Author's note: Inspired by Little Laurentum Light's "At a Glance". This takes place in NYC, 1966. Horatio and Rick are both six years old.
Stay Strong
Chapter One: Ruth
The young Rick Stetler's eyes fluttered open, a tapping had awakened him. Someone was tapping a finger against his temple.
"Rick," a familiar young voice chirped, "Rick, get up. Time for church".
The boy looked up at the smiling face of his older sister, not calculating that by the gentle way she woke him up and her cheerful attitude that their parents might be watching.
"Rick's not here," he mumbled as he pulled the sheets over his head, "he died last night. His last request was to be buried at the Imperial theatre. You heard him right, he doesn't want to go home, leave him here".
"It's not time to go home," his mother clarified from across the hotel room, "it's time for church, now get up".
"He doesn't want to go to church either," Rick grumbled as his older sister pulled the sheets off of him.
The two women stared at him as he curled up into a little ball, trying to hide in plain sight. Rick's mother, a woman with deep brown hair, big bright green eyes, and lips that never seemed to stop smiling, sat down on the side of her son's bed. She looked up at her daughter.
"Claire, your breakfast is in the other room, Ophelia will be over in a few minutes. And go fix your father's tie while you're in there, I think he brought the boring one".
Rick listened to his sister giggle and run out of the room. A hand lightly fell on his shoulder.
"Rick," his mother cooed, "I know you hate getting up for church, but think about how happy Uncle Irving will be the day you take your first communion… and later when you get confirmed".
"I don't wanna get confirmed".
"If you get confirmed, it means that you'll stop being dragged to church every Sunday".
The young boy sat up with a grin. "'Every Sunday'?"
"Well… except when Uncle Irving is over," she smiled before she leaned in close and whispered, "but don't let him know that".
"Don't worry, I won't," he whispered back with a giggle.
"That's my boy," she chuckled as he sat up and looked at her with bright eyes. "Now take a shower and I'll lay out your suit for you".
***
"What do you and your mother have against a simple dark blue and black shirt and tie?"
"They're boring, daddy".
The elder William Stetler smiled as his ten-year-old daughter fiddled with the knot for a moment before finally pulling it off and handing him an orange tie.
"The orange one?" he sputtered playfully, catching a quick glance of his wife leaning against the door leading into the bedroom. "But why the orange one?"
"Because it's Easter, Bill," his wife smirked, "and I won't have you walking around in the same suit to wear to funerals".
She walked over and helped him adjust his tie as Claire responded to a soft knock on the door. Ophelia was a month younger than Claire, but they were both quite intelligent for their age. She had blonde hair, hazel eyes, and was never without a book. The two cousins plopped down on a sofa and immediately started discussing the dreams they had the previous night.
Before the door could swing shut, Bill's brother, Irving, stepped in. He acknowledged his daughter with a slight smile before he turned to his younger brother's family.
"We're going to grab a taxi downstairs in about twenty minutes," he informed his brother, "are you all almost ready?"
"Nearly," Bill shrugged, standing up to acknowledge Irving, "Ricky is just getting dressed, but he's wide awake".
As if on cue, Rick stepped out of the bedroom, smiling timidly at his uncle. His mother beamed proudly.
"There's my handsome little prince," she smiled.
Irving arched an eyebrow skeptically as his sister-in-law rushed over to fix the hair of the youngest member of the family. "A pink tie?"
"Yeah," Rick chirped, "I think it brings out my complexion".
The two girls started giggling while Rick's parents smiled and shook their heads. Irving, however, was a bit more skeptical. There was something indicative about a boy who spoke in such feminine terms. He had warned his brother about what such boys commonly turn into. Bill didn't seem to be bothered by it as much as he should be, calling it off as merely Rick being a little comedian.
"What's for breakfast?" Rick asked, immediately getting to mussing up the hair his mother just fixed.
"Nothing for you, young man," she said as she watched her handiwork go to waste, "you'll have to wait until brunch".
Rick pouted, although he knew it wouldn't do any good. He wasn't nearly old enough for things to go his way; although he figured that if he was patient enough, things eventually will. Instead of sulking, he went to the nearest mirror and started adjusting his clothes.
"Are y'all ready?" his Aunt Cindy asked, popping her head in.
"As good as we're going to get," Irving smiled as he nodded his wife into the room.
The kids all looked at Bill for instruction. Although everyone was in New York by Irving's pocket and invitation, Bill was the one who was best with kids. He nodded understandingly at the other adults and herded the kids out of the room, Irving on his heels.
"Ruth?" Cindy said gently, putting a hand on her sister-in-law's shoulder. "Can I talk to you for a moment?"
"I thought we had to go," she muttered under her breath before responding. "What is it?"
"It's about Richard".
Ruth bit down on her tongue to keep the anger from flushing to her face. She was tired of hearing that phrase come from far too many. Teachers, her friends, parents of his friends, her own family; they all felt like they were more than obligated to give her their analysis of her son.
"What?" she finally responded, the harshness in her voice an order in itself to back off.
"You don't think he acts a little too… effeminately?"
"'Effeminately'?!"
"Well… for a boy he's quite… soft".
"If you're trying to say something about me or Bill, just come right out and say it. Leave Ricky out of this".
"Do you see a therapist?"
Ruth blinked, offended. "No!"
"I'm just saying that maybe you should talk to someone who could make him… you know… normal".
Her heart must have stopped for a moment. It didn't matter how often she heard those words, they always bit right into her soul. She knew that every child would be shoved down one of two paths. Rick could be shunned and laughed at; but he would grow a strong backbone and befriend those who admire him for his mind instead of his rank. Or, he could end up caring more about status and the material… but on the bright side, he wouldn't have to cry himself to sleep. Rick had long ago chosen to be himself, deal with the pain, and firmly believe that the mind, heart, and spirit should be valued above all other things. If Ruth felt anything, it was pride.
"Ricky isn't about to change for anybody," she said firmly.
"Couldn't you convince him t-"
"-And I wouldn't change him for the world. I love my son".
"If you really loved him you would stop this before he becomes a… a…"
"A WHAT, Cindy?"
The slightly younger woman stared at Ruth, wondering how someone on her husband's side of the family could marry a woman so dense. "A homophile".
"So? What do you want me to do about it?"
The words came out of Ruth too quickly. She already knew. It took Cindy long enough to recover from her moment of comatose shock to have to run to catch up with her sister-in-law, already half way to the elevators.
"SO you do something about it. Don't just stand there, that's as good as encouraging it".
"It's his life". Ruth wasn't sure now if the was really disagreeing or if she was just spiting Cindy. She figured that Rick's more feminine traits would disperse over time, but so far that seemed inaccurate. The only reason why she would try to reverse what was happening was to spare him from morons like the one she was observing.
"A man can't love another man".
"But great ancient civilizations used the idea that they could to build some of the strongest military forces in all of history. Just look at the ancient Greeks".
"Savages".
Ruth just stared at her in-law as the elevator made its ascent. "It's not the dumbest thing you ever said, but it makes the top ten".
"I can't believe you would just let this happen".
"I have raised Rick to believe that he should always be himself, because people who judge him aren't worth his time".
They stepped into the elevator.
"He's confused," Cindy grumbled, refusing to drop the subject, "he doesn't understand the roles of his gender".
"What would you say if he were your son? What could you do?"
"I'd tell him that I still love him, but God would want him to stop living in sin".
Ruth's eyes widened as she turned to the younger woman. She was in shock. "How… how could you lie to him like that?"
"It's not a lie! It's written right there in the bible. 'Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effemin-'".
"-Did you STUDY for this conversation?!"
"As a disciple of Christ, I-"
"-What the fuck is your problem?! He's not hurting anyone! He's gentle, he's understanding, and he's my little boy! Leave him alone!"
The profanity left Cindy as speechless as it was intended to do. They stood in silence as the elevator slowed , reaching the ground floor.