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He takes a piece of spare rib and smiles to himself, remembering how they used to talk about their future after the band’s popularity exploded and they were constantly working. They used to say that someday, when they retired from music, they’d get a house in Iowa. He has no idea where Iowa even came from. Probably one of the only places they could think of that they hadn’t been to at that point.

They said they’d adopt five kids and enjoy the rest of their lives as boring suburbanites. The kids’ soccer matches and ballet recitals their biggest excitements. Family game night every Friday, making Target runs, and grilling on the back patio in the summer. That was all they’d ever need for the rest of their lives.

He wonders if Trevor remembers the plan.

But they were young and foolishly hopeful back then, right? Falling in love for the first time, it consumes you. You think it’ll never end. But relationships aren’t that easy, and just because you love someone, it doesn’t mean you get to keep them forever.

Sometimes the harder you try to, the faster you lose them.

Skyler knows that now.

But knowing it doesn’t stop him from rushing to come up with something to get Trevor to stay after they finish eating.

“Do you want to play a game?”

Trevor chuckles. “Uh, no thanks, Jigsaw.”

He gives him an unamused look. “Not that kind of game. I have Scrabble.”

“I can’t play Scrabble with you.”

“What? Why not?”

“You read more than anyone I know,” Trevor says. “Your dad’s a teacher and your mom’s a librarian. Your whole damn family’s smart! You’ll kick my ass.”

He raises his eyebrow in a challenge. “Scared?”

“Yes!”

It’s amusing because Trevor’s being a little overdramatic—which is normally Skyler’s thing—but it is sort of fair. Skylerisvery good at Scrabble. Which is why it’s hard to ever get anyone to play with him.

“Please?” he tries. “I promise not to make fun of you when you lose.”

Trevor scoffs, but when Skyler sticks out his lip in a pout and gives Trevor his best puppy dog eyes, he says, “Oh, put that lip away. Fine, I’ll play.”

Skyler grins. Good to know that still works on him.

They set up the game on the glass coffee table in the living room and sit on the floor across from each other. Trevor goes first and plays a four-letter word. Then Skyler takes his turn, building a six-letter word off one of Trevor’s letters, which earns him a lot of points right off the bat and an affronted look from Trevor. He smirks, and Trevor’s face takes on a determined, competitive edge.

They get lost in the game for a while, and it’s nice. He’s happy Trevor stayed.

It’s not until Trevor plays the wordsocialthat Skyler remembers the article and his manager’s request for him to let the world know he’s doing well. That he’s not going anywhere and that he’ll have new music for them soon.

And to let the label know they’ll still be making money off me, he thinks cynically.

He doesn’t particularly care if the label’s worried, but he doesn’t want his fans to be worried about him. They’ve shown him a tremendous amount of support over the years, and he’s always going to be grateful for them. Without them he wouldn’t be able to perform at all, which is something he loves so much.

He realizes hehasbeen silent on social media, but it wasn’t a conscious choice. After he finally said the one thing he’s been dying to say for his entire career, it’s almost like what else is there left to say?

He should thank the fans though. It doesn’t have to be a whole big thing, just something simple.

Trevor’s toe nudges into his calf under the table. “Are you going to go?”

“I’m thinking,” he says.

He refocuses on the game, but he gets distracted again later by the way Trevor scrunches up his face in concentration as he stares at the tiles on his rack. It makes him want to take his thumb and smooth out the wrinkles on Trevor’s forehead. Makes him want to run his thumb over his bottom lip, because why not.

And then when Trevor playsquilton a triple word score and lets out a tiny squeal of delight, Skyler wants to swipe the game board onto the floor and lean over the coffee table to kiss him until he gets to hear Trevor make some other pleased sounds.