Chapter 7

Terri only stared surprised at her ex-husband with a crying boy clung to his chest. This time, she came to have another discussion with Will about their relationship, about how they should remarry and have their life back. Only she wasn't expecting him to have any company.

"Well…" she finally spoke after the man turned to her.

"Terri, what are you doing here?" Will asked as quietly as his surprise allowed.

"I came here to have a talk, but I see you are kind of busy" she knew it was mean. She knew it wasn't that. But the sudden change in her mood made her say what both of them knew wasn't true. And she was sure her ex-husband would get the hint.

"What? Terri, are you crazy? And I have told you already I don't want anything else to do with you. Please, get out of my home" he said trying to sound the less annoyed possible.

"Well, surely I can see why. It was actually better from you to have that crazy or that blond slut for girlfriend than to go so down as to abuse a boy."

"Terri, are even listening to yourself? You know perfectly well I would never do such a thing! And you don't insult Emma or Holly! It's not because you can't move on that I shouldn't!"

"Will, you should know I care more about you than anyone else in the world ever will!"

"For God's sake, Terri, you lied about a pregnancy only to keep me with you. And when I finally found out you were lying the whole time, you said it was because I wasn't happy that our marriage worked!"

"It was true, Will! Face it!"

"OK, I get it! But that doesn't give you the right to accuse me of something you know I am incapable of!"

"Not after seeing how attached to these kids you are. You give more attention to them than you gave to our marriage!"

"Maybe because you didn't deserve that?" Mike's voice suddenly sounded muffled and weak, though the sarcasm was clear in his voice. Both adults turned to the boy that hadn't moved from his place curled beside Will in surprise, neither expected him to say a word.

Terri recovered first and answered him "Hump. That coming from the boy whose reputation has been shattered within some minutes."

"Better than be a spoiled woman whose life's propose is to make her ex-husband's a living Hell" Mike's answer came immediately and took the other two by surprise.

"I had a husband who loved me at least" she finally said after the shock.

"And one that wasn't loved back. Besides I didn't need to fake anything serious to keep any relationship and I'm seventeen."

Terri was going to reply but nothing came into her mind. She opened her mouth a couple of times, but she wouldn't muster a word. Will looked at her but felt nothing for her. What Mike said was sadly true and the lack of a reply was all the confirmation needed. And he was going to say so, but then Terri said her last words.

"At least I know my family would never give up on me for whatever I ever do."

The teacher felt Mike's fist tighten on his chest and his body go tense. A twitch in the boy's hand told Will he had to stop any move he might want to make, so he put a hand over his student's and held it there. Turning sharply at his ex-wife, he said "I think it's past time for you to go, Terri. You have no business here and you more than know it. Now go."

The woman grimaced at him but turned on her heels and exited herself, banging the door as she left.

Not a couple of seconds later, there was a sob. "Mike, we better go to bed" Will said and didn't wait for an answer he knew wasn't coming, so he got up and pulled the boy along.

He got them both on the bed and let his student curl against him. As the minutes passed and the boy calmed slowly, he wondered if that was how it felt like being a father and from what he found out just today, if Mike missed a parental figure so much.

The next morning, Will woke up feeling something wet on his chest. Looking down slightly, he saw the boy in his arms still had tears rolling down from his closed eyes. They were new tears. Had Mike cried the whole night?

Feeling a stab on his heart, the man caressed the other's head softly in a parental way. Something like that shouldn't happen to anyone, especially someone so young and good as this boy. Then his ears picked something. Mike was muttering something. He listened carefully and noticed it was in another language, Chinese he thought. He couldn't understand a word, but the feeling he knew, the boy was begging for another chance with his parents.

At that moment, Will felt such a rage toward this situation. It wasn't fair, but what could he really do? From as much as he got from Mike, his parents were the worst type possible to try to talk.

He sighed loudly. Better get ready for the day and try to figure out something when he was calmer. Taking a quick glance at the bedside clock, he noticed he still had an hour before rushing to school. Knowing he wouldn't be able to sleep anymore, Will wondered if he'd better get out of bed or let the boy take some more of his attention. As on cue of reading his thoughts, Mike's grip on his shirt lessened and he moved a bit as though telling his teacher to go on with his routine, not bothering with him. At that, the man had to smile. The boy was really too good to deserve all this happenings.

Taking on his wishes, Will got up and headed to the bathroom. He'd make his day as normal as possible while figuring out somehow to make Mike's life right again, or just right, due his life might've never been right.

Almost an hour later, the teacher left the apartment and a note at the bedside table saying he'd cover his absence in school and that he'd better rest as much as possible.

Later that afternoon, Mike was still asleep in an almost self-induced sleep clear of dreams when someone walked into the house and headed straight to the room where he was laid. The person took into the sight and smiled sadly. He approached the bed and sat at the edge of the mattress, looking tenderly at the sleeping form. Leaning down, he touched the other's face with one hand and kissed his forehead.

"How you got here?" Mike whispered sounding dreamingly.

"I ran away from home" the other answered also in whispers.

"Where's your mother?" the Chinese asked calmly and the other smiled.

"Talking to yours."

"She'll need some therapy after it, Matt" Mike finally opened his eyes only slightly and looked right into Matt's worried eyes.

The other boy grinned and leaned in again. "Well, let's see how bad she'll be first" he said and kissed his boyfriend on the lips lovingly. When they parted, he silently slipped off his shoes and got onto bed, pulling the other towards him and cuddling.


.Atsuko Uehara, June's 11th, 2011.