9
Ianto picked up the phone, half asleep with Jack wrapped around him still asleep. "Hmmm?"
"Ianto?"
"Mum?" Ianto was awake now, blinking as he tried to focus. The hand lazily stroking him was sooo distracting and he tired half-heartedly slapping at it but it just made Jack naughtier.
"Sweetie… are you OK? I haven't seen you in weeks and… I know your father and you had words about something but… Mia is due home from boarding school and you know we all meet for the first Christmas Family Meal this weekend, it's tradition" she seemed calm, clearly thinking he had been doing his usual hiding in the sand thing when feeling picked on. Of course, Pipsqueak coming home trumped everything right? We all know who the favourite child is right? At least… in THIS family.
"Mum… I don't' know if I can. I mean… I can't really look at him knowing what he did. I know you have clearly forgiven him and accepted this other family but it's too much for me to accept. All that money, my future and Mia's money too… spent on another family he loves more? No… I don't' know if I can even enter the house without feeling ill."
"What are you talking about!" she demanded in anger now "Your father may be flawed but he is a good man."
"A good man. He had an affair with another woman while you were having Pipsqueak, continued the affair even after you forgave him for it. Had a kid with this woman, paid for her rent for MY trust fund all these years, even had another kid with her ten years ago or whatever. All this time mum… all this time he was so cool and brisk with us, he had another entire family that he loved. Wanted. My future siphoned away to pay for his own future. A good man. Christ mum I love you but you are …. I can't look at him knowing he loves another woman and loves his other kids, us just the public image." Ianto snarled then sighed softly as Jack's hand moved to Ianto's stomach to soothingly caress now "He is not a good man. I can't continue my education because the money is almost gone. Not barely enough for Pipsqueak. He chose his other kids over me. How the hell can I ever forgive that?"
She didn't answer and he felt annoyance now as he wondered if she even cared "I love you mum but right now… I don't exactly like my family. Rhia and Sean are fine. Pippy will be OK if I accept my fate as a moneyless bum. So… that is what I will be. I will be dead now, gone and my little bit of money left will mean my little sister has a chance. I guess I was never good enough for him, why it was easier for him to wonder if I was not his. To decide this, he had to want me the least right?"
More silence, if not for the faint sound of her breathing he might have thought she was not there.
"I am going now Mum. I love you, I do. Maybe when He is not there I can come and get my things" Ianto finally said as he prepared to finish the call. He felt lips on the back of his neck "Can you call me when he is not there? I will come home then, to pack my things."
"Oh Ianto" she sighed, the pain in her voice tearing at him "I… I don't know what is going on."
"Ask Rhiannon. Her and Sean have the paperwork, Grandy does to, he has seen the proof of this other family. The marriage certificate and everything…did you know he's even married to this woman. A bigamist. Can you imagine? You are married to a bigamist. Ask, check it out and then defend your 'good' man."
Ianto turned the phone off, rolled to face Jack who hugged him tightly "Oh Ianto. That must have hurt."
"Both of us" Ianto buried his face into Jack's chest "could Mum really not know about any of this? How can she not smell another woman on him? How could she not know?"
"People see what they want to see, always been that way Tiger" Jack soothed "You let me know when you are clearing out your things and I will swap shifts with some of the guys to help you, ok?"
Ianto nodded into Jack's chest, comforted by this man who has not even known him a month yet felt so familiar. So comfortable. Like they had known one another their entire lives. Maybe another life?
Ianto knew this was his new home.
Here in this man's arms, was family.