#paulcal

Caleb Mantovani and Paul don't meet in every timeline. They'll cross paths just as often as they don't. It all hinges on if Paul's relationship with his sister is in good standing--and a few other factors.

Caleb grew up in the Bronx but had a few Hatchetfield connections that he made while at school. The one he got closest to and kept in touch with after receiving his Master's was a fellow queer person named Al, who struggled with the reality check of returning to a small town. (This person will more than likely be getting their own card in the future)

The small-town experience as a queer individual is an isolating one. Al didn't give up very easily, and he put on a brave face, but it was still a lot to deal with on his own. He knew he wanted things in life to change, but just didn't know where to start. This is where Caleb Mantovani metaphorically rolled up his sleeves and said, "Fuck it." A friend shouldn't have to suffer in a dark space alone. He'd bring a flashlight and help that son of a bitch outta there.

It was no inconvenience. It was part of his occupation. He was a speech therapist that brought his work wherever it called him. A small island in the Midwest wasn't top of his list, but for all of his "IDGAF I'm from New York" sensibilities, it was the move he needed to make.

The work was valuable no matter what age range he worked with, but he really loved pediatrics. His approach was ND-affirming; the goal was for every kid he saw to have the tools to communicate and minimize their frustrations in daily interactions. Kids loved him--but their parents didn't lol. His role was to improve the kids’ quality of life and not coddle the adults’ feelings, so he couldn't give two shits about them being rubbed the wrong way.

Like fuck was he going to "correct" harmless behaviors unique to the child. "Why is my child still rocking in his seat all the time? Shouldn't you have taught him to sit still?" "Does him rocking in place get in the way of his speech?" "I can understand his speech better now, but--" "Then I did my job. Those things on either side of your head--yeah, the two holes where sound comes in--your job now, is to use 'em."

He got himself in trouble with the school board a lot but they were like, "We spent too much fucking money bringing this guy in to improve the image of the Hatchetfield school system just to fire him. The faulty traffic lights can wait"

One of the kids he saw at the time was an itty bitty Richie! His mother understood him just fine, because he was more at ease at home, but he faced some communication barriers at school that stress would exacerbate. He'd talk too fast and start stumbling all over his words, then get very worked up about it. “Mr. Cal” got it. It's tough being a little guy knowing what he wanted to say but having trouble getting there. He worked with Richie on mitigating that frustration so he could slow down. As a result, Rich would over-enunciate certain words. But it got him to slow down, and it made him happy to be heard more clearly!

Richie once asked him, “What if I talk too slow and people get mad?”

Mr. Cal said, “That's their problem. What you want to say matters, bud. People who don't have time for that aren't worth your time.”

That was huge for Richie. Having someone to advocate for him, being taught to advocate for himself. Mr. Cal gave him a lot of confidence!!

Olive is a thousand times more well-meaning than a lot of the other parents who just want to be pissed off over their kids stimming or exhibiting literally any harmless behavior that doesn't inhibit communication. She wants Richie to express himself however he needs. But it's the late 2000s, and she doesn't know everything lol. She also worries about the smaller things, bc she's so in her head about how other kids treat him already and she knows anything can be fuel to the fire for those little bullies.

“So you want to be the big bully that looks down on him before they can?” Caleb had asked her. He's a very “tough love” kind of guy.

Caleb's remark got to her, of course it did. When Olive complained about her meeting to Paul, he offered to go pick up Rich in her stead at the next appointment. His M.O. is to go, "Damn, that sucks," and move on, but he was rebuilding things with his sister little by little and resigned himself to helping her out with this one. "I'll go talk to him for you. Surely it's a misunderstanding. Maybe he was just having a bad day, etc. etc. I'll vouch for you Ollie"

Caleb had a LOT of fun getting under Paul's skin. Conversely, after sitting with it for some time Olive respected the figurative kick to the ass and put her trust more willingly in Caleb’s hands. So Paul came back to Olive who was finally like, “Okay the guy’s kind of tough but I get it, I’ll cut him some slack” but now Paul was like, “I need this man to leave Hatchetfield forever actually. I hate him and he was mean to me”

And it's just his luck, bc Caleb’s HF connections have him and Paul floating by each other in the same spaces. At the Woodwards, at the school, even some CCRP related action. It drove Paul insane. People like his sister or Bill were baffled because they were like "you never want to go out to these things why are you going now when you know he's gonna be there" and he's like "I just. Need to give him a piece of my mind. I can't let him have the last word. Yes this is definitely the reason" <- (100% lying to himself)

This vendetta cooled off with time and Caleb found out he’s actually very much on Paul's wavelength. Like Emma, Caleb and Paul were starkly different in a lot of ways, but there were all these little connections that made it easy to just get each other.

Casual, civil conversation became playful banter became going out and getting coffee together and learning about each other's lives. Paul never spared much thought to his own sexuality; he knew he liked women. He'd never liked a man strongly enough to consider an earnest attraction to more than one gender.

It wasn't a huge reckoning for Paul once he finally identified the feelings. No major crisis or shame about it. Moreso just one of those things where he complained to Olive (who is also bi) a lot. “I gotta deal with this now? When I have errands and bills and such?? I don't have time for bisexuality Olive there's other things going on in my life” “There's literally nothing going on in your life. Go date that gay therapist and stop whining.” Long story short he does lmao

He and Caleb were together for three years. It was a wonderful relationship! But Caleb became a travelling SLP for a reason. He liked being on the move. Other job opportunities came his way elsewhere, ones he felt really passionate about, and he and Paul had a long talk about next steps. He loved Paul. He loved their relationship. But he knew Paul was content living where he was. Moving elsewhere, potentially frequently, wouldn't make him happy. Caleb's act of love (from his perspective) was making sure his partner was as happy and well-cared for as possible. Even if that act of love meant splitting so Paul could be with someone who could give him everything Caleb wasn't able to.

It was, ultimately, for the best. For both of them. But the breakup still sucked. It's not fun to split from a good partner. Paul had his Wallowing Period which Olive helped him get through with lots of ice cream and movie nights lol. After some time to heal the two still touch base every now and then. Caleb likes to know how Richie is doing, he never forgets his kiddos :’’)

And by the time Emma enters Paul's life, he's been back to his typical aloof self, little interest in going out to things or meeting new people romantically. It's not the first thing on his priority list (he doesn't rly have one to begin with lol). So that's how he knows Emma is special to him. She calls out to him in a way Cal did. Different, but the same. He can't explain it. But she very much Sees him and Understands him in the way Caleb was able to.

To me it sort of feels like being the puzzle piece in the middle of the picture; there's other pieces that don't look the same but slot perfectly into what each side requires. Fitting together regardless of if it's the exact same shape as another piece.

Caleb adores Emma. He’s passing through HF every now and then to visit his other connects and finally gets to meet her! They all hang out, trade stories. Take a little time to roast Paul in solidarity. Caleb still holds some feelings for Paul. But he's also loved being able to take his life the direction he wanted, and appreciates that Emma's in a time in her life where staying in place is her next “adventure”. Caleb's a little envious; he'd like to be content being more “in place”. Either way, they get along swimmingly and talk a lot on social media now.