Now that his treatments were finally done he almost felt like himself again. Looking down at his flaccid cock he had to stress the almost part. He stopped going out with the gang when the first trick didn’t elicit any reaction from him below the waist. The doctor had told him that it was all in his head, like that helped anything.
To make matters worse, his mother started showing up for weekly visits. After he got sick his mother ran into Debbie at church. She told his mother about the cancer. He would rather she stayed on her own side of town. He was a strictly Christmas and her birthday kind of son. He would allow Deb this slip up since they had just lost Vic.
It was Thursday night and his mother always showed up on Thursday night recently. If she had been this attentive when he was younger maybe he wouldn’t be so messed up. But alas she wasn’t and he is.
A fleeting though occurred to him to tell her he was gay. That would get rid of her in a New York minute. But even though he hated to admit it, there was always a part of him seeking love and acceptance from his parents. He hadn’t gotten that from Jack, who was long dead now. But he had died knowing his sonny boy was queer.
A knock sounded from his door. He turned off the shower and dried off. Deciding to only put on jeans and a wife-beater he headed for the door.
He really needed to talk to the building owner to fix the lock downstairs. Before he got sick he considered buying the building but he had just started his own agency, it wasn’t the best time for another big purchase. Kinnetik was doing amazing, despite their rough start. It was Cynthia’s idea to take online suggestions for the name. They offered five hundred dollars to the winner. When he saw the name Kinnetik he knew it was perfect. The winner didn’t leave a real name or email address so they couldn’t award them the money. But he still kept the name, he wasn’t stupid.
The pounding on the door drew is attention back to it. It couldn’t be any of his friends or they would already be yelling at him.
He wasn’t surprised when he slid the door open he saw his mother.
“Yes?” he drawled.
“Brian, I’m so glad you’re home,” she said, passing by him.
“Come on in,” he said sarcastically.
His mother flounced around like she owned the place. Not really being in the mood for her today he decided to ignore her until she got her fill and left.
Walking over to the fridge he pulled out a bottle of water. Needing to keep hydrated because he had just started exercising again getting ready for the charity ride. An hour ago he was at the gym, listening to Michael bitch that he was overdoing it. So he just finished on his treadmill at home.
When he got sick he didn’t tell anyone at first. Ted figured it out because he worked for him at Kinnetik. . Then he told Deb, so she would forgive him for saying something a little on the callous side about Vic passing away. Then Deb processed and told everybody.
Sitting down on his couch he watched as she looked around his loft. Like it had changed since last week. The Naked Guy painting she avoided looking at, it was kind of funny.
Someone choose that moment to knock on his door. God, this was feeling old now. Opening the door; he was surprised at what he saw. There was a little brown haired boy sitting on the floor in front of him, gnawing on a chocolate chip cookie. It was a big damn cookie at that. The boy looked pretty damn content with the cookie.
The boy was in a ratty tee and jeans with holes in the knees. His shoes where brown and worn hard. On the front of the shirt a envelope with his own name and address printed neatly on the front. Behind the boy was an even rattier duffle bag.
“Who is it Brian?” his mother asked. “Oh my.” She came to stand beside him.
He started to slid the door shut, not really registering what he was doing. His mother stopped him by grabbing his arm.
“Whose child is that?” she asked.
“No clue but they’ll come back and get it when I shut the fucking door.”
“Da,” the small boy said, smiling widely at him.
“Did he just call you dad?”
“Nope.” Couldn’t be, he had never seen this child in his life. But it did sound pretty close to dad.
“Oh, there’s a note,” she said, reaching for the note.
Knowing if someone was trying to pass this kid off as his, it would be a man. He reached down and picked the small boy up. He looked a year younger than Gus, so around three. Gus at that age was extremely shy, this child just smiled at him and held out the cookie to offer him a bite.
“No thanks,’ He said, a smile threatening to break out on his face.
Sitting the boy down on the kitchen island he unpinned the note. He started to read while the boy continued to munch.
Dear Brian
I know you probably don’t remember me. We met the night your son Gus was born. You might be wondering why Tommy is with now. That night he was conceived. Before you start, yes I know he is your son. You’re the only man I had sex with at the time. I have since married. My husband is not a kind man. Until yesterday his anger and temper has always been directed at me. But yesterday he beat Tommy’s butt, back and legs before I could get him away. I am currently pregnant with his child. I would never win a custody suit against him. But I cannot let Tommy be hurt again. You are my only chance.
Tommy is a sweet boy; he’s never had much because my husband wouldn’t allow it. Ig he recognized you it’s because we look at pictures online that we find of you. We only get to when my husband lets us go to the library but it’s enough. He’s been calling your image Da since he was one. I have many allergies so if you wouldn’t mind too much, get him tested. My husband wouldn’t spend the money on Tommy. Inside this envelop is his birth certificate you are listed as his father and he shares your last name. To cover your bases, you should get a DNA test and get a court order for full custody because of abandonment. That way no matter what Maxwell tries he can no longer hurt Tommy.
Please, when he gets older tell him I did this for him. Take care of him. Please, be good to him.
Justin
Brian reread the letter two more times. A hazy memory came to him. A virgin under a lamppost. The kid helped name Gus. After he left the kid crying he thought that was the end of it. It had been the first time in a long time he felt bad.
Looking back up at the chocolate covered face of the boy he could see the family resemblance. He looked so much like Gus, the only difference was paler skin and blue eyes. He would do the DNA test for legal reasons but he knew this was boy was his.
“Stay,” he said to the kid.
Walking over to the drawer he grabbed a dish cloth and wetted it. The cookie was finally gone. The boy let him wash the sticky chocolate off of his face, the smile never wavering. He wondered how the kid could be so happy in the company of strangers. But then he remembered the letter, the boy had been beat- his boy.
Picking the boy back up he sat him on his feet on the floor. Bending down he lifted the back of the boy’s shirt. Anger surged through him at the sight of the bruises there. He pulled the boy’s pants and underwear away from his bottom, more bruising. When it had happened to him he just remembered being sad. But having it done to his son, true a son he just found out existed, but it was still his son. Now all he felt was rage, but he controlled his face so he wouldn’t scare the boy.
“Brian, who is this boy?”
He had forgotten his mother was there. Lowering the shirt; he turned and looked at her.
“My son, apparently.”
“Jesus wept,” she muttered.
“You need to leave. I’ve got to go somewhere.” He hoped that Lindsay still had some of Gus’s old clothes. There was also a conversation with Mel he needed to have. He needed to know his rights. She would probably bitch at him but when she saw the bruises he knew she would help him.