Baby in the Closet

Pete talked to them each one at a time without announcing what the talks were going to be about until it was just him and one of them alone in the room, the door closed. He didn’t want them looking at each other oddly, wondering what the secrets and skeletons were. He talked to Spencer first, then Brent, then Brendon, leaving Ryan for last. He had a feeling Ryan’s skeletons would be overpowering. He asked them not to tell each other what the talks were about, but Brendon didn’t listen.

“Pete’s talking to each of us about skeletons in the closet.” he told his boyfriend when they were lying in bed together, legs intertwined, Ryan’s head on his chest. “Tell him about Lexie. Don’t try and hide it, Ry.”

It was a Thursday when Pete asked Ryan if they could ‘talk for a few minutes’. Ryan nodded and followed him without a word, thoughts reeling in his head. “I need to know about any secrets you have.” Pete said after they’d both sat down. “Any skeletons you’ve got in your closet, stuff you wouldn’t want the press to publish for everyone to know about. Besides you and Brendon, obviously, because we’ve talked about that.”

Ryan nodded, staring at his hands for a moment before looking up and taking a steadying breath. “Back in high school . . . I got one of my girlfriends pregnant.” It came out a lot easier than he thought it would.

Pete paused for a moment before nodding. Not what he had expected exactly, but okay. “And what happened?”

Ryan shrugged. “I told her I’d pay for an abortion. She didn’t want one. Catholic enough to think abortion’s murder, but not Catholic enough to keep her legs closed.” He rolled his eyes.

“So she had the baby?”

Ryan nodded.

“Did she put it up for adoption?”

“Her. The baby was a girl.” Ryan said. “And, no, she didn’t. She moved in with her aunt after the baby was born. Her parents weren’t too supportive.”

“Do you ever see her?”

Ryan shook his head.