CHAPTER 44 - ACCEPTANCE, SAYING HI, FINAGLING AND THE DARK MIKE

ALLEGHANY CEMETERY - TWO DAYS LATER, MORNING

BRIAN

He and his Mom talked some more and now it’s time. Although he’s obviously seen the graves, he’s not visited as much as he could’ve, or as he confessed last night, should’ve. But I understand, he couldn’t cope with the guilt and now that he’s been unburdened, it’s time.

This is a beautiful cemetery, and they are under a tree. “They always hated the sun.” I hear him whisper, but say nothing, letting him approach by himself. He stops and turns back to me. “Please, I want them to meet you.” I reach for his outstretched hand and am glad to see he is not trembling.

“Did you draw those and they recreated them?” I point at the sleeping cat carved into each headstone. He nods and smiles. “What were their names?”

“Murphy and Mitchell. Mom gave them to my grandparents when I couldn’t see them anymore.” He chuckles. “They are old men now and completely spoilt. But oh how they loved them. Murphy is Dad’s and Mitchell is Molly’s.” He puts his flowers down and tugs me to kneel between the headstones. “Hi, CCTV and Mollusk…” He catches my frown. “Nicknames. Craig Cole Taylor was his full name, so one day I added the V and it was our thing, just like Mollusk was mine and Molly's ours. She loved seafood, so they stuck.”

“Nice to meet you both.” He nods at me to continue. “My name is Brian, Brian Kinney. I…” I stop when he puts his hand on my wrist.

“So, CCTV, you were right, I am gay. Brian is my boyf…”

“Partner.” I correct him gently.

“Partner. Sorry, I haven’t been around for a while; but I felt so guilty, and now I know that it wasn’t my fault. It was his and only his. Okay, so let me tell you what’s been happening since I was last here; I shall start with school. Oh CCTV you are not to freak out when I tell you about the camping trip…”

An hour later we are walking hand and hand back to the car. “Next time we bring Little Grub.” I tell him, and the smile tells me my Alpha is on his way back.

TREYVON AND DEL’S HOUSE - FRIDAY AFTERNOON

TREYVON

We are officially roomies! While the furniture is nice, it isn’t our style, so when we politely asked Ems if we could choose something else, I have never known an open house sale happen so fast! We spent the last two days choosing furniture, and it is due for delivery early tomorrow morning...the reason it took two days is because we changed everything...Ems insisted that the house was cleansed of the spirit of the evil one!

“Trey, are you sure you want to get rid the crockery?” Del calls from the kitchen. I haven’t checked the kitchen out yet, as we had pre-moving drinks last night, so it’s the last room for us to see.

“What’s wrong with it?” I call out as I head towards her voice and find her pulling out boxes of unopened crockery: serving dishes, glasses, in fact he looks like he was a proper Susie Homemaker. “How much did this guy need?” I start opening them, and pull out a cupcake stand then clutch it to my chest. She waves her hand in surrender. “At the risk of sounding stereotypical…” I begin.

“I will make some for the open house.” She grins, and starts to open the top cupboard. “So, nothing from the kitchen…” She begins and pauses. “...apart from whatever the fuck they are supposed to be, is for sale.”

I peer over her shoulder and stare at a set of truly hideous plates. “I wouldn’t puke on them, let alone eat off them. Throw them out, I doubt anybody on The Boulevard would want them!”

For the next hour we sort out the kitchen so it is a room this house deserves. “Now that is much better.” We grin at each other. “Okay, not a fan of orange, but it works in here!” Del declares.

“It sure does. Now then, the study, how are we going to divvy up that space?”

“We both need to have a window.” She declares, heading to it. “Maybe desks opposite? That behemoth is foul.”

“Wishful thinking or over compensating?” I chuckle.

“A bit of both! Oh, the tales Mel has told me!” She runs her fingers over the desk before blowing the dust off her fingers. “Okay, we need to do a top to toe dust. Ems said that the van will be here early evening, so let’s get cracking shall we?”

MICHAEL’S NEW HOME - AN HOUR LATER

LOUNGE

MICHAEL

I found a place to rent that is two blocks from Ma’s house. It’s not a patch on my old house, but it will do for now. By the time I have finished teaching them a lesson, I will be the stuff of legend! I look at my pad again, although I have decided to teach them a lesson, I still haven’t got a clue as to how it should be taught! Sitting back, I unmute the TV and hope that Captain Marvel will give me some inspiration.

An hour later, I still have nothing on my paper but dribble, as I fell asleep soon after the programme finished. “Come on, Michael! Think!” I tap the pad and then pause. “Well, before you can go ruining and teaching, you have to find out the date of the wedding, you fool!” I stand up and smile. “Seriously, think like a villain where they are concerned! Lull her into a false sense of security. I’m her son and she’s not seen or heard from me for a while. I am merely giving her my new address!”

DEBS AND CARL’S HOUSE - 40 MINUTES LATER

CARL

“Ah, you’ve surfaced. How nice. Debs, it’s for you!” I hold the door wider and Michael steps inside.

“How have you been?” He asks grudgingly.

“Fine. A bit giddy from the wedding preparations, but just fine. You?”

“You mean apart from being homeless, store-less, car-less and nobody seeming to give a damn? I’m fine.”

“Hello, Michael. How’s the new place? You settled in okay?” Debs comes down the stairs very carefully, as she is holding Little Grub.

“I’m...what’s he doing here?” He frowns.

“Time with grandparents. Haven’t had him over for a while. So have you?”

“Have I what?”

“Here, Debs, let me take our boy, you catch up with him.” She nods and hands him over. “Come on, young fellah, let me show you how we men watch football.”

DEBS

I wave Michael into the kitchen and look at him. He’s looking a little thin, and I as much as I shouldn’t be swayed by that right now, he’s still my son...just about on some days.

“Do you want something to eat?”

“Yeah.” He plonks himself on the stool and looks around. “What do you have?”

“We have plenty of food, which you won’t be getting if you don’t find your manners.” I grit out.

“Yes, please.” He returns, and I head for the fridge. “I’ve moved out of the hotel that I was in.”

“Yeah, I know. You’re two streets up, just on the corner of 4th. Is it nice?” He doesn’t say anything, so I turn around. He is looking flummoxed. “Are you alright?”

“You know where I live and you’ve not come around to see me?!” He gripes, then cuts his eye at me. “How did you know anyway?”

“It was by chance that I found out. You live near Benson, and he saw you.”

“Who’s Benson?” He bitches.

“Ben’s boyfriend. You know, Ben, the semi-roommate to Justin, who is Brian’s partner and…”

“Partner? They are partners now? This quickly? Well, that fire is going to burn out pretty fast and…”

“You do remember the bed show, don’t you? That show was...” He grunts dismissively and rolls his eyes. “...to let everyone, including you, know what is happening with them. So, back to food, I have some lasagna that I can heat up, or you can take back to your place and fester there? Or was there another reason for you to be here? I assume the primary one was to give me your address?”

“You’ve changed so much in these last few months, you don’t feel like my Ma anymore.” He picks up the spade of self-pity and starts to shovel dirt on me. “You won’t even let me come to the wedding. Carl didn’t even ask my permission, as your only son, for your hand in marriage, and…”

“Stop right there.” I fume. “The only permission that Carl needs is mine, and with me saying yes he has it! As for you not coming to the wedding, I concede that was unfair of me, and you are, of course, invited. I was angry at the time, you have to understand that. After all you’ve popped off on me plenty of times!”

“When it is then, and is it still going to be held at Britin?”

“Yes, still at Britin, and the 22nd of June. It’s the longest day of the year, so it will be a big ole party!”

MICHAEL

Oh yes, it will be a long day, but I will be the one celebrating while everyone will be commiserating!

“That’s great, Ma!” I smile at her and then gesture at the lasagna. “I’ll take it to go. I don’t want to disturb your time with Little Gub.”

“Grub.” She states.

“Yes, I know the lasagna is grub, Ma, can I take it then?”

“Yes, but that’s not what I meant. It’s Little Grub not Gub.” She stares at me for a few long seconds. “It would go some way to getting into Brian’s good books if you remember that.”

“I’ll take that on board, but right now I have to go. I have to contemplate.”

“About what?” She queries with one eyebrow raised.

“What to get my future stepfather to say welcome to the family!” I enthuse with a fake face cracking smile.

“He’s been family for the last six years!” She rebukes me, and I nod in agreement as speaking will be counterproductive to my plans. “It’s good to see you taking your head out of your ass. Do you have actual food at your place, or do I need to do a shop for you?”

“No.” Carl and I say at the same time.

I sigh inside. “As a matter of interest, why are you saying no?”

“I’ve been thinking about these invoice things you sent. Where did you get the money to buy the stuff you invoiced them for in the first place?”

“My savings, where else would I have gotten it from?” The look on their faces tells me that I have just made a slight error in honesty!

“Your savings? You are such a cheapskate!” Carl looks contemptuous. “No wonder Brian wanted to come home early with you living off his dime all the flaming time!” I flinch. “Oh, you didn’t know that, did you?! Well, now you do! And you are not taking that!” He snatches the box of lasagna off the counter. “Use some of that savings you have to either order take out or buy a book and learn to cook. You aren’t taking any more food from here!”

I look at Ma and she is just shaking her head, then does an about face and heads to the lounge when Little Gob starts to cry.

“Hear that boy in there? Learn from him!” Carl barks. “Now you are done here and need to leave!”

LINDSAY’S COTTAGE - EARLY EVENING

NANCY

It’s been almost a week since Ronald served the papers, and I can see that settlement check taunting me from my dresser. I get up and look at the amount. It seems so paltry for the years that I was with him.

I deserve more, and with Lindsay no longer working, this will only keep us in the manner we’ve been accustomed to for a year, maybe two. I want to never have to do anything again, so we need to put a plan in place to secure our station!

“Lindsay!” I open the door and call out to her. I hear her on the phone, so I head downstairs.

“Sidney, you do not understand the position you are in!” She snaps. “There is no justifiable reason for you to fire me! None!” She beckons me into the lounge and waves toward the sofa, so I sit and wait. “You knew the circumstances…” She stops and her face plummets. “...I was signed off by the doctor! No, it doesn’t necessarily have to be...hello? Hello! Sidney?!” She puts her phone down, and for a while doesn’t say anything. “What did you want, Mother?”

“A less churlish countenance would be preferable.” I dig at her. “So that avenue of resource looks like it is cut off to you. Pity. However, do you remember Gustav Fieldmore?”

“Yes, vaguely. What about him?”

“He’s a widow now...and has been for the last four years.” I smile at her.

“Are you thinking of going there? He’s quite high up, isn’t he?” She smiles back.

“Well, not high enough for me, but for you he would be a very good catch, and is not from this part of the society catchment area, so you would need to move.”

“He must be in his 70s at least!” She exclaims.

“Then at least he won’t be so demanding!” I snap. “Sometimes, Lindsay, I do wonder how much you took on board when I was teaching you the societal rules!”

LINDSAY

“I took on plenty, Mother!” I sit down in my armchair and take her in. Seeing with fresher eyes as to how she actually is. “So this settlement from Daddy, what are you going to do about it? I would advise against going up against Mel. She had many failings, but being an attorney is not one of them.”

“Why did you two split up?”

“She wouldn’t support me when I wanted to approach Brian for a child again. She said she did want a child, but just not with me.”

“Oh dear, that must have hurt to hear.” I don’t keep the glee out of my voice and relish the flinch.

“Look, let’s try and make this as little less like Bette Davis and Joan Crawford as we can. You don’t comment on my disappointing relationships, and I won’t comment on your affair to Daddy.”

She goes grey, then white, and finally red. “I don’t know what you are talking about, Lindsay, I never had an affair during the time we were married.”

“So you separated for 2 years and didn’t tell anybody?” I have been waiting years to hold this over her! “Like I said, Mother, I took on plenty. Now, excuse me, I have to go and see my attorney about taking Sidney to court for unfair dismissal. As for Gustav, if you want to use him as a leg up into society, spread your own!”

NANCY

I wait for her to leave the cottage and then rush to the kitchen for some water! How did she find out? When? I was so careful! Well I had to be! I try to calm my racing heart. I have to get out of here! I stride up to my room, taking the stairs two at a time. I snatch up the check. I have to get out here now! My first stop is the bank. I don’t believe for one minute that she is going to her attorney. The sooner that money is secured, the better!