Two Doms

"College is the time to make a man out of yourself, Dominic," said my father.

I put my phone down and sighed. Harry gave me a sympathetic look in the rearview mirror. I grimaced and picked up the phone again. Father was still talking, as usual.

"...networking," he continued, "Some of my most valuable contacts are men I met in college. It's these connections that allowed me to become the self-made man—"

I hit mute and groaned. Harry chuckled from the driver's seat.

"He's doing the self-made man bit again," I whined.

"Well, can't say I blame him," said Harry, "If I had the kind of success he's had, I'd never stop talking about it."

I held out the phone, "You wanna talk to him, then?"

Harry smirked, "Not my place, Mister Lane."

I rolled my eyes and held the phone up to my ear again.

"...isn't that right, Dominic?" my father finished.

"You're absolutely right, Father," I said. I had no idea what he was asking, but after eighteen years I knew that there was only ever one correct response.

"So while I still think it was pretty foolish not to take a place at Centrepoint," he said, "I can respect your decision. You'll make your own way, just as I did before you, and my father did before me. But don't let us down, Dominic. You're a Lane man. That puts you above most. Protect our legacy, son."

"I will, Father," I said, trying to ignore the knot in my stomach.

"Good. I expect great things," he said, and hung up.

I tossed my phone down on the car seat beside me and leaned back. The lather seats were luxurious, plush and even self-heated, but somehow I couldn't get comfortable. I stared out the window and watched the landscape whip past as Harry drove us down the thrumming freeway.

I hadn't told my father the real reason I had chosen not to attend his old college. Yeah, he had connections there. He was one of their most successful alumni, and they even had him come in to deliver guest lectures or commencement speeches every now and again. But that was exactly what I didn't want. My father was right, college was the time to make a man of myself, but there was no way I would be able to do that with him constantly dropping by to visit, or getting updates from his old friends in the business faculty.

I kept watching the landscape fly by, slowly transitioning from city blocks, to industrial estates, to empty, rolling hills, and I slowly felt my father's iron grip loosening. For the first time in my life, I was going to have actual freedom. For the first time in my life, I could actually be who I wanted to be.

Even if that meant... maybe not making a man of myself.

I felt a bubbling feeling in my stomach, but I pushed it down, like I had been doing for the past decade or so. I would have time to figure this out later, in the privacy of the single dorm room my father's money had bought me, at a college where no-one knew who my father was. I could finally test my feelings in the real world. And if it turned out they were just some kind of dumb, meaningless curiosity, then no-one would be there to judge me.

And if it turned out they were something more...

The landscape kept whizzing by, and rolling hills became a small college town, and then a small college. We were here.

I got out and stretched as Harry got my bag from the trunk. We were outside the student dorms, and the place was packed with freshmen saying goodbye to their families, unloading their cars, and getting accosted by student groups. I grinned. This place might not be as big or as prestigious as the college my dad had picked out for me, but it was plenty big enough for me to be totally anonymous if I wanted to. Or at least as anonymous as any kid getting dropped off by a private chauffeur in a Rolls could be.

Harry met me around the side of the car with my bag slung over his shoulder.

"Can't believe you just brought the one bag," he said, "When I took my Tiff to college, we could barely fit all her stuff in the car. Didn't help that the twins wanted to come for the ride."

I smiled, "I'm thinking I'll buy most of my stuff while I'm here. Maybe reinvent myself a little."

"I like that," Harry smiled, then paused. He looked at my bag thoughtfully, then said, quietly, "You know, Mister Lane, after we dropped Tiff at college, couple hours later is when she first met her girlfriend."

"Yeah," I said, "I think you told me that once. At the food court, right?"

"So, Tiff, uh, she never dated a girl before," Harry said, "But they're real happy together now."

I arched an eyebrow. Harry shrugged awkwardly.

"I'm just saying. It's a beautiful thing. The stuff that can happen at college."

I smirked, "I'm pretty sure I'm not a lesbian, Harry."

Harry's face cracked into a grin, "I'm gonna miss you, kiddo."

I smiled, "I'm gonna miss you too."

I held out my hand, and Harry shook it, with the same warm professionalism he had always displayed around my family, then shook his head and pulled me in for a hug. I was shocked at first, but after a moment I tried to untense and hug him back. It was... weird, hugging someone like that. In front of everyone. But that's what college was for, right?

"You stay safe, alright Dom?" Harry said, "You ever need anything, you can call me. I'll come get you. I don't have to tell your dad."

I felt my eyes prickle a little and pulled back. Harry let me go and composed himself.

"Thanks, Harry," I said, "Oh! I almost forgot."

I took the bag from him and quickly rustled around inside until I found Harry's present. I had wrapped it myself, which had been harder than I expected. I was used to Luisa doing that kind of thing for us, but I had also given her a present, so that wouldn't have worked. Anyway, it was good to be a little independent, even if Harry's gift was a tape-covered mess.

"Don't open it until you get home," I said, "And share some with your wife, okay?"

"Dom!" Harry looked really touched, and it made me feel that familiar warmth inside that I somehow never managed to get from talking to my actual family. "Kiddo, you didn't need to—"

I waved it off before things got too real, "Don't open it until you get home! And I'll see you at Christmas!"

Harry straightened up, "See you at Christmas, Mister Lane."

I hoisted my bag up on my shoulder and started walking towards the dorms.