Face to Face

Part 36

Jackson knew Aaron wasn't comfortable with public displays of affection but they were in a quiet corner of a prison car park, not in the middle of a busy high street, so he pulled him into his arms and held him tight. He felt him first tense and then relax to finally melt against him. It was a brief hug, a simple show of affection and of support and now as he gripped the younger mans upper arms maintaining the physical contact he asked. "Do you want to talk about it now or later?"

Aaron shook his head; he didn't want to talk about it at all.

"I think maybe now's a good time!" Jackson stated, Aaron's unwillingness to talk meant he was hurting badly about whatever had happened. "C'mon, we'll sit in the van."

He shifted in his seat, where did he start? Maybe with the obvious, "I shouldn't have come."

No, Jackson thought, you shouldn't have, but he had and they had to deal with the aftermath. "What did he want?"

Aaron sighed, "He said he wanted to get to know me."

That sounded understandable enough to Jackson, Livesy was missing out on a great deal not being a part of his son's life.

"He said he'd always loved me."

Jackson was sure that was true but the man had a very strange way of showing it!

"He was still siding with Sandra though. Saying I didn't show her any respect. He said I was wild, that he didn't know what to do with me. What happened was still all my fault."

That wasn't true, and even if it was, Aaron was just a kid, Livesy the adult; he should have weathered the storms like the majority of fathers did.

"He said he was sorry that he hadn't been there for me, sorry that I hadn't been able to talk to him, about being gay. He said he would be there for me now, that he wanted to be."

That was good wasn't it? Jackson was undecided, Aaron had Paddy, he couldn't ever imagine him going to his father with anything but still the offer was there.

"I thought...well I told myself I didn't need him, would never want him for anything but maybe I should leave that door open. But then that door got slammed shut in my face."

"What do you mean?"

"Because of what he did to Paddy, the prison sentence, he's lost his other son. That's why I'm suddenly good enough to be a part of his life; I'm all the family he's got now so he's prepared to make do and mend." Looking beseechingly into the soulful brown depths of his lover's eyes Aaron asked, "I deserve better than that don't I?"

"Yes of course you do!" Jackson insisted, wrapping his arms around Aaron again.

eeeeeeeee

He'd phoned Paddy, then his mum, just to say he was ok and on his way home, he'd not given them chance to ask questions. He'd fill them both in when he got back.

As he pulled up outside of Smithy Cottage, Paddy and his mum appeared by the surgery door. He'd been emotional since his visit with his dad, and seeing them standing there together like they were a couple stirred up the emotions again. When his feelings were that close to the surface he could admit to wishing they had stayed together.

Telling himself he could now kill two birds with one stone now, he gestured to the front door; he didn't want Pearl or one of Paddy's customers hearing what he had to say.

The three of them were soon sitting around the kitchen table. He knew Paddy would hold back on any questions, that was his way, he'd give him all the time he needed but his mam? No!

"So what did he want?"

He couldn't go through it all again, he didn't want them knowing how much his dad had hurt him, that would only hurt them and he tried not to hurt them anymore, he loved them both too much. "He just wants to keep in touch."

"Is that all?" Chas asked.

"Yeah."

Paddy knew there was more to it than that but now wasn't the time to push. Still there was one question he had to ask, "Are you going to?"

"No."

"Good."

His mam was happy about his decision, and for her the matter was now closed. But Paddy had his mouth clamped shut; Aaron knew he was now saving his thoughts and questions until they were alone.

His phone was ringing now and he was more than grateful for the intrusion. It was Jackson. "What? When?"

Paddy and his Mam were both looking at him now, aware he was suddenly worried about something. As soon as he ended the call they both said in unison, "What's wrong?"

"It's Jackson's mum. She's back in the country and she wants to meet me!"

That had thrown him, and he couldn't understand Paddy's or his Mum's reaction, they were both grinning at him now. "What?"

Paddy's grin widened before he said teasingly, "Ooh meeting the in-laws, always an experience that!"

"It is when you meet my lot!" Chas laughed.

Aaron shook his head, some help they were in soothing his concerns. He was dreading this. What would Hazel Walsh make of him?

Eeeeeeee

They were curled up together on the sofa, watching the end of film credits roll up the screen. It was late, after midnight, Paddy long since gone to bed. They about to do the same, only Aaron had something on his mind and he wanted it aired.

"Do you think she'll like me?"

"My mum?"

"Who else?"

"Yeah I'm sure she will, I hope she does but if she doesn't no matter, I'll still love you."

Jackson was grinning at him now, someone else who found his unease all so very funny. "So when she tells you that you can do better you'll just ignore her?"

The mirth was gone from Jackson's face now "She's got no reason to say that!"

"She will when she finds out all about me. That I punched you."

"She already knows."

"What?"

"You know she phones me every week, she's always asking about you so I've kind of told her all about you."

Aaron was gaping at the older man. How was he going to look Jackson's mum in the eye now?

They both heard the light knock on the door and turned towards it instantly. Aaron getting to his feet and stepping over to it quickly. No one called at that time of night not unless there was something wrong.

He found his mother standing on the other side of the door, her suitcase and several bags at her feet. He could tell she'd been crying. "Mam?"

"I've left Carl."

TBC