Pat and Mike were outside the house covering the bushes with a burlap material when Neil and Jesse drove up. Mike was pointing here and there while Pat nodded. The boy certainly looked in charge and Neil smiled.
These people were dear, the only ones outside of the Bradford community that understood his life and the love he shared with the boy beside him. In three days the school would break for Thanksgiving, allowing them five days to complete the round trip to Philly.
Jesse had called his aunt and explained he was bringing Neil home for the holiday. His tone and phrasing were kept fairly neutral, but the excitement in his voice said something was up. His Aunt Diana was not fooled by the call…Neil was more than a chauffeur of convenience. Understanding her nephew and his life had occupied the past five years of her life, and she knew him pretty well by now.
This past summer had been dreadful. The boy moped around the house and spent entirely too much time alone in his room. And his music, Lord, it had sounded like he was playing dirges all the time. But the lilt of his voice had changed and she could only imagine what this Neil meant to him. She smiled as she put down the phone, could it be love?
Jesse's parents had behaved abominably which made her particularly upset with her sister, what were they thinking? Lori had never been able to stand up to her men; she should have become a nun. But her religious beliefs didn't leave any room for a gay son, and Jesse had suffered such inexcusable excesses. Diana could only be left with the conclusion that Lori was a bad mother.
But she and George had sought help in dealing with Jesse. The folks of PFLAG had been most helpful, and so gracious. Raising a gay boy brought out an abundance of goodwill from those people, all of them parents of gay or lesbian kids. Together they learned the do's and don'ts that helped Jesse the most, and then they had found Bradford.
One of her dear friends belonged to the Quaker Meeting in Philadelphia, and on her advice Diana had inquired about Bradford. Unbeknownst to Jesse, Dr. Thorne had met with her on his trip through Philadelphia that summer. The one hour she spent with him had made up her mind. The man was a genius of academic knowledge and tolerance.
Jesse had been packed off to Bradford after much soul searching. The boy had been rejected by his parents and Diana didn't want him to feel like she was sending him away as some sort of punishment. But then she thought a little longer, Jesse had no real friends and there were two hundred boys awaiting his arrival. It made her smile, the situation seemed tailor made for a gay boy.
His early phone calls were filled with wonder as Jesse expressed his surprise about the school. She sighed with relief and promised herself to pay more attention to the needs of her young charge. Having him home this Thanksgiving would be a joy.
So this Neil, Diana wanted to know more. Jesse's room held a single mattress, but Neil would be there too. She couldn't know what their sleeping in the same room would mean, but whatever it was she knew it would happen under her roof. And like a sly old fox, she called the mattress store to deliver a full sized bed…she would not interfere with Jesse's new found love, if that was what it turned out to be.
The trip was four hundred and fifty miles long, and although his Jeep was barely four months old, Neil drove it over to Pat's for a thorough inspection. Pat was an adult, he knew all about cars, didn't he?
The scene of Pat virtually wrapped in burlap was some cause for laughter, but Mike helped untangle the poor guy.
"Why can't I let the bushes just die away like everyone else?" Pat wondered aloud.
Mike grinned when Neil and Jesse walked up. "You're a gay man, Pat. You have to take care of the shrubs or we've wasted a lot of time in this garden."
"He has you there," Neil laughed.
"What brings you by?" Pat asked.
"The car, Jesse and I are going to Philly for Thanksgiving. You do know about cars, don't you?" Neil asked.
Pat laughed. "Sure I know cars…from a New York perspective. They stink and try to run you down in the crosswalk. If you want advice under the hood I would have to refer you to my mechanic…take it away, Mike."
"What's the issue?" Mike asked.
"I should have known," Neil said. "Nothing, just a long trip ahead, I don't want to break down along the way."
"Good move, let's check it out," Mike said.
Jesse stood and watched Pat play with the burlap while Neil and Mike got under the hood of the Jeep.
"Things going well," Pat asked, nodding towards Neil.
"Just fine…such a dear," Jesse said.
Pat smiled. "I just wondered…I saw his father got arrested, it was in the local newspaper. None of my business, Jesse…I just wondered that's all. Is everything all right with his mother?"
"She's fine, even better now that…well, I should let Neil tell you if he wants," Jesse said.
Pat nodded. "Good man, I don't need to know unless he tells me."
"Pat…you're older than Mike…how do you know he's going to stay with you forever?"
Pat dropped the roll of burlap and sighed. "Come on, let's go in and make some hot chocolate. They'll be a lot colder in a bit and it wouldn't hurt us to warm up either."
Pat put milk on the stove to heat up slowly and sat down with Jesse at the kitchen table.
"The truth is…neither of us knows, but look at the facts," Pat said. "Mike hasn't been out running around, although because of Neil he's met several other gay boys at your school. We've established a working partnership here at the house, and Mike shows no signs of backing away from that. But most of all, it's what I see in his eyes the second before he kisses me. What we have is still special to him and I feel it no less now than I did last winter."
Pat reached over and took Jesse's hand. "There will always be doubts, you had a bad time before, doesn't mean that will happen again. Neil loves you very much and I see it every time he looks at you. Don't be afraid of loving him too much, you can't live life with joy if you fear the unknown."
Jesse smiled, just a tiny movement of his mouth. "We talk about the future, college and things like that . I just want to make sure he'll be there when I need him."
"Look, you have a wonderful life ahead. You're an amazing and talented young man. Neil would be a fool to do anything to disturb what he has with you. Give him some credit, he's just as remarkable as you, together you'll make the world stand up and notice. But is this about him…or you?"
Jesse nodded. "Maybe me a little. I don't know what I want to do. I just know I want him to be a part of it."
"And he will be, believe me. I don't think anything can come between you. But you have time to figure this all out…lots of time," Pat said.
"I couldn't live here, it's too small," Jesse said.
Pat laughed. "And Mike might want to leave here too after he graduates, we can do that. You'll probably go to college in Boston or Philadelphia, someplace where there's a good music school, I see music in your future. But the allure of the bigger cities will keep you both entranced and I don't see Neil as a small town boy either."
"I want to play the piano with a symphony, and to take Neil with me as we tour the world…does that sound silly?" Jesse asked.
"No sweetie, it sounds like a dream…and dreams are what guide our future. Go for it, make it happen, and Neil will be with you all the way, I just know it."
Jesse grinned. "God I love talking to you, no wonder Mike loves you so much."
"Did I hear my name?" Mike said from the kitchen doorway. "You guys talkin about us?"
Neil followed him through the door and held up his greasy hands. "Look at me, I'm a mechanic," He laughed.
"The car is fine, you guys won't have any problems," Mike said. "The driver is a bit crazy, but then so are half the people out there."
They washed up and Pat served out the hot chocolate. "You know the route?" Pat asked.
"Yeah, I looked it up online," Neil said. "I suppose I can drive eight hours straight."
"Stop every two hours, stretch your legs and get something to drink, you'll do fine. It's not really that far," Pat said.
Neil put down his mug. "I suppose we ought to be going…never seems to be enough time to do homework."
"Well, glad you stopped in, sometimes all it takes is a little chat to bring us all together," Pat said, looking right at Jesse.
Jesse smiled and gave him a hug. Such a dear, Pat thought as they drove off. "And speaking of homework, Mikey…I bet you haven't even started on that English paper."
"Aw, Pat…do I have to?"
"No love until you've worked on it…at least get it started," Pat said.
"There you go with the blackmail again…okay, I'm doing," Mike said, reaching for his notebook.
The boy was doing very well in school, his grades were up and his life at home easier because of it. All it takes is the right incentive, Pat thought.
Nora was always pleased when the boys came home. It was wonderful to get two "Hello, Mom's" from them. Neil and Jesse were planning to leave on Wednesday morning, just about the time she had to drive down to Boston for her plane. She really didn't want to spend any time here alone since Clayton had made bail and was out there somewhere.
Maybe the girl would take him in…he'd need somewhere to go. The lawyer had frozen their joint bank account pending the divorce and Clayton had to be hurting by now. But she had access to Neil's trust fund and her own personal account so she really didn't care what the bastard did.
Clayton had never been physically abusive before and that scene in the kitchen had scared her. The look on his face said he would break her arm if she didn't hand over the disk, and then Neil had interceded. Such a protective son, and who says gay men can't stand up for themselves and their mothers?
Neil and Jesse sat down and worked on homework for a while, and then ate dinner. This would be their last night in Neil's bed for a while. Jesse needed to be back at school by two tomorrow afternoon for a chorus rehearsal. Neil had thought about joining up, but he wasn't sure his musical abilities were adequate. Standing amidst six dozen boys and looking down on Jesse at the piano wasn't his idea of a grand time.
But Tom had offered to teach him about lighting the stage and that seemed intriguing, at least that way he could worship Jesse from afar. They finished up their assignments after dinner and headed for bed, both of them kissing their collective mom on the cheek.
"So what film do we watch tonight?" Neil asked.
"Yeah, like we ever watch them," Jesse giggled, and then he yawned.
"We can skip it if you just want to sleep, that works for me," Neil said.
Jesse smiled. "Oh, I want to do something…just not all night long like last weekend."
"You instigated that, sexy boy."
"Well you kept rising to the occasion, what was I supposed to do?" Jesse laughed.
"Just what you did…it was incredible. See now you have me all horned up again," Neil said with a groan.
"Now that works for me," Jesse grinned, and they went to bed.
The chorus rehearsal was entertaining so Neil sat in the middle of the theatre and watched along with dozens of boarders…it was something to do. Red was up there in the tenor section and Alan stood amidst the basses. Neil had always thought that vocal range changed at puberty, the bigger the equipment the deeper the voice was what he had always heard.
Alan was no shrinking violet and everyone knew he had a pretty big tool. Of course he'd seen Red in the showers after gym, now that boy had a whopper. Red wasn't seeing anyone, the polite way to say he wasn't getting any. Alan had his eyes on this senior, Brian Mayfield, one of those who would do whatever he could and take no prisoners kind of guys. Neil smiled…just the kind of boy for Alan.
But he'd seen Red hanging around with little Steve. Maybe they were just commiserating about the lack of love in their lives. No…they couldn't be. But Steve was sitting with the boarding crowd this afternoon…maybe they could. Tom would have a fit if he found out, no wonder they kept it quiet, providing there was anything to hide.
Freshmen were allowed off campus with permission just like the older boys since it wouldn't be fair to confine them just because of their age. Spending the weekend with an upperclassman was allowed too, and Neil wondered if Steve had gone home with Red yet. The sign out sheet in the office would tell him that much.
The rehearsal ended at four-thirty, giving the boarders an hour until supper time. Neil and Jesse walked hand in hand back towards the dorm and he saw Red walking Steve back. He nudged Jesse, and they both looked over at the other sidewalk.
"You think?" Neil asked.
"Oh Lord…you think?" Jesse replied. "Well, a freshman and a sophomore, that isn't so bad. But Red is just about to turn seventeen…still, it might work."
"What would work, you've seen him in the showers."
"Ahh…never thought about that, ouch," Jesse said.
"Big ouch, but Steve seems to be walking just fine," Neil laughed.
"Maybe they haven't…?"
"Aw sweetie, you know Red. I wonder if he's decided to join the club at last?"
"I don't understand bisexual at all, playing both sides just to get laid is perverse," Jesse said.
"Maybe, but Red is a sweet guy…I hope they do have something going."
"And you always say I'm the romantic, listen to you," Jesse laughed.
"Well I got mine, everyone needs somebody," Neil said.
Neil and Jesse stopped at the door to Revere Hall. It needed to end here or they might end up shocking Frank a bit if they went up to the room.
"Bye, baby," Neil said, "See you for breakfast?"
Jesse smiled. "Be better if you were on the menu. Have a safe trip home."
And they kissed…a sweet and loving kiss…but then they parted. Neil walked back towards the parking lot and saw Red getting into his car.
"Hey Red, nice rehearsal," Neil said.
"Yeah, come to see your boy play?" Red replied.
"He spent the weekend, I had to bring him back for you guys," Neil said. "How was your weekend?"
"Fine…just fine, no, great," Red replied. "Steve came over and he rode back with me today."
"Steve…okay, nice guy."
Red grinned. "Come on, I know you have more to say than that."
Neil shook his head. "Nope, we're friends, you'll tell me what you want me to know."
"Oh…jeez," Red said, and then he sighed. "Steve and I played around a little…well, he’s not ready for anything serious."
"At least you're being responsible about it, the boy could get hurt," Neil said.
"You think this is right? I mean him being a freshman and all."
"I don't know what the school would say, but its fine by me. I think Steve is a bright kid, he's made a good choice with you," Neil said.
"Aw, that's sweet, you are a friend," Red said.
"Just don't give in to his demands; you have to be the responsible one."
"No problem, he’s a lot of fun to cuddle."
"Seems our little Steve is a whole lot more than we figured out, go boy," Neil laughed.
"So, keep it hush-hush for a while, okay?" Red asked
"Will do, see ya tomorrow," Neil said.
"In your dreams tonight," Red laughed and they both drove off campus. Yeah, Red's gay, Neil thought. Didn't that make it nine? Oh Lord, he would have to tell Jesse.
The three days of school went fast, all the boys busting their asses to get over the hump and head home for the long weekend. Neil discovered that Steve was one of the few who would remain at the school, there were always a few. But Tom and the rest of the faculty would provide for their young charges who remained on campus, Neil was sure Red would look after his boy as well.
Wednesday dawned and Nora kissed Neil good-bye, heading off for Boston to catch her flight to Lansing. Neil drove into Littleton and found Jesse packed and waiting. They took the road west, crossing over 93, and heading south until they hit the 91. This would take them all the way to Hartford and then further down to Bridgeport where they would pick up 95 south.
There was really no easy way to avoid New York City without adding hours to the trip. They would plunge on through and take the New Jersey Turnpike to Philadelphia, and it all looked pretty straight forward. Since they had both grown up in big cities, and as Hartford appeared on the horizon, it became a topic of conversation.
Jesse had been feeding the CD player a dose of disks the whole time, mixing it up between his collection and Neil's, but now he sought out the FM radio stations. He paused at one listening to the discordant sounds of some band.
"What is this, garage band week on the radio?" Jesse laughed.
"Now you know why I have so much old stuff, the past five years has been just filled with junk," Neil said. "It's no wonder you have so much classical music in your collection."
"Classical music is timeless. You'd be surprised at what I've had Frank listening to in our room."
"I appreciate classical too, I don't like my music screamed at me like these guys are doing at the moment," Neil said.
Jesse grinned. "Point taken," And he hit the button taking them back to the CD's. The soft strains of Hayden filled the Jeep and Neil smiled.
"So who got you into classical music?"
"My aunt, she sang opera during her college days. Such a big voice in that little body of hers. Not that I'm much for opera, but I see its worth in the classical world," Jesse said.
"Guess there isn't much piano music in the opera world," Neil said.
"Oh you'd be surprised, there's normally a piano part in most orchestra scores, but I can't read music that complicated yet."
"I can't imagine you needing piano lessons."
"I do, there's so much I don't know. My memory allows me to play lots of things, but I have to practice them first. Cold reading a score is something I can't do yet. I'll have a lot to catch up on when I get to college," Jesse said.
"You have a school in mind?" Neil asked.
"God, there are so many," Jesse replied. "But I'm waiting for you to choose first."
"Oh baby, I don't even know what I want to study…maybe I want to teach…I would love to have a job like Elias."
"Yes…you'd be a wonderful teacher. If I'm going to major in performance there are really only two schools to look at. Lord, but both of them are so exclusive. Julliard in New York City and Eastman in Rochester…they're the best in the country. I would have to audition and that's scary."
"Jesse…you go for the best, you need that for your music. If I want to teach there are so many schools I can attend, we can still be together, but you only have these two options," Neil said.
"Could you live in New York if I went to Julliard?" Jesse asked.
"Sure, Pat did and my mother was raised there. The place matters little to me, you matter the most."
"Oh God…what am I setting myself up for, Julliard is so…so awesome and scary," Jesse said.
"Look, if it's your dream then I'm behind you one hundred percent. When we get home let's talk to Mom, she knows a lot of people in that town," Neil said.
And so a few hours later as they rolled down Interstate 95 through the largest city in America, Jesse sat fascinated. The tall buildings overshadowed the freeway and they weren't even in Manhattan. Could they live here?
The strains of Beethoven's Piano Concertos issued from the stereo as Jesse found himself lost in that familiar dream. The concert hall was huge, the audience seated as he walked out on stage and nodded to the conductor. And then he played, the sound swelling in his mind, he was an island in a sea of sound.
It was a dream he had been reliving for almost eight years now, ever since his fingers had touched the keys of a piano. Alone in the dim basement of that church he had fantasized about that moment of glory and it still drove him to excel. He had only met one other person in life who could understand that dream, and that was Tom. But now there was Neil.
"We need gas," Neil said as they entered the New Jersey Turnpike. "Are you hungry yet, I probably ought to stop before we burn up the rest of these miles."
"Sure, let's stop," Jesse replied.
Neil followed the signs for the rest stop, pulling into the gas station to fill up. Jesse excused himself to use the bathroom. Neil swiped his bank card and then started pumping gas.
He didn't know if the food here was any good, but there were a lot of trucks on the lot out back. Jesse hadn't returned so Neil pulled the car around to the front of the restaurant just as Jesse hurried out the door.
Jesse ran over to the Jeep and jumped in. "We are not staying here, some guy perved me in the Men's room."
Neil shook his head and started the car. "I'm sorry, but at least he has good taste in guys."
"Oh, that's so not funny, I hate that shit. Maybe it's the long hair, I should have gone to the ladies room," Jesse said.
"No, that would create other issues."
They drove another few miles and got off the exit, following signs for a fast food restaurant, but all they had were sodas. The trip was quiet for a while as they finally rolled into the eastern part of Philadelphia. Neil followed his printed directions from the internet site, taking Interstate 76 across town and then north for a while, looking for the signs that said Route One.
"There, I recognize the exit," Jesse said, and then he laughed, the sound so welcome in Neil's ears. "Not like I ever drove around here, I just had the lessons. It's weird, it seems like I've been away for so long."
He directed Neil down Route One and they made a left past the entrance to the golf course. "Uncle George plays there, and says I'm an adequate golfer. Lord, that's stretching the truth, I suck."
"Never played," Neil said.
"Lots of walking around, very healthy…I don't like it much," Jesse said. "Turn right here…the house up there on the right with the large black gate."
"Oh My God…will you look at that. It looks really old just like you said. Awesome," Neil said.
"Park on the left side so we don't block the garage door, my uncle probably isn't home from court yet," Jesse said.
"Yeah, the judge…now that's a little scary."
Jesse laughed. "Uncle George is the nicest guy in the world, he doesn't do criminal cases."
Neil parked the car and Jesse ran to the door facing the drive, Neil imagined this must be the kitchen as he followed along. Jesse knocked and then pushed the door open.
"Aunt Diana…we're here," Jesse called.
The kitchen looked well used and spotless Neil noticed, but the room was also filled with the wonderful smells of something good in the oven. The door he walked through was deep set in a thick wall and he remembered Jesse saying the walls of the house were two feet thick. It certainly looked all of that, but everything looked so neat and clean.
The woman who came through the kitchen door from the house looked to be his mother's age and so very thin. Her wide smile at seeing Jesse seemed to light up the room.
"Jesse…welcome home," She said and they hugged. Neil watched the woman close her eyes and could almost feel the affection she had for the boy in her arms. Then she looked up at him.
"You must be Neil, so nice to finally meet you," Diana said.
Neil took her offered hand, while her other remained firmly attached to Jesse.
"You have a wonderful home," Neil said.
Diana smiled. "Yes, I'm sure Jesse told you all about it. But it's a lot of work. So, I bet you boys would like to clean up after your long trip. George will be home in a little while and I'll make you a snack before he gets here."
"Thanks, Aunt D," Jesse said. "I'll show Neil upstairs."
"Your room's all set up, let me know if you need anything," Diana said.
They carried their bags upstairs and the old wooden staircase didn't even make a sound as they climbed. Neil took in the sights, recognizing old antiques that would drive his mother into a frenzy. This house was beyond cool.
Jesse led him down the hallway and through a door into a bright and sunny room due to the six windows which looked out over the back of the house.
"Wow…she bought a new bed," Jesse exclaimed. "Aww…she did this for us."
"She really loves you, I saw that downstairs," Neil said.
"I survived because of her, that's no lie…and now I have you."
Jesse slid into his arms and they kissed…a long slow kiss as only lovers can share.
"Lord, I've been waiting to do that all day," Jesse said when it ended. "Come on. Let me show you the rest of the house."
Neil followed along as Jesse led him from room to room. It was like visiting a museum and Neil knew his mother would just love to see all this. Jesse knew the details of each piece and shared that out along the way. The most impressive piece was the bed his Aunt and Uncle shared.
"The headboard was hand carved about a hundred sixty years ago, solid cherry and it stands about eight feet tall. Aunt D says the maker's mark on the back can be traced to an Amish carver who lived out past York. I love the detail, such a great piece of Americana."
The carving showed the Pennsylvania harvest. Rows of corn, and farmers with their scythes cutting grain, horses, cows and pigs…a cornucopia of farm life in celebration of God's gifts.
"Wonderful…simply amazing," Neil said.
Jesse smiled. "And sturdy, but that's Amish for you, they build to last."
They finished the upstairs with a look at the judge's study, crowned by a beautiful hand crafted roll top desk, but not even Jesse lingered in this room for very long. Neil was still a little nervous about meeting the uncle. Judges were one of the important figures in any community.
They ended back downstairs in the parlor, where Jesse ran his fingers over a small version of the Bradford Steinway. It was a caress, just like Jesse ran his fingers over Neil's face in their finest moments of passion. The boy loved this instrument.
Neil put a hand on Jesse's shoulder and their eyes met. "Aunt D bought this just for me," Jesse said, his voice just as soft as the moment, and then he sat down at the keyboard.
The familiar sounds of the Beethoven filled the room and Neil laid a hand on the piano to feel the music. It was almost like he could feel the sensuality of the piece the way Jesse played it, and then he sensed someone else in the room.
The man who stood beside Diana in the doorway was not what Neil expected a judge to look like. The ruddy faced man reminded him a lot of Dr. Thorne. Tall, slender and a head full of gray hair above a warm and pleasant face. Whereas Jesse's aunt seemed to be in her early forties, this man looked all of sixty, a warm and genuine smile graced his lips.
Jesse played on, oblivious of his audience as the music and this piano swept him away to that special place in his mind. Neil looked back at his face to see the eyes closed and the sweet little smile playing across his lips, this was the Jesse he loved. And then the piece ended and Jesse looked up at the doorway.
"Uncle George," Jesse all but yelled. He stood up and rushed over to the man and they hugged. George looked over at Neil and smiled, and his eyes blinked slowly at the emotions he felt towards Jesse.
"Oh…Uncle George this is Neil Dennison," Jesse said.
Neil shook the offered hand and any trepidation he felt seemed to vanish.
"Welcome," George said. "I've missed hearing that instrument in this house. I’m so glad you're both here."
Over dinner Jesse talked about the school…and Neil. He described their social life and the new relationship he had with Nora. Any mention of Neil's father was omitted. It was as if the man never existed. Both aunt and uncle seemed to absorb the descriptions of life in Littleton with interest. Neil knew they had never been there, but they would get to see it in all its winter glory for the Christmas concert.
But as he sat there Neil realized that they would be bringing Jesse home for the holidays and his life would drop into a void for nearly two weeks. His expression must have changed because Jesse gave him a quizzical look, the boy was so in tune with his moods. Neil tried to cast off the thoughts because this was supposed to be a happy time.
"So, are you boys planning to get a look at the town?" Neil heard George ask.
"Yes, maybe on Saturday," Jesse replied, but his eyes were still on Neil's face. The question they held said 'What?' and Neil just shook his head.
"Jesse says you're originally from Michigan, what brought you to New Hampshire?" Diana asked, and Neil was grateful for the distraction, but should he be honest?
"I had a difficult time at my old high school. Bradford seemed to be a good solution to the problem," Neil said. It wasn't enough, but it suggested that there had been a problem.
"I'm sorry, dear. Jesse had a lot of issues to overcome as well. Bradford certainly did wonders for him," Diana said. She'd accepted the explanation for what it was, and now they moved on.
Neil noted the meal they were eating was healthy. A large tossed salad, lean chicken breasts, with small carrots and parsley potatoes on the side, a well balanced meal. And Jesse picked up his cue right on time.
"This is wonderful, Aunt D…Bradford can't match this," He said.
"Don't they feed you well?" George asked.
"Yeah, there's lots of food. Baked fish, whole grain breads, and a slew of vegetables…I miss ordinary good food like this.
"Now Jesse, it sounds like they eat healthy, are you complaining?" Diana laughed.
"No, I just miss greasy hamburgers and coffee most, the Quakers seem to avoid such things," Jesse said. "But Nora lets me drink coffee with breakfast, that's cool."
"Your mother has been very kind, Neil. We appreciate you letting Jesse come home with you," Diana said.
"Yes ma'am, he's always welcome…I enjoy his company."
Jesse snickered and Diana sighed. "This may feel uncomfortable for you Neil, but we know you and Jesse are in a relationship…and that's just fine with us."
Neil blushed and Jesse laughed. "Can't fool you, can we?" He said.
"No, and you don't have to, either of you," George said. He turned to Neil and smiled.
"We took in a very troubled young boy all those years ago and watching him grow has been the greatest experience of my life. Who he chooses to love is his business, and this time I think he made a good choice. I see and hear so many things through my work on the bench, it's heartbreaking sometimes.
"When Jesse arrived we went to PFLAG, the group we thought would be most helpful in understanding his needs, and they were. So we knew Jesse would have a healthy need for a loving relationship at some point in his life, we expect he's chosen you. So now we can get past the embarrassment, agreed?"
Neil nodded. "Yes sir, thank you."
"Bradford is an awesome place to be a gay kid," Jesse said. "Some are still shy about it, but at least we know who they are. And some of us wear the rainbow pin to show our commitment. But the best part is that the school supports us and no one ever thinks of putting us down for our feelings."
"I knew Dr. Thorne was right, Bradford is a place where there is no gay bias, you are all too immersed in the academic life," Diana said.
Jesse looked up in surprise. "You know Dr. Thorne?"
Diana smiled. "Yes, I met with him before you started school. Forgive me, but I had to know what Bradford was like. He assured me that gay boys could thrive there and that's all I cared about after what you went through."
"He told me much the same, he said no one would make me have to fight for what I am," Neil said, realizing this was the first time he'd told anyone about that discussion.
"It's a shame any of this is necessary, we are such an ignorant society too much of the time," George said. "It seems you suffered at the hands of ignorance as well, Neil."
"Yes, and I was just blown away by Dr. Thorne's recognition of that. He is such a great man for allowing us to be who we are," Neil said.
"Do you boys have a Gay Student Alliance on campus?" George asked.
"No, we do have an informal club of gay and bisexual guys," Jesse said.
"I imagine Bradford doesn't need something like that, but there are organizations in over four thousand schools across the country now," George said.
"Four thousand…wow," Jesse said. "What do they do?"
"Educate students and teachers alike, something the schools should have figured out for themselves years ago. There's a national organization of educators that support the kids, you ought to look them up online. Gay, Lesbian and Straight Educational Network they're called," George said.
"Oh, straight kids are in it too?" Neil asked.
"Yes, it's all about educating everyone about the issues from both sides. A very smart idea to be inclusive like that. Both sides need to learn tolerance."
After dinner Jesse played the piano for a while, but by nine o'clock he was yawning, it had been a long day.
"You boys go on to bed if you want, I think I'll turn in," Diana said. "I have to get up early and start the turkey. You can sleep in, but I want you to help George with a few chores before dinner."
"Be glad to," Jesse said.
"It's so good to have you home," Diana said, giving Jesse a hug, and then she turned to Neil, and they hugged as well. "Good to have you both here."
George gave them both a hug and then they hurried upstairs to Jesse's bedroom. He'd left a window open and the cool night air had filled the room.
"Amazing, it's like fifty here and twenty degrees colder up north…we'll have snow up there real soon Mike said." Neil laughed. "You suppose if I get snowed in at Bradford they'd let me sleep in your bed?"
Jesse shook his head, "You know better, but we could set a mattress on the floor in my room, you could sleep there."
"Yeah right, like that would happen," Neil said.
"Well, we couldn't keep Frank up all night, could we?"
They undressed and Jesse smiled. "I finally get to have you in my bed for a change."
"Yeah, and we get to christen it too," Neil replied. "Um…can we?"
"Oh yeah, these walls are a mile thick…best thing about the house."
And so they climbed in bed and lay in the dark. "I think we ought to start a GSA club, I bet Thorne would let us," Jesse said.
"I've heard about them before, I didn't want to say anything because your uncle was on a roll…he's very nice," Neil said.
"See, told you he was…you think we need a GSA?"
"Maybe not, but I get it. It might be fun to find a way for the straight boys to understand us better. There is a National Day of Silence this spring, and that would be a good time to launch our effort."
"So you want to run this thing? I didn't know you were interested in stuff like that," Jesse said.
"Yeah, I think it's all about teaching others…I kind of like the sound of that," Neil said.
"You've taught me a lot about myself," Jesse said. "We've both learned a lot about love."
"Yes…yes we have," And then Neil chuckled. "And I'm all for a little advanced study right now…how about you?"
Jesse giggled. "Teach me."
The mattress was firm and the covers warm. They came together and then quickly fell asleep. Neil awoke to the blinding rays of the sun streaming in through the windows since neither of them had thought to close the drapes. He pulled the covers over his head and burrowed into Jesse's armpit.
"Jeez…what are you hiding from…Oh," Jesse laughed. He got out of bed and pulled the drapes shut.
"Thank you…I almost went blind there."
"Sorry, I forgot, the morning sun lights the house on this side…it gets pretty intense," Jesse said.
"Hmm," Neil moaned as Jesse crawled back in beside him and they snuggled until the smell of coffee wafted up the stairs.
What had once been an upstairs with three bedrooms now held two, the spare room split five years before into George's study and a bathroom for Jesse. A growing boy needed his own space, and Diana knew of the need for privacy.
She had never been blessed with children of her own since her body wouldn't allow her to conceive. But Jesse had always been her special boy, and then his terrible life allowed her to intervene, giving her what she wanted most…a child to adore.
Neil took his turn on the toilet and then joined Jesse in the shower. They had developed a method of washing one another at the same time. A choreographed dance meant to defeat the disruptive influence of Neil's tiny water heater which left them with only cold water if they weren't careful. But they danced so well, it had become a routine.
They dressed and went down to find sustenance and were treated to the smells of a turkey roasting in the oven. But the overriding urge to eat was first met with a cup of coffee, feeding Jesse's addictions and making Neil smile. George was at the table and greeted them, asking if once done with breakfast if they would help him prune a tree.
"I need to get the limbs cut back before the darn things rip the gutters off the garage. I hate to admit it, but heights are not one of the things I deal with very well," George said.
"How high is it?" Jesse asked.
"Maybe twelve to fifteen feet off the ground, I do have a sturdy ladder though."
"We'll be glad to do it," Neil said.
After breakfast they went out and set the ladder up on the back of the garage.
"So how do I do this, climb out on the limb and cut the branch off behind me?" Jesse laughed.
"Oh Lord, let me climb up there…you can catch," Neil laughed.
They managed to toss a rope over the limb and pull it away from the gutter before the cutting took place. Five minutes with the saw and the limb fell, Jesse stumbled over his own feet getting out of the way when it let go.
"You forgot to yell 'timber,' didn't they teach you that in famous lumberjack school?" Jesse laughed, brushing the dirt off his behind.
"No, I must have slept through that class," Neil said as he climbed down.
George laughed. "You boys are too much."
Neil and Jesse sawed the limb up and carried the remains down to the curb for pickup. They grabbed a rake and cleaned up the remains.
"Anything else?" Jesse asked.
"Well I'd love to widen the driveway a bit, but then we'd have to move the house a few feet," George laughed.
"No problem…Neil," Jesse said, snapping his fingers.
"Oh you are asking for it," Neil laughed and lunged for the boy.
They ran around the house twice before Neil gave up on the chase. George stood back and watched the boys at play, pleased that Jesse had found someone so dear. Having the boy happy about his life was all he'd ever wanted to see. Now all he had to do was assure the boy’s future.
Jesse would soon be off to college and George had been saving for that day. But he would step off the bench and retire before too long, he just hoped Jesse would be graduated by then. A good life was in the details and it all seemed to be working out so far.
They sat down for a Thanksgiving dinner later that afternoon, just as families did all across the nation. Neil had promised to call his mother after dinner and he hoped she was having a good time with his grandfather.
He could not stay home for Christmas, knowing it would be too depressing there without Jesse. It was time to go back to Lansing, despite the feelings of disgust he felt for the town. Besides, he wanted to talk to his grandfather about New York. No one knew that city better than the man who had built his fortune there.
"Lord, thank you for this feast," George said, as they bowed to give thanks. "Thank you for the wonderful company we share with the two young gentlemen who sit at this table. May we always remember from whom our bounty comes…Amen."
George looked up and saw Neil smiling at him. The boy was a wonder of grace and manners, and he wondered about the boy's family. No mention of the father, and he wasn't about to ask since some secrets were meant to be kept. But Neil obviously had led a privileged life, unlike the misfortune that had befallen Jesse.
That distinction seemed to make no difference in the relationship, and for that George was grateful. He sensed that this was only the beginning for these two and he was aware that they shared a level of comfort much like he did with his wife. He had seen them at play this afternoon, like two kids deep in the throes of friendship…only he knew it was so much more.
He had felt something akin to love in his own high school days, but maybe it was just a crush he'd had on Bobby Slayton. He could find no fault in loving another boy, they had shared just a few moments expressing those feelings, but didn't most boys? His moments of exploration on those Scouting weekends had seemed a revelation, but then there was nothing serious about what they did together, at least in Bobby's mind.
But that was all in the past, he had grown out of those urges and his life moved on. Jesse would never lose the feelings of loving another man; it was a deep seated part of him. George knew he would soon meet Neil's mother up at the school, and that would be a moment to explore the future of these two boys…boys who would soon become men.
He wanted nothing more from this life than the love of his wife and the success of Jesse's career in music. Would Neil be there as well? He thought so…it seemed obvious at the moment. Each boy had faced adversity in their lives and he'd seen how devastating that was to some people.
But these two fine young men had blossomed and their love had been born out of the ashes of that past. He could only assent to their futures together and he would make sure they succeeded at any cost. No man could save the world alone, but George knew he would do whatever it took for these boys.