14: Shaken Up (Along the Way, Chapter 6 - Giving Thanks)

That night Darren and I were wrapped together in a cocoon of blankets so we could be as close as possible. The calls to our parents to prepare them were nerve-wracking to make, but turned out to be just the comfort we needed for ourselves.

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"Rhi? Is everything okay?"

"No, Mom, not really. We're sorry to be calling so late, but we didn't want to put this off..."

"We? Darren?"

"We're on speaker phone, Lilly. Can you get Art? We've got...something we need to discuss with both of you...privately."

"Sure, honey, hold on a sec."

We could hear my mom calling my dad into their study. While we waited, I stroked my husband's cheek, then reached for his hand. He gave me an encouraging smile.

"Hi, kids. We've closed the door. Lilly said you had something to tell us?"

I took a shaky breath. "Mom, Dad, if you aren't already, could you sit down? This is going to be...difficult to talk about...but Van asked us to make these calls so he wouldn't have to...he's overwhelmed at the moment..."

"Rhiannon, you're scaring us. Tell us what's wrong."

"First of all, I want to assure you that the boys are okay...physically."

"But they're not okay otherwise?" my dad asked insistently.

"No, Art, they're not. Van told us today that he's...well, he's...gay."

Silence came from the other end of the phone.

"Mom? Dad?"

"Rhiannon, I can't say that we're surprised."

"You're not? We were...shocked!"

"That might be because you see Van every day so the changes he's gone through these last few years have been too subtle to notice if you weren't looking for them."

"Your mother is right, Rhi. We both had our suspicions after you visited this past summer, but since it doesn't make any difference to us, we didn't bring it up. We figured Van would when the time was right. I guess he decided he was ready?"

"No, Art, he wasn't, but some...incidents have occurred that forced his hand."

"What sort of...incidents, Darren?"

"We haven't gotten all the details yet - and I'm not sure we ever will - but his former best friend spread the news at Van and Harry's school, and the kids there are...much less accepting than you are. According to Harry, Van has been verbally, emotionally, and physically harassed to the point where Harry felt obligated to act as his bodyguard."

I heard my mother suck in her breath as the tears started to well up in my eyes again.

"How are the boys, Darren?"

"They're...not...good, Art," my husband choked out.

Soothingly, my mom interrupted him, "Take your time, sweetie."

Darren was in no condition to continue, and I couldn't hold back any longer. "Mom, they were both...SOBBING...Van was convinced we wouldn't love him any more...and Harry...was punishing himself because...he couldn't protect Van!" Darren put his arm around me as I was now actually crying.

"Where are they, Rhiannon?" my dad inquired gently.

"They're asleep, Dad. They were exhausted, mentally more than anything, so we put them to bed...tucked them in like we did when they were little. We've got to call Charles and Cerina next, and then Jeff and Chris for advice about how to proceed, but we decided they'd had enough for one day."

"That's smart, honey. How are you two?"

"Honestly, Art, we're pretty shaken up. We're kicking ourselves for not being more aware, and of course, we're irate about the treatment that both boys have been getting at school, apparently with no intervention from the staff. Thank god they have each other."

"Even if you didn't realize what was going on, don't lose sight of the fact that you raised those boys to be the loving, dependable young men they've become."

There was a lapse in the conversation as we let everything sink in. Finally, my mom broke the silence.

"What can we do for the four of you? We could come out there, or the boys could come here. Or, do you need...financial help? If they switch to private schools, that's not cheap...just tell us."

Darren and I looked at each other before I spoke. "Mom, Dad, we really appreciate that, and trust me, if we do need anything, we'll ask. Honestly, we just don't know right now. I think we'll have a better idea after we talk to Jeff and Chris, then discuss our options with the boys tomorrow."

"Makes perfect sense, honey, but don't be shy. This isn't a casual offer. We'll do whatever takes some of the burden off you and the boys."

"I know, Dad, and your support means the world to us. Truthfully, I'm not sure what we would do without you backing us up on this."

"Would you mind if we called Harry and Van some time tomorrow? We want to tell them how proud we are of both of them."

"Nothing would make us happier, Lilly. Have I told you lately how much we love you?"

My mom sniffled before answering with a bit of a smile in her voice. "You have Darren, but we never get tired of hearing it."

"Sleep well, you two, and we'll talk to you tomorrow. And, remember, you've got us, but you've also got each other."

"We'll never forget that, Dad. Thank you so much. 'Night."

As we clicked off, I leaned my head on my husband's shoulder. He wrapped the blankets more snugly around us so we could focus on each other for a few minutes before making our next call.