*** Flashback ***
"Miguel, sit, your mom and I need to have a talk with you" Diego Contreras said to his fifteen year old son.
Miguel sat, as requested, looking at his parents, wondering what could he have done to cause the tone of seriousness that was in his father's voice. And, why his mother looked so pained and worried.
"Miguel" his father started, his voice a bit softer and unsure. "Is there anything you want to tell us. Anything you think we should know?"
"Like what dad?" Miguel asked, sounding confused.
Diego thought for a moment before he spoke.
"Something about you that you would like to tell us" he said cautiously. "Miguel you know you can talk to us and tell anything don't you? That we love you and will always love and support you?"
"Yes, I know that" replied Miguel. "What is this about?"
"Miguel honey" said Milagros Contreras as she walked over and sat beside her son.
Miguel felt his mother's cool soft hand gently caress his face as she spoke.
"Honey is there something you need to tell us about… what's happened with you and Jesus?" she said.
"Me and Jesus?" replied Miguel again sounding confused. "Nothing happened with me and him, we're fine."
Milagros took a breath and thought about how to say what she asking of her son. She knew had to be careful, not wanting her child to feel attacked or reprimanded.
"What is the nature of your friendship with Jesus?" is what I'm asking.
"He's my best friend mom. Why are you asking?" Miguel returned.
Milagros paused and looked at her husband who gave a small nod.
"Yes we know that honey, but is there something more?" she asked gently.
"Mom, I don't understand" Miguel sighed.
"Are you and Jesus more than friends" his mother asked directly.
"More than friends" Miguel repeated softly "I'm not sure what you're asking."
"Miguel" his father said. "Maybe you can tell us why you and Jesus were sleeping together with no clothes on."
Miguel was shocked by the words that came from his father. He fell silent and his stomach suddenly felt hollow.
"What? How do you…?" he asked, his voice shaky and sounding nervous.
"I came into you room last night and I saw both of you asleep. I was shocked, I didn't know what to do or think so I just sat and watched you two for a while. I decided to talk to your mom first before talking to you. We decided it would be best to let you guys sleep through the night and so we did. But now we need to talk about it" his father replied.
"Miguel it's ok" Milagros said to her son who looked like all the blood had drained from his face. "We just want to understand what this all means honey."
"Whatever it means, we are here for you and we love you, nothing can change that" his mother added as she looked to her husband for his concurrence.
"Your mother is right son, we just need you to explain it to us" his father said.
"I'm not gay if that's what you think and neither is Jesus" Miguel said softly.
"Ok, so what is this, curiosity, experimentation? We're confused" Diego said.
"It's confusing for me too" replied Miguel. "I just like him."
"Ok and what about Ashley" asked his father.
"I like her too, a lot, but it's not the same like with him" the young boy responded.
"What do you mean honey?" his mother asked.
"I like Ashley, like that and I like other girls too. Let's just say I like girls, a lot. And then there's Jesus and I like him too. But I only like him, like that. I don't like any other boys the way I like him" Miguel responded.
"So if you're not gay do you think you're bi…?" his father asked cautiously.
"That would mean I like both girls and boys. But that's the thing, I'm sure I like girls and I'm also sure I'm not into boys. I just like Jesus. I don't know what it is about him, I just like him and I don't care that he's a boy."
"Ok, I have to ask this" Diego said as he took a deep breath. "Are you boys having…. sex?"
Miguel's eyes widened at the question, he realized he had to react quickly if he was going to convincingly answer.
"No, no" he lied, that was his business he thought. He didn't feel the need to share that with his parents. He looked terrified and pulled it off he thought. Maybe he did.
"I not trying to pry, I'm just thinking about you being safe" his father returned.
"I know about that stuff" Miguel said "You don't have to worry where that is concerned."
"That's comforting to know" his mother added.
"Maybe you boys are spending too much time together and the boundaries of your friendship are getting blurred" Milagros said to her son. "You've developed a kind of intimacy where gender is not a problem." She added, trying not to get too technical with her jargon. She was his mother after all, not his guidance counselor. Her chosen profession.
"I think you guys should spend some time apart, give you each time to grow and develop as individual people. As boys." Diego said to his son. "Especially now that we know that he is not your boyfriend."
"What difference does that make" asked the teenager.
"Well if he was your boyfriend, we wouldn't necessarily want to keep you apart. But there would be rules about visiting and sleepovers. Like you know… no closed doors and definitely no sleeping in the same bed. The same as with Ashley" his mother replied.
"Wait, but you never let Ashley and I sleep over" Miguel interjected.
"Oh yeah, that's right" replied his mother. "That's not going to change anytime soon."
Milagros and Jesus had that in common, they both thought that Ashley existed to be their bane.
"Well it seems now we have to be concerned about you and Jesus too" said Diego.
"We're best friends it's going to be hard for us to keep apart and besides I don't want to" Miguel told his parents.
"Miguel, this is for the best, but there will not be any more sleepovers from now on" his father said sternly.
"You can't do that" Miguel protested.
"Well actually we can young man" Diego said firmly.
"Miguel, think about it honey, it's not just about you is it? What about Jesus? You say he's not gay either. So, doesn't he deserve the space to sort himself out also? Asked his mother.
"I'm sure once I speak to Stef and Lena they'll understand and think the same way we do" Diego added.
"You're going to tell his moms" Miguel asked, his face more terrified than it had been throughout the whole encounter.
"Well they have to know why you guys can't spend time together anymore" his father replied.
"No, please you can't. I don't want him to get in trouble with his moms" The young boy pleaded softly.
"I don't think they are going to go crazy on him, if anyone would understand, it would be them" Diego replied.
"But they'll still think he did something wrong. He'll think he did something wrong and that people know." Miguel said.
"I'm the one to blame. I told him it was ok if we like each other like that. That it was ok if were together like that. I'll do anything you want, just please don't tell them." the boy begged his parents and for the first time since they started to talk, tears rolled down his cheek. Hot tears made their way down his face and over his lips and when he licked at them they were harsh like the bitter pill he was willing to swallow so the boy he was giving up would never know what transpired.
"Honey, let me talk to him alone for a while" Diego said to his wife.
After making sure her son was ok, Milagros took her leave and left the boy and his father to their détente.
"She can't hear you now dad so go ahead and say what you really want to say" the teenager said to his father in an emotionless voice.
"What? What are you saying?" Asked Diego, surprised by the boy's statement.
"Go ahead and tell me how disappointed you are. How you can't understand how I could like another boy like that. How you don't have any use for a son like me." Miguel said as the words left his mouth caustic and poisonous like venom from a spitting cobra.
Diego sat down across from the boy and looked at him in bewilderment.
"Why would you say or even think such a thing" he asked.
"Miguel, my disappointment is you not knowing how much more than that I love you. That you don't know that besides your mother there is no one else I love more, not even myself." Diego told his son.
The boy sat silently listening to his father speak.
"You think I don't understand. Well let me share a little story with you about when I was a rookie cop. I was on this street crime unit and my commanding officer was this guy named Lieutenant Reese. He was larger than life. This guy was the real thing, he didn't sit behind a desk and give orders he was right out there with us shoulder to shoulder. You felt safer just knowing he was there with you calling the shots. I was twenty three and to me this guy was Captain America. Any time I was in the same space with him I got nervous. I don't know how to explain it. But I do know if we were ever alone somewhere anything could have happened. I mean anything, for some reason this guy got under my skin." Diego told Miguel.
"You had a man crush on your commanding officer?" Miguel asked as he looked at his father with a smile threatening to overcome his lips.
"Yep, I guess that's what they call it these days" Diego replied.
"Dad, that's totally weird to be hearing and so TMI" Miguel said now smiling.
Diego walked over and sat beside his son and hugged him.
"I love you Miguel, never forget that" he said to the boy.
"I love you too dad" Miguel said as he returned the embrace and buried his face in his father's shirt.
"I will make you a promise, Jesus' moms will never know, but you have to promise me something too. I think for now it's for the best.
