Caleb - Man's gotta do what a man's gotta do.

[brokendoors]

True to his Mama's word, Caleb made it out of The Visit unscathed. And when they'd left, his mom did a lot of hugging to the point he'd actually started pushing her away with a totally age-appropriate 'ew, mom's hugging me!' gross face.

And he didn't think his mom minded, even!
It wasn't until the next day, when his mom was at work, that he made the tiny trek across the complex over to Casper's place.

He wanted to get Casper's input on things.

Comments

[lovestofly]

Casper had been a bit busier than normal as of late, with helping out a friend. But this day he was free and at home.

While Caleb were usually in the company of his mother when he came over, it did happen that he sometimes came alone. Often enough that Casper didn't really reflect over it. So he just let Caleb in with a normal cheery "Hey kiddo."

He knew that Ivy and Caleb had gone back to the normal world the day before to meet with Caleb's father. While he wondered how it had gone, he didn't want to push the boy about it. "I've got a pint of Ben'n'Jerrys in the freezer. Want some?" Better to just be some company. Caleb could talk about it if he wanted to.

[brokendoors]

Caleb isn't really sure how to start that conversation with Casper, without calling his ..without calling Jordan some not polite words that his mama forbade him to say. So he moseys on into Casper's place and wanders into the kitchen. "Depends," he says with a mental sigh of relief. Some distraction! "What kind?"

[lovestofly]

The ever-present scent of fresh coffee lingers in the kitchen, accompanied by fresh air drifting into the apartment from the open balcony doors.

"Half baked," Casper answers and opens the door to the freezer. He's having some. While he's generally speaking a fan of eating healthy things, ice cream and the like are good for the soul, he thinks. And a bright and sunny summer day like this just about demands some ice cream.

[brokendoors]

Ice cream is a staple at their house, too, so he doesn't feel like he's getting away with anything. But it was pretty hot outside, and maybe when they'd had some ice cream they could go outside and throw a ball around? Yeah, that could work!
'Never heard of half baked," he admits as he shrugs. "Just one scoop, please. A big scoop."

[lovestofly]

Normally one big scoop would mean about half the tub, in Casper's opinion.. But then he might have to deal with Ivy about having ruined the boy's appetite for dinner. But he still loads up a fairly big portion of chocolately goodness. in a bowl for the boy, and then another for himself.

Very curious about how things had gone the day before. But since Caleb wasn't exactly a bouncing ball of excitement, Casper guessed that it hadn't been form fantastic reuion of a meeting. But he didn't pry. In the boy's own time...

[brokendoors]

"Thanks," he says quietly. And he digs in. He's about a third of the way through before he says, "Did you hear about yesterday?"

[lovestofly]

"Your mother told me you were going, yes," he confirmed. "How did it go?" Now that the topic of conversation had been breached, he could ask.

[brokendoors]

His nose wrinkles, and suddenly he's frowning like an old man. It's hard to say. "I don't.. know him. But I don't think I like him. He's not anything like Grandma and Grandpa. It was like he expected me to be his son, but he didn't realize I know he didn't want me to begin with."

[lovestofly]

Now what to say to that? With the history Casper himself had, he had a hard tome being totally objective. Parents were the ones who loved and cared for you, not the ones you happened to have blood ties to. And you didn't just get to play with people's emotions - least of all children's - and just come back after years. But even so, having never met teh man, Casper didn't want to judge too harshly.

"People can change, though. Still, he should not be taking you for granted. Absolutely not." He'd have to work on it, if he was going to be worthy of this boy. "Are you going to see him again?"

[brokendoors]

Aside from his mom and his grandparents, Casper is the most important man in Caleb's life. His opinion means so much. He nods a little and grumbles. "Yeah. Grandma said next weekend, there's gonna be a dinner, and mom and I and Jordan were invited. Mom's gonna go, only 'cause Jordan asked her to be."

[lovestofly]

Casper made a mental note to talk to Ivy later and ask what her feelings on the matter was now after the first meeting. Well, first in many years...

"So what's he like, then?" No point in asking what Caleb thought about him, he'd already expressed that.

[brokendoors]

((Sorry, we had storms and a blackout. Ouch!))

Caleb shrugs a little. "He's..just sort of there. He was nice to mom, but it still didn't sound like he meant anything he said. Don't trust anything he says."

[lovestofly]

Casper nods, with a spoonful of ice cream as the perfect excuse to be silent a moment and think before he replies. "While I'll suggest that you give him a second chance - everybody deserves one, I think, thought maybe not always a third chance - I'll also suggest you trust your instincts."

[brokendoors]

"Mama says you should always forgive people, but maybe not forget what they've done to you. But I don't really.. want things to change, Casper. I like things like they are now." He takes a moment, trying really hard to put things in plain unadorned English without sounding uppity. "Maybe I think that there isn't room for Jordan."

[lovestofly]

"Things don't have to change here, though. And, there should always be room for good people, shouldn't it?" There was a little emphasis on good.Casper felt like he was playing the devil's advocate, but then he didn't want to judge a man he didn't know.

[brokendoors]

"Well of course there's room for good people. But that's just it. I don't think he's a good guy." He says it like it's the most obvious thing in the world.

[lovestofly]

A slow nod. "If he isn't then I doubt you'll have to spend any time with him." He couldn't see Ivy going along with that. "Just give him a chance. Okay? And if there is anything, and you don't want to talk to your mom, you can always talk to me."

[brokendoors]

He tilts his head. Somehow he hadn't considered that, even though he knew he could go to Casper with anything. "Would you tell her what I said?"

[lovestofly]

"Not if you don't want me to." He felt Caleb needed to know that.

[brokendoors]

"Honest?" He sounds a little doubtful. What if he told Casper something that she should know?

[lovestofly]

"Unless it's something really important that she should know." At least he was honest about it. "But then I'll likely suggest you tell her, yourself. Or to put it simply, I'm not going to be going around you back and tell her things."

[brokendoors]

He visibly softens some. When did he get tense? He had such a strange body! "I guess that makes sense. I'll do the same with you." Like there was anything Casper didn't tell his mom, duh.

[lovestofly]

Casper flashed the boy a smile. "I'm counting on it."

[brokendoors]

"So what do ya think of that guy," because he doesn't think Jordan will ever be his actual dad, "comin' around Mom like that?"

[lovestofly]

"I don't know the man," Casper answered with a shrug. "There's not a lot I can think of him. As for him and your mom? I trust her far more than to be worried in any way." It was a bit of a conversation to be having with an eight-year old boy, but he could understand him wanting to know what was happening. Best just tell it straight, and not dumb it down.