When we got home, Dad had arrived home from work. Mom had told him where we were going and he smiled pleasantly at us both.
"How did it go?"
"We met the boy’s grandmother; she still tends the grave site. Her whole family is buried there. She must be amazingly strong," Mom told him.
Mom explained what happened and Dad asked if I was okay.
"I think so Dad, we talked a lot and I feel okay about things for now. I think I’ll go upstairs and change."
When I came down, I found Dad in his den.
"Hi Dad, I wanted to let you know that Peter’s Dad might call you later to talk and maybe come over and have a talk between the four of us."
"What about your Mom?"
"I think it’s a guy thing Dad, will Mom be okay about it?"
"Oh, I’m pretty sure she will. I’ll let you know if I hear from him."
Right after dinner his phone rang and it was John Keswick, Peter’s Dad.
"They’ll be here in a short while, Jules," Dad announced.
"Well, I’m going up to my scrapbook room and work on my albums," Mom supplied.
Fifteen minutes later, we were all sitting in the living room.
"Here’s the thing, Dan," John told my dad. "The boys want to have a joint session or two with their therapist. If you weren’t aware, he’s my brother-in- law and he is very good with children and families. Ray only treats children and adolescents because it requires a different approach."
"Well, Jules really thinks highly of him. Perhaps we should ask the boys what’s on their agenda," Dad suggested.
Peter looked at me and I went ahead and led off. "We want to discuss our feelings for each other and there’s some stuff about why I went to see him and why Peter did. Ray can explain better than either of us can, but we both have to be there because of Doctor/Patient privilege."
"So, are you boys officially declaring as a couple?"
"Yes," Peter bubbled. "Are you going to be okay with that, Dad?"
"Well Peej, I won’t lie. I wasn’t expecting this so soon, but you are already ahead of other boys in intellectual development. It follows that emotional development would be advanced as well."
I snorted, "Dad should tell you about Marcus!"
"And who is Marcus?"
"He’s a very gifted scientist and researcher that I work with. He received his first doctorate at twenty but he has a meltdown if the vending machine runs out of his favorite candy," My dad reported.
"Ah, the exception that proves the rule," John nodded.
"True, but that notwithstanding, your earlier statement is apt and these are two very exceptional boys. I can’t thank Peter enough for the way he’s helped Jules and I think they’re both very happy with each other," Dad lauded.
"I’m inclined to agree, and I have no objection to a joint session. I’d say it took a lot of courage for these guys to ask for what they needed. They’re on their way to being fine men," John declared.
"I have to agree."
The rest of the time was devoted to Halloween and the preparations. Dad showed John some of the photos from previous years. John agreed to take part in the haunted house activities and prep.
As Peter and his dad left, my dad told John that he would have Mom call Ray’s office and give their okay for a joint session and let Ray work out the details. That turned out to be easy and when I went for my next appointment, Peter would come along. In the interim, we both got a discussion on safe sex from our dads and were told we would both be receiving HPV vaccinations. Dad said he would have taken me in for the vaccination even if I wasn’t gay. He also discussed a bunch of diseases and what they can do and of course HIV which can kill you.
"I don’t mean to scare you son, but again, you can’t make good decisions without all the facts."
"Thanks Dad, it feels good that you’re willing to discuss them with me."
"John seems like a very smart man and it’s obvious that he cares about and respects his son. I hope you realize that I feel the same about you."
I hugged my dad really tight around the waist. "I do Dad, and I love you and respect you too, it kinda has to be that way."
I felt him kiss the top of my head.
Peter and I had agreed to get an early start to school and we met at his cross street and walked to the gate of the park. We found a bench and sat and watched the squirrels running around getting ready for winter.
"That really went well last night didn’t it?" Peter asked.
"I thought so, it’s kind of neat that they think we’re doing sex stuff and not getting upset."
"What did your dad say when you told him you were gay?"
"He was really quiet for a few minutes and I wasn’t sure if he was getting angry or what. But he said he was trying to put the words together to tell me it didn’t make any difference about how he felt about me. He said he suspected it might be the case but thought it was better to wait until I was ready to discuss it. He also said he tried very hard to make sure I knew he supported gay rights and human rights in general."
"That’s pretty much how my dad handled it. I think we’re really lucky; many boys are beaten or thrown out or both. Some of them are just tolerated. It’s like, "Well I can’t kill you, but I don’t approve of you at all, so you better keep your head down."
"That would be worse I think, I don’t know, but I sure love my mom and dad."
"Me too." I added.
"Have you thought much about being out at school?"
"Only a lot. One thing makes me worry. We still have high school after this, what if the school board doesn’t include them in the resolution."
"We could discuss it with our council reps and maybe they could talk to the high school council reps or however they have their student government set up."
"Great idea Peter, we should start with Wyatt as soon as we can get him alone."
We asked Wyatt to join us at our favorite lunch spot and got right to it.
"Um, so Wyatt, what do you think about gay rights or just gay people?"
Wyatt looked crushed. His face went pale and his eyes filled with tears. "You said you wouldn’t tell, why are you doing this to me?" he shrieked at me.
I was stunned; it was the last thing I expected. Then it hit me; that was why he was seeing Ray and he thought I was betraying him.
"No wait, you don’t understand."
"Wouldn’t tell what?!" Peter asked loudly.
"Wyatt please sit down, I didn’t tell him anything, this isn’t about you."
"Huh? But you said… you asked me…."
Peter figured out where I was going and said, "It’s about us Wyatt, not you."
We each took one of Wyatt’s hands. "Look Wyatt, Jules didn’t tell me anything, he said he couldn’t and it was okay with me. You talked about a kid that hurt himself because he was bullied, was that you?"
"Yes," Wyatt said to the ground.
"But you don’t want to do it anymore right?"
"I didn’t want to do it then; it just got so hard to make it through the day I just wanted it to stop forever. Do you understand?"
"Yes I do, but couldn’t you talk to anyone?"
"I didn’t think so at the time, but I was wrong. My mom and dad were really mad at me. Not because I cut my wrists but because I didn’t tell them what was wrong. They weren’t exactly pro-gay but Mom said they were both pro Wyatt and we sort of built on that."
"I’m sorry we surprised you with this, maybe we should have worked out what to say first but I didn’t know why you were… oh crap, I almost told… Damn!"
"It’s okay Jules, does Peter know you go there too?"
"Yes, he suggested Dr. Ray to me."
"Peter, I see the same doctor Jules does and we met in the waiting room. He was leaving as I entered," Wyatt said.
"Oh, that’s no big deal, I see him too."
I handed Wyatt my paper napkins from my lunch and Peter handed him his water bottle. He was able to make himself presentable before we walked to the restroom.
"So what was this whole thing about?" Wyatt asked.
"We wanted to see if you could get the high school class reps to extend the resolution to the high school as well. You see, we’d like to be out at school, but if we have to go from here to a hostile place maybe it’s not a good idea."
"Fuck me! That’s a great idea," Wyatt exclaimed.
"Uh, not so loud, they won’t let you be a rep if you go yelling the F word."
"Jules doesn’t swear much," Peter informed him.
"So you guys are a couple?" Wyatt queried.
"Yeah, we are," I answered.
"That’s so cool; I wish I could find someone."
At that moment, the most amazing thing happened; as we stood and started to leave, Dawes stepped in front of us and I was sure I would be expelled for beating him senseless.
"Oh sorry, I didn’t know there were people here already," Dawes said.
"It’s cool man, we’re just leaving. It’s all yours," I replied.
Dawes nodded and we walked past him but something about his expression told me he was having trouble. I couldn’t just leave so I asked Peter to get Wyatt to the rest room and I’d check on Dawes.
I sat down next to Dawes, he looked vulnerable and sad. He looked very troubled.
"What’s on your mind, Dawes?"
He sighed and gulped back a sob. "It’s my dog. She’s really sick and Mom says they have to put her to sleep."
"Oh man, I’m so sorry. You must really care about her. I’m very sorry you have to deal with this." I put a hand on his shoulder.
"Really? I’m the biggest jerk on campus and you have sympathy for me?" I was just raggin’ on your ass a couple days back. Why would you care about me?"
"Because you’re a person and you’re obviously in pain. I wouldn’t feel right if I ignored that."
"Really? Thanks, I just kind of wanted to get myself together before I walked out front to meet my brother. He’s taking me to the Vet’s office so I can say goodbye."
"I’m sure she’ll appreciate you being there Kenny. I hope it will bring you some peace."
"Thanks man, I mean that. I better get up there but really, thanks Jules."
"You’re welcome."
I didn’t have time to explain what was up with Dawes before class so I explained to Peter on the way home. We had stopped at the park and sat on our favorite bench.
"So you comforted Dawes because his dog died?"
"No, I comforted him because he’s a human being who was in need of someone to care."
"You know for somebody who doesn’t believe in God you act an awful lot like Jesus."
"No, that’s not true; I just try to be a moral human being. That includes treating people like Dawes like a person; and if needed, offering comfort. If he existed, Jesus was probably just a decent human who wanted people to care about what happens to each other."
"So you don’t believe in God but you might be a Christian?" Peter chuckled.
"Why are you giving me so much crap about this?"
Peter was quiet for a bit. "Because you saw his pain and I didn’t, because you comforted him and I didn’t. And because you valued him as a person and I didn’t. I’m sorry for teasing you, and I’m ashamed of myself."
"Don’t be, you were focused on Wyatt and getting him cleaned up before anyone saw him all messy. His appearance is important to him and he wasn’t looking great when you left."
"Yeah, I had to outright lie to Monica, I told her Wyatt was sick to his stomach and might barf if she slowed us down."
"What’d she say?"
"Eewww, gross!"
"That sounds like her."
"I felt bad about lying to her, I hate to lie. I guess I could have knocked her ass down but that wasn’t really an option."
"You could have told her that her eyeliner was messed up, she would have knocked your ass down if you were between her and a mirror."
Peter laughed and as we sat there, we recognized one half of the couple we had seen in the park holding hands. So we waved at him as he passed close to our bench.
"Where’s your boyfriend? He is isn’t he; I mean your boyfriend, right?"
I chuckled this time. "Well spoken, Peter."
"Oh no, he’s not my boyfriend," and he paused as Peter turned a bit redder around the ears. No, he’s my husband, and to answer your question he’s giving his dissertation for his second doctorate in physics."
"Oh cool, you guys are married?"
"Yes, three years now, I’m Ian by the way, and Rob is my husband’s name."
"It’s nice to finally meet you for real, I’m Jules and this guy with the red face is Peter, we’re boyfriends."
Peter nodded in agreement.
"You’re awfully brave to be out at your age. I didn’t tell my parents until I got my PhD. They took it a lot better than I expected."
"Well we’re not exactly out, but here in this park we feel comfortable just being ourselves."
"Yes, it’s a lovely place. Well you know, being out to the world has its rewards as well as its problems. You should give it a lot of thought before you do it. The school where I teach is gay friendly or at least intolerant of intolerance. Our students are too busy learning and keeping up with assignments to get much hating done. But mostly they’re just decent people."
"What school is that?" I asked.
"Crane Academy, it’s a science heavy curriculum but there is a great music and art program as well as theater."
"I’ve heard of it but I doubt if I’d qualify though, it sounds cool."
"Now why would you say that?"
"Well don’t you have to be a big shot rich guy’s kid to go there?"
"That’s a misconception actually, tuition is on a par with the local religion based schools but our enrollment standards are different. They are based on intellect and previous accomplishment. Not on your parents’ checkbook. I’ll tell you what, let me give you each one of my cards and you can check out our website and get course catalogs sent to you."
"Dr. Ian Shepherd," Peter read. "Hey, it doesn’t say what you’re a doctor of."
"No it doesn’t, does it?" Ian stood there smiling at us like a satisfied cat with a feather in its mouth. "You’ll find out when you check out the website. I need to be on my way, our neighbor is watching our little boy."
We watched Ian as he disappeared out the gate.
"Have you ever considered attending a private school?" Peter asked.
"We talked about it a couple times, Dad was dead set against the religious schools and then the school district came up with the program we're in now. So it never happened,” I told him. "I don't think they considered any of the schools like Crane because they thought they'd be too expensive.
"I almost got stuck in a Catholic school but my dad said no way, he has the same opinion of the church your mother does. He went to one when he was our age and said it was hell," Peter contributed.
“I know a kid who went to a Christian academy but they didn't teach much in the line of science and he wasn't allowed to ask about evolution or anything they couldn't point at and say 'God did it' without having to write out Bible verses for an hour,” I replied.
"Shit, why not just dig a hole and crawl in, that sounds so stupid to think that way. Like you said, do your own thinking and get your own answers," Peter grumped.
"You're quoting me now?” I asked.
"Why not, you make a good point. I mean just because you're a complete loon doesn't mean you're wrong," Peter grinned.
I grabbed him and pinned him to the bench, "You are so dead," I told him.
We rolled off the bench and I tickled Peter without mercy. We rolled around in the grass until we caught sight of two pairs of shoes with adults attached to them.
"You boys aren't actually fighting are you?" inquired the first man.
"No sir, he just needed to be tickled severely but I think he's had enough now."
"Very well, we were just concerned, you always seem so earnest when we see you talking we wanted to make sure nothing was amiss," the second man intoned.
"We've seen you here too, I'm Jules and this is Peter, by the way. It's a nice park to walk and talk. I hope we didn't disturb you."
"How do you do boys, I'm Elliott and this is Glen. We walk here most days. We've known each other since we were your age."
"Have you lived here all this time?" I asked
"Oh no, we grew up in this town but our lives took us to many places. I moved back here when my wife died and Elliott did the same and now we share a home," Glen explained.
I desperately wanted to ask how old they were but I bit my tongue and fought off the impulse.
"So you saw this town a long time ago, has it changed a lot since you were kids?" Peter asked.
"Well, have a seat and we can talk about it," Glen offered and we all sat down. Peter cuddled into me and I put my arm around his shoulders.
They told us about the area and how much space there used to be between neighborhoods and how it all changed in the sixties and seventies. The park was put in just after the Second World War and it was well established by the time they discovered it. There was a flood in the seventies that wiped out all the houses in an area called "The Dell" and they were really fancy houses too. They told us about a couple of Mayors that went to jail for using their job to make money off contracts. We talked for at least an hour before we realized we were supposed to be at home. We said our goodbyes and hit the road pausing for a kiss out of sight.
I had just managed to dump all my stuff in my room when my mom arrived home. Peter had messaged his mom to let her know he was running late.