title: purples ones
author: jessica
mail: thegirlinglasses@illuminatedtext.com
date: may 26, 2003
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"Do you think your dad made me gay?" Colin asks. Ephram's laugh gets choked on the soda he was drinking. "You know, put his finger on the wrong bundle of nerves?"
He sounds very serious, but Colin is still smiling as he contemplates the possibility. He sighs, staring at something outside the kitchen window. It's not like the blank stares Ephram used to worry about. There's something sparkling in Colin's eyes, and then he's grinning at Ephram.
"Or maybe the right bundle of nerves," Colin says, leaning over the empty stool between them to kiss him. Ephram puts a steady hand on Colin's hips and holds him there. Colin gets off his stool to move closer, but there's a sound outside a lot like their car. Ephram doesn't hate the quiet in Everwood anymore; he always knows when his dad's home and when he has to push Colin away.
"Groceries," Ephram says, licking his lips as they pull apart.
The door opens and he hears his dad come inside. "Ephram?" Andy steps into the kitchen and drops his bags on the counter. "Oh, hi, Colin. Ephram, help your sister with the rest of the bags."
Delia's rummaging through the bags instead of carrying them. "Ephram! We got freezies."
"There's snow on the ground. Why don't you just eat that?"
She finds the brightly coloured box and hugs it tight to her chest. "Just for that, I'm eating all the white ones." Delia sticks out her tongue and runs off.
"Delia!"
"You like the white ones, too?" Colin asks.
Ephram laughs and hands him a bag. He grabs the last bag for himself and closes the car.
"I used to like the purple ones," Colin says as they head up to the house. "You think I'll still like the purple ones?"
"You'll just have to try them all."