The Journey Begins 26
Author's Notes:
I want to thank my Readers. You guys are the best. Okay, these characters are not meant to resemble any living or dead persons. I make no apology to anyone who is offended by anything in this story. If you do not agree with the idea of guys being in love, then find something else to read. Let me know what you think of the story by emailing me at
Copyright © 2008-2017 by Chuck B
The Journey Begins
Chapter 26 – He's My Son
For Eric and Steve, Graduation day is coming up in just a couple weeks, and they are both super excited. The events of the upcoming weeks have them both thrilled. The activities include senior breakfast, their senior trip, and a senior lock in. The last few months have been a crazy ride. This week is finals and then their school time will be spent doing practices, pictures, and being seniors Eric and Steve aren't sure that they are ready for school to be over yet, and it's coming quickly.
***
Today is Monday, the end is in sight and it's coming quickly. However, time seems to be moving slowly which, of course, drags out the school day. There have been a couple fights, but what sticks out in Eric's mind is that a new kid, that Eric has never met, came up to him and called him a faggot. The teen bumped Eric's shoulder. Eric has come a long way from his days when Dale was harassing him. His skin is much thicker these days. But being harassed isn't fair and it sucks to be pestered by this kid. The rest of the day goes by without any issues other than their nerves. It's when he gets home that it hits him what happened earlier in the day.
***
He wants to share his day with Mark and Sarah, but when he arrives, much to his surprise, his parents are over at the house. Eric enters the house.
"Hey Eric, how was your day?"
Sarah asks as her brother comes into the living room.
"We had finals during 1st, 2nd hour, and 3rd hour, but today on the way to second hour, I got called a faggot by a kid."
Mark, Sarah, and his mom are all concerned about him, but his dad has no sympathy for his son.
"Oh."
"Well, it didn't get any worse than that so overall it was an okay day."
His dad sat quietly just staring at his son while Eric spoke.
`He asked for it. He freaking asked for it.'
Eric's dad thought, as he heard his son speak. Clearly, at some level, Eric has asked for his kid to verbally assault or at least that is what his Dad thinks. His mom can see the thought running through her husband's mind. She says nothing to him instead she simply gives him a stern glance. The message is clear "watch your mouth". Rather than risk an argument, Eric's dad wisely chooses to be quiet concerning his thoughts.
"Eric, we're sorry that you had a bad day."
His mom smiles as she gives him a hug. It makes him feel great, after having a semi-rough day. His happiness is welcomed by Eric, Sarah, and Mark. Eric needs to head upstairs and get started on his homework. He says good bye and leaves his family as he heads upstairs.
***
Eric's mom said nothing to her husband, when he gave Eric the glance. Everyone who saw him make the face knew exactly what it meant. She gives Sarah a quick glance and then turns her attention to her husband. Sarah whispers something in Mark's ear and then they stand up together and walk into the kitchen.
"Why did you have to give our son that look?"
Mrs. Kesier looks at him as she waits for him to answer her.
"Exactly what look did I give him?"
She turns her head away from him, not wanting him to see her anger. He may not admit that he gave Eric a mean stare but she knows that he did.
"Look, you know exactly what I'm talking about, so don't play dumb. He's your son too. It's time you started loving him again."
He's dumbfounded by her comments. She just wants him to be Eric's dad again instead of just his father. Eric needs his wisdom as he enters adulthood, because there maybe things that Mark may not have experienced.
"Who says I don't love him?"
She has not been doing a good job of that but she is changing things for the better. The same thing can't be said for him, he is still denying Eric of his love. Ignoring him isn't loving him, it's being cruel. Eric has seen enough cruelty in the last few years.
"I love him, but I stand by what I said."
"Well then, you had better be prepared to lose him."
He isn't ready for Eric to be lost to him, but he isn't prepared to welcome his back either. She won't give up, she sits down and stares at her husband. All she wants is for him to apologize.
"Well maybe, you should make your own meal tonight. I'm going to say goodbye to Sarah and Mark, and then we're going home." A few minutes later, she comes back and together they head for home. No one says a thing the entire way home, and she does end up making dinner for herself.
***
It's around 6:00 pm that night when a phone call comes in that Sarah answers. Eric can't hear the conversation but he can see his sister's face. It's a face that she reserves for her ugliest of moods. Whoever Sarah is talking to is really ticking her off, there's no mistaking it. If that person was in the room, they would be getting a good tongue lashing. After she hangs up the phone, she turns to her brother so they can talk. What was once an angry face has mellowed and now it's filled with compassion.
"Eric that was Dad, he's accusing you of lying to Mom about stuff."
Eric is stunned. He can't believe that his Dad thinks he would lie to his Mom, and especially about him.
"I...I didn't say anything to Mom about him. What is he even talking about Sarah?"
Sarah can see the confusion and the hurt in her brother's eyes. It's as if he's been betrayed.
"I think Mom laid into him over that look he gave you during our conversation about the kid who called you that slur."
He just shakes his head in disbelief. With that Sarah gets up and joins Mark in the kitchen, Eric goes back up to his room to relax. But Eric doesn't really relax, he just goes up to review his notes for the two finals that he has tomorrow. Keeping busy will help him to forget what he and Sarah just spoke about.
***
It's Friday night and Eric has finished all his finals and his Mother has taken him out for dinner to celebrate the end of finals. Dinner has gone great. Every day that passes brings mother and son one step closer to each other. Eric calls for the waiter and as he approaches the table, the same kid from school on Monday passes by. As the kid passes their table, he smiles and "Hi Queer."
He mouths off. It's isn't that the word is hurtful, but it's use was demeaning. Mrs. Bishop stands up and follows this young man to his seat, which isn't far from where Eric and her are sitting.
"Young man, you really need to apologize to my son."
The mouthy teen smirks at her. Suddenly, a ball of anger rises in her throat, but she won't go there not with him.
"I'm serious young man. You need to apologize."
She turns and walks away from him. She returns to the table as the waiter begins to pass out their food.
"Excuse me sit, but that young man just called son a homophobic slur. I've asked him twice to apologize and he refuses to say that he's sorry."
The waiter, unknown to Eric or Mrs. Keiser, is Bi and has at times been called a few choice words. He walks over to his manager and tells him what was had happened, and the manager suggests to the young man that if he won't apologize that he and his party will be asked to find someplace else to eat. Wanting to finish their meals, the party persuades the young man to apologize for his ignorant comment. He gets up and walks over to where Eric and his mom are sitting. He doesn't look remorseful, but he does look like something has made an impact on him. Turning to Eric, he smiles and reaches out his hand.
"Hey, I'm sorry for being a jerk. My name is Jason."
Eric just gives him a glance as he compares this Jason to their neighbor.
"Thanks Jason, I'm Eric."
"Cool, I'll...I'll see you at school on Monday."
"Yeah."
Eric says as Jason turns away from him to return to his table. Nothing more is said about the incident and it's not long before they head out for Sarah's house. Eric can't get over what his Mom did for him back at the restaurant. She defended him and made things right for him back there at the restaurant. It helped to cement their bond.
***
When Eric gets home, he runs to find Sarah so he can tell her about what happened. Sarah is in her bedroom with the door open, so Eric walks into the room.
"I've been looking all over the house for you. I've got something awesome to tell you."
Sarah continues folding laundry as she waits for her brother to tell her what happened, while he was out with their mother.
"Don't you want to hear it?"
She stops what she is doing and sits down on the bed.
"Okay so tell me about what happened."
"Okay, so you know that Mom took me out to eat?"
She nods her head and then waits for him to continue.
"While we were there, this guy around my age comes past our table and calls me queer. Mom was so upset she got up and walked right over to his table and insisted that he apologize. He wouldn't, so she went to our waiter and expressed her concern. When he went over to talk to this guy, the kid got up and came right over to me and apologized to me. We actually seemed to get along once he apologized to me. The most amazing thing is that Mom stood up for me. She stood for me."
"Eric that is awesome, I guess Mom is turning over a new leaf after all."
Eric's eyes are beaming with love. Their mom does love him and her actions proved it, because sometimes one needs to see love in action not just love expressed in words. Things are changing for the better. Sarah wraps her arms around her brother. They're smiling and at least one of them is crying, Sarah breaks the hug and then she sits down on the bed.
"Thanks Sarah, I really appreciate the hug."
Says Eric as he wipes his eyes.
Mark comes into the house with a smile on his face.
"Sarah!"
He shouts up to find out where, she is. She heads downstairs to see what her husband wants. When she reaches him, Mark tells her that he wants to take her out, but the only catch is, they need a babysitter. They haven't asked much from Eric since David's birth at least not when it comes to babysitting. Today though, Mark wants Eric to babysit, and he hopes that his brother in law will do it. Mark walks up the stairs to Eric's room so he can ask him about babysitting.
"Eric, can you babysit tonight? I want to take Sarah out for a meal."
Eric stares at Mark for just a second as he thinks about what his brother in law said.
"I can watch him. How long will you guys be gone?"
Mark pauses for a second or two.
"Long enough for us to eat and enjoy the night together. I won't keep her out too late, and I won't keep you up late."
Mark and Sarah always keep Eric in mind when they plan their dates, so that they don't make him feel like they are taking advantage of him.
"Cool, I hope you guys have fun."
Mark smiles and then walks back downstairs to Sarah. Mark tells Sarah that Eric has agreed to babysit David. Sarah changes David in the nursery so that Eric won't have too immediately after they leave. After he's changed, she lets Eric know that David is all his. Sarah gives David a kiss, Eric gets a hug, and then Sarah goes back downstairs. Eric stands up with David and they head downstairs.
***
Eric and David are enjoying their time together. Eric prides himself on being a good uncle. Right now, Eric is playing with his nephew, making funny faces at him and of course making some funny noises all of which is making David smile. It's amazing how fast time goes when he's with David. At one point David needs a diaper change, and Eric hops right into diaper changing mode. After surviving the diaper change, David becomes a little restless, so Uncle Eric goes into the kitchen and prepares a bottle for him. He settles down on the couch with his nephew and while he's feeding him, Eric hears a car pull up in the driveway, and it's not long before Mark enters the house. Mark is followed by Sarah who smiles at her brother and then goes upstairs to brush her teeth. Mark sits down by Eric and he transfers David to Mark's arms.
"Thanks Eric, Sarah and I really enjoyed our date."
"No problem, David was perfect. I think, I am going to call Steve and then go to bed."
Eric and Mark head upstairs to their rooms.
***
When he gets to his room, he grabs his phone, and he notices that he's got a missed call from Steve. Steve not only called but he also left a voice mail too. Getting into his voice mail, he quickly listens to the message.
"Hey Eric, I'm not sure why but I felt like I should call you and check in on you. Call me."
`That is sweet of him.'
He's not even sure why Steve felt like he should call, but he's glad that he called. It takes him 30 seconds or less to start the call to Steve.
"Hey Babe, what's going on? Is there something going on that I should know about.
Ever since Vince, Steve has been paying more attention to Eric to keep him happy and to know how he feels at any given point in time. Eric quickly tells Steve what happened while out with his mom today.
"Eric that is awesome, I am loving it. Your mom just earned major points with me."
Eric is happy how everything seems to be shaping up in his life.
"I'm amazed too. She is changing before my eyes."
Eric's mom isn't so much changing as much as her eyes are opening to the fact that her son hasn't changed at all.
"Hey, I want to see you, I'm coming over, okay Eric?"
"I wouldn't dream of stopping you, but it's late and everyone else is in bed, can you come over tomorrow morning?"
"I can do that."
The guys go to bed as they look forward to tomorrow morning.
***
Steve keeps his promise and shows up around 9:00 am. They have breakfast together, giving compliments to Mark and Sarah for fixing it, and then they head outdoors. Eric and Steve make small talk as they walk around the street and just relax before coming back to the house. After their walk, they get a drink and then sit down and watch a movie on the television. Eric decides that after the movie, that they should jam to their favorite songs which fill the house with their voices for better or worse. As they're jamming, there is a knock on the door. Sarah goes to answer the door for whoever is knocking on the door. To her surprise, it's her mom, and she is dressed up for church.
"Is Eric up?"
"Yeah Mom, he's up but Steve is over right now."
Sarah knows what's up and she isn't sure that Eric is ready for what's coming.
"Oh."
Mom seems a bit defeated. Sarah invites her inside and then goes upstairs to check on Mark and David. Mrs. Kesier approaches Eric and Steve.
"Eric, I know this is short notice, but would you be willing to go to church with me?"
Steve is instantly on edge.
`All of this niceness has been an act to get him to go back to church.'
Steve waits to hear his boyfriend's response. Eric and Mrs. Keiser can see the hurt in Steve's eyes.
"Eric, I think that I'm going to go home."
"No, I don't want you to go home."
Steve continues to walk towards the door. He turns towards Eric before opening the door.
"I'll see you tomorrow at school."
"Okay well I guess, I'll see you tomorrow too."
The last thing Eric wants is to have to wait to see Steve again. It's doesn't matter now because Steve just left the house. Now, Eric is left with him mom.
"Would you be willing to go church with me today?"
It's the last thing that Eric wants to do today. He's contemplating his mom's request. He has to make a quick decision.
***
Mrs. Kesier stands near her son as she waits for an answer. Eric doesn't want to tell her no, but he doesn't want to go to church either, so what does he do. He looks up at his mom and he smiles at her.
"Okay Mom, I'll go with you."
Mrs. Keiser is happy to have her son going to church with her. They both know that, there is going to be some people at church who will let hurtful words slip out of their mouth. It has Eric more than worried about the visit. It will be interesting to see others react to him.
"Thanks Eric, I won't ask you to stay past the first hour."
He can live with that, and so can his mom. Eric isn't likely to return to church, but for his mom he can do it today. Eric run upstairs and showers quickly and then puts on his Sunday best. When he's ready, he runs down the stairs to find his mom waiting for him. Together, they walk out to her car and then they get inside. In fifteen minutes, they are going to be at church and Eric's nerves are killing him.
***
They arrive at church and Eric is a bundle of raw nerves. Apart from his anxiety is that he is noticing some people who look at him and then seem to be whispering as they look away. It's driving him crazy too. Eric and his mom enter the chapel area. He doesn't want to seem paranoid but there were a couple times where he actually heard people talking about him. His mother ignored the talk and went for an empty pew to sit down at along with Eric. Once they sat down, Eric zoned out as the meeting started.
`Why am I doing this to myself?'
Second guessing is not one of his favorite things to do, but right now he's questioning his decision of attending church. Church is easy when he can zone out. After the first part of the meeting, Eric can't take it anymore, but right now he's stuck.
***
The one place that he'll be comfortable is outside. There will be fewer people around if he goes and sits underneath one of the trees. At the first opportunity he quietly sneaks out and finds one of the Maples to sit by while his mom attends the next couple meetings. She didn't expect him to attend the rest of the meetings anyway. It's not like, she'll say anything to him. After the way the day started, he needs to clear the air with Steve. Taking out his phone, he calls Steve. Steve answers the phone, hoping that his boyfriend is back at home.
"Hey Babe, what's up?"
"I'm still at church. I decided to come outside and relax."
Well, there goes Steve's wish.
"I just wanted to make sure that you weren't mad."
There has been enough raw and unhappy emotions in their relationship and Eric doesn't want any more of it a while.
"I'm not mad. I guess, I was a little confused is all. I thought you were done with church."
How does he tell Steve why he went to church without sounding like an idiot?
"When my mom asked me to attend with her, I thought that I owned her that much after all, she did stand up for me."
Eric's not comfortable at church, but with everything going on with his mom, he wants to develop that bond between them. It would make sense if Eric was comfortable being at church, but Steve doesn't think that he's happy there. If he was comfortable there, he wouldn't be sitting outside.
"You know what Eric? I love you."
Eric gets a lump in his throat like he does every time when he hears Steve say those three words.
"Thanks Steve, I love you too."
"I'll talk to you later, Babe."
They end the call and their phones are put away. Eric is aware of someone walking towards him, so he looks up to see who's coming closer. It's his mom and she comes to him offering her hands to help pick him up off the ground. Eric gets up from the grass and smiles at his mom.
"Are you ready to go?"
`Wait, is she ready to head home?'
Eric can't believe it. They've only left church early due to someone getting sick, so why leave church early now?
"Yeah, I'm ready but I need a drink."
"Okay."
She says as he starts to move towards the doors. She isn't going to let him enter the church without her. She knows how uncomfortable he was when they first entered the building, and she doesn't want him facing some of the members by himself. Some of the members are awesome, but there are a few who aren't very nice. She follows him to the drinking fountain, where she stands pretending to be waiting for a drink. After his drink, he decides to use the bathroom. As he disappears into the bathroom a member of the congregation approaches his mom.
"Is Eric still claiming to be gay?"
Mrs. Keiser wants to chew them out for the comment. It's not meant to be insulting but at the same time it doesn't sound very polite. She is over people talking about her son and his sexuality as if somehow, it's all that makes Eric, Eric.
"I'm sorry that you see it that way. Eric isn't claiming to be anything. I used to think that Eric was doing this because he was mad or that I had done something wrong. I realized in the last six months, that I was losing my son, and I hated that feeling."
Someone else has come up to her.
"I'm sorry but your son makes me feel very uncomfortable. I'm afraid he's going to make my son gay. Can you please keep him home until he's over this whole same sex attraction thing? I prefer to keep my son away from sinners."
They don't seem to share any of her feelings, and she doesn't care, but it's about to get interesting.
***
Eric is coming out of the restroom as his mom begins to speak her mind.
"Oh my..., I don't know what to say, so let me tell you what's in my heart right now. Eric is my son, and I love him. Do not talk about him that way. I am truly sorry that you feel uncomfortable around him, perhaps you just need to spend more time around him. Sounds like you don't know him very well. Oh, and for the record, I doubt your son has anything to worry about, because my son has a wonderful boyfriend, and they are great together. But if it makes you feel any better, I will call you next time Eric comes to church so that you can keep your son home."
You can see everyone's jaws drop. Eric is shocked too. The person who shared her opinion to Mrs. Kesier seems offended. Eric cuts through the crowd with tears in his eyes. When she sees her son's face, she immediately hugs him and wipes his face. Her eyes catch the lady who seems to dislike Eric.
"See what you did. You can't throw hate around and not hurt someone in the process."
Together, Eric and Mom walk through the church and out the door. It doesn't take long for Mr. Keiser to hear about what was said in the hallway. He calls her on the cell phone and says something to his wife. Can you believe that he's upset over what was said, even though it was directed at his son?
***
Eric can't take it anymore and they get outside; right in front of the doors, he stops. He wraps his arms and begins to cry.
"Let's sit down Eric."
She sits down on the steps leading up to the front doors. He too sits down. His tears are still running down his face and he quickly finds his arms wrapping around his mom. Everyone in the foyer and those that are outside can see the hurt on Eric's face, but they can also see the concern and the love on his mother's face.
"Eric, I love you. Don't you dare let those people hurt you."
Eric has had his feelings hurt and things are starting to look up.
"Can we please leave?"
She doesn't wait for Eric to ask again, she stands up and heads towards the car. He's glad to be headed home. Eric pulls out his cellphone but he's unsure of who to talk too. There is nothing he wants more than to relax at home and forget about church. Today was all about his mom, but it needs to be about someone else too, that someone is Steve, but first he needs Sarah's take on something.
***
Eric sits right next to his mom while holding his phone. He brings up his contact list and finds his sister. In a flash, he is texting Sarah.
"Sarah, Mom stood up for me at church. I guess she is really being sincere."
As the text comes in, Sarah is quick to read it. She knows that their mom is seeing Eric as the same kid that she remembers before he came out.
"Eric, I'm so glad that this is happening, because you need Mom in your life."
Eric can't argue the fact. His life is suddenly feeling so much better.
"Yeah, I do. I love you Sarah."
"Love you too Bro."
With that last next, Eric is done. The phone is put away in his pocket.
***
Eric is feeling incredible, and his mom is the reason for it. There is no one else that he would want with him right now. Ever since his parents stepped away from his life, nothing has been easy. If it were not for Sarah and Mark none of this would have been possible. They kicked his ass when he needed it and brought the love too. His mom walked away from him because of his sexuality. Now, she is making huge strides in putting their relationship back on track. He loves her and she loves him.
"Mom, I love you. Thanks for seeing me."
"I love you too Son."
The smile says it all. Eric takes in that smile and holds on it. As far as he is concerned, that smile is the most important thing on the earth. It signals a fresh start, and it's something that he'll hold forever in his memory. Mom and Son are celebrating their return to each other. Tears of joy begin to fall again from Eric's eyes.
"Eric, I can't afford to start crying right now, so please stop."
He listens to his mom and wipes the tears away. She looks at him and sees a teen that she almost barely knows. There is much to learn about him. While, he may not have changed, things in his life have changed. For her perhaps, the biggest change comes in the form of his boyfriend, Steve has been in the picture since the time that the mother and son's relationship changed. Her views of Steve will change but she will need time to get to know him too. Time will be their ally as they move past whatever might be in their way. Eric somehow knows that everything will be okay despite some reservations. She looks at her son as he looks out the window lost in his thoughts. Her thoughts too are on what other challenges might be in their way.
***
She turns to her son and sighs.
"Eric, I wish your father would come around but he's made it very clear that he's not ready to be your dad again."
`I miss him.'
His dad has made it very clear that he wants nothing to do with him unless he gives up his being gay
"I only hope that someday he'll wake up and realize what he's missed out on by not seeing you for you."
Mrs. Keiser says as she holds the steering wheel but wanting to hold her hands to her heart. Her husband will take some time to wake up but eventually, he'll come around, but who knows when that will be.
"Mom, I wish...I wish...Dad loved me."
"I know Eric."
She wants to hug him, but the time isn't right. Eric takes a deep breath and then releases it. It helps to ease the anxiety that is building in him. The rest of the trip is quiet. Even with the silence, Eric can feel love's glow surrounding him.
`Mom, you don't know what this means to me, to know that you still love me."
As Eric is about to begin to cry again, they pull up to Sarah's house. Eric leans across the car, and gives his mom a kiss on the cheek.
"Thanks Mom."
"You're welcome Eric."
She doesn't give him a hug but instead smiles at him. Getting out of the car, he walks slowly up to the house, and notices that the car is missing. Unlocking the front door, he opens the door to the house, then makes his way upstairs, and heads to this room.
***
He enters his room and grabs his journal and a pen.
"I know that I've written about my mom returning to me. In the last 24 hours, she has stood up for me, once while we were out to eat and then again today at church. I'm sure that when she stood up for me at church, that she offended at least two people. I don't know why she did it, but she did. I love her. She is awesome. I just wish that my dad could see me like she does now. Bye all."
He pulls down his memory book and looks at the pictures of his family. Tears run down his face. He's reunited with his mom and that is awesome news. A second chance is what he has and that is all he needs. Now, his heart wants to hear from someone else.
***
Eric gets on his phone and calls Steve.
"Hey Baby, what's going on?"
"I want to see you."
There is no lying on Eric's part. He does want to see Steve. It's true, he did see him earlier today, but it just isn't enough.
"I want to see you too. Is it okay for me to steal you away for a couple hours?"
"If you don't come for me, I am going to be very upset."
A smile breaks out on Steve's face. He can't imagine Eric being upset with him, but he can't take that chance. A date night isn't a bad idea.
"So, what did you have in mind for tonight?"
Steve had better be able to find his skateboard.
"Skate park?"
"Are you serious? Yes, I have been looking for an excuse to pull my board out."
"I'm deadly serious. Do you know where your board is at?"
"You know I do."
Steve grabs his board out of his room and runs to the car. This date is just one reason why Eric and Steve are meant to be. They share just enough interests to be able to do stuff together and yet have their own separate hobbies and interests, that they still can do their own things. At least, they have each other.
"I'm coming to get you. I will be there in just a few minutes."
Eric can't wait to see his boyfriend. Steve and Eric are both excited for the date.
"I'll be ready when you get here."
"Sounds good Babe."
They end the call and the guys finish getting ready for their date.
***
Steve arrives at Eric's house to pick him up. Eric has been watching from the door for Steve to show up. He walks out carrying the skateboard with a smile on his face. He walks up to Steve's car and opens the door.
"Hey Babe, what's up?"
Steve says as he welcomes his boyfriend.
"Get your seatbelt on so we can get going to wherever you want."
With a click of the seatbelt, he is in the car and safely head out on their date. They drive out to a local skate park with Eric giving directions. For a couple hours, the guys do tricks and just enjoy their time together. After skating, they sit down and relax.
"Thanks for driving us up here."
Eric says as he pats his boyfriend's back.
"Hey, it was your idea to come here, and I think it was a great idea."
The date idea got the guys out and got them active, which they both enjoyed greatly. They smile and take hands and walk towards the car. At the car, they kiss despite the chance that they could be the targets of abuse.
"Can you take me to the fruit stand?"
Eric asks with another coy smile.
"Do I want to know why you want to go to the fruit stand?"
"Two words for you, smoothies or shakes?"
The guys get in and head off for the second part of the date.
***
Steve pulls into the parking lot of the fruit stand. They get out and head to the business.
"So, what are we getting?"
Steve asks so he can start grabbing fruits and whatever else Eric might want.
"Whatever looks good to you."
Steve goes off in search of the perfect ingredients for the perfect shake. Even though they might be separated right now, they'll come back together. Steve grabs bananas, blueberries, and strawberries. Eric grabs peaches, pineapple, and coconut. With everything paid for, they head out of the store and then get back into the car. Off they go to Eric's home where they get busy making their shakes. They are laughing as they make strawberry-banana shakes and pina-colda shakes. As they enjoy their shakes, something hits Eric's heart.
"Babe, I have one more adventure for us to do. Are you in?"
"Is it illegal or dangerous?"
"Nope, there is nothing illegal or dangerous about it. I just need to take care of something."
Off they go again, to whatever adventure that Eric has planned for them.
***
Steve is smiling as they drive towards the destination that Eric has picked out. As they drive around, Eric keeps looking for just the right shop. A couple more blocks go by before Eric sees what he's looking for across the street from them.
"Can we stop at the florist across the street?"
"Sure, but I'm not super big on flowers."
Eric gives him a smirk.
"They aren't for me huh?"
Eric laughs and shakes his head.
"Nope, the flowers aren't for you."
"Going to clue me in on, who the flowers are for?"
"Yeah, they are for my mom."
"Let's get those flowers then."
The guys head towards the florist that Eric pointed out. As they pull into the parking lot, Eric starts his little plan. The roses are just the start. Eric takes Steve's hands and they walk into the florist. Eric and Steve look over all the roses that the florist has right now. They find a bouquet of red and white roses, Eric pays for them, and then they head off towards Eric's parent's house. Steve stops the car a few houses away, and Eric gets out. He quietly walks up to the edge of the property, and then he runs to the front door. The whole time, he's hoping that he doesn't make any noise or crush the flowers. He tried to schedule the purchase of the roses and their arrival at the house to correspond with the time that his mom and dad are doing supper dishes together. He places the roses down on the porch and then rings the doorbell. As soon as the bell is touched, he takes off like a rocket. Opening the car door, Eric sits down in the passenger side seat and takes a couple of deep breaths.
"Are you going to be okay?"
Eric's breathing has not got any better.
"Yeah."
He finally said as he looks at Steve. Steve grinned and then he got ready to head out for Eric's home. Looking back at his parent's house, Eric smiles as he sees his mom out on the porch holding onto the flowers. The guys take off for Eric's house. They are both smiling and their thoughts are on Eric's mom.
***
This evening has been truly amazing. The guys were able to enjoy their time together out in the skate park. Neither one of them were expecting this evening to feel like it does. Eric hopes that they'll have a chance to have a better evening as time goes on. Steve is hoping the same thing. He doesn't want this day to end and neither does Eric. Every good thing though does have to end at some point. They want to exchange a kiss but driving down the road isn't the right time.
"Thanks Babe for everything tonight. I really enjoyed myself."
Steve said to Eric as he smiles at him.
"You're welcome Baby"
Somehow, even the car ride back home feels wonderful.
***
They pull up to Eric's house. They get out of the car and head indoors. As they enter the house, Mark greets with smile.
"Eric, the roses were classy. Nice touch guys, she really appreciated it."
Eric is speechless.
"How did you know?"
Mark just smiles as he points to the cell phones on the coffee table. Steve laughs a little as he looks at his boyfriend. Eric glances down at his phone that he just took out of his pocket. He pushes his phone's power button and sees his mom has sent him a text.
"I love you Eric, thank you for the roses."
He gets his fingers moving and quickly types up a response to his mom.
"You're welcome mom."
"I hoped that she would really liked them."
Mark looks at his brother in law in disbelief.
"Are you kidding me Eric, she loved them?
He has a warm feeling spreading out across his chest.
"I'm proud of you baby."
Steve loves to see Eric doing things that show his sweet side to the world. He leans in and gives Eric a quick kiss just to let him know how much he loves him and appreciates him.
"Thanks again baby!"
Eric says to Steve as he returns the kiss.
"Eric come out with me dude."
With nothing else better to do, he follows his boyfriend outside. Steve leads Eric out to his car.
***
Steve unlocks the car and opens the driver side back door. He enters the car slides across to the passenger side. Eric slides in next to him and couple cuddles in the darkness of the car.
"The last few months have taught me that we can survive anything."
Steve says as he looks at his angel.
"Yeah the months have been good for us."
Eric used to dwell on the fact that graduation was coming soon, and that meant the end of the best thing in his life and now he knows that what Steve and himself share isn't going just end. They faced the camping incident, Eric's doubt, Steve's doubts and the problems that Vince and Eric caused, but they made it through it. Sitting here together in each other's arms, they guys feel like they have all night and yet tomorrow there is school. It's another reminder that life can give hard times and good times. They hope for all the good things that will be coming in their lives. Time will see be there to see if all goes well.
***
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