Chapter 13: A Lover's Reunion

Stone's mother agrees to meet with Finn and things go better that expected. Cooper has to make a decision and turns to his best friend for advice.

His mother finally agreed to meet with Finn and a few days later she nervously paced her apartment as she waited for the other fox to arrive. "What if he doesn't forgive me?" she whimpered again. "I've changed so much. You know I'm not that slim sexy girl he once knew."

"He's put on a few pounds himself," Stone laughed. "Things will be just fine. You should have seen his tail swishing as I told him about you!"

She had dressed in a light blue blouse and a dark burgundy skirt, Stone looked at the old photo of her next to Finn. His mother hadn't really gained any weight, but the years had changed her. Cooper was sitting next to his friend on the sofa and looked at the photo. "She actually looks sexier now, curvier in all the right places," he whispered to Stone.

"What do you know, you're gay?" Stone chuckled. "Also that's my mother you're talking about dude!"

"I may be gay, but I can still appreciate a good looking vixen," he replied with a smile.

"I can hear you two!" Susan gave a weak smile as she snapped at her son and his best friend. Her ears shot up and then suddenly flattened as she heard the sound of a vehicle approaching. The vixen ran to the window and peeked out to watch a familiar looking van pull into the parking lot. She turned to Stone and said in a panicked voice, "Oh by the Great Lion above, he's here! He's here!"

Stone stood and went to the widow and smiled because the van had been washed and was shining as if it was almost new. He watched as the middle aged fennec fox climbed out of the van and grinned because Finn was wearing a blue suit and carrying a bouquet of flowers. "Hey Cooper are you thirsty?" he called out to his friend. "I think I want to walk over to the M-Market for one of those frozen sodas."

"You're not leaving me alone!" his mother hissed at him.

"Yep, that exactly what I'm going to do," Stone replied as he walked over and hugged her. "You and Finn need to talk by yourselves."

The doorbell rang and he left her standing in the middle of the room as he went to answer it, opening the door he smiled at Finn. "Hey…ah, dad, you're looking good," he greeted the other fox. "Cooper and I are going over to the M-Mart and we'll be back later." Finn looked at him in surprise as the younger fox just walked past him and out of the door.

The wallaby followed behind the younger fox and shrugged as he passed by Finn. "My names Cooper and it's nice to meet you…again," he said. "I'll see you later mate."

Finn watched the two surfers as they walked away before turning towards the open door. "Well Finn, are you going to stand in the doorway all day?" he heard a female voice ask. Turning, he peered in and saw the attractive vixen standing there looking at him.

"Hey Stoney, you've heard of the annual PRIDE parade, right?" Cooper asked his friend.

"Who hasn't?" Stone shrugged. "It's next month, why?"

"They've asked me to be on a float this year with other sports celebrities. "But, I'm not sure I want to do it."

"Why not?" the fox asked as he stopped and looked at his friend, who was now nervously shuffling one of his foot paws on the sidewalk. "Everyone knows your gay, so what's the matter?"

"It's just I haven't publically come out. I mean it's a personal thing and I'm not comfortable proclaiming my sexuality to the world in such a manner."

The fox put his paw on his friend's shoulder and sighed. "Bro, I know that you're having issues with your father about being gay," Stone said. "But you are who you are and you shouldn't be ashamed!"

"There are rumors that we are lovers mate. Some of the guys think you're gay too!"

"So what? You are my best friend and I will stand by you when you need me!"

"Do you think I should do it? I mean everyone will know."

"Dude, does it matter? Again, you are who you are and you should stop beating yourself up and trying to hide who you are from the world. Isn't this what the parade is for? To announce to the world that you won't be ashamed of who you are and that you're tired of others telling you that you're wrong to love who you love?"

Stone walked a few paces away from his friend and then turned. "Hey Cooper, do you have to be gay to be on that float? I mean brah, can I ride on it with you to show that I support you?" he asked.

"I don't know?" Cooper replied, there was a brief smile on his face but then he frowned. "But everyone will think your gay mate."

"Hah, I don't care! Besides, we both know I'm into cats and some turd brains find that offensive too!"

"No mate! You're just into one particular cat."

"That's true! That's so true!"

The two friends went to the store and got their drinks, afterwards they walked down the park and sat and talked. Cooper was disappointed when he called the organizers and found out that they only wanted LGBTI athletes on the float.

"They said that you can march with the other supporters, but you can't be on the float," the wallaby sighed. "I'm still not sure I want to do it either."

"I'm not going to push you. It's your choice, but I'll back you one hundred percent either way."

"You think everything is going okay with your mum? We've been gone for over a few hours, so don't you think we should be going back?"

"You're probably right. I hope they made up or at least forgave each other."

Stone and Cooper walked back to the apartment and found it empty. "That's weird?" the fox said as he looked around. The van was in the same parking space, so he knew that Finn hadn't left. "I wonder if they went down to the shore?"

The fox walked out of the apartment and looked around, when suddenly he heard faint giggling from inside the van. "You've got to be kidding me," he groaned as he watched his mother as she buttoned her blouse and then pushed her now rumpled skirt down while climbing out of the back of the van.

"Hey Stoney, I guess they made up!" the wallaby whispered.

"Come on," Stone said as he grabbed the wallaby's arm. "Let's get out the backdoor before they see us and then we'll come back in about ten minutes and see what they do!"

The guys hung out behind the apartment complex until they knew both Stone's mother and Finn had returned to the apartment. They laughed and made a lot of noise as they approached the front door before opening it.

Finn was sitting on the sofa and Susan was in the little kitchen making drinks. "There they are!" Finn said as the two surfers entered the room.

"So did you two have a good talk?" Stone asked, trying not to laugh at the look that his two parents gave each other.

"Yes dear we did," his mother replied. "Finn and I have decided to go on a date tonight."

"Well that sounds like fun," Stone replied. "So…ah..dad, how's that old van driving these days, I mean it's now a classic?"

"It's a pain to keep up, but I couldn't let it go," the older fox answered as his eyes locked onto the vixen's as he accepted his drink from Susan. "It's too special."

"I'll bet it's a little bumpy, especially in the back," Stone continued with the questions. "Can you even get rear shocks for that thing?"

Cooper was biting his tongue to keep from laughing.

Finn gave him a look and his ears blushed as he sighed.

"Have you shown mom around the van?" the younger fox continued. Susan looked at her son and then the wallaby who just broke out laughing.

"I'm sorry Mrs. K, I need to step outside for a bit," Cooper chuckled as he stood and quickly hooped out the door, they could hear the wallaby's laughter outside.

She looked over at Finn and then it dawned on her what Stone was referring to with the van questions, her ears drooped and reddened.

"Sorry!" Stone laughed as he stood up and began to strut towards the door. "You two have a great time tonight, I'm glad you're getting along again. Have fun!"

"Stone…" his mother called out, but the fox just grinned and waved goodbye before closing the door behind him.

"Smart kit," Finn dryly said to the vixen. "Damn fox noses."

"Just like his father," she giggled and walked over to sit by the tod's side. Finn set his drink down and pulled her closer for a kiss. "So where do you want to go tonight?"

She didn't answer, but just smiled as her eyes looked over at the bedroom.