Chapter 6: Welcome Home
The loud clank of the lock opening on the door made both Lenny and Angel jump.
"Shit, they're home!" Lenny mumbled as he put his shirt back on, "Get dressed, quick."
"Okay babe, no problem," Angel responded quietly. His boyfriend had been "cheering him up" and he really did feel better. Nothing like sex to cheer someone up.
"Lenny, honey? We're home!" his mother yelled to him.
Bursting out of his bedroom, fully dressed, he greeted his mother, "Hey mom. Uh, I've got a problem. Well, actually it's not me, it's," he paused, breathing a heavy sigh, "It's Angel. His father kicked him out and - "
"Is he all right?" Lenny's father chimed in with concern.
"Yeah, he's here now, though. He's got nowhere to -"
"Say no more. He's staying with us, end of story," his mother stated firmly.
Angel peered out of the bedroom and stood in the doorway. His clothes were still wet, and the heavy fabrics hung off his body. He remembered how Lenny told him to exaggerate the part about his father hitting him, and everything, so that his parents wouldn't need to know the real reason Papi threw him out.
"Angel, honey, what happened?" Lenny's mother questioned.
"Uh, um," he stumbled, "My dad.he.he hit me, and told me that. and then my mom just. and she cried and I -"Angel tried to form his thoughts into words, but ended up just breaking down into a fit of sobs again. He didn't even mean to cry, it just happened.
Before Angel realized what was going on, he found himself being held by Mrs. Costales, consoling him. "You stay with us for now. It'll be okay."
He stepped away from her, looking her straight in the eye, "Thank you so much. This really means a lot."
"It's fine, really. Oh and - by the way, the doorman told us to give this to you. We thought it was a bit strange, that a letter for our son's best friend was delivered to our place, but now it all makes sense."
"Um thanks," Angel replied, puzzled by the envelope. He looked at it and recognized the hand writing right away. It was the thin, loopy, script his mother wrote in. Running his fingers over his name on the outside of the envelope, he closed his eyes and felt a dam of tears about to burst. He was afraid to open the letter, and he didn't know why.
After an awkward pause, Mr. Costales broke the silence, "Well, we'll leave you two alone now. It's up to you where you want to sleep, Angel. Lenny will make up a bed for you. Don't stay up too late; you both need to go to school tomorrow."
The two boys quietly walked back to Lenny's room, shut the door, and kissed immediately.
"Who's the letter from?"
"My mother," Angel told him, "I can't read it. I don't know why, I just. I can't do it."
"Read it when you're ready, Angel baby, no rush. She wouldn't have written, though, if she didn't love you," Lenny told him, holding tightly around Angel's waist behind the locked bedroom door.
"I'll read it. You're right, it can't be that bad," Angel tried to convince himself.
Lenny and Angel stood next to each other, reading the heartfelt letter from Angel's mother. When it was over, Angel found himself not crying, rather smiling.
"She really does love me. You were right." Angel mumbled, trailing off into deep thought.
"I can't believe that thing about your uncle. You really never knew?" Lenny asked, shocked.
"No. You know Papi, he wouldn't dare tell his son something like that. He doesn't want a faggot for a son, remember?" he laughed bitterly. "It's okay, though," he continued, "I know now, and that's all that matters. Mami told me, and I know she loves me. I'm not sad anymore," he said with genuine confidence now.
"That's good, babe, I'm happy for you. Let's get some sleep though. You can sleep with me. I'll tell my parents. um. that you feel asleep, and I didn't want to wake you. They probably won't even say anything."
"Okay. Goodnight Lenny. I love you," Angel told him, kissing him lightly on the lips.
"I love you too, Angel baby," Lenny replied, returning the kiss.
They got into bed together, wrapped in each other's arms, drifting off into a deep, peaceful sleep.
The loud clank of the lock opening on the door made both Lenny and Angel jump.
"Shit, they're home!" Lenny mumbled as he put his shirt back on, "Get dressed, quick."
"Okay babe, no problem," Angel responded quietly. His boyfriend had been "cheering him up" and he really did feel better. Nothing like sex to cheer someone up.
"Lenny, honey? We're home!" his mother yelled to him.
Bursting out of his bedroom, fully dressed, he greeted his mother, "Hey mom. Uh, I've got a problem. Well, actually it's not me, it's," he paused, breathing a heavy sigh, "It's Angel. His father kicked him out and - "
"Is he all right?" Lenny's father chimed in with concern.
"Yeah, he's here now, though. He's got nowhere to -"
"Say no more. He's staying with us, end of story," his mother stated firmly.
Angel peered out of the bedroom and stood in the doorway. His clothes were still wet, and the heavy fabrics hung off his body. He remembered how Lenny told him to exaggerate the part about his father hitting him, and everything, so that his parents wouldn't need to know the real reason Papi threw him out.
"Angel, honey, what happened?" Lenny's mother questioned.
"Uh, um," he stumbled, "My dad.he.he hit me, and told me that. and then my mom just. and she cried and I -"Angel tried to form his thoughts into words, but ended up just breaking down into a fit of sobs again. He didn't even mean to cry, it just happened.
Before Angel realized what was going on, he found himself being held by Mrs. Costales, consoling him. "You stay with us for now. It'll be okay."
He stepped away from her, looking her straight in the eye, "Thank you so much. This really means a lot."
"It's fine, really. Oh and - by the way, the doorman told us to give this to you. We thought it was a bit strange, that a letter for our son's best friend was delivered to our place, but now it all makes sense."
"Um thanks," Angel replied, puzzled by the envelope. He looked at it and recognized the hand writing right away. It was the thin, loopy, script his mother wrote in. Running his fingers over his name on the outside of the envelope, he closed his eyes and felt a dam of tears about to burst. He was afraid to open the letter, and he didn't know why.
After an awkward pause, Mr. Costales broke the silence, "Well, we'll leave you two alone now. It's up to you where you want to sleep, Angel. Lenny will make up a bed for you. Don't stay up too late; you both need to go to school tomorrow."
The two boys quietly walked back to Lenny's room, shut the door, and kissed immediately.
"Who's the letter from?"
"My mother," Angel told him, "I can't read it. I don't know why, I just. I can't do it."
"Read it when you're ready, Angel baby, no rush. She wouldn't have written, though, if she didn't love you," Lenny told him, holding tightly around Angel's waist behind the locked bedroom door.
"I'll read it. You're right, it can't be that bad," Angel tried to convince himself.
Lenny and Angel stood next to each other, reading the heartfelt letter from Angel's mother. When it was over, Angel found himself not crying, rather smiling.
"She really does love me. You were right." Angel mumbled, trailing off into deep thought.
"I can't believe that thing about your uncle. You really never knew?" Lenny asked, shocked.
"No. You know Papi, he wouldn't dare tell his son something like that. He doesn't want a faggot for a son, remember?" he laughed bitterly. "It's okay, though," he continued, "I know now, and that's all that matters. Mami told me, and I know she loves me. I'm not sad anymore," he said with genuine confidence now.
"That's good, babe, I'm happy for you. Let's get some sleep though. You can sleep with me. I'll tell my parents. um. that you feel asleep, and I didn't want to wake you. They probably won't even say anything."
"Okay. Goodnight Lenny. I love you," Angel told him, kissing him lightly on the lips.
"I love you too, Angel baby," Lenny replied, returning the kiss.
They got into bed together, wrapped in each other's arms, drifting off into a deep, peaceful sleep.