“You, young man,” said Toni, emerging from their downstairs bathroom and stepping over the large holdall she had dropped in their hall. She stopped before Tommy, kissing him on each cheek. “Are a natural. Your nails are too perfect for the building trade, but if you need a few connections in the interior design world when you leave college, just let me know.”
“Fashion, Toni,” said Leonard. “He’s thinking about fashion.”
“He,” said Tommy, giving Leonard one of his looks, “is standing right here. And he is not thinking much further than passing his exams next year. If they work out okay, then I’ll consider the next step.”
“He’s being modest,” said Leonard.
“He’s being realistic,” said Jack, clunking bags of shopping down on the kitchen counter, then ripping off his reusable mask and stuffing it into his pocket.
“Thank you, Jack. Finally someone who lives on the same planet,” said Tommy, standing back from the table. “So. D’you think Ade will approve?”
Leonard took another look at the table. As soon as he walked in the door, Adrian would know something was up. For starters, he would smell the food cooking, but when he saw the dining room table, he would ask about the occasion. Leonard had said nothing that morning but had wondered if Adrian remembered. Not that it mattered. Leonard had everything he could ever want in his life. Meeting Adrian had been like a door opening, and he cherished every day they spent together. Now, with Tommy around, the world had ramped up a couple of notches.
“Ade will love it, Tommy,” said Jack, washing his hands at the sink. “Now, any chance of a beer before I roll up my sleeves and start creating magic?”
“You don’t want to freshen up first?” asked Leonard. “You’re in the front bedroom, as usual, by the way.”
“No, we’re good,” said Jack. “Only going to get more sweaty with all the cooking. But a beer would certainly help loosen things up.”
“I’ll get them,” said Toni, heading to the fridge. “What about you, Len?”
“Bit early for me,” said Leonard. “But then it is Friday night.”
“Count me in, too,” said Tommy, a mischievous grin on his face. “As it’s a special occasion.”
“He’ll have a cream soda,” said Leonard to Toni, who had opened the fridge door. “Don’t push your luck. If I’m still feeling magnanimous later, and only if you’re good and if Adrian agrees, we might let you sample a glass of the Dom Perignon champagne we’ve got chilling in the fridge.”
“Seriously?” asked Tommy, his smile widening. “Cream soda’s fine, then. Ice and a slice, please.”
Toni opened the fridge door and tossed a can to Tommy.
“Yeah. That’s not going to happen. Asahi okay, chaps?”
Leonard loved having people over. Before Adrian had moved in, he’d never entertained. Now they cooked indoors all the time and, whenever restrictions lightened up, they even invited people over. Adrian had become the master of the barbecue and, because of him, Leonard had finally gotten to know his neighbours.
By the time the front door opened, announcing Adrian’s arrival, the house was full of food odours and chatter and laughter. After tossing his mask and washing his hands, Adrian went over to Tommy first and gave him a hug and a kiss on the top of the head, then stood appraising the table. Leonard’s gaze sought out Adrian’s gold wedding ring, which sat in pride of place on his left hand. Just seeing the band gave him a sense of joy, of belonging—filling a void that had been missing for too long. Adrian always lavished his attention on their foster kid first of all, something Leonard fully supported. Tommy loved having Adrian’s approval. Leonard seemed to have adopted the role of the grown up in their relationship, while Ade’s bond with Tommy resembled that of an older brother. A much older brother.
Leonard could tell Adrian must have expected something because he grinned and winked at Leonard and, after a quick hug hello for Jack and Toni, walked into Leonard’s waiting arms.
“You knew, didn’t you?” whispered Leonard into his right ear.
“I’d planned to book a table at the steak place you like. Around the corner. Just the three of us. I asked our wayward child to do the booking and was advised, in no uncertain terms, to back off.”
They both looked around to see Tommy looking nervously at them, biting on the cuticle of his forefinger.
“I never told him anything,” said Tommy, the guilt written on his face. “Honest. Not about all this, anyway.”
“Come here, young man,” said Leonard, with mock seriousness. Poor Tommy appeared genuinely nervous until Leonard pulled him into their family hug. He managed to stay there for all of ten seconds before pulling away.
“Ugh, Ade! You smell of tarmac and brick dust and roadkill. You better not have splodged my new shirt.”
“Don’t worry, Prince Charming,” said Adrian, tousling his hair. “You and your ruffles still look fabulous. Now I’m going up to shower and change. See you in a bit.”
* * * *
After the meal, they sat in the living room sharing the bottle of champagne and cupcakes while Tommy put on some of his favourite jams—music. As promised, he also got his first taste of the expensive wine, and Leonard watched him savour every bubble. After that Adrian sorted out coffees using a new coffee machine that still eluded Leonard, to make drinks for Toni and Jack.
“Before anyone says anything,” said Toni, sitting up and raising her glass, “I want to just say again what a great couple you make and, although this is not your official anniversary, now that you’re married—”
“Shortest ceremony in the history of weddings…” said Jack.
Instead of heading to Scotland for a holiday two Christmases ago—at the invite of Kennedy—Leonard and Adrian had decided to get married. The registry office ceremony had been short and simple, only a few friends, including Toni and Jack, in attendance. For them both the important thing had been to be an official couple when they welcomed Tommy into their lives. The following Christmas they had wanted to spend time together with Tommy in Wales. By way of recompense, they had agreed to throw a big party in celebration during the summer months—until the events that rocked the rest of the world had put paid to that.
“We’re glad to have been with you for most of the journey. Happy anniversary. And here’s to many more.”
Still sitting, they all toasted together. Tommy had taken his usual spot on the sofa, cross-legged in between Adrian and Leonard. Ever since he had been with them, he had always wanted them to sit together, as though he didn’t want to let them out of his sight. But this time, as they finished toasting and everyone put their glass down, Tommy jumped up from the sofa and they heard his footsteps thumping up the stairs.
A few minutes later, as the rest of them chatted happily, Tommy returned with wrapped presents for Adrian and Leonard. They hadn’t expected gifts from anyone and both men gave each other quizzical looks.
“Tommy, you didn’t need to do this,” said Adrian, accepting his gift and smiling anyway.
“It’s not much,” said Tommy, look uncharacteristically nervous and excited. “I hope you like them. Sonia at school helped me find the material and we made them during our free periods. I based the sizes on ones you already have in your wardrobe.”
“You made these yourself?” asked Toni as Leonard unwrapped his long-sleeved, button-down shirt. Although the material was white cotton, the whole garment had tiny characters all over, small leaves of a tea plant in green. Even the collar and cuffs had been carefully planned, with a green and white paisley design to complement the pattern.
Adrian unwrapped his shirt, which was a burgundy colour and had small coffee beans all over. His also had a similar design of paisley on the collar and cuffs, but this time in dark brown and wine red.
“Tommy!” said Adrian, standing up and putting the shirt on. “I bloody love it.”
Leonard thought he looked damn good in it, too, worn over the top of his black T-shirt. Leonard had to remove
his short-sleeved shirt first, revealing his naked upper torso, which put a grin on Adrian’s face, but he managed to slip into the shirt easily. After buttoning up, he went over and stood next to Adrian, the two of them posing for Toni’s phone camera.
“Absolutely love them, Tommy. You are a true talent.”
“You’re fam,” said Tommy, clearly pleased with himself, his cheeks reddened, and, Leonard suspected, not just from the champagne. “And I wanted to do something nice. Suits you two. Coffee and tea. You know one of the teachers at school refers to you both as Mr Lemonade.”
“Huh?” said Jack. “I don’t get it. Why lemonade?”
“My bad,” said Tommy. “I keep talking about my two guardians, Len and Ade. They must have misheard.”
Adrian laughed along with them all, then pecked Leonard on the lips and was about to go and sit back down, but Leonard pulled his arm back and whispered in his ear. Adrian smiled and nodded.
“We have something, too. For all of us, actually. So I need Tommy up here with us.”
While Adrian waited for Tommy, Leonard went over to the sideboard where he had left his work case. He pulled out the large brown envelope he had collected that day.
“I had to pop in to see my solicitor today. Usual work stuff. But she’s been in touch with the foster care authorities and looking into the possibility of us actually adopting you, Tommy. But only if you want to. We can submit the forms now, but we need to wait another six months until you’ve been with us for two years. The long and the short of it is, both Adrian and I would like to make you officially and legally a part of the family. I know your real father is still out there, so you may need to take some time to think—”
“Yes. No. I don’t need—” The words faded into a high-pitched sob, and before Leonard had a chance to finish, Tommy buried his head in Adrian’s chest, his arms around him, his shoulders shaking along with the snuffles coming from him. Leonard placed a hand in the middle of Tommy’s back and rubbed circles. Tommy’s reaction drew the same tearful response from Toni and Jack.
“I hate you both,” said Tommy eventually, pouting and snatching a tissue from the box on the table. “Neither of you know how much time and effort goes into putting on mascara. Now I look like an extra from Twilight.”
“So you’re okay with the idea?” asked Leonard after they had sat back down on the sofa. But something in Tommy had softened, and he couldn’t help the smile pulling at the corner of his mouth.
“Of course I’m okay with the idea,” said Tommy, with the ‘duh’ expression he loved to lavish on his guardians. “Will I have to keep my family name?”
“That’s your choice.”
“Can I have yours, Len? It’s so much easier to pronounce.”
“Of course you can, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Let’s wait until everything’s agreed before we make those kinds of decisions. This will mean you having to keep up your school grades, Tommy. If the social workers see any drop in your grades, they might take that as a sign that we’re not practicing responsible parenting.”
“I know, I know,” said Tommy, looking flustered even though Leonard had been half-joking. “I’m doing my best. But you might have to ask Grandma if she can help me with biology again. Without her help, I’d never have made it through the half-term exam.”
Grandma. Leonard had asked his mother to look through Tommy’s science schoolwork, and they’d had several two-hour sessions over video chat during the holidays. He’d managed a respectable B+ in the exam, which he was ecstatic about, but his mother had phoned Leonard after one lesson and asked him if he’d instructed Tommy to call her Grandma. He hadn’t—nobody forced Tommy to do anything—but much to Leonard’s surprise, she loved the endearment.
“Why don’t you text her? You can also tell our news.”
* * * *
In bed that night, he let Adrian read over the terms of the adoption. Leonard could tell he only skimmed most of the pages because he trusted Leonard’s solicitor, Helen. She had probably deferred the paperwork to someone she knew who had more relevant experience. But if Helen trusted them, then so did Leonard.
“We’re going to have a son,” said Adrian.
“We already do,” said Leonard. “But it’ll be official. And I’m going to give him Bryn Bach for his twenty-first. That way it stays in the family. Don’t say anything to him yet, though. We’ll let it be a surprise.”
“While I think that’s a wonderful idea, you might not want to keep this particular present a surprise.”
“What do you mean?”
“I never mentioned this before, because there seemed no point. You were dead set on keeping the house. But Tommy asked me once if you’d ever considered donating the place to a suitable charity, maybe to be used as a refuge for teens with emotional problems, a place for them to get away from the city and heal.”
“He said that?”
“He did. I told him about the legacy, the long family history, and he understands.”
“But I think that’s a beautiful idea, Ade. Do you want to say something to him?”
“No, love,” said Adrian, grinning at Leonard. "That’s a conversation between the two of you, don’t you think?”
For all his bravado, their son—yes, their son—had a heart of pure gold. Adrian had shifted onto his side, a hand cradling the back of his head, his gaze softening as he took in Leonard.
“When things get better,” said Leonard, “do you think we could all go on a road trip and meet your aunt and uncle? In Hastings?”
“Oh, hell, Lenny. You’ve got to stop doing this,” said Adrian, rubbing a hand across his eyes. “Enough emotion for one night. And yes. Yes, of course. I would absolutely love that.”
After a moment, their eyes met again.
“Why me, Lenny?”
“What do you mean?”
“You’re amazing—successful, charismatic. Everyone I’ve ever met likes you. And yet you chose me. I suppose I just wondered why.”
“Are you fishing for compliments?”
“No, I’m serious. Even that friend of yours, Kennedy, said he had a thing for you once. I just wondered what you see in me.”
“Ade,” said Leonard, after leaning in a kissing him softly. “I love everything about you. You’re brave, braver than anyone I’ve ever known. Not only did you survive the streets, but you came through intact with not a bad bone in your body. I love those cute freckles you still have after all these years, and the way your eyes crinkle and only half of your mouth lifts when you find something amusing. And I love that when you laugh it’s never at people, but with them. I could happily drown in the look you give me when we’re both blissed out from kissing and having sex. I love that your heart is so big and yet so fragile, and despite all of the suffering you’ve been through, you still think nothing of selflessly helping others. When I watch you sleep peacefully, looking like a little boy, my heart breaks thinking about you being homeless, fearing for your life every night. And I want to wrap you in my arms and never let you go. But most of all—and this might sound a little selfish—I love that I’m the one who understands all this about you, that I’m the person who’s won the prize of knowing your story, and spending the rest of my life with you.”
Leonard could see Adrian processing everything he had said, breathing deeply. When their eyes met again, he smiled and reached a finger out to touch Leonard’s lips.
“Well, I don’t have your way with words, but maybe I can show you exactly how much you mean to me. Will that be enough?”
“More than enough,” said Leonard, as Adrian pulled their bodies together.
Note to the Reader
While Any Day is about misunderstandings and second chances, about older men finding love and about forbidden love, the story also touches on mature subjects including gay teen suicide. If you, or anyone you know, are experiencing difficulties and in need of support, please seek help immediately. Below is a non-exhaustive list of current organisations prov
iding suicide prevention services to the LGBTQ+ community.
International
The Trevor Project: https://www.thetrevorproject.org
UK
Queer Futures Helpline: http://www.queerfutures.co.uk/help/
LGBTQ+ Lifeline: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/help-yourself/lgbtq/
Switchboard LGBT+ Helpline: https://switchboard.lgbt
USA
PFLAG Hotlines: https://pflag.org/hotlines
LGBTQIA Resource Center: https://lgbtqia.ucdavis.edu/support/hotlines
These links were current at the time of publishing. There are many more support resources available. If you cannot find what you need from the list above, do a browser search to locate others.
Want to see more from this author? Here’s a taster for you to enjoy!
Companion Required
Brian Lancaster
Excerpt
Kennedy
London, England, August 2016
Two triple-shot espressos down and Kennedy Grey massaged his fingers into his temples. Dull throbbing had begun to resemble a migraine. Not because of the coffee—his lifeblood most days—but because the previous candidate had tried his patience to the limit. ‘Is the food safe to eat? Isn’t Singapore in China? Aren’t gays banned in China? And will there be any fringe benefits?’ Questions about food safety he could accept, especially if a candidate had allergies. He could even appreciate them not being familiar with the geography of the travel destination. For that very reason, he had brought along a one-page map of Asia highlighting Singapore. But asking if there would be any fringe benefits had tipped him over the edge. The advert had been straightforward enough on the subject of remuneration.
Not for the first time that afternoon, Kennedy considered throwing in the towel and abandoning the whole precious idea. Maybe this was the year he made a change. After all, the signs of madness were everywhere, what with a game show host being chosen as the official Republican candidate to run for the US presidency and the people of Britain filing for divorce from Europe.
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