The Future Awaits
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Chapter 24
Tommy really surprises me when he calls one night and says Andrea and Carol are coming to the beach for the weekend and staying at a motel. He and Stephan will be coming as usual. "Sure, babe. Does Mike know?"
"Let me talk to him."
"Okay."
I call Mike to the phone. The minute he hangs up, he asks if can we have their girls to lunch at the house, then take them to dinner one night. Tor shrugs. "If Drew's willing."
"Please, dad? I'll help."
With his girl is here? Fat chance. But he does help a lot at other times, as does Tommy, so why not. "Okay, babe."
As soon as Tommy hits the house on Friday evening, he runs up and showers. Mike has already had his shower but hadn't changed. A little later he and Tommy come down dressed in summer best, knit shirts, slacks, and loafers. I'm a little miffed that they haven't included Stephan in this, so I call them over. "Don't you guys think you should ask Stephan to go with you?"
"We did," Tommy says quickly. "He said he would stay here and read or something."
"Please, dad, just tonight. We'll take him with us tomorrow," Mike adds.
"Very well, then. Be damn sure you do."
When I call Stephan to dinner, he comes down carrying a copy of Dying Sound, his finger marking his place. "This is good. Hope I get to finish it before we leave."
"No need to rush," Tor says. He runs upstairs to our study and comes back with a copy. We both autograph it and he hands it to Stephan. "With our compliments. Now you can read it at your leisure."
Stephan's eyes brighten. "Thanks, Doctor Tor, Doctor Drew." He blushes. "Sorry, sirs, I shouldn't have used your first names like that."
"That's fine, Stephan. It is a bit awkward having two guys with the same last name to address at the same time. I'm sorry the boys didn't think to arrange a date for you tonight."
"That's okay, sir, I don't mind. I'm not too swift with girls."
"That's hard to believe. You're a very nice looking young man," Tor says.
"I don't try much, because no girl wants a guy who can't dance and I don't much think they'd want my hook around them."
"Tommy can't dance well, either, and Andrea doesn't mind a bit." I tell him. "Tor and I like the way you don't seem to give a damn about the hardware."
"Thanks, sir. I don't think about it, unless I'm around a girl." He looks first at Tor, then me. "I know this is awful personal, sir, but is that why you're not married?"
"Tommy hasn't told you anything about us?" I ask.
"He told me you adopted him and Mike, and he thinks you're the greatest men in the world, but that's all."
I glance at Tor, and he gives me a little nod. "Stephan, we don't want this spread around, but Tor and I consider ourselves married."
His surprised look quickly turns into a smile. "I was wondering. I think it's great. Please don't tell nobody, specially Tommy, but I'm gay. That's why I asked to room with him."
"But Tommy's not gay." Tor says.
"I know, sir. I thought he was when I saw him talking to the gay students counselor."
"You mean Eric?" I ask.
"Yes, sir."
"Tommy talks with him occasionally, because he's still trying to adjust to having gay dads. Has his being straight caused you any problem?"
"No, sir. He doesn't know I'm gay and I don't want him to, but he's the kind of guy I wish I could find. We're friends, and I like living with him because he doesn't mind helping me if I need it. Tommy's the greatest."
Tor smiles at him. "Keep looking. It may take a while, but someday a guy like you will be as lucky as I was when I met Drew. And in case you're wondering, we fell in love long before he lost his leg."
Stephan smiles. "Thanks for telling me. Guess there's hope for me yet."
"You have a computer at school?"
"Yes, sir."
"Good. There's a new site for teen and college age gays. Some of them are amputees, others just like amputees. I'll show you the site after we finish eating and give you the address. There's always a possibility you might make a friend there, if you don't find someone in the gay students group at school."
"Now I know why Tommy thinks you guys are great; you're so easy to talk to."
"We're glad you feel that way. Are you out to your parents?"
"Yes, sir. I was scared to death, but I told them when I was a junior in high school. I know they aren't happy about it, but they said if I ever found someone special, I could bring him home with me."
"You're damn lucky," Tor says. "My old man literally threw me out of the house when he found out. I haven't seen him but once since. I was hoping he might have changed, but he slammed the door in my face." He reaches across and takes my hand. "It's just Drew and me, now, and, of course, Mike and Tommy."
"Now that you know, we'll be glad to listen any time you want to talk," I add.
"I really appreciate that, sir."
Stephan has always been pleasant, but after dinner we find he's a delightful conversationalist. The boy's are back home before Tor and I realize how much time has passed.
"Gee, you guys talking?" Tommy asks Stephan.
Stephan smiles broadly. "You're lucky to have dads like these. I'm having a great time, and they even gave me an autographed copy of their book."
Mike gives me a covert look. I nod slightly and see him relax. "You'd better watch it, or they'll have you majoring in marine science like me."
"Not a chance, but I'm learning a lot."
"I'm glad you talked tonight, because we've got a full day tomorrow. Beach tomorrow with our girls, then they want to see The Lost Colony tomorrow night." Mike looks at me, "Guess we'll have lunch here Sunday before they head back, if that's all right, dad."
"Fine with me, but if you've got all that planned, you better get to bed. It's past midnight."
Once the boys have taken off the next morning, Tor and I go grocery shopping. With seven of us for lunch tomorrow and the hot weather, I take the easy way out making chicken salad and potato salad. Besides, I get a kick out of hearing Tor grumble when he's helping me cook. We have plenty of pickles and chips, and the kids can make sandwiches if they want. If we have any left over, which I doubt with the way the kids eat, Tor and I will finish it up for lunch on Monday.
We're in bed when the boys come home. They try to be quiet, but it's just as well we haven't gone to sleep, for their chatter and laughing would have awakened us.
Sunday morning I'm glad the boys sleep in. Tor and I have a quiet breakfast together and are on our second cups of coffee before Stephan comes down.
"Good time last night?" Tor asks, while I'm pouring a cup of coffee for Stephan.
"Wonderful, sir. Carol and Andrea are really nice. I didn't feel out of place at all."
"Mike and Tommy couldn't have found nicer girls. I met them while I was teaching on campus last year. How did you enjoy the play?"
Stephan grins. "Tommy sure let me know what was fake about it, but I thought it was interesting. All I knew was what I read in the American history book, which wasn't much."
"The next time you come, we'll have to show you the things you haven't seen. I'm sorry we haven't done it before."
"We saw a lot yesterday, like the Wright Memorial and one of the lighthouses. We all climbed to the top. It was fun."
"Then you've done most of the tourist stuff. Guess you'll have to settle for more beach."
"Can't beat that, sir, but I did see a couple of book stores I want to go in."
Mike and Tommy finally straggle down. After they've eaten, I get them to set up a card table in the living room; our kitchen table will only seat four comfortably. Stephan tells them he'll eat with Tor and me, so they and their girls can eat together.
With the girls present, our lunch turns into an impromptu party. Andrea, particularly, likes our home and seems quite reluctant to leave. "It's been so much fun, Doctor Torrence," she tells me. "My mother would never have let us make ourselves at home like this. Tommy's so lucky."
"I'm afraid we don’t have enough room to be formal, but thank you."
"That's what's so wonderful about it. I feel like I can relax and have a good time."
They decide that Andrea will ride with Tommy, and Stephan will go with Carol in Andrea's car. Mike, of course, isn't too happy about that. "Just remember whose girl you're riding with," he tells Stephan.
Stephan grins. "Not to worry. I won't try to steal her." He winks at me.
"Okay, stud, quit worrying and come help me clean up, then you'd better get a little studying done. You've got exams coming up in my class and Tor's." Tor and I both give three shorter exams during the summer session and average the grades for a final average instead of having tests and a comprehensive final.
I am surprised when Tommy comes in alone Friday night. "Where's Stephan?" I ask, for he has been with Tommy every weekend before.
Tommy shrugs. "Just said he had some work to do. I don’t know why, cause he's taking the same classes I am. The drive home sure seemed a lot longer without him."
"I'm sure it did. Well, you and Mike can do what you want, though it would be nice if you guys got the grass cut sometime this weekend."
"Okay. I brought one of my books home so's I can study."
He and Mike take the skiff out Saturday morning and bring home several nice spot. Tommy shows Mike how to clean fish. When they're done, Tommy says he'll cook them, then he and Mike cut the lawn. I'm pleased when they spend the evening studying. I get them up for Mass, and Tommy leaves for school after dinner.
After the talk we had with Stephan, neither of us can believe it when Tommy calls Thursday night and tells us Stephan came out to him.
"How do you feel about it?" Tor asks.
"I was really surprised, but I guess it's okay. I mean he ain't never hit on me or nothing. He didn't come home with me cause he's found a boyfriend. The star player on the varsity soccer team," he says in an awed voice.
"Be good to them, babe. It's hard knowing you're different and being alone."
"I sure know about that. I'm gonna miss bringing him home, though."
"He doesn't want to come any more?" I ask.
"Yeah, he does, but he don't want to leave his boyfriend."
"Then ask them both. Stephan knows Tor and I are lovers, so it's no problem, unless you have one."
"I don't. I only saw the guy once, didn't get no chance to talk to him."
"Is Stephan there?"
"He's out, that's how come I called. You know, so's I could talk to you."
"Ask him if he and his friend want to come with you this weekend. I'll make up the other bed."
"Okay. Guess we'll see you Friday afternoon, then. We get out early cause our last class is cancelled."
"Jeez! First this place is a motel and now it's turning into Boys Town," Tor complains after we hang up. It means nothing; he likes to grumble.
"Quit yer bitching. The boys deserve some fun with being in summer school."
"I guess. We had to make our own fun when we were in school, didn't we?"
I hug him. "And it worked out fine, so let's give these guys a chance."
To be continued...
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