The Day Before You
Written By: Ms. Maggs / Edited By: KJT
Chapter 7: When Worlds Collide – Part 2
While Greg waited for her around the corner, Catherine returned to handle the trio of irate women. "First, and most importantly, Greg is still suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, so he doesn't need to be approached by an angry mob in a dark parking lot, right?" When she didn't hear anyone protest, she continued, "I'm not with Greg. Not currently, not in the past and not in the future…not even if I'm desperate. Jacqui, you know he's not my type. He's not even from the same universe as my type. I prefer my guys tall, dark and studly."
Jacqui coughed 'Warrick' into her fist.
"Exactly," Catherine snickered, "and do you really think Warrick would turn the other cheek while I tossed some love in Greg's direction?"
"Yeah, I could see Warrick sharing his woman with a needy nerd," Jacqui laughed, "right after hell freezes over."
"Good, now that we have that part cleared up..." Focusing on Mandy, Catherine said, "Greg has serious issues, and I'm not just referring to his ass rash." She struggled to keep a straight face after hearing herself say 'ass rash'. "I'm sure it was blatantly obvious tonight that the guy is a little odd. He's a quirky genius who has his therapist on speed dial…a geek who collects coins, speaks to his mother way too often, and thinks it's cool to have a Pet Rock. I was taking him to lunch because I felt sorry for him. When he expressed his gratitude in the parking lot and got a little misty, I hugged him. Then, I wanted to make him laugh, so I started making fun of Hodges. Any questions?"
"Ugh." Mandy hung her head in shame. "Now I feel bad all over again. Not only did I falsely accuse Greg of being a liar, I scared him and made him have a PTSD flashback. God, I'm an idiot."
Catherine chided the woman who had been gossiping about her and her cleavage for years. "Let this be a learning experience for you." She pointed toward Greg. "I think you owe someone an apology."
"I'm sorry," Jillian Stokes whispered to her son's high school graduation photograph as she sat in his old room. Hearing Linda say that Nicky turned gay because he had a poor relationship with his father had left her feeling horribly guilty. "I bit my tongue so many times. In my heart I knew he was being too hard on you, but I let him punish you and lecture you over and over. You tried your best, I know you did, and that's all that should have mattered. You were never going to be Chuck. I knew that, but your father…" She lifted a crumpled tissue to her eyes again, wiping them quickly. "Your father thought he could change you, like he had seen the Marine Corps change so many irresponsible boys into men, but you weren't a Marine, Nicky, you were my baby, and I should have intervened." Staring into his loving brown eyes, her guilt intensified. "If I had put my foot down and said enough is enough, then maybe you wouldn't be so far off the righteous path today."
"I still love you, sweetheart." Running her fingertips over her son's cheek, her heart broke. "I'm sad for you and wish you weren't doin' what you're doin'. Like your sisters, I fear your salvation may be in jeopardy, but I still love you." She wept into her tissue. "It's gonna be ugly, Nicky. Your daddy and Chuck saw red when they heard the news and I don't know what they're plannin' to do to snap you out of this phase you're goin' through."
With a shaky hand, she returned the framed photo to the dresser. "I won't stand there quietly and watch you suffer. Not again. I promise. I've let you down so many times. I hired that animal to babysit you." Ever since she had learned about the sexual abuse, she felt like a failure as mother. "Never again."
"One more time, CSI Stokes!" Mrs. Martin's 5th grade class pleaded as their favorite classroom volunteer stood shaking his head and laughing.
"Settle down class," Mrs. Martin ordered. "CSI Stokes has been more than generous with his time already. It's 9:15 and we need to get our desks cleared and get our recorders out for Music Class. "On behalf of the students and myself, I want to say thank you, CSI Stokes. Letting the kids partner up, put on gloves and play CSI, taking saliva swabs and fingerprints was a real treat. Wasn't it?"
"Yeah!"
"The Krispy Kreme donuts were really good too!" Joey yelled from the back row.
"That's good to hear, thanks." Clicking open his kit, Nick said, "Y'all need to know how to eat donuts if you're gonna be LVPD one day. You'll have to learn to like coffee too." He chuckled when the kids grimaced at the thought of drinking java. "Yeah, yeah, y'all will be spendin' five bucks on a cup of coffee in a few years time, mark my words."
The teacher waved Cassie forward. "You know the drill." The same child who was often glum and a loner came alive when CSI Stokes came for a visit. "You can help him pack up while we start music class in the back of the room." She knew the orphaned girl cherished every paternal moment with the man she could get.
"Thanks, Mrs. Martin!" The girl rushed over to the man she considered her personal Superman and the closest thing she had to a father. "That was the coolest lesson yet!"
"Ya liked it, huh?" Nick loved watching her meticulously pack his equipment just like he had taught her. "Look at you go. I don't even have to tell you what to do." Leaning in he whispered, "Don't tell your classmates, but you rocked that assignment better than any of 'em. You're a real natural, Cass."
"I'm gonna be the best CSI this city has ever seen. Well, as good as you anyway."
"Nah, I'm sure you'll be way better than me. You're a heck of a lot smarter than I was when I was your age."
Being praised by the one person who counted more than anyone, the girl bubbled over with pride. "I didn't even have to study to get the As on my last report card. My brother never had to study either. My parents said our IQs were off the charts." Her smile instantly disappeared as she thought of her murdered family.
"Hey!" Nick knew to change the subject quickly. "You just reminded me that I still owe you a reward for gettin' straight A's." She had informed him via email two weeks ago that she pulled another set of perfect marks. "Did you pick what you want to do yet? You wanna go to the Mandalay Bay and see the Shark Reef again? I know that's one of your favorites. Or we could…hmm…"
"I have an idea." Stepping closer so he could hear her over the noise traveling from the back of the classroom, the girl said, "I think we should go looking for a wife for you.
Nick froze like a deer in headlights. It wasn't the first time she had brought up the subject, but it was the first time since he had started a life with Greg. "Um…"
"The clock's ticking Daddy-O." She had started calling him that on Parent Career Day so she wouldn't feel like the only kid in her class without a father. Later that day when he told her it would be okay to keep using the term, her heart soared.
His heart always skipped a beat when the kid called him Daddy-O. "Sweetie, why are you so worried…"
"Because time is running out." She broke the news, "Mama Evelyn told me that I only get nine more months with her and then I'm no longer classified as 'special needs'. I'll be sent to a group home and I'll have to stay there until I graduate high school unless someone adopts me. Do you think a group home will be as fun as living with Mama Evelyn or my own family?" She gave him the usual warning. "Don't baby me."
He had to be honest. "No, honey, I don't think it will be as fun as livin' with Mama Evelyn or with one family. I'm sorry. The foster system is a mess and it's real hard on kids."
"Thanks for always being honest with me." The precocious 11 year old smiled at her savior, "Now I'll be honest with you. You're almost forty. It's time to stop playing the field and settle down, Peter Pan." She laughed at his reaction, "I heard that phrase when Mama Evelyn was watching Dr. Phil. I heard this too - if you don't have a wife by the age of fifty, the odds of living happily ever after with a woman are right up there with the chances of getting struck by lightning and winning the lottery. Have you ever been struck by lightning or won the lottery?"
"No."
"See!" She threw her arms up in the air. "Listen to this, the other night I was sitting on the front porch watching a dad in the neighborhood teaching his daughter how to ride a bike and I got this great idea that you could find a woman who is as old as you and could never have kids. Then, when you tell her all about how you saved my life, she'll be like 'We should adopt her because I love kids and always wanted a girl and you love kids too, Nick, and you've said that Cassie is like a daughter to you a bazillion times!" Although he never said those words to her, she always hoped he did when he spoke to other people. "Can't you kind of see that happening if you think about it? Try it. Close your eyes and…"
"Honey…"
"Don't sell yourself short!" The matchmaker whispered, "Sure, you're a little wrinkly and have a few gray hairs."
"I don't have gray hairs," he protested.
"There's one in the back right now." She pointed to the location. "Don't worry, I know 35 year old women think you're cute, because Mrs. Martin is 35 and she totally crushes on you."
"What makes you say that?" he gulped down the lump building in his throat.
"Because she only dresses up for two people - you and the weatherman from Channel 5. The rest of the days, she wears ugly teacher clothes, flat shoes and no lipstick."
Glancing over at Mrs. Martin, Nick caught her checking her makeup. "I wondered if she dressed like that all the time, 'cause none of my teachers ever did."
"Too bad she's married, huh? She's kinda pretty in a plain sort of way, but she's really, really nice. Would someone like her work?"
"She's um…not really my type, sweetie." As if I don't have enough stress in my life at the moment, the poor kid has to bring all this up again. It had been at least three months since she last asked him to adopt her and he thought she had dropped it for good.
The determined girl pushed for answers, "Then tell me what you do like, so I can keep my eyes open. There are lots of single moms dropping off kids here all the time. Old or young? White or black? Chinese or Japanese? I don't care what she looks like as long as she's nice, do you? For all I care, you could even marry a boy like Mr. Andrews the Art Teacher, he has a wife named Ed. What about that nice lady you work with, the one with the space between her front teeth? I really like her. Is she single? The red haired CSI woman with the big boobs seems a little high-maintenance, but maybe we could work on her and make her like camping and hot dogs. What do you think?"
"Cassie…" Nick felt his cheeks flush. "This really isn't the time or place to discuss findin' me a spouse and you a home. But I know a lot of the Social Services people from workin' with them, maybe…maybe I could help find someone who wants to foster or…" The disappointment in her eyes sliced broke his heart. "Uh…"
"It's okay. You can say it." Smiling through her pain, she nodded. "I'm tough, just like you. Nothing hurts us, remember?" She bit back her tears for what seemed like the millionth time since her family died. "They can bury us alive with fire ants or slit our throats and toss us into the water to die, but we'll outsmart the bad guys with Bubbilicious and survive every time." What she loved most about their stories was how they both used their favorite gum to outwit the bad guys. She had used hers to leave a trail and Nick had put his in his ears when he shot his gun. "We're indestructible Superheroes, you and me. I haven't saved anyone yet like you have, but I'm gonna, I can feel it." She placed her hand on his shoulder. "You'll always be my hero, because if it wasn't for you, I'd be dead. My daddy didn't save me that day, you did. I know my daddy was breaking the law selling drugs in our basement, so not only didn't he save me…his drugs were the reason bad people came to our house in the first place. So, maybe dads are overrated, huh?" Much to her chagrin, a single tear slipped out of the corner of her eye. "Every kid in this class has a dad in their life, but I'm the only one lucky enough to have their very own Superhero." She flicked the tear and fought hard to keep the rest from falling until she could get behind closed doors at home. "I hope you're not mad." The last thing she wanted to do was scare him away. "I promise not to ask you to be my dad ever again."
"Aww, honey, I'm honored, not mad. It's just not a good time for me to be startin' a family. It has nothin' to do with you, I promise. If it was the right time, I'd be beggin' Social Services for you. Do you believe me?"
When she nodded, her tears shook free. "I don't want anyone to see me cry."
"It's okay to cry." Nick caught the drops with his thumbs as he cupped her face. "Superheroes are tough, but even they feel pain sometimes. They all have at least one weakness. Superman had kryptonite. If he got anywhere near the stuff, he became weak. When he fell in love with Lois Lane, he was weaker still, because the bad guys found out that he'd do anything to save her."
"I miss my family."
"I know you do, Sweetie." He fought the urge to hug her since it would look odd in front of her classmates. "Losin' family is the worst thing that can happen to a person." Suddenly on the brink of tears himself, he whispered, "I'm so sorry that it happened to you."
After a deep breath, she forced herself to regroup and answer Nick's original question, "The Shark Reef will be great. Can you call Mama Evelyn and ask if we can go later?"
Remembering the plane tickets he had for that afternoon, Nick replied, "Today would be great, honey. I'll step outside to call Evelyn on my cell right now."
"Thank you."
"No, thank you for givin' me an excuse to see the sharks and eat lots of ice cream." After a wink and the stealthy passing of a clump of tissues, Nick walked out of the classroom smiling. If Cassie could be that tough, so could he. There would be no running to the ranch with his tail between his legs, begging them not to shun him. There was plenty of unconditional love in his life, so if his family couldn't deal with the news, so be it. He would call his mother later and tell her exactly what had been going on with Eileen. He'd expect the worst and hope for the best. But no matter what happened, he knew Greg, Jan, Dave, and Cassie would still love him afterwards. "Hey, Evelyn, it's Nick…"
"Do you think I bought too much for Nicky?" Jan asked when she thought of the full shopping bag of new clothes for her future son-in-law. Riding in the car since five that morning, she was thrilled they were only five minutes from the townhouse.
"He's not used to being spoiled, honey." Dave said, "According to Greg, the Stokes kids had to work for everything they got, even their clothing. Whether it be doing chores at home when they were little, or by getting a job when they were old enough to work, they literally earned the clothes on their backs."
Jan sang at the top of her lungs, "Psychos!" She shook her head. "I really don't want those Type-A Totalitarians around my Cambodian grandchildren. They'll stifle little Sokhanya's creativity and dictate her life to her. She'll know what her ancestors felt like living under the Khmer Rouge."
"You truly are adorable when you worry about the grandchildren you don't have yet." Dave patted her hand. "But I think you're being a little harsh comparing Mr. and Mrs. Stokes to a dictatorship responsible for killing over 2 million people and whose motto was 'To keep you is no benefit, to destroy you is no loss'".
While the women ducked into the McCarran airport Ladies Room, Chuck Stokes said to his father, "We never shoulda brought 'em with us. That boy needs the sense knocked into him and Mama's too damn soft when it comes to her baby. On our own, we could have him admittin' he screwed up in minutes."
"Don't worry, he'll be eatin' dinner at that Love in Action Rehab Center in Memphis tonight."
"I still can't believe you agreed to pay the bill for his treatment. $3,500 for 28 days or $7,000 for three months? That's a shitload of cash. " The eldest son rolled his eyes. "You worked hard too hard for your money to have it wasted on gettin' Nicky to find Jesus and stop bangin' guys."
"Let's hope he's the one doin' the bangin," Bill shuddered to think of the other option. "And what I agreed to was footin' the expenses up front just to get his ass there, but he'll be payin' me every penny back," he confirmed while checking his watch for the second time in two minutes. It was bad enough that their flight had been delayed, but now they were wasting more time. At least Eileen had come to pick them up, so they wouldn't have to fuss with a rental car and directions. "Your mother is probably cryin' again. This is like a repeat of that coffin nightmare. She's not going to sleep for a month again. God damn that boy for causin' her more grief."
"We should have seen the writin' on the wall when he moved to Vegas. How many times did I say he must be hidin' somethin' out here?" The high-powered attorney with his eyes on a political career in Washington, stuffed his hands on his hips and huffed, "If this conversion therapy shit doesn't work out, we can't have him hangin' around us anymore. Unless I become a Dem, I'll never get to the Senate with my queer brother in the family photo. All my support comes from Republican conservatives who know they can bank on the righteousness of the Stokes name. You know as well as I do that you lose their respect when you act like the rules don't apply to you and your family. Look at all the grief Cheney's takin' over his rug munchin' daughter havin' a baby. Did you see the shit he took during that Blitzer interview? That'll be how it is every time I speak out on anti-marriage issues, Dad. Reporters will throw my fag brother in my face and if I denounce him, I'll appear cold and lose the swing vote, but if I support him, I'll be labeled a hypocrite and lose the conservatives. It's a god damn no win situation and I will tear Nicky in two if he ruins my chances at a political career after I've been workin' my ass off to get to Washington since I was president of my 7th grade class!"
"Believe me, I understand where you're comin' from, son." Bill wore his disgust like a neon sign. "Think of all the locker rooms that boy has been in with other guys and what people would say if they knew he had been checkin' out their asses all this time. I'll hear about that from every colleague and friend. Look at what happened to my sister's family thanks to that pillow biter son of hers
Chuck grew ill as a new realization hit him. "Nicky used to babysit cousin Roy, remember? You and Mama made him babysit in exchange for al the help your sister gave her with the twins. What if Roy's queerness comes from all that time he spent with Nicky?"
"Roy was 3 at the time, Chuck."
"I have small children, Dad, they're constantly mimicking my behavior."
Judge Stokes could already hear his sister screaming at him. "All the more reason this situation must be kept quiet and resolve quickly. If your aunt puts that together, we'll never hear the end of it."
"I've been hearing about your future children for the last four hours," Dave teased his son as he hugged him tight. Standing in the living room of the townhouse, he announced, "I had this crazy idea when your mother was driving me crazy on the ride here."
"I can hear you!" Jan reminded her man. "There's only an island separating the two rooms, not a wall."
Ignoring her, Dave continued, "So, when your mother was driving me insane with grandchild talk, I had this nutty idea to buy this townhouse from Nick. That way we'd have a place to stay when we came to visit you guys, especially after Lillianka and Sovonna arrive from Cambodia. It will be a good tax write-off and I'll save a fortune in hotel bills."
"Seriously?" Greg asked.
"Your mother loves the master suite here. She says it has a great Jacuzzi tub."
"Yeah, that bathroom is a sex addict's paradise, so you'll love it, Dad. The medicine cabinet has extra wide shelves, which will be handy for that jumbo bottle of Levitra you never leave home without."
"You little shit." Dave yanked his boy close for a crushing hug.
"Don't break the geek!" Greg laughed, "The cowboy will come after you with one of his red neck shotguns if you hurt me."
"He's right!" Nick announced from the entryway as he set down his kit and tossed his jacket. "Hey, family." He opened his arms. "I'm home."
"Nicky!" Since Jan was the closest to the front door, she was the first to dispense some affection. "Just a quick kiss and then it's back to flipping bacon for me. Mmm!" She smooched his cheek. "It's so good to see you again and so soon." As promised, she darted back into the kitchen waving her bacon tongs the whole way. "I bought you some gifts. I'll get them after breakfast."
"Gifts?"
"Morning, Nick." Dave stayed back, so he didn't get in his son's way. "Yes, Jan likes to buy gifts, especially clothes, you'll get used to it."
"Really? Okay." When the hyper puppy in his life came running to greet him, Nick's smile lit the room. "Miss me, G?"
"Hell, yes!" Greg consumed his significant other with a bear hug. "I expected you to look like shit though, what happened?"
"I was thinking the same thing," Dave confessed.
Greg informed his partner, "I told my parents what was going on with your sister, I hope that's okay. They wanted us to join them for dinner and I had to explain why we were bolting."
"Yeah, of course it's okay." With Greg's hand in his, Nick headed for the couch. "Let's sit and I'll tell y'all about my morning and why I'm doin' better. You too, Dave, because I want your opinion."
Greg waited for Nick to take a seat in his usual spot and then he dropped onto the couch and draped his legs over his lover's.
"I bet I can make your mother burn the bacon," Dave joked as he stood in front of the guys. "Honey! Greg is sitting with his legs over Nick's. It's really adorable."
"Ooh! Where's my camera?!" Jan rushed from the kitchen looking for her purse. "Look how cute!"
"What about the bacon, honey?" Dave winked at the guys. "You don't want to burn down the house we don't own yet, do you?"
"Oh, shoot!" the conflicted mother tossed her Olympus Stylus at her husband and raced back to the kitchen. "Take a few, honey."
Dave lifted the camera and joked, "Say 'queer', boys."
"Queeeeeeeer," they laughed while posing in a sweet embrace.
"Now tell them to kiss!" Jan directed from the kitchen.
"I dare you to kiss each other in front of me." The jokester father knew they wouldn't have the nerve. "I…oh." Much to his surprise, they boys called his bluff and engaged in a tender lip lock right before his eyes. "Okay, I'm still getting used to the whole man love thing, so..."
"David!" When Jan peered up from her bacon, she scolded, "Why aren't you taking pictures of their first kiss in front of you?!"
"Because I'm not watching, honey."
"Have you forgotten about my Scrapbook of Firsts?"
"The things we do for love." Dave snapped a photo just before the boys came up for air. "Okay, that really wasn't too bad. It was tender and sweet in an 'oh God I'm watching guys kiss and one of them is my son' sort of way."
"This time we'll add some tongue," Greg joked while pulling Nick on top of him.
"Like hell we will," Nick protested as his partner tried to tickle him into submission. "Stop it, ya little pervert! Not in front of your parents." He tackled the smart ass to the cushions and straddled him. "Honey, you're gonna lose the wrestling match every time."
"Can't…breathe." Greg bulged his eyes and gulped for air. "Mommy…"
"Boy love is so aggressive, isn't it, Dave?" Jan watched the loving wrestling match from the kitchen. "And yet sweet in its own way." She sighed, "I wish Queer as Folk was still on TV. I really miss watching Brian and Justin fool around."
Ignoring his wacky wife, the supportive, yet maxed-out father strolled into the kitchen discussing anything but man love. "Wow, that bacon smells great. I wonder if we're going to get any rain today? I'm so glad we didn't have any traffic on the way into the city." Just as he reached the island, the front door opened and five people rushed into the townhouse. "Who the hell are you?!" he yelled as the crowd filed into the living room like they owned the place.
"Who are you?!" Eileen snapped, not recognizing the man. "Is that bacon I smell?"
When she saw her son perched on top of another man's hips, Jillian shrieked and covered her eyes. "He really is gay!"
Linda pointed at the older man and yelled, "Heaven help us, it's a threesome!"
While the Stokes women held hands and prayed, the men turned their backs and cursed like sailors.
"It's a gay-bashing home invasion!" Jan warned after turning off the stove and grabbing a spatula. "I'll protect you!"
Startled and shocked, Nick and Greg had leapt off the couch and then froze in their tracks
Her heart pounding in her chest, Jan instinctually stepped in front of her boys. "I won't let you hurt them!" she told the tall aggressive-looking man leading the pack, who she thought had the body of a linebacker, the face of a movie star and was surprisingly well dressed for a criminal. "You'll have to kill me first!" Standing in front of the men with her arms spread wide, she whispered over her shoulder, "Where's your shotgun, Nicky?!"
"They're not strangers, Mom." Greg glanced over at his partner and said in disgust, "Your sister lied to us and sold you out."
"Sister?" Jan shouted over the yelling. "They're your family, Nicky?"
"Excuse me!" Being a calm, observant man, Dave had noticed the family resemblance immediately. "Everyone!" He whistled to get their attention. "Will you please stop yelling before the neighbors call the police?!" When the angry mob quieted, he introduced himself, "I'm Nick's partner's father, Dave Sanders."
"Partner. Pfft." Chuck Stokes, the designated speaker for the family, informed the man, "Not to be rude, but we're not here to make friends. We're here to speak with Nicky in private."
Stunned to see his parents, his brother, and his twin sisters in the room, Nick mindlessly fixed his mussed hair and desperately tried to comprehend what was happening.
"This really is an intervention." Greg snapped to anger. "I can't believe you're doing this to him. It's 2007, people! Do you still hunt witches too? Nick's healthy, happy and not hurting anyone, so why can't you let him live in peace? We're not causing you any grief and we're not hurting anyone."
"Shut up, candy ass." Chuck Stokes glared at the geek wearing bowling shoes and a stupid t-shirt. "You're a fag enabler and not a member of our family, so your opinion is worthless to us."
"Hey!" Jan gave the bully a hard shove. "You will not talk to my son that way, especially under his own roof. How dare you barge into his home and insult him. Yes, my son is gay and there's nothing wrong with him. I'm proud to be his mother as a matter of fact."
Eileen nodded at her parents. "See, I told you Greg was a Mama's boy who was encouraged to be a homosexual."
"I didn't make my son gay," Jan chortled. "Where did you get that dumbass idea?"
"From your son," Eileen informed the woman, "he said you tied him to your apron strings and forced him to learn how to cook and do other effeminate things. You even polished his toe nails as a little boy, am I right?"
"She didn't force me to do anything," Greg huffed. "I was cracking a joke about the apron strings. I love cooking. If I wasn't a chemist, I'd probably be a chef. And I liked the smell of the nail polish, that's why I asked her to polish my toes whenever she had the polish out. This is ridiculous. You've interacted with me for two hours total, you don't know me or my family. How dare you dirty up my relationship with my mother."
"Thank you, sweetie." Jan pecked her son's cheek. "You're a boy who loves his mother and enjoys making soufflé, there's nothing wrong with that."
"Soufflé?" Linda and Eileen exchanged all-knowing nods, because if ever there was a food that screamed 'Gay Man', it was soufflé.
The intensity of his father's glare making him shake, Nick subconsciously inched behind Greg for protection.
"Don't feel guilty, Mama," Linda consoled her teary-eyed mother, "Nicky's problems stem from having a distant relationship with Daddy, not you."
"Enough with that BS already," Chuck droned, tired of hearing his sister's psycho-babble. "You are not gonna blame our father for Nicky turnin' queer. He worked hard to put a roof over our heads, provided for our every need and saw that we received the best education. He gave all seven of us kids the same solid foundation and opportunities and six out of seven of us managed to get graduate degrees, get married and have children. Nicky has always been the black sheep of the family and for good reason. He has a track record of makin' bad choices, doin' the wrong things and embarassin' the hell out of the rest of us, so I won't stand here and listen to you blame our father for him choosing to get naked with guys. Daddy didn't tell me he loved me every ten minutes and I think the last time I got a hug from him I was wearing pajamas with feet and yet I never chose to whip out my pecker and stick in a man's ass. That is what you're doin', right? Because I'll friggin vomit if you say you're bitin' a pillow for the Gay Gourmet over here."
"Charles William Stokes!" Jillian grabbed her eldest son by the ear lobe. "You're in mixed company and therefore you will watch your language! If you don't, you'll be gettin'a slap across the face from me, are we clear?"
Dave was silently grateful for the smackdown, because it was still very difficult to think of Greg on the receiving end in bed.
"Yes, ma'am," Chuck contritely replied while his mother continued pinching his ear. "I'm sorry."
Jillian released her grip. "Now apologize to Mrs. Sanders."
"My apologies for the vulgarity, ma'am. Now please allow me to respectfully cut to the chase." The plan was for the politician to do the talking while the judge gave his intimidating 'you better straighten up and fly right' stare. "Nicky, we're upset, confused and terribly worried about you, but we don't hate you. We're your family and just like when you were kidnapped, we all dropped everything to fly out here for you. Nancy was supposed to be here with us, but somethin' happened with Skye and she had to stay back. Marcia's too pregnant to fly and we didn't hear back from Gwen before it was time to leave, or they would be here too." Placing his hand over his heart, he said, "We absolutely don't approve of what you're doin', but we will follow the Lord's advice and hate the sin and not the sinner."
Linda and Eileen joined hands and bowed their heads to pray for their brother to see the light.
"We want to help you," Chuck assured in his most convincing attorney voice. "We've all talked and debated our own opinions before comin' to see you, but I think it's obvious that we're not in agreement about the cause of your problems. We need your input, Nicky, but I don't want the women to be offended by the discussion of homosexuality, so I think it would be best for all involved if I spoke to you alone to get your side of the story." He unfurled his sunniest smile. "Come on, Nicky, let's go for a walk and talk things over, man to man, brother to brother."
"Over my dead body," Greg answered on behalf of his partner. "He's not going anywhere alone with you people, especially you and your father. I know what you two used to do to him when you went camping under the guise of 'making a man out of him'. Leaving a fourteen year old boy alone in the bear-infested woods overnight with only a flashlight, a book of matches and a shotgun? I can totally see you tossing him into a van against his will and driving him to the Gay Rehab place Eileen was raving about." When he realized Nick was hiding behind him, Greg's heart broke. "I won't let you hurt him physically or mentally."
"You really did that?" Jillian stared in horror at her husband. "You left him alone in the woods when he was fourteen?"
"Yes, I did the same thing to Chuck," Bill answered without remorse. "And my daddy did the same thing with me. When I went off to serve my country at eighteen, I was damn grateful that my father had toughened me up. I didn't want my boys to be scared of their own shadows like some of the coddled young men who came to boot camp."
Dave felt compelled to step into the fray. "Did you really come here to force Nick from his home and send him to rehab? You do realize that he's not fourteen and if you hold him against his will, it will be kidnapping."
Judge Stokes resented the accusation, "I sit on the Supreme Court of Texas, Mr. Sanders, and I would never be party to an illegal activity. All we want to do is speak to Nicholas alone, without the liberal influence of you pro-homosexual people. I know indulgent parents when I see them. You'd probably do anything to keep your son's boyfriend pacified, isn't that right? From what I've seen and heard, I think you are the ones doin' the kidnappin'. Eileen told me that you've compensated my son very well recently - fancy dinners, luxury boat vacations and future trips to your Maui home. All he has to do for you is keep your spoiled little boy happy, isn't that right?"
"Stop!" Much to everyone's surprise, Nick stepped in front of his father and confronted him, "The only thing Mr. and Mrs. Sanders are guilty of is welcoming me into their lives with open arms and treating me like a son. I can't believe you're insinuatin' I'm a gigolo who is only with Greg because his parents are compensatin' me. Is that what really think is goin' on here or did you say that for shock value?"
The disappointed father and legal expert retorted, "I'm graspin' for straws, Nicholas, because I can't comprehend why you'd turn your back on the Lord and climb into bed with a man. What you're doin' goes against everything you were taught at home and in church." His disgust grew a little more every second. "You have turned your back on God and your family to live in sin in Sin City. You'll have to forgive me for makin' incorrect assumptions, but you've kept your deviant lifestyle a secret, so don't have much to go on."
"Fair enough," Nick stated in a shaky voice as he readied to officially come out to his family. "I'll clear everything up right now. I was born gay, I will die gay, and in the years I have left, I intend to live openly as a gay man with my partner, Greg. I'm not leavin' my home to go to Gay Rehab, because I'm not broken and there's nothin' to fix. Yes, you raised me just as well as everyone else and me bein' gay has nothin' to do with you or Mama. I'm gay because that's what I'm hardwired to be. I tried to fight nature for years, I assure you. I slept with hundreds of women, but it never felt right. Life with Greg, on the other hand, feels perfect and I'm finally content." Stepping back, he spoke to the group as a whole, "I don't want or expect any of you to change your religious beliefs. I'm not askin' y'all to change for me one bit for me. And because I know you're very uncomfortable with homosexuality, I'll never flaunt my lifestyle in front of you. I'm not sure what Eileen told the rest of you, but Greg and I were not puttin' on a show for her. What Greg and I do behind closed doors isn't anyone's business. Everything that upset Eileen occurred when she was snoopin' or eavesdroppin'."
Just as Eileen was about to protest, she saw Greg ready to bust her as a liar. "I was snoopin' in the name of love!" To upset her mother and get Nick to feel bad, she said, "I snooped to see if they had condoms, because I don't want my baby brother gettin' sick. I found plenty, includin' a used one in the shower. They did it on the sly while I was makin' them chili for dinner. Nice, huh?"
Chuck grimaced. "Spare us the gruesome details, sis."
"I for one am proud of them," Jan responded while patting Greg on the back. "Thank you for practicing safe sex, honey."
"Always have, always will," Greg assured her.
"Safe sex?" Linda glared at the crazy woman sharing her airspace. "They are vile and disgustin' men havin' unnatural, filthy sex, which means they're on the express train to the eternal hellfire; it's anything but safe, ma'am."
Nick laughed at the hypocrisy, "When I was havin' that same type of sex with women whose last names I didn't even know, Dad and Chuck gave me a cigar, a glass of scotch, and patted me on the back. Now here I am in a committed relationship, buyin' a house with a picket fence to live happily ever after, but I'm vile and disgusting. You guys have it backwards, I assure you. My vile and disgusting days are in the past." Gaining strength, Nick's voice stopped shaking, "Mama, I don't expect you to ever fluff a bed for Greg and me at the ranch, but I'd like it if we could stay at a hotel and visit every now and then. I'll send everyone invitations to our commitment ceremony and it would mean a lot if you would attend, but I'll understand if y'all don't show up wearin' smiles and bearin' gifts."
Chuck answered for everyone, "If you think we're bringin' our children to some mock marriage and makin' them watch their beloved Uncle Nicky kiss a guy on the lips, you're out of your frickin' mind, Bro."
"Amen," Linda said, "If we brought our kids, it would be like tellin' them it's okay to be queer. The boys in particular look up to you, Nicky, and now we're in a bind as to what to tell them. Only an incredibly selfish man would do this to us."
Although he was steaming, Nick calmly said, "All I'm gonna ask is that you don't insult me, my partner or his generous parents who have shown me nothin' but kindness since the moment I met them, especially when you're in my home. I think it's a reasonable request, because I know for a fact that respectin' one another in spite of differences is the Christian thing to do."
Although Greg was dying to throw his arms around his partner in a show of pride and support, he refrained and simply whispered, "Nicely done."
"Thanks, G." With a ton of weight off his shoulders, Nick took a calming breath and waited for his family's reaction.
"Honey…" Jillian rushed forward sobbing.
"Here we go," Chuck stuffed his hands on his hips. "Who didn't see this comin'?"
"I still love you, sweetheart," Jillian sobbed, "but I'm so scared for you - mind, body and soul. I don't want you to get AIDS and die on me."
"I'm fine, Mama, I swear. Greg and I have to get HIV and Hepatitis tests every six months because we deal with blood and bodily fluids every day on the job. I'm as healthy as an ox, I promise." Closing his eyes, Nick held his mother tight. "I love you too. I'm sorry you were blindsided. Eileen promised us that she'd let me tell you in person and I have reservations on a flight to Dallas leavin' this afternoon."
Chuck's blood boiled as he watched his mother comfort his queer brother, "Nicky makes Mama cry, Nicky says he's sorry with teary eyes and promises to try harder next time, Mama feels sorry for her baby boy who was born premature and has always been sooooo special, Nicky is forgiven." He laughed at the spectacle. "Nothin' changes. Only Nicky could get a free pass to bang boys. Bravo, Bro! There's an Oscar with your name on it somewhere."
Off in the corner of the room, Jan whispered to her husband, "He's jealous that Nicky's Mama's baby boy."
"Yeah," Dave observed the dynamic. "He's the big brother who had to be tough. He probably resents that Nick could get affection and get away with it."
Chuck snipped, "So what the hell are we doin' here? Are we just gonna say 'good luck bein' queer, Nicky' and go home? I wouldn't have left the office if I knew we would be throwin' in the towel ten minutes into the intervention."
"I'm not givin' up just yet." Judge Stokes appealed to his son's love for his mother, "Nicholas, I heard what you said, but don't you think you should at least try to get some help? How do you know you can't change if you've never tried? For your mother's sake, I think you should. She's not slept a wink since hearin' the news. You're turnin' your back on the Lord and givin' up eternal salvation. I think that's a pretty steep price in return for temporary pleasure and sexual gratification. This place Eileen mentioned, it's a real nice group home. Their success rate is nearly 90 percent."
Releasing his mother, Nick spoke to the points, "I'm already in therapy, Dad. I've reviewed all that stuff with my Psychiatrist and he's in agreement, it's propaganda. The American Psychiatric Association does not support conversion therapy. There are case studies that show it's damaging and has led to a staggering number of suicides."
Chuck's irritation growing, he said, "Livin' as a fag is worse than bein' dead in my book. I say take your chances that you'll see the light without offin' yourself in the process."
Jan couldn't let the comment slide, "You'd rather have your brother dead than alive and gay?"
"That's not what I said," the skilled politician replied. "I won't let you put words in my mouth and get away with it, Mrs. Sanders."
"I can't believe you'd even joke about him dying," Jan said with tears in her eyes, "you almost lost him when he was buried in that coffin."
"Yeah, well, my brother has almost died on several occasions, ma'am, so I'm a little desensitized, not to mention fed up, because every single situation resulted because he wasn't payin' attention." Chuck rolled his eyes at Nick, "Like the time you forgot to look both ways before crossin' the street at the age of 12."
"I did look both ways," Nick replied, ready to unload another secret. "I looked both ways, saw the truck comin' and stepped into the street." When he heard his mother and Jan gasp, he said, "It wasn't an accident."
"My God." Jillian stared at him in disbelief. "Are you…are you tellin' us you were tryin' to kill yourself that day?"
Nick nodded and stepped back to lean on Greg. "I'm sorry, Mama."
"Suicide is a sin," Eileen scolded her brother. "It's the ultimate act of selfishness."
Jillian snarled at her daughter, "Eileen! You'll hush up right now!" A fresh batch of tears streamed down the heartbroken mother's face. "Why, Nicky? Why?"
Greg placed his hand on his partner's shoulder to let him know he was there.
"Uh..." Nick took a deep breath and began telling the dark secret he had already shared with Dr. Henry the day before, "Once puberty hit I started havin' thoughts about boys and eventually I started to actively fantasize. I'd go to the stable for privacy and one afternoon I was out there with one of Gwen's teen magazines full of cute boys when I heard Chuck and his friends run in. They were seniors in high school at the time and they ruled the school if you remember. They were ruthless and that day they had just beaten the hell out of Reggie Healy for being a faggot."
"What?!" Chuck pretended not to know what he was talking about. "You're crazy. I never touched that freak in my life." Son of a bitch! I really thought that was goin' to the grave. I can't believe he's known all this time.
"You didn't know I saw you, but I did. Y'all came to the stable to clean up. You had blood spatter on your shirts and Rob Moses was scared he was gonna get caught and lose his college baseball scholarship." As the vivid memory replayed in his mind, Nick's voice cracked, "I heard everything. I heard you, Chuck. Your exact words were 'we won't get in trouble even if we get caught, because everyone hates queers, even God. You said no one would care even if Reggie died and went to hell. You told the guys about some case where guys beat a homosexual teen to death for lookin' at their asses while gettin' dressed in a locker room. You were laughin' as you told him that the jury didn't convict a single one of them, because the queer got what he deserved, that even the guy's parents thanked the killers, because their disgusting son had been making them sick for years."
Chuck shook his head, "Don't you dare blame me for you walkin' in front of a truck."
Bill Stokes was ready to jump to his eldest son's defense if Nick did.
"I'm not, not at all, I did the walkin'." His eyes welling, Nick told his brother, "It's not a secret that I worshipped you growin' up, Bro. In those early years, you were never wrong in my mind." He caught the first tear as it fell. "So, when you said those things, I believed you 110 percent. I ran from that stable believin' I would be doin' God, the world and my family a huge favor." He drew in a choppy breath, "I stepped out in front of a huge truck, but only ended up with a broken leg and a bunch of gashes." He smiled through his tears and paraphrased Sara's words to him, "Clearly, it wasn't my day to die." He shrugged. "Somehow, even though I'm gay, God keeps comin' to my rescue. Imagine that."
"Amen," Jan breathed out, as she walked forward to give Nick the hug she knew her son wished he could. "And I for one am very glad you're still here." In true Jan Sanders fashion, she sobbed while joking, "And I'm not just saying that because you're the best damn gigolo I've ever paid to love my son."
In that moment, Greg's appreciation of his quirky mother grew tenfold. "Jan, you're definitely going into the super-deluxe nursing home when the time comes. No bed sores for my mommy. It'll be BINGO and Ben and Jerry's ice cream every night and twice on Sunday."
Dave, like Jillian, was still too blown away by Nick's confession to move or speak.
Jan wiped her tears and warned Judge Stokes, "If you don't want him anymore, we'll adopt him. I endured six miscarriages and I'm not picky in the least." Continuing to use laughter as medicine, she joked, "You have children to choose from, but for Dave and me, it's the gay kid or nothing, so we're keeping him."
"Don't forget about Jenni," Dave reminded his wife as he snuggled her into his chest.
Jan explained to the remarkably quiet Stokes family, "We're in town because we're adopting a 14 year old orphaned girl that Greg rescued on the job." Her grin expanding, she said, "In a year or two, our family will expand further when Nick and Greg become daddies and I'll welcome any grandchild with open arms."
"Oh, hell no." Chuck grumbled, "Forgive me for interruptin' this very special episode of Days of Our Gay Sons Lives, but things are surreal enough and now you're tellin' me I'm gonna play uncle to a kid with two daddies?"
Greg's ire returned with a vengeance. "It's just been established that you assaulted an innocent kid and laughed about it. So, pardon me if I have a hard time believing that you're better Daddy material than Nick, who saves people on a regular basis. You should see him with Cassie McBride, he's a natural."
With all the drama going on, Nick had forgotten his plans. "I'm takin' her to the Shark Reef today as a matter of fact. How long are you plannin' on stayin, Mama? I'd really like you to meet her, she's the sweetest little girl."
"We're not stayin'," Judge Stokes curtly answered. "We came here hopin' to get you help, but you've made it clear that you don't want it, so we're done here. I'll save you some postage too, Nicholas, we won't be comin' to your commitment ceremony."
"I never said that!" Jillian shot a glare at her husband.
"How the hell can you be anti-gay marriage and go to your son's ceremony, Jilly? What are you going to tell your Preserve the Family political action group, hmm? You sit on the damn Board of Directors!" The Judge who always saw in black and white, laughed at the hypocrisy. "You can't say marriage is only for a man and a woman except your little Nicky can marry a boy if he wants to…at least not without soundin' like the biggest hypocrite in Texas."
"Ha!" Jan couldn't remember the last time she heard something that funny. "She'll be in good company with Bush, Cheney and all their double-talking cronies."
"For God's sake, Jan," Dave warned his wife, "the last thing we need right now is a political debate."
"What's there to debate?" She snarked, "Bush has run the country into the ground. Debate over!"
"The Stokes Family is leaving!" Chuck announced as he marched for the door with his father two steps ahead of him. He hoped rejection would help Nick see the light, since talking sense hadn't helped in the least.
"Was it something I said?!" Jan yelled after him.
"Let's go." Chuck motioned for his sisters to hustle it up. "I'm sure the California liberals are anxious to get back to their pot-smoking and nude sunbathin'."
Jan shouted, "Yes, but you left out 'having wild sex in their hot tub!" Not that they didn't partake in the pleasure from time to time.
Chuck ignored the shrew, "Have fun bein' queer, Nicky! We'll miss you in the afterlife! Maybe hell won't be so bad for ya, since you're used to the sweltering Vegas heat."
In silence, Nick watched his family members turn their backs, but when his mother got to the door and said, 'I'm just gettin' my suitcase, honey. I'll be right back. We're gonna talk some more and decide how we'll handle things', he choked up. "Thank you." One of them still loving him was better than none, which is what he had expected.
"We'll work it out," she assured before stepping outside.
"See that!" Greg jumped for joy. "Your mom's not turning her back. I told you she wouldn't, didn't I?"
"Yeah." Nick snatched a hug while he had the chance. "Holy shit! I feel ten feet taller after gettin' all that off my shoulders!" The ring of his cell phone interrupted his celebration. "It's my sister Gwen." He flipped open his phone. "Hello, Dolly."
"Dolly?" Greg queried.
"It's a joke name from Gwendolyn and because she hated playin' Barbies," Nick explained with his hand over the phone. "Hang on a sec." He covered the phone again, "Would you mind if…"
"No problem," Greg smiled. "Take all the time you need, we'll be in my room."
"I'll be in the kitchen," Jan corrected. "I have a brunch to salvage."
"I'm back, Gwen."
"Don't get in the car with Chuck!" she screamed into the phone. "They're comin' to see you and take you to Gay Rehab! They didn't tell me on purpose, because they were afraid I'd take your side and tip you off, which I would have! I found out from Nancy, because she's havin' a nervous breakdown over Skye and she let it slip. Don't you dare believe them if they tell you I don't love you. Do you hear me?! I'm spittin' nails over here. I swear I'm gonna kick that pompous ass of a brother of ours square in the nuts when I see him. I'm gonna campaign against him when he hits the trail again!"
"So, um…Nance told you about me?"
After a quick breath, she said, "To be real honest, I kinda knew you might be gay, but was too scared I'd offend you if I asked and was wrong."
"What made you think I was gay?" the surprised brother asked, always believing he had hidden it well.
"You kept stealin' my Tiger Beat magazines and wrinklin' up the boy pages."
He covered his face. "So, we're okay?"
"Are you kiddin'? Eight months ago you handed me your life savings so I could check into Drug Rehab and get out of debt…and you've kept my secret just like you promised. You did all that without a second of hesitation and my mess was my fault. I'll admit that I'm a little freaked out now that I know it's true, but you bein' gay is nothin' you can control, so I'm sure as hell not gonna be pickin' up any stones." Sniffling, she said, "I love you, Nicky. It may be just the two of us by the end of the day, but at least we have each other. Although I think there's a good chance Nancy might not hassle you. She just found out that her perfect daughter, Skye, is seventeen and preggers courtesy of the Pastor's eighteen year old son. We could really use a CSI down here, because the entire congregation is tryin' to figure out how a pregnancy coulda happened because the kids were wearin'purity rings. I told them condoms would have probably worked better at preventin' a pregnancy, you can imagine how much they loved that answer. They weren't allowed to mention contraception in Health Class at that pricy private Christian school the kids go to. Honestly, it's not funny at all, because the girl's life is a mess, but you know Nancy and her holier than thou attitude, so I really can't resist takin' a few private jabs. Does that make me a bitch? Don't answer that."
Nick stood in front of the photo he had of her sitting on the bookcase. "Mama's gonna be a wreck when she finds out about her first grandchild being pregnant. I'm assumin' she's havin' the baby, right?"
"The shotgun went off at ten-fifteen. You'll be gettin' a weddin' invite. It's gonna say 'Nicholas Stokes and Guest', not 'straight guest' so please tell me you'll come and bring your partner. I think every shotgun wedding with a pregnant bride wearin' white needs to have a token gay couple, don't you?"
"I love you, sis." He touched the photo as she touched his heart. "Yeah, we'll do our best to make it down there."
"So this Greg, he's the cute one with the floppy hair, right?"
"Yeah."
"I remember meetin' him when you were in the hospital. He was clutchin' a bag of Skittles and bouncin' all over the waiting room."
"Yeah, that was definitely Greg."
"He's cute, I'd do him if I was single. We have the same taste in men."
Nick released his residual tension in a belly laugh.
"You're the top, right?"
Nick blushed, "I'm hangin' up now. Mama just walked through the door crying. I'll call you later, sis."
"I'll be here explaining how babies are made to the Christian masses."
"Love you," he chuckled, "bye."
"Skye's pregnant!" Jillian cried out to her son. "Your father had a message on his cell." With four members of her family choosing to walk away from Nick, the troubled mother, despondently said, "This whole family is fallin' apart. Where did I go wrong?"
"Oh, please, it's never really the mother's fault," Jan announced from the kitchen. "Pull up a bar stool, Jilly!" The PFLAG warrior slapped a napkin on the counter. "I'll make you a mimosa and we'll talk woman to woman, mother to mother. By the time I'm through with you, you'll be tie-dying a rainbow t-shirt and volunteering to lead a parade."
Nick knew if anyone could work miracles, it would be Jan.
Jillian politely informed the loony woman, "Only my closest friends call me Jilly."
"Good to know, Jilly." Jan handed Nick the bottle of chilled champagne she bought. "I'm sure you can get that cork to pop in record time, jocko." She winked at her newest friend and whispered, "Perk one of having a gay son…they've got very strong fingers because they play a lot of hand ball."
As the cork sailed through the air in record time, Jillian cringed.
Jan snatched the bottle and instructed her future son-in-law, "Grab an apron, Nicky, I'm going to teach you how to make the perfect pancakes for your Cambodian daughters."
"What?!" The already overwhelmed mother exclaimed, "You got a Cambodian girl pregnant, Nicky?"
"No, ma'am," he chuckled sweetly, "they would be adopted Cambodian children."
"You mean like that Angelina Jolie did?" Jillian clarified.
"And Brad Pitt," Jan said before purring, "talk about a hottie."
Walking over to the fridge, Nick pulled Cassie's picture out from under a magnet. "I just found out that this little one is gonna be up for adoption." He placed the photo on the counter for both moms to see. "Wouldn't it be nice for Jenni to have a little sister?"
After gazing into the little girl's eyes for a moment, Jan glanced up sniffling, "Yes."
"No," Sara answered as she stood at the bathroom counter brushing her teeth with her significant other. "I don't think you were wrong to lie to Ecklie." She grinned while rinsing her toothbrush. "I think Ecklie should be lied to as often as possible."
"The problem with lying to Ecklie is that he follows up and tries to catch you in the lie." Grissom returned his toothbrush to its cup and dried his hands. "Like that time at the awards banquet when I was supposed to give a speech about him. I ducked out and made Catherine take my place, but he bugged me for weeks for a copy of the speech for his scrapbook. Finally I sat down and wrote something out just to get him off my back." Walking towards the bed with Sara, he said, "I'm sure he'll ask Greg for photo proof that he took the time off to welcome Jenni into the family."
"Did you warn Greg so he can snap a few before he leaves for Dallas?"
"Yeah." Climbing into bed, Gil sighed, "Now let's remember our new rule – we don't bring work to bed with us. No discussion of cases, co-workers, or conundrums."
"No problem." Snuggling up to her man, Sara spoke in her sexiest rasp, "It's all about us between the sheets." When Bruno jumped on the bed, she added, "And our high-maintenance boxer."
"Sleep well, honey." Gil pecked his lover's lips.
"You too." She knew he was beat and so was she. "If it's okay with you, I'll take a romance rain check."
"If you insist," Gil replied before breaking into an unruly yawn. Within minutes, he was deeply snoozing.
"It's just you and me, Bruno." Sara surfed through the TV channels. "What are you doing?"
After walking in circles and kneading the bedding with his paws, the dog finally settled down with his eyes on the door so he could protect his loved ones while they slept.
"Look at you." She rewarded the pooch with a scratch. "You're such a good guard dog." Soothed by the rise and fall of her lover's chest and the steady sound of Bruno's breathing, Sara clicked off her lamp. With a permanent roof over her head and family who loved her nearby, the formerly homeless foster kid realized she finally had everything she once lost. With friends struggling through personal problems all around her, she felt blessed that everything in her life was finally going right. Maybe it would stay this way forever, she thought as she drifted, but just in case it didn't, she planned on enjoying every day, no matter how mundane or exhausting, like it might be her last. "Mmm," she contentedly slumbered. Life was good.
"Life sucks," Mandy whimpered as she trudged to her car. All that she had to look forward to were her aloof cats, leftover Chinese food, and eight lonely hours of slumber. Then her alarm would ring and she'd go into the Lab and do her monotonous shift over again. "Life sucks." Half way across the parking lot she started to cry.
"Hey, Mandy!" Henry greeted the love of his life as he hurried across the lot to catch her.
The Fingerprint Tech scrambled to wipe her eyes
"I guess you worked some OT too, huh? How…are you crying?"
"No," she replied as her lips quivered and tears poured from her eyes.
"It sure looks like you are."
"I hate my job and my life. I even hate my cats," she confessed. "They're mean to me. It's like they have a clique and I'm not in it. I don't even want to go home to them."
"Um…" Taking a huge risk, Henry said, "How about we grab some takeout breakfast and eat it at my place while watching a funny movie to cheer you up?"
"I don't think so, Henry," she sniffled, "as you can see, I'd be horrible company. I'm miserable."
"All the more reason you shouldn't be alone!" He waved her toward his car. "Come on. I'll drive you back here for your car after the movie." Dangling his keys, he asked, "Your cats are probably expecting you home to feed them, maybe you should teach the little ingrates a lesson and not show up."
"Well, when you put it that way," wiping her tear-stained cheeks, she trudged toward the car, "why not?" She shrugged. "It can't hurt, right?"
"Not unless I'm secretly an axe-murderer," he joked, but when he saw Mandy bawl, he remembered that her old boyfriend had turned out to be a serial killer. God, I'm an idiot! "Um, do you like pancakes?"
"My dead grandma used to make the best pancakes," she sobbed while opening the car door, "I miss her."
"How about eggs instead?"
"Eggs…" She glanced over with red eyes. "Can you hear my eggs? They're drying up inside me. I'm never going to have a baby."
He opted for a joke, "If you want, I'll impregnate you after breakfast."
"But you're gay."
"Oh my God! I'm not gay! I'm not!" He started the car with a huff. "Why does everyone keep thinking I'm gay?!" he asked as the soundtrack from Dreamgirls filled the car. "I'm straight and I'm willing to prove it!" He stopped talking to focus on backing out carefully so his white VW convertible wouldn't get scratched. "Gay. Pfft. If anyone is gay, it's Greg Sanders!"
ANs:
Intervention over! I know there was a lot packed into that chapter, I was shocked when I did the word count! I hope it was a good read : )
Angst is on the downswing. The next chapter will have a lot of laughs and some tears, both bittersweet and of joy.
Thanks to KJT for editing/consulting and to my hubby and Veronica10 for pre-reading and making suggestions!
Thanks to everyone for reading and for all who left comments on the last chapter and kind words for me! Life is hectic, but writing the story is a nice escape and knowing some people are enjoying it and looking forward to the next chapter really helps! I will have some time on Sunday to reply : )
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