her to look at his parents.

“And how is Caden doing with this new guidance?” Melanie asked.

“Really well actually. Sort of… healing, I guess. His dad used to beat him for being the way he was. Of course that didn’t help. But now that he’s with us and with his therapist things are really starting to turn around for him,” Liv said, still using the tone of someone confiding a rather private matter to a trusted person. Jonathan could tell that his parents were actually starting to soften. His mother had the smallest of relieved smiles on her face and while Daniel looked pensive with his furrowed brow Jon knew he was processing this information well.

Liv smiled and took a bite of her lasagna. She swallowed her big mouthful and told Mel how delicious it was. By the end of dinner Daniel had actually agreed to letting Jonathan visit the Gibbons’s household, albeit grudgingly.

“This is contingent on me speaking with your mother, Olivia,” he told her.

“’Course. I’ll have her give you a call tonight. She can give you Cadey’s therapy schedule. He goes twice a week privately and then he also has a group therapy session that he just started going to.”

* * *

“Thank you so much for dinner,” Liv said as she walked towards the front door, giving Melanie a quick hug before turning to Sarah. Jonathan noted the anxious look on his little sister’s face. Liv leaned down to hug her, a warm embrace that Sarah actually relaxed in for a moment.

“It was great talking to you Sarah,” Liv said as she released her. Sarah gave her a small, twitchy smile. “And remember, just because every other girl is obsessed with wearing makeup, doesn’t mean you have to be right now. Wait ‘til you’re older, ‘kay.”

“Oh, right. Yeah, yes,” Sarah agreed quickly with a glance to her mother and father who looked pleased by the little exchange between girls.

Liv turned to Jonathan, wrapping him in a hug and kissing him on the cheek. “Well, thanks again for dinner. I really enjoyed it,” Liv said, resting a hand on the doorknob. The Whyte family all smiled and waved their goodbyes.

* * *

The moment Cadey heard the front door open he sprung up from the couch and hurried over to Liv. “H-How’d it go?” he asked with wide, hopeful eyes. Liv nodded and smiled. Caden squealed and grabbed her in an ecstatic hug. They separated and began to jump up and down. Stacy walked into the entryway and shook her head with a smile.

The two of them straightened up seriously, dismissing their momentary freak-out. “So mom, I’ve got some ‘splaining to do,” Liv said with a cheeky grin and a faux Spanish accent. The three of them made their way to the living room and plopped down on the sofa.

“Okay, so Cadey, as far as Mr. and Mrs. Whyte know, you’re in therapy three times a week, expelling the demonic homosexual urges within,” Liv said, half-rolling her eyes but grinning at the stunned expression on Caden’s face. “I know, it’s crap but it’s the kinda thing the Whytes needed to hear in order to get Jon over here.” Caden nodded, a little smile stealing over his face.

“So mom…” Liv started sweetly.

“Yes honey?” Stacy asked somewhat wearily.

“Can you corroborate this story? Please? For the sake of preserving this beautiful young love?” she asked, putting her hands together in playful supplication.

Stacy sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose with her thumb and index finger. “I don’t like it,” she started. Caden and Liv held their breath. “But of course I’ll do it. To be honest, I don’t have that much of a moral qualm about lying to those fundamentalist tight-asses.”

The three of them burst out laughing. “Yes! High five, mom!” Liv said, laughing more as her mother swung and missed. “Let’s try that again,” Liv said, raising her hands in a serious, calming way. “Focus, you can do this,” she said sounding like a guru up until she burst out laughing again. Stacy’s and Liv’s hands clapped together. “Alright!” the two of them said in unison.

“Okay Cadey. I’m gonna go make up your schedule and put it on the fridge. Mom, then can you call dear old Danny boy and go over it with him? You know, put his mind at ease?”

“Yes dear,” Stacy said as she stood from the couch. “Call me when the schedule’s done. The key to lying is a solid and accurate foundation so you can avoid slip-ups.”

“My mother, the con artist! I knew I got my acting skillage from somewhere. Admit it, you ran credit card scams in your youth. Am I right?” Liv asked, standing up and poking her mother in the stomach.

“What do you think Caden? Am I a swindler?” Stacy asked.

Caden giggled and nodded thoughtfully. “Yup. I-I can see that.”

Stacy shrugged. “Well then, I’d say we’re partners in crime.”