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Sarah was surprised to hear the front door open. It was still very early in the evening; David would be out with his friends until the wee hours, then sneak in drunk and stumbling over things, no doubt. And Nick was supposed to be at the bonfire with Charlie. She hadn't expected them back for a couple more hours.
She went to the doorway of the living room. "Back so soon?"
It was immediately clear why. Charlie had Nick by the hand, which wasn't unusual, but Nick looked completely out of it, his eyes glazed over, having to steady himself against the wall to take his shoes off. At first, Sarah was concerned that he'd been drinking, but she didn't think Charlie would look as worried as he did if that was the case.
"You all right, darling?" she asked.
Nick shrugged wearily.
"All right. Come upstairs, let's get you to bed."
Charlie came to the foot of the stairs while she was leading Nick up them. "I'm going to take Nellie for a walk."
"Thank you, darling. She'll like that." Nick hadn't even bent to pet the dog when he came in, a sure sign that he wasn't feeling well.
In his room, he sank down on the bed and put his face in his hands while Sarah pulled out some pyjamas for him. "I can't do it, Mum. I promised, and I can't, and I—everything feels awful."
She sat down next to him on the bed and took his hand. "Can't do what, darling?"
"I can't come out."
"Of course you can. You did to me."
"Yes, but … I can't to anyone else. And I—what if he thinks I'm—what if he thinks I don't want to? What if—what if he doesn't want to be with me, or he thinks—" A sob broke from him, and Sarah put an arm round his shoulders and held him tight.
"It's a hard thing you're trying to do, Nicky, and Charlie knows that as well as anyone. He probably sees what I do: that you've had an exhausting month taking your exams, which is not your favourite thing, and the two of you have barely seen each other, and on top of all that you're putting this tremendous pressure on yourself to come out to people. The two of you have such good, supportive friends. Have you talked to any of them about this?"
Nick shook his head.
"Well, maybe that's where you should start. And maybe you should talk to Charlie." She squeezed his shoulders. "But first, I want you to put on your pyjamas and get in bed and get a good night's sleep. Maybe take something for your head." She touched the back of her hand to his forehead. Warm, but not concerningly so. "And stop worrying about Charlie. Anyone can see he thinks the sun rises and sets in you."
"You think so?" Nick looked up at her, and the worry in his eyes tugged at her heart.
"I know so." She got to her feet, one hand still on his shoulder. "I know it's been hard with David here—no time for movie nights or quiet chats—but I hope you know you can talk to me whenever you need to."
He nodded. "Thanks, Mum."
"Of course, darling. Now get in bed."
"Is—did Charlie go home?"
"No. He took the dog out."
"Oh. Will you—can he come up when he gets back?"
"Yes. I'll send him up. You lie down and get some rest."
"Okay." He was reaching for his pyjamas as she left the room.
When Sarah came into the kitchen, Charlie immediately turned and handed her a cup of tea. In her favourite mug, too. He knew this kitchen better than David did already. "Oh, you're a star," she said gratefully, cradling the mug in her hands.
"Is he okay?" The worry on his face was touching.
"Oh, he'll be fine," Sarah assured him. "Just a bit of sunstroke, probably. I did tell him to put a hat on when he took Nellie out today." She took a sip of the tea. Just the way she liked it.
"D'you mind if I stay for a bit? Just to make sure he's okay."
"Of course, darling. Not past your curfew; I don't want to get you in trouble with your parents." She hadn't met Charlie's parents yet, but from things he said—and things he didn't say—she had the impression they were quite strict and didn't entirely approve of his friends. Including Nick. Sarah hoped that over time they would come to accept the two boys and see what she saw, that they were very good for each other. That Nick was bringing out a confidence in Charlie she hadn't seen when they first started spending time together, and Charlie had found the softer, more tender and caring side of Nick that Sarah had been starting to worry her son might lose altogether. As Charlie moved past her with a cup of tea in each hand, she said, "Nick's so lucky to have you, Charlie."
He paused, as if surprised she had said so, and then went on up the stairs. Sarah stayed in the kitchen sipping her tea, glad that her son had a boyfriend who cared about him as much as Charlie did. For a long time, she had seen Nick drifting along, enjoying his life but not finding it particularly challenging or engaging. Now, with Charlie, he was finding things not always easy, but he was also making new friends and finding out new things about himself. He was curious about the world again, and Sarah loved to see that in him.
Yes, they were very lucky Charlie had come into their lives when he did.