Mike put a hand on the tree in the arboretum, the tree that Scott had grown, the tree with Scott’s essence. It pulsed with life-healing energy.
“You okay, Mike?” Casey seemed to come out of the very stones. Casey wore a loincloth with soft thigh-high moccasins, and nothing else.
“Yeah,” Mike said, almost sighing the word. “Thinking.”
“I’m sorry to bother you,” he turned to leave.
“Case.”
“Yes?”
“When was the last time you slept with Scott?”
He looked thoughtful. “It’s been a while. Maybe a few months, why?”
“He thinks he’s a slut.”
Casey started to laugh. “Do you want me to be honest?”
“You think he’s a slut.”
“Mike, this place has his essence. One of your kids calls this place ‘the sex garden’. He’s not a slut. If he was a slut, he would sleep with guys and fuck them over later. He’d sleep with guys and say goodbye and walk down the street and not even talk to them again. He’s not that type of person, not that I know of.”
“Then what is he, Casey, if he sleeps around?”
“You let him.”
“He says I make excuses for him. There’s some nights, Case, when I’m alone, I want to go out and fuck somebody.”
“Why?”
“Why?”
Casey said, “Is there an echo? Yes, why, Mike?”
“Because those nights, I don’t want to be alone.”
“Why?”
Mike yelled, “How the hell should I know?”
“I think you know, but don’t want to admit it; because, frankly, you don’t want to lose him.”
“Then enlighten me.”
“No, Mike. Enlighten yourself.”
Mike pushed past Casey and stormed past him.
“Hurts, doesn’t it?”
Mike whirled around. “What?”
“It hurts. Being alone.”
Mike took a deep, shuddering breath. “He doesn’t mean to.”
“You know what you sound like? You sound like someone who’s been abused and is making excuses for their husband to keep hitting them.”
“He’s not abusing me!” Mike stood with balled fists, ready to attack.
“Of course not.”
“Don’t fucking patronize me!” Mike took two steps toward Casey and flung a spell at him. Casey went flying backwards into the tree.
Casey stayed against the tree, shaking his head to clear it for a moment. “Now you’re acting like one.”
“You don’t know. You don’t KNOW!” Mike readied another spell as Casey got to his feet.
“You don’t want to lose him, I know that, Mike. He’s a good person, has a good heart.”
“He’s my conscience. My rock,” said Mike, putting his hand down at his side as the spell fizzled. “I stop myself from doing things because of him.”
“You love him.”
Mike nodded. He didn’t look at Casey. “Why…why am I not enough?”
Casey went over to Mike, put his hand on Mike’s shoulder. Mike shook it off, turned away. “Mike.”
“I’ve got contacts to visit,” Mike said, and walked out, leaving Casey at the tree, the tree with Scott’s essence, the tree that pulsed with life and energy.