Foto Chapter 15
Notice:
The contents of this story is purely fictional although based on real life happenings in my life. All names have been fictionalize to protect the innocent and not so innocent. The content matter of this story concerns love and sex between males teenagers. If this is not what you like reading or it is illegal for you to read this material because of age or laws go somewhere else. This story is copyrighted by it's owner and may not be copied or published elsewhere without the owners permission.
Author's note:
Here's the next chapter. Write me.
Sam Lakes
samlakes86 at yahoo.com
Foto
by Sam Lakes
Copyright © 2006 All Rights Reserved
Chapter Fifteen
I woke to the smell of coffee and bacon. My stomach growled letting me know that it was hungry. I quickly showered, dressed and then walked to the kitchen.
“Good morning! I slept so well last night,” I greeted Officer and Mrs. Thompson.
“Good morning, Bastian, you are quite the celebrity now,” smiled Mrs. Thompson.
“Celebrity? How so?” I asked.
“Apparently word got around about your delivering a baby in a snow storm. We had reporters calling here all night. I’m afraid when you go to the hospital this morning you are going to be inundated with reporters wanting your story,” answered Officer Thompson.
“If that scares you, you can just stay undercover here,” said Mrs. Thompson.
“I promised Marcy and Noah I’d come and see them this morning. There must not be much going on in the world if I’m the center of attention. Honestly, they are really scraping the bottom of the story barrel,” I shook my head in disbelief that I would be news to anyone.
Of course when we arrived at the hospital the press was there waiting. They were comprised of a cameraman, TV reporter, photographer and a newspaper reporter. I was glad it wasn’t like a gazillion people firing questions at me. Well, this is a small town. Yay!
They asked why I was hitchhiking. My first answer was my usual smartass teenage reply, “I missed the bus.”
“Actually, I got off the train to take a picture and didn’t get back on the train in time and it left.”
I ended up telling them the whole story about my mom dying of cancer and wanting to take a special picture. Then getting picked up by Officer Thompson and then delivering Noah.
“So, I understand you are going to be the baby’s godfather,” said the reporter.
“I am?” That was news to me, but I guess Marcy must have said something to them. “Uh, yeah, yeah I am and I am honored to have that responsibility.”
I spent most of the day with Marcy. She indeed wanted me to be Noah’s godfather and I accepted. I got to hold him a lot too. He was sooo cute and I took a lot of photos of him. I loved watching him eat. Marcy was a bit embarrassed at first but she got over it. I giggled at one point and she looked at me.
“He’s making yummy sounds. He’s the best. He’s so beautiful, just like his mommy.” She blushed.
I had told her about the fact that I was gay and had a boyfriend. We talked about Brady for a while then I asked, “Do you really want to me to be Noah’s godfather?”
“I wouldn’t want anyone else. You are so special Bastian. I know with you as Noah’s godfather there will be someone special in his life. If anything were to ever happen to me I’d want to know that he has someone who cares about him.”
“How could anyone not care about Noah? What can I say? I am honored. I promise you and him I will always be there for him and for that matter for you…” I paused and slyly smiled, “just not sexually. My heart is owned by Brady.”
She leaned over and kissed me on the cheek. “He’s the luckiest guy there is.”
My dads and Brady arrived early in the afternoon. I think they all fell in love with Marcy and Noah. I was holding Noah when he decided to poop in his diaper.
“Uh, Michael,” I said holding Noah out to him, “He just pooped.”
Michael smiled, “Well, you’re his godfather. Change is diaper.” He reached over and grabbed a diaper from the nightstand and the container of baby wipes.
Everyone was looking at me with suppressed grins. Right! They didn’t think I could do it. I’ll show them. I lay him on the changing table. I undid his diaper and just finished wiping him clean using a baby wipe when he peed. Well, he got me – gave my shirt front a soaking much to the laughter of all. I ignored them and completed my task. I handed him back to Marcy who was still giggling.
“I forgot to warn you about that,” chuckled Dad, “Payback’s a bitch. Hahahaha.”
“Yeah, you soaked us more than once,” laughed Michael.
****
Late in the afternoon we left Marcy’s room so she could feed Noah in private. I guess feeding him in front of me was okay after all I had seen everything, but a room full of guys was a bit much, even if they were all gay.
We decided we would eat too and headed for the cafeteria.
“Dad, how is she going to get to her sister’s? She shouldn’t drive all that way by herself.”
Dad smiled, “Well, she won’t have to go alone son. While you and Brady went to get a clean shirt,” he snickered and then continued, “Michael and I talked with her. We’re going to rent a Suburban. We’ll put the luggage in her car which we will tow.”
I stopped, grabbed dad in a hug which he returned. “I love you so much, Dad,” I said as my eyes got really moist. I stood hugging my dad for several moments. I was truly blessed to have two wonderful parents…and a boyfriend…and Marcy… and a godson.
I gobbled down my food and was ready to head back to Marcy’s room. Michael and Dad did the thing of savoring a stale French fry. I told him they could savor their French fry all night I was going back to the room.
I got back to the room in time to change another diaper but it was worth it cuz I got to hold Noah for a while. He has the cutest little yawn.
The news was on the TV. Nobody was particularly paying attention to it until I heard my name. Apparently our story hit the major networks. It was kinda cool.
The best thing was an anonymous person paid Marcy’s and Noah’s hospital bill. I think my dads would have paid it though because they adored Noah and Marcy. Of course I think I helped because I started calling them Grandpa Brian and Grandpa Michael and so did Marcy.
Our drive to California was pretty uneventful. I think everyone got a kick out of me because when ever we’d stop I’d check Noah and if he needed changing I take him and his diaper bag off to the men’s room and change his diaper. I managed to avoid his christenings. Brady was so cool…I think he was falling for Noah as much as I had.
When we got to LA Dad and Michael dropped us off at Marcy’s sister’s house. It wasn’t in that good a neighborhood but it wasn’t that bad. I made Marcy promise me she’d call if she or Noah needed anything. I was really torn between going on to Mom’s or asking to stay with Marcy and Noah.
Dad and Michael returned after a few hours. The Suburban was loaded down with baby clothes, toys, baby furniture, highchair, and stroller and like a year’s supply of Pampers.
Dad and Michael said they were merely fulfilling their roles as honorary grandparents.
Our departure was met with tears all around. In just a few days we’d all become so attached to one another especially me, Marcy and Noah. It felt like a part of me was staying in LA.
****
Mom looked really weak and frail. She was at home with her parents. It was the first time that I had met them. I don’t think I had been there five minutes when my grandfather asked me to follow him to his study. Their house was quite large on about two acres of land. This being California and in Napa Valley I knew they weren’t hurting for money.
His study was very nice with shelves of books and what suprised me was a wall covered with photographs – pictures I had taken and sent to my mom and him. I had felt obligated to send him my photos as he was the one who bought me my laptop. I had no idea they'd be printed, framed and hung on a wall.
“I saw you on the news the other day. I was at the club. I heard your name and saw you and the girl and her baby. People were talking about you and I said that’s my grandson. Oh man, I was so proud of you. You’re just an amazing boy, excuse me young man, Bastian.”
I shrugged my shoulders, “She is an amazing girl and Noah, he’s my godson, and I adore him.”
“So, I heard on the news. Bastian, I am so happy to have finally met you. When your mom returned from Colorado she was a changed woman. She said it was the best summer she ever had. I’m going to be honest with you. It was your mom that bought you the laptop and said it was from me. I was a fool. I wanted nothing to do with you or Brian and Michael.”
“Your mom came back after that summer no longer a spoiled brat and no longer a miserable lady.” Grandfather paused and looked away for a few moments. “She said she knew her illness had returned but she didn’t care because she had found happiness.”
“She said happiness is defined in one word – Bastian.”
He paused and wiped a stray tear in the corner of his eye and then continued. “I think I hated you for a while because I was jealous. She talked about you as if you were the greatest thing in her life, the one thing that brought her joy. Her whole life I had bought her things - spoiled her rotten, and yet this kid of thirteen that she only known for three months meant more to her than anything I could have ever given her and he was the one thing I had denied her.”
“I was angry at Brian, when he got her pregnant. I knew he was gay. I knew that he loved Michael. Your mom knew it too but she was so in love with him. Your dad would have given up Michael and done the right thing and married her but I wouldn’t let it happen. She begged me to let Brian have you to let your dad and Michael raise you. I agreed on the condition she never saw Brian, Michael or you again. Your dads never knew this. Once you were born we moved here.”
“At first when you would email me, I’d hated you and I deleted your emails without reading them. It wasn’t until I saw your mom after that summer that I eventually stopped deleting them and started reading them. I’m such a stubborn old fool for never replying, but I loved your photographs. Friends who visit us always want to see if I have anything new to show them,” Grandfather chuckled.
I guess I was surprised by what he’d revealed but it didn’t really upset me. My life with my dads has been good. It’s sort of like what you never had you never miss.
“In September we knew the cancer was back and that your mom was dying and…” he paused as he attempted to control his emotions. “When you called her at Thanksgiving she told us all she wanted for Christmas was to see her son, her Bastian one more time.”
Okay that got to me. I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes and any second now they’d spill over.
“Bastian,” Grandfather was loosing control of his emotions. Tears were flowing and that only increased my own flow. “Bastian, how can I ever make it up to you – all your life I denied you your mother and denied her not just a son but, but a great son!”
Oh man, we both lost it. I walked over to where was sitting and wrapped him in a hug. “I’m so, so sorry, Bastian,” he cried. I cried. I guess I just got caught up in his emotions. Sort of like when you go to the movies and see a tearful scene. I mean I didn’t see that there was anything for me to forgive.
“I-I think, grandfather, you have to forgive yourself,” I said softly. “It’s kind of weird. I don’t feel like I missed out on anything – you know she and I talked about this before I left for Paris. I love her and I feel close to her, but Mom and I are more like best friends than mother and son.”
We talked a bit longer and I think grandfather saw my viewpoint.
The next two days were kinda stressful for me. When I wasn’t with my mom trying so hard to be cheerful, I poured myself into Photoshoping the pictures I had taken, trying not to be down. I felt like I was about to implode and become the first human blackhole.
It was Brady who came to my rescue as usual.
“Hey you, time for a break.”
“Can’t I’m really busy, Brady,” I said.
He didn’t listen. He scooped me up into his arms and carried me outside. Putting me down he said softly, “Walk.”
We walked. Silently at first then he spoke, “Bastian, you need to let it out. Cry, get angry anything but this pretended happiness. It isn’t working. Everyone knows it’s just a show.”
I looked at him. “I don’t know what to do,” I all but whispered, “She’s dying and I can’t stop it. No matter what I do it’s not going to make a difference. I’ve never had to deal with death of someone I love. It’s not fair.”
“IT’s NOT FAIR!” I screamed, “Not to her, not to grandfather or grandmother, or me.” I began to sob and Brady held me close. He said nothing. He let me cry.
“Grandfather feels so bad about separating us when I was born. I wondered what my life would have been like if he hadn’t. I don’t regret what he did but I wondered what my life would have been like. Would I have been normal?”
“Normal?”
“Yeah, straight normal. I don’t really think I would be straight. Probably a closet case scared to come out.”
Brady smiled. “We probably would have never met, but who knows maybe I would have been the one to bring you out of the closet.”
I hugged him tighter.
“I’m so scared I’ll say or do the wrong thing. I don’t know how to deal with it – death. Is it the end? Or is it the beginning? I don’t know what to say to her or how to comfort her or how to say goodbye.” I began to cry again.
After awhile Brady spoke softly, “Babe, just be honest with her, don’t pretend to be so happy and cheerful. Tell her how you feel. You’ve always been honest with her. Well, except for that time when you decided to conquer Long’s Peak.”
I had to smile at that. Brady was right I’d always talked things out with her that summer after Aunt Edna gave us a reality adjustment.
We were about two blocks from my grandparents’ house when an ambulance screamed past us and stopped at the house.
“MOM!” I yelled as I ran to the house.
I ran into the house calling her. Michael grabbed me.
“Bastian, she’s gone.”
“NO! I-I didn’t get to say goodbye! IT’s NOT FAIR! It’s so not fair…I-I didn’t get to say goodbye.”
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