“Fire and Light”: Blurb
Hugh’s six year old son, Orion, has just recently come to live with him. He has taken vacation time over the summer break to be with the boy and teach him to swim before he goes to summer camp. Orion and Hugh meet Quigley and a deep friendship develops. For two weeks they spend time together at the swimming pool and the park, getting to know each other.
Quigley and Hugh are intensely attracted to each other, but Orion has already been rejected by his mother. Hugh can’t possibly let the child be less than his top priority now. Is their romance doomed?

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Hugh leaned against the wall of the surf store and watched his son, Orion, choosing board shorts. Okay, it might have been twenty-four years ago, but Hugh was pretty sure that when he was six, he’d have grabbed the first red pair off the rack. His son, however, was taking the decision very seriously, choosing pair after pair off the rack, holding them up to the light, looking at the pockets and waistband, measuring them against his legs then putting them into two different piles. When he reached the end of the section, Orion hung the ones in the larger pile back on the rack before sorting through the smaller pile again, gradually reducing it to three pairs: one red, one blue, and one green.

After many long moments of silence, Orion replaced the blue pair on the rack with all the other ones he’d rejected. Hugh remained silent and watched. Twice Orion went to replace the green pair then hesitated. Finally, Hugh said, “How about we buy both pairs? You seem to be finding the final elimination round pretty tough.”

“Could I really have them both, Dad? I really like the green ones, but your boardies are red, and I want to match you.”

Hugh’s heart almost burst with love for his boy in that moment. His kid wanted to be like him!
Hugh gave Orion a hug, a far more restrained hug than he would have liked to give, but their relationship was still fragile and they were in a store. Then he replied, “Of course you can have both. If we go swimming often this summer, likely you’ll need two pairs. I should have thought of that myself.”

“Have you got two pairs, Dad?”

“Yeah, I have a spare pair somewhere. Might have to hunt through the closet to find them though.”

Hugh and Orion walked up to the checkout and stood in line. Right by the cash register was a rack of swim goggles. “You’d better pick up a pair of goggles, too, so you can open your eyes underwater without making them sore,” he suggested. There were three people in front of them in the line. Hugh hoped Orion could make his choice before they reached the head of the linecashier. Fortunately, this time Orion chose a silver pair instantly.

“The lightning flashes on my boardies are silver. These goggles will match both pairs,” the child said triumphantly.

Hugh ruffled his son’s flaming-red hair. “Good decision.”

The man in front of them in the line turned to grin at Hugh and Orion. “You have more fashion sense than many adults,” he said to Orion, pointing to the black board shorts and yellow goggles he was holding. Then he put the yellow goggles back on the rack and picked out a black pair.

“Mom says it’s important to be color coordinated.”

“Smart woman, your mom,” responded the man.

“Maybe.” Suddenly Orion looked much younger and insecure. Hugh rested a hand on his shoulder and squeezed. Orion looked up at him with a worried frown.

“We’ll cope. We’ll get it all sorted. I love you,” said Hugh softly.

Berengaria Brown
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