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He's been avoiding his parents' calls and their requests to talk on Skype ever since he and Spencer got back and he can't do it anymore. It isn't that he doesn't want them to know that he got married, but that he's been trying to avoid the inevitable descent upon Siren Cove his mother will perform as soon as she discovers what has happened. She'll be furious with him at first, he knows that, but once she's done being angry, she'll insist on coming to spend some time with them and Joel has kind of been enjoying having this time alone with Spencer.
But he's in the store that afternoon when the phone rings and he scoops it up without looking at the number. "Crossroads," he says.
"Finally. I was beginning to think you were dead."
"Mom," Joel says, glancing around the store, glad to find it empty. He doesn't want to have this conversation with a bunch of other people in the store. "Hi."
"Where have you been?" she asks and he can hear his father's voice in the background, asking the exact same question.
"I'm sorry, I've just been busy. We... Spencer and I bought the store. We've been dealing with the paperwork," he says, holding the phone with his shoulder as he busies himself tidying the counter. He's only doing it because he's nervous and he's glad his mother can't see him, because she would know something was going on.
"For two weeks?" she asks, her skepticism clear in her voice. "I mean, I'm sorry. That's wonderful news, I know you've wanted to buy the property for years."
"Yeah," he says. "It is good news and..." He has to tell her. He just isn't prepared for the fact that his parents are going to be hurt that they weren't invited to be there.
"And?" she prompts gently.
"Spencer and I went away for a bit," he says, his voice suddenly dry. "We got married."
There's silence on the other end of the phone for a very long time and Joel winces after about ten seconds. At first he'd been happy to avoid Skype, but now all he has is the silence and he finds himself wishing he was able to see his mother right now so he can better gauge her reaction. But the silence stretches on and finally, he says, "Mom?"
"You..." Her voice sound faint. "You got married."
"Yes."
"Without us there."
He winces again. "Yes. I'm sorry. It just... it needed to be just us."
The silence starts up again and then, finally, she says exactly what he expected. "I still have some vacation time. Your father and I will be there next week." There's a pause and then he thinks he can hear a muffled sniffle, which he feels terrible about. "I'm very happy for you. I love you, Joel."
They talk for a few more minutes and although he feels a little better when he hangs up the phone, he still needs to take a moment. Heading outside, Joel stands in the door of his store for a long moment, then sits down on the bench to the right of the door, burying his hands in his hair and dropping his head to look down at the ground between his feet.
But he's in the store that afternoon when the phone rings and he scoops it up without looking at the number. "Crossroads," he says.
"Finally. I was beginning to think you were dead."
"Mom," Joel says, glancing around the store, glad to find it empty. He doesn't want to have this conversation with a bunch of other people in the store. "Hi."
"Where have you been?" she asks and he can hear his father's voice in the background, asking the exact same question.
"I'm sorry, I've just been busy. We... Spencer and I bought the store. We've been dealing with the paperwork," he says, holding the phone with his shoulder as he busies himself tidying the counter. He's only doing it because he's nervous and he's glad his mother can't see him, because she would know something was going on.
"For two weeks?" she asks, her skepticism clear in her voice. "I mean, I'm sorry. That's wonderful news, I know you've wanted to buy the property for years."
"Yeah," he says. "It is good news and..." He has to tell her. He just isn't prepared for the fact that his parents are going to be hurt that they weren't invited to be there.
"And?" she prompts gently.
"Spencer and I went away for a bit," he says, his voice suddenly dry. "We got married."
There's silence on the other end of the phone for a very long time and Joel winces after about ten seconds. At first he'd been happy to avoid Skype, but now all he has is the silence and he finds himself wishing he was able to see his mother right now so he can better gauge her reaction. But the silence stretches on and finally, he says, "Mom?"
"You..." Her voice sound faint. "You got married."
"Yes."
"Without us there."
He winces again. "Yes. I'm sorry. It just... it needed to be just us."
The silence starts up again and then, finally, she says exactly what he expected. "I still have some vacation time. Your father and I will be there next week." There's a pause and then he thinks he can hear a muffled sniffle, which he feels terrible about. "I'm very happy for you. I love you, Joel."
They talk for a few more minutes and although he feels a little better when he hangs up the phone, he still needs to take a moment. Heading outside, Joel stands in the door of his store for a long moment, then sits down on the bench to the right of the door, burying his hands in his hair and dropping his head to look down at the ground between his feet.
