It Takes One to Know One

Part 10

He'd been shocked to see the boy standing there, pleased though, but more than anything he was relieved.

The lad looked nervous, was shifting uncomfortably under his gaze, hovering just inside the doorway. He looked ready to run again and Aaron knew he'd do just that if he handled this badly. What he really wanted to do right now was get in his face and yell 'where the hell have you been?' and 'what'd you go do something stupid like that for?' but instead he calmly asked, "Are you alright?"

Cai nodded and then took a few steps further into the garage.

Aaron couldn't quite believe he'd actually got something right. But what should he do now? He wasn't sure, but then he felt his stomach rumble and he heard himself say, "You hungry?"

"Yeah."

He knew he had the boy now.

After locking up the garage the two of them had walked up the hill through the village. It was already dark and like the street lights Smithy cottage was lit up, the outside light illuminating the way to the front door.

Knowing it needed saying and before they reached that door, Aaron told Cai that Gary Elias would have to be told he was with them. He'd expected some kind of protest but there hadn't been one.

He'd had to coax the boy inside though, he seemed wary of the reception he'd get.

"Aaron? Is that you?"

All of a sudden he remembered he was due an ear bashing. Shutting the door he peered into the kitchen. The older man had his back to him, was in the process of laying the table. "Yeah it's me."

"About flippin' time! And don't you go sneaking up to your room; get in here now!" Paddy didn't sound angry as such, he sounded more like he was pulling rank, he usually only resorted to that when he'd pushed him a little too far. It seemed his earlier strop had done just that.

The tone Paddy used always made him feel like some naughty little kid and he looked at Cai for some reason expecting him to have found the parental display funny, but the boy looked anything but amused, he seemed scared. Aaron didn't know how anyone could be scared of Paddy but then the boy didn't know him. Steering Cai into the room he said, "You'd best set another place."

"What?" Turning around Paddy caught sight of Cai and like Aaron he too was a little taken aback at first, "Oh!" He was soon smiling at the youth though and asking, "Spag bol ok?"

They wouldn't eat until Jackson got home which hopefully wouldn't be long, and so while Paddy contacted Gary Elias, Aaron set the FIFA game up for Cai. He was sitting on the sofa now, game console in his hands and eyes glued to the TV screen. With a backward glance, just to be certain the boy was settled Aaron made his way into the kitchen. Paddy was sitting by the table and on seeing him gestured for him to join him.

Sitting down opposite the older man he said, "I know what you're going to say..."

"That's just it you don't! You didn't stick around long enough to hear Gary out. You flounced out like ..."

"I didn't flounce out!" Aaron protested, that made him sound like some ballerina!

"Anyway!" Paddy spat putting an end to that line of irrelevant chat, "You heard Gary say your conviction would complicate things what you didn't hear him go on to say or rather what you didn't give him chance to say was...it didn't necessarily mean that it would prevent Cai staying with us. He said it would depend on a lot of things, for example, what you'd been convicted of. If there were any extenuating circumstances. If you'd been in any trouble since. Everything would be taken into consideration. Then he'd wanted details, and he'd wanted to know all about you. He'd have preferred to hear it first hand, from the horse's mouth or in your case a smart-ass's mouth! But I think I got everything said that needed saying."

Aaron had shrunk back in his chair, Paddy had done a good job of putting him in his place, and he knew he'd asked for it. The older man was eyeing him expectantly now, waiting for some response, it wouldn't be what he wanted to hear but he was sulking now! "It probably sounded better coming from you anyway." Paddy would have made him sound a much better person than he was."

"I painted an honest picture, warts and all."

I bet, thought Aaron, like Paddy would do him down in anyway. "And?"

"He still thinks Cai would benefit from a placement here, he's actually more confident now."

"Why?"

"Because he believes you can relate to Cai and more importantly that he can relate to you. I think him coming back here, back to you proves that."

He had to force the next words past his lips, "I want to help him." Why had that been so hard to admit?

"I know." Paddy smiled wanting to encourage Aaron's uncharacteristic openness.

"But I don't know if I can, I'm not like you..."

Paddy held up his hand to silence the younger man, "What's that got to do with anything?"

"You always know what to say, what to do..."

"No I don't! I muddle along, try my best, and that's all you can do, it's all anyone can do."

Aaron heaved a sigh, he wasn't sure his best would be good enough.

Time now, Paddy thought, to move the conversation on, "Gary's coming over, he needs to see Cai for himself and he'd like to speak to you and to Jackson."

"I'm going to have to speak to Jackson first, he didn't sign up for..." He'd suddenly thought of something, "Gary knows I'm gay doesn't he? That me and Jackson..."

"I told him everything."

"It won't go against us?" The fact it might hadn't occurred to him before.

"No." Paddy assured him, he wasn't going to tell Aaron this but he'd made a point of asking Gary that very question.

His relief at hearing that was short lived because another thought had popped into his head. Cai had thought he and Jackson were brothers, he'd been too busy telling him about his and Paddy's relationship that he'd not got around to telling him just how wrong he was about the two of them.

"Aaron?"

Leaping to his feet Aaron said, "I need to speak to Cai."

He'd had Cai pause his game and then as the boy sat waiting for him to tell him whatever it was he thought important enough to interrupt his match, he struggled to find the words he needed. In the end he just blurted it out.

He watched the boys face cloud over and heard him say "Gay!" like the word had caused a bad taste in his mouth.

TBC