=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= This story is a work of FICTION. The events described have only occurred in my mind. Any similarities to actual events or persons are strictly coincidental.
THIS STORY CONTAINS GRAPHIC DEPICTIONS OF CONSENSUAL SEXUAL ACTS BETWEEN HIGH SCHOOL AGE MALES. IT IS INTENDED FOR A MATURE AUDIENCE ONLY! IF YOU FIND THIS TYPE OF MATERIAL OFFENSIVE, OR IF YOU ARE UNDER 18, OR UNDER THE LEGAL AGE TO VIEW SUCH MATERIAL THEN PLEASE READ NO FURTHER.
The author retains the copyright, and any other rights, to this original story. You may not publish it or any part of it without explicit authorization from me.
This story is kind of a prequel/sequel to another story I wrote called The Diary which appears in the college section. That story is not complete but work should resume soon. I have much more written for this story. I say 'kind of' because this story is being written after that story but is earlier in time. I took some liberties with 'history' and also any current day events that might be referenced.
PLEASE NOTE: Feedback, both positive and negative, is welcomed and greatly appreciated. Please understand this is just a hobby so please don't flame me too bad. Please email das11111@yahoo.com
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Chapter 34
I was nervous sitting in Mrs. J's waiting room. It wasn't really that long since I just got there and Mrs. J's receptionist had just hung up the phone after saying I I was there. She said it would only be a minute. I tried not to think about what was happening on the other side of the door. I couldn't really believe it. The parents I know aren't my parents and my real parents, who happen to be Dan's dead boyfriend's parents, are on the other side of the door I was staring at. I was pacing the floor when Mrs. J. opened it.
Mrs. J. smiled when she saw me. "Are you ready for this?"
I wasn't but I nodded anyway. I was scared shitless and I didn't move. Mrs. J. smiled again. "Its okay Josh. Come in," she said reaching out to take my hand. "There's nothing to worry about."
I nervously walked into Mrs. J's office. Mr. J. was standing by the desk and two people, obviously the Michaels, were sitting in the two chairs facing the desk.
"Oh My God," exclaimed Jackie as soon as she saw me. Time seemed to stand still. We all just stared at each other. Nobody knew quite what to do or say. Finally Mrs. Michaels got up and threw her arms around me burying her face against my chest.
"Oh Chris, it is you. I can't believe this. All these years. We thought you were dead. I'm so sorry." Tears were running down her face as she held me.
I didn't know what to do. It didn't feel right returning her hug, especially with such exuberance. I also didn't want to appear rude. Mrs. Michaels seemed to sense my confusion and smiled. "I'm sorry young man. You must think I'm a nut."
"No m'am, I'm just a bit overwhelmed. Are you really my mother?"
"I guess that depends on your definition. Seeing you I don't need Kevin's DNA test to know I gave birth to you. A mother knows. Unfortunately, I can't take any credit for the fine young man Kevin and Diane have told us about. That is all your own doing."
"My mother taught me right and wrong. I never wanted to disappoint her, especially after she died."
"We have so much to say to each other," said Mr. Michaels. "I'm sure you have a lot of questions. We're both looking forward to getting to know you but right now I believe there is someone you care about very much who needs you. I suggest we hold off until we know Dan is going to be okay."
"Thank you sir. The nurse told me he should be waking up soon."
Mrs. Michaels smiled. "You even sound like Aaron other than that New England accent. This is going to take time to get used to. It looks like we're going to be staying longer than we planned Chris. I hope we won't be imposing Diane. We can always get a hotel room."
"Nonsense. You're welcome to stay as long as you want. There's certainly a lot for all of us to talk about, but I agree, later might be better. There's a boy who should be waking up anytime now and I for one would like to be there when he does. I'm pretty sure I know at least one other person who wants to be there too."
"Yes Mo ..., Mrs. J.," said Josh.
"It's okay Josh. You're still my son too."
Mr. Michaels smiled. "You know Diane ...you should write a paper on this. ...You're really Dan's boyfriend?"
"Yes sir, I love him very much."
"I guess this casts a whole new light on the nature versus nurture argument."
"I'm not sure a single instance is proof of anything but I might just do that."
This was like a dream. Dan was hurt. I found out that my parents weren't my parents and I was really Aaron's brother. I couldn't believe it. I mean, I did since Mr. J. said it was true. It's not like he'd lie about something like that. There were also the physical similarities. I couldn't deny that we looked alike. It was just so bizarre. I remember my mother. She loved me. She wouldn't have kidnapped me. Who knows about my father. It was probably like Mr. J. said and they simply adopted me and never told me. Maybe I should be mad about that but I guess I can understand she didn't want to tell an eight year old.
Dan was still sleeping when we got there. Jason and Scott were watching TV. They both looked up when we walked in. Jason got up to say hello to the Michaels. The room became pretty crowded with us all there. We tried to stay out of the way when the nurse came in but she still had to work around everyone, especially with Scott wanting to know what she was doing. She did ask us to wait outside while she did something to Dan's catheter. I blushed when she looked at me and smiled.
The Michaels were shocked when they saw the extent of Dan's injuries. Even though they knew what to expect, seeing him lying there like that was still a shock. They both took a minute to talk to him. It was obvious they loved him very much.
The adults talked amongst themselves while Scott, Jason and I sat with Dan. Actually Scott and Jason went back to watching TV while I sat holding Dan's hand. I squeezed it and whispered in his ear but didn't talk too loud. He and I had a lot to talk about.
Jason came over and asked if I was alright. "You want to take a walk?" he asked.
"No, I should stay here. He could wake up."
"We won't go far. You could use a break."
I looked up at Mom and Dad, Mr. And Mrs. J. that is. They said it would be okay. They'd text me if it looked like he was waking up."
"How are you doing?" he asked as soon as we got into the hall.
"I'm okay, just a little stressed out. There's a lot going on."
"Dan is going to be okay. You'll see."
"It's not just that. What do you know about the Michaels? Do you know them?"
"Not that well. I mean I knew them from before. They seem like good people. Aaron was a good kid. Why do you ask?"
"You're not going to believe this."
"What?"
"They're my parents."
"What??? What are you talking about? How could they be you're parents? Aaron didn't have a brother and you live here."
"It's true, they're my biological parents. I just found out, I'm Aaron's twin brother."
"That doesn't make any sense. Aaron didn't have a brother."
"Mr. J. said I was kidnapped right after I was born. The police found a dead baby everyone thought was me but it wasn't. He said Aaron didn't even know."
"Wow. That's crazy. I mean I believe you but you've got to admit, it's pretty unbelievable. I've known Dan and Aaron like forever. I've never heard of Aaron having a brother. This is incredible. Aaron died, Dan moved here and found you. What are the odds?"
"Tell me about it. It's like it's all been planned. The moving part that is, not Aaron dieing. Of all the places Dan could have moved, why here? Why was it me who sat down next to him his first day of school? I mean I always sit with the same kids but why did he happen to sit there that day too?"
"I don't know. Maybe Aaron made it happen. I wouldn't put it past him."
"That's crazy."
"You have a better reason?"
"No, maybe there is no reason. Maybe it's fate. The stars just aligned."
"Yeah, and I could win the lottery three weeks in a row too. That's probably what the odds are. It doesn't really matter though. You're lucky. The Michaels are good people."
"That's not what I'm worried about."
"What's wrong then?"
"I'm worried how Dan will react. Will he feel the same?"
"Josh – Dan loves you. Believe me, this won't change a thing. I know him. I saw how miserable he was before you two straightened things out. Trust me, things will be fine. This is a good thing."
"I hope so."
"Dan, it's time. It's time for you to go back."
"Just a little longer, please?"
"It's time to say good-bye."
"Can we go for a walk first? Just for a little while?"
"Take my hand. Let's go back to the falls."
"This is nice Aaron. I wish we could do this longer. ...I can't though, can I?"
"No, you can't. It's time for you to go back. Everyone is waiting for you to wake up."
"Who? Is Josh there?"
"I can't tell you Dan. You're going to have to wake up and find out."
"I'm scared Aaron. I'm scared of what I'll find. I don't know what I'll do if I lose him too."
"It's time Dan. It's time to say good-bye."
I looked at him and nodded. I knew he was right but I didn't want to leave. Spending time with him, even if it was a dream, was special. I'll always love him. I can love Josh too but Aaron will always be special. It's not just that he was my first. He is just special. As I felt things fading away he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me against him.
"I love you Dan. Remember that." His face became blurry as he held me.
"I love ...you too. ...Huh? ...Josh?"
"Of course it's me. Who else would you say you loved? ...As if I didn't know."
The look on his face said it all. He knew I had been thinking about Aaron. He looked so hurt. Here he was probably worried to death about me and the first thing he hears is me saying I love someone else. I looked into his eyes and saw the hurt. I felt like a real shit. I didn't even see other people in the room.
It was hard to talk. My head was bandaged and my cheek was aching. I'm not sure I could have understood what I was saying if I wasn't the one saying it.
"Come here," I said. "Please?"
"What?" he said abruptly.
"Kiss me again. ...I'm sorry. I can explain. Trust me, I love you. Please believe me." There were tears in my eyes. I couldn't tell what he was thinking. He just studied my face.
"Please?"
He nodded but still looked hurt.
"I think he's going to be okay," said Jason.
I hadn't even noticed anyone else in the room. My eyes were focused on Josh. When I looked around I saw Scott, my parents, Jason and the Michaels. I looked back and forth between Josh and Aaron's parents. I'm sure even with my head bandaged that it was obvious what I was thinking.
Josh saw my apprehension. "It's alright Dan. I've met Aaron's parents. Everything is okay, strange but okay. We'll talk about that later too." At least he was smiling.
I nodded. Jason was smiling. "Looks like you're not as tough as you think."
I tried to smile. "Jason ...I knew you'd be here. He told me." He just looked at me. Maybe he didn't understand me, my face was so bandaged. I probably wouldn't if I didn't know what I was saying.
"Huh? Who told you what?
Before I could answer a nurse spoke up while checking some monitors.
"How do you feel young man?"
"I don't think I'm going to be teaching karate anytime soon. I hurt all over."
"That's not a surprise. There weren't many parts of your body that were left unscathed. You took quite a beating."
"The last thing I remember was telling Josh to run but he didn't listen."
"Good thing too. If I had you might not be here."
"What happened to Phil?"
"He's recovering. He has some broken bones and a concussion. The last I heard he was unconscious. When he comes around the police are going to charge him with assault on Kyle and at least assault on you if not something worse. There was a knife involved. The school's surveillance camera caught everything. Lieutenant Henderson says they'll probably try him as an adult. He's seventeen you know."
My father spoke up. "Dan, it seems you're a better karate teacher than I give you credit for. Josh really did a number on him."
I tried to smile at Josh but I'm not sure that's what he saw. It hurt like hell. "You did? Wow. You saved me bud."
"I got lucky. Let's not make a habit out of it."
The nurse took a few readings, wrote something in her chart and said the Doctor would be in shortly. She wanted to make sure I didn't get over tired. Even though I'd been sleeping for twenty-four hours she said I still needed to rest.
Everyone talked for the next half hour or so. I didn't say much. It was too much work. Mainly I watched everyone and held Josh's hand. He still seemed hurt. He seemed lost in thought. There was a lot we had to talk about. I needed to explain what happened when I woke up. I also wanted to know more about the fight and I really wanted to know what the Michaels said when they met him.
The nurse came back a little while later. "I think our patient needs to rest. We don't want him getting over-tired. The Doctor will be in shortly."
"Can Josh stay?"
"You really need to rest."
"I've been sleeping. I want to talk to Josh. ... Alone." The monitor thingy above my bed started to beep faster and the nurse told me to calm down.
"Josh ...stay ...please?"
He looked at the nurse who just nodded. Everyone else left and told Josh to call if he wanted to come home, otherwise, they'd be back after supper. They needed to use the jeep to get everyone to the house. Everyone kissed me good-bye. Well, Jason and Mr. Michaels just gave me hugs. Jason was cool though. I think he would have given me a kiss if we had been alone. I smiled and thanked him for coming. Scott gave me a juicy kiss on the cheek but my parents grabbed him when he climbed on my bed. After everyone left I asked Josh to sit down.
I did a double take when Josh said good-bye to my parents and called them Mom and Dad. He just smiled when he saw the perplexed look on my face. I was also surprised to see both Mr. And Mrs. Michaels give him a hug which he returned albeit tentatively. Again, he just smiled when he saw me looking.
After everyone left I asked him to sit by my bed. "I saw the look on your face earlier. We need to talk."
"You were dreaming about him weren't you?"
It really hurt to talk and my words slurred together. I don't know if that was my cheek or whether they had given me something, probably both.
"I love you Josh."
"But you love him more. Your mind went there when you were unconscious."
"That's not true. Please let me explain."
"Dan... I know you were dreaming about him I saw it in your eyes."
"I don't know if it was a dream or not but yes, I was thinking about him. I don't know where I was. Aaron called it the 'in-between'. He said it was a place you go when you're not dead but you aren't in your own world either. It was kind of like when he came to me the day I fainted. He was just there. He said he'll always be there for me when I need him."
"So you've been dreaming about Aaron for the last twenty-four hours?"
It was obvious he was irritated. "Josh, please. It's not like that, not really. It's more like I've been with him the last twenty-four hours and thinking about you. I was worried that you got hurt. Aaron just stayed with me. He didn't want me to be alone. Everything was so real. I was with him but I was fully aware of my life. It wasn't a dream. I don't know what it was."
"Nothing happened between us if that's what you're thinking. I admit I thought about it. He told me not to get hard because I'd be hard here too. I knew he and I couldn't do anything. I couldn't hurt you like that. He understood and didn't want to do anything like that either. I told him you probably would understand and probably even forgive me but I couldn't do it. I knew if I got back I couldn't look you in the eye and tell you how much I love you if he and I had messed around. It might be okay if it was only a dream but it was something else. I was fully aware of you and me, of me being hurt, and thinking you were hurt too. He understood and agreed 100%. He knew I wouldn't be able to live with myself if something had happened."
"I don't know if it was this 'in-between' as he called it or a dream. It was so real. We were at the falls and then at a cabin he built nearby. I guess he built it since it doesn't exist. He wouldn't or couldn't tell me whether you were hurt or not. Every time I asked he said he couldn't tell me and told me to go to sleep. He was just being a friend. He held me and talked to me. We played Frisbee. We were just saying good-bye when I woke up. Yes, I told him I loved him and I do, you know that. He was very special to me but so aren't you. Please believe me."
He smiled. "I'm sorry. I just knew you were thinking about him when you woke up and it hurt. I've been worried out of my mind since yesterday and the first thing you did was say you loved him. It wasn't exactly what I expected or wanted to hear. Plus a lot has been going on."
"Josh, I love you. What happened when I was asleep was like he and I were saying good-bye. We weren't able to say good-bye before. Now we have. I also know he's watching me. He claims he can't perve on us and watch what we're doing but he knows when I need help. He'll always be there for me."
"I'm sorry Dan. I was a jerk."
I smiled. "No you weren't. I would have felt the same way. I knew exactly what you were thinking when I looked in your eyes. I knew I hurt you. It made me feel sick to my stomach. I wanted to kick everyone else out and talk to you then but everyone started talking. I'm sorry. Are we okay?"
"Of course we're okay. I'm just glad you're going to be okay. It's good he's watching over you. I think he might be watching over both of us. A lot has happened in the last twenty-four hours. I hope you're going to be okay with everything."
"Is it the way you called my parents Mom and Dad? What's up with that? First you steal my brother and then I'm in the hospital for a day and you steal my parents?"
"I didn't steal your parents. Your father just said he thought of me like a son. He got all mushy on me."
"My father got mushy? I said trying to smile. "I wish I had seen that."
"It made me feel good. Do you mind?"
I started laughing but it hurt too much. "Don't make me laugh. It hurts. Of course I don't mind. There's nothing I wouldn't do for you. I'd give you my balls if they'd help you."
"Ouch, I'm not sure they'd do me much good after what Phil did to you."
"Believe it or not that's the one spot that doesn't hurt. Want to check them out?"
"How about later? There's something else I need to tell you. I'm worried it will change how you feel."
"Nothing could do that. What is it?"
"Just remember I love you, okay?"
"Josh, what's this all about?"
"It's about the Michaels and Aaron."
"What about them? It must have been quite a shock for them. I hope they didn't freak too bad."
"No, nothing like that ...Dan --- there's a reason why Aaron and I look alike."
"What do you mean? People resemble each other all the time."
"It's not just that. ...Dan, ....he's my brother or I'm his brother, his twin brother."
"What are you talking about? Aaron didn't have a brother."
"Yes Dan ....Yes he did. Your parents knew Aaron had a twin but everyone thought he was dead. Even after meeting me your father didn't think much of it It was only after Mr. Kinkaid couldn't find my birth certificate and we found that letter that your father looked into it. He had a DNA test done and proved it. I just found out this morning and it hasn't sunk in yet but you're not looking at Joshua Alexander Sullivan. You're looking at 'Christopher Alan Michaels'. I just hope you love him too."
I couldn't believe it. Aaron had a twin and I never knew. He never knew. "Am I still dreaming?"
"No Dan, it's true. I didn't believe it at first either but why would your father lie? Besides, I saw the test results."
"I know he wouldn't lie. It's just hard to believe. I knew Aaron all his life. He would have said something if he knew. I can't believe nobody said anything. I don't understand though, why would it change anything between us? I love you. I wouldn't care if your name is Mary Michaels"
"Yes you would," he smiled.
"Alright, I guess I would. You wouldn't have the right parts but you know what I mean."
"I didn't know how you'd feel about me being Aaron's brother. I thought you might feel weird about it."
I tried to reach up and pull him down but I couldn't. All I could do was hold his hand. "It does explain what Aaron meant that first day when he said it was important that I be nice to you. I could never understand that. I could see him saying be nice but that it was important? That didn't make much sense at the time. He had to have known."
Josh spent the next few minutes explaining what happened when he and Aaron were born. It was still hard to believe. You only hear about things like that happening on TV or in the movies. There was no way Aaron knew or else he would have told me. Obviously my parents knew but they must have promised the Michaels they wouldn't tell me since they knew I'd tell Aaron. I looked at Josh and smiled. It really was like looking at Aaron.
"Just don't go moving to Chicago on me. If you do then I'm coming with you."
"That was my first question when your father told me this morning. All I could think was that if they are my parents they'd want me to live with them and they live there."
"Josh, calm down. The Michaels are good people. Things will work out. Why don't you lay down beside me? We can talk about it. Besides, I want to feel you next to me."
"Dan!!! We're in a hospital and the bed isn't exactly made for two. I could hurt you."
"Well at least give me another kiss."
He smiled and leaned over bringing his lips to mine. I tried to open my mouth and push my tongue between his lips. He jumped when the Doctor came in causing me to smile.
"Ahem. Young man. Are you always kissing this boy?"
Josh turned red. "Sorry Doctor. At least he's awake this time."
"It was you who kissed me when I was asleep. I remember that. I was sleeping and woke up. I thought it was you but Aaron was there. I didn't know who kissed me."
"I don't even want to begin to understand that," said the Doctor. "How are you feeling young man? You've had quite an experience."
"Sore."
"That's understandable. I don't suggest you rent yourself out as a punching bag. You're either too good at it or not good enough depending on your point of view."
"So what's the damage Doctor. I'm pretty sore all over."
"You've got a broken arm, a dislocated jaw, and some cracked ribs. It'll be tough to talk for a while. We had to operate to remove part of the knife you were stabbed with. It did some internal damage but we were able to sew you up and stop the bleeding. We were worried about that. You also have a lot of bruises over your entire body but they're pretty superficial. It appears you were kicked quite a bit after you were stabbed. You'll be sore for a few days but you'll heal. You're very lucky. You appear in good physical condition. We were worried we'd lose you a couple of times but you wouldn't let go. You seem to have a strong will to live."
"I have a good reason to live," I said smiling and looking at Josh. "I know what losing someone you love is like."
"The knife was pretty rusty and must have caused a minor infection. Your temperature went up but that seems to be under control. You've been sleeping for the last twenty-four hours and we're giving you an antibiotic and some pain killers. Other than that what are you doing here? You should be running a marathon."
"How long do I have to stay here?"
"Let's worry about that later. You'll be enjoying our vacation resort at least for a few days. After that you should be able to go home. You'll have to take it easy. No strenuous activities. For the most part just stay in bed."
"I can live with that," I said smiling at Josh.
"Yes, well, that will have to wait a few days. We're keeping you here overnight and depending on how things go we'll transfer you to another room tomorrow. Then you'll be able to have more visitors."
He looked at Josh and smiled. "If this boy is bothering you then I can make sure the nurses keep him out."
I smiled. "He can be a pain at times but he definitely isn't a bother. Maybe the new room will have a larger bed?" I asked trying to smile.
"Not hardly. We're not that type of resort. I take it you two are pretty close?"
"He's my boyfriend. I hope you don't have a problem with that."
Dr. Kelly smiled. "If I did then my brother and his husband would be pretty upset with me. Just remember, there is a time and place for everything. A hospital isn't really the place and you need to rest."
"We'll be good Doctor," said Josh.
"I'm sure you will but right now I need to check this young man's stitches. You should probably step outside and give us some privacy. You might not want to see this."
"I'll go get something to drink. I'll be back in a few minutes."
I went into the hall and called Chris and Ryan to tell them Dan was awake. They said they would tell everyone else. They wanted to know about visitors but I said he still couldn't have many until he is moved to another room and for now they're just letting family in, more or less. I smiled thinking I was on the list. I'm not sure how the Michaels and Jason got in but I'm sure Mrs. J. pulled some strings.
Everyone came back around seven o'clock. I was sitting next to Dan's bed holding his hand when they walked in. He had fallen asleep
Nobody stayed long. Even though Dan had been sleeping for the last day he was still pretty tired. He woke up occasionally but kept falling asleep as people were talking. Around nine Mr. J. suggested we all go home and let Dan sleep. I wanted to stay but they said I needed sleep too. I leaned down and gave him a kiss good-bye after everyone went into the hall. It felt good knowing his family accepted us.
Mr. Michaels knocked on the bedroom door as I was getting ready for bed. "Sorry to bother you C.. ah, Josh but Jackie and I would like to talk with you. Do you have a few minutes?"
I knew I had to talk with them sooner or later. I wasn't looking forward to it however. I didn't know them and was worried what was going to happen. I wish Dan was with me. What if they didn't want anything to do with me? What if they wanted me to live with them in Chicago? I couldn't leave Dan. Maybe I couldn't stay sleeping in his bed but at least living with my aunt we'd be in the same town. I know I shouldn't expect the worst but it was difficult not to.
The Michaels seemed okay and they were my parents, at least my biological parents, but it was all so strange. It did seem important to know them and have them part of my life. I just didn't know how much of a part but I guess that depends on them as well.
"I was just getting ready for bed but sure, how about we go downstairs. Scott is asleep and we both have school tomorrow."
"Thank you. I know this isn't easy. Let me get Jackie and we'll meet you down in Kevin's study in about five minutes."
I was really nervous. Last night I didn't know these people. Of course they didn't know me either. They thought I was dead or at least they thought Christopher Alan Michaels was dead. Other than the thought of potentially having to move to Chicago not much had sunk in yet, I was so concerned with Dan.
"Have a seat," said Mr. Michaels as I walked into the study. At least he was smiling. "It's been some day hasn't it? We're glad to see Dan is doing well. It didn't sound too good last night. The thought of losing him too is more than we could take."
"I don't know what I'd do if he died."
"Tell us Josh, it is Josh, right? Or is it Joshua?"
I smiled. "Josh is fine. Nobody has called me Joshua since my mother ...ahh, since I was eight."
"It's okay. She was the only mother you knew. We understand that. We also don't want to take that away from you. We just want to know how you're doing with all this? You must have a lot of questions. Jackie and I have had some time to talk. We've also talked with Kevin and Diane so we know a little bit about what's happened to you. Finding you is unbelievable. It's going to take time for it to sink in."
"It really hasn't sunk in at all for me yet. I've been more concerned about Dan." Since they already knew I'm gay I didn't feel any need to hide anything. Either they were going to accept me or not. "I really love him. We might not have gotten off to a very good start but we've become really close. I don't know what I'd do if I lost him."
"Dan means a lot to us too. He's like a son to us. That's why we're here. When Kevin called saying how bad he got hurt we had to come. When Kevin called the doctors weren't sure he was going to make it. We've also been worried about him the last year. He changed so much after the accident. I'm sure meeting you was very hard for him but it looks like it worked out. Kevin says he's been doing much better the last few weeks. He credits you for that."
"It wasn't all me. He figured out a lot of things on his own too.
"Well, Kevin and Diane think the world of you for giving them their son back."
"What happens now?"
"There's plenty of time to figure that out. It's been an eventful couple of days. We shouldn't rush into making decisions. It's been a long day and we're all worried about Dan. I suggest we go slow, focus on him, and get to know each other. Once he's better we can all sit down and talk."
"I was worried you'd take me to Chicago. I don't want to lose Dan."
"Don't worry about that. You're not going to lose him and he'll get better. Why don't we all get a good night's sleep. It's late and you have school tomorrow. We can talk more. ...It's going to take time Josh."
I nodded and said good night. I really didn't want to worry about what would happen to me until I knew Dan would be okay but it was hard not to. I knew they were right that getting to know them would take time. Them getting to know me would take time too.
Scott was asleep when I got back upstairs. He was lying diagonal in the bed with his feet on my side. It was kind of funny. Dan's bed was bigger than he was used to so it probably seemed strange to him. I gently pushed his legs as I got in and whispered for him to slide over. He moved his feet but immediately rolled against me. I didn't mind. I just put my arm around him and kissed his head.
Unfortunately even though I was tired I couldn't fall asleep. I laid in bed thinking about everything that had happened. I kept thinking how I was Aaron's brother. That was cool but the more I thought about things the more I worried. I guess that's the type of guy I am. I worry about things and let them bother me, usually for good reason given the last eight years. The Michaels seemed nice enough but I didn't know them. They didn't know me either.
I worried about how they really felt about finding me. They had thought I was dead. I'm sure they didn't forget me but they had obviously put it in the past. That was understandable. It was strange that they never told Aaron. If they had then Dan would have known. It was like I never existed. Now I'm here and Aaron isn't. How did they really feel about that? It bothered me they didn't seem that excited. All they said was that it would take time.
The more I thought about it the more it bothered me. They really didn't seem very excited about finding me. Ms. Michals might have this afternoon but she didn't say a word tonight and all Mr. Michaels said was that it would take time. Time for what? Time for them to decide if they wanted anything to do with me? Maybe I was being selfish but the more I thought about it the more I convinced myself that they would have been happier if they hadn't found me. It's not like they actually said they were.