An Unexpected Gift

by Brandon Carlisle

  "Fine! If you will be a manipulative bitch about it, I'll drive." He tried to look pissed but ending up giving me a grin as I tossed him the keys.

  After a few grinds of the gears we were on our way. I couldn't stop thinking about what we agreed to. We talked about having kids in the future, but this was different. Could we handle taking on a teenager? I kept thinking about all the other kids in the same situation as Andy and I felt my stomach roil. By the time we were halfway to the hospital I couldn't hold it any longer. "Pull over. Pull over, Sebastian!" He looked at me and pulled to the curb as I threw open the door and watched as my late breakfast hurled to the curb. Sebastian undid his seatbelt and leaned across to rub my back.

  "Isaac? Honey, are you all right?"

  "Yeah. I guess I'm just nervous." Sebastian climbed out of the car and walked around to my side. He looked down at the pavement and gave a disgusted snort, shaking his head as he squatted on the sidewalk.

  "Look. I know we've talked about this, but if you are having second thoughts, I will understand."

  My eyes locked on his as I realized what he was thinking. "No! No… I'm not having second thoughts. I thought about other kids like Andy and felt sick." Reaching into his back pocket he gave me a handkerchief.

  "Wipe your face, there are Tic Tacs in the glove box. I have several ideas to help the other children in Andy's circumstances. We can talk about them on the way to pick up Andy."

  We stopped at a local market and Sebastian bought three bottles of water before we continued to the hospital. I knew Sebastian was wealthy, but I never knew how much money he had. When he bought the house in San Francisco, his attorney handled everything. His plan was to have him set up a foundation so he could use a chunk of his trust to fund self-defense classes at Angel House. Instead he just funded it through his trust.

  It was Leland's idea to start Angel House after he was on his way to meet Ryan and another couple for dinner. When he got off the cable car and was walking to the coffee shop, a homeless boy solicited him for sex on Polk Street. Leland was shocked by his offer and gave the boy fifty dollars. He told him to get something to eat and a room for the night. When he met Ryan, and Paul and Diego, at the coffee shop, Paul explained that there were a lot of homeless teens in the city. Hustling was how they got by. Angel House was Leland's hope to give them a safe place, and an alternative to sex work. They could get shelter, counseling, and referrals for services. It was a drop in the bucket with the number of homeless teens, but it was a start.

  Sebastian must have been thinking about this for a while because he spoke of a long-range plan to provide for medical checkups and treatment for the street kids. There was unused space at Angel House. He was hoping the board would see their way to allow it to be available twice a week so the kids could see a doctor and receive treatment right on the premises. Right now, they have to go all the way out to Potrero Hill to get medical attention at San Francisco General Hospital, or, if they are lucky, one of the free clinics scattered throughout the city, but there were none in the area. Once his idea was in place, they could go to a comfortable and safe environment they were familiar with. Leland knew people at City Hall and had connections. I watched Sebastian as he drove and could see the wheels spinning, knowing he was already expanding his plans as he drove.

  In only a short time our life had gone from a pleasant existence, to being turned upside down. Were we cut out to be parents? Neither one of us had good examples in our background. Did I have what it takes to be a good role model? I only hoped we could handle what the future had in store for us.

  *****

  When we arrived at Andy’s room an older nurse was helping him dress. The first thing that went through my mind after the shock of how thin and bruised he was, was how he needed a decent meal and rest. The swelling was down slightly and his eye was open just a bit. When he noticed us at his door, he broke out in a smile and pulled away from her. She left in a huff, stopping to tell me she would fetch a wheelchair for him. “Is it true I’m going home with you?”

  I heard Sebastian clear his throat before tugging at my sleeve. I saw how he was trying to keep it together and took over. "That’s right, Andy. Like we said yesterday. You are coming home with us while you recuperate." I turned to Sebastian, blocking Andy’s view, slipping his hand in mine. "Why don’t you see if his paperwork is ready while I help him finish getting dressed." I gave him a peck on the lips and motioned for him to leave.

  “Have you guys been together long?”

  Andy’s question caught me by surprise and I watched while he tried to squeeze a bright red boot over his foot with one hand and wincing at the pain.

  I laughed. “A few years.”

  “But you guys are so different.”

  I couldn’t disagree with him there. Sebastian had the refined appearance of a fashion model. He was six feet tall. Slender, with ash blond hair, smooth, fair skin, sharp, angled features, and gray eyes. I was the exact opposite.

  “Let me help you.” I kneeled in front of him and held his boot still.

  The nurse stood by the door with the wheel chair before shaking her head and leaving. “Ring the bell if you need any help.”

  Andy gave her the finger as she left. “She was a real bitch. She kept saying how my clothes weren’t ‘appropriate’ for a boy.”

  I let out a sigh, setting the bright red boot on the floor. “Why don’t you wear the slippers from the hospital and we can take the boots and the rest of your things with us?”

  “I can’t leave them behind! Fuckers already took my bag.” His face filled with fear.

  “It’s okay, Andy. We won’t leave anything behind. You sprained your knee and I don’t see how we can put them on without a lot of pain. I promise we won’t leave anything of yours here.”

  Andy leaned back and let out an exasperated breath. “Crap! This sucks.”

  I chuckled and stood up. “Everything will be okay. Now, can I put on the slippers?”

  He sat up and looked me in the eye. There was a hardness in his expression. “What's your angle? Why are you doing this?”

  This poor kid had trust issues, not that I could blame him. Living on the streets and having to do whatever he had to survive. Angel House had only a limited number of beds, and if he was late, he was out of luck. "Nothing, except for you to get better. We have a guest room in our home, and you already know Sebastian is a volunteer at the shelter. We only want to help."

  Andy’s face fell and his eyes teared up. “No one’s ever just wanted to help. They always wanted something in return.”

  Sitting next to him on the hospital bed I pulled him into my arms and he clung to me with his one free arm. "Hey. Hey. Everything will be just fine." I rubbed circles on his back and did my best not to cry. How could a parent toss a child out onto the street? Even my foster parents were kinder than what his parents did to him. A different nurse poked her head in at that moment and I shook my head. Her face softened as she shut the door and left.

  "Andy? How did you end up in San Francisco?" He shrugged his shoulders and said it was a long story. I could see him getting defensive and there were tears in his eyes so I dropped the subject. "Let’s get you out of here." I wiped the tears from his face with my thumb and helped him finish dressing. He already had his pants on and only needed his shirt. It was awkward with the cast on his arm. When I reached to untie his gown, he grabbed my wrist. "What’s wrong?"

  “I… I don’t want you to see what they did.”

  “Andy, it doesn’t matter how you look. Let’s get you home.”

  I had to bite my tongue at all the bruising on his torso. Sebastian and I had to talk about getting Andy some kind of help for the trauma he had been through. Once he was dressed and in the chair, I placed his few belongings on his lap and wheeled him out of the room. Sebastian was coming toward us and I watched him force a smile. “Andy, are you ready to leave?”

  *****

  The ride home was quiet. Andy was in the front seat while
I drove with Sebastian squeezed into the back. When we got home, I lifted him out of the car and he felt so light it was like carrying a young child, he was so thin. Sebastian dropped everything onto the hall table and I was making my way to the guest room when Andy yelled, "Holy crap! Wait!"

  Sebastian spun around and stared at Andy before noticing where his eyes were focused and gave the boy a smile. "Like what you see?" His eyes were wide with wonder. "Would you like to sit in the living room for a while?"

  I followed him into the living room and set Andy on our overstuffed sofa, placing a pillow on the coffee table before resting his leg on it. Ever the gracious host my lover grinned. "Make yourself comfortable and I will get us something to drink. Are you hungry, Andy?"

  He blushed and looked at his lap. "Well, kinda."

  Sebastian gave me a wink. "Isaac, why don't you make Andy comfortable, and I'll get us something to eat."

  When he left, Andy whispered, "Just the two of you guys live here?"

  "Yes. Sebastian bought the place a few months after we met. I moved in a few months later." I pointed to several of the silk tapestries on the walls. "He loves Asian art. When he doesn't volunteer at Angel House, he works at the De Young Museum in Golden Gate Park. I'm the simple guy. I work at the Legal Aid Clinic down the street."

  "This stuff is cool. I've never seen stuff like this before."

  I couldn't help but grin. "If you ask Sebastian, I'm sure he would love to tell you about his collection and what he does at the museum. Do you mind if I ask you a question?" He looked down at his lap and nodded. "How old are you, Andy?"

  "I'm almost sixteen." He looked up at me and I could see he was nervous.

  "Okay." I schooled my thoughts for a moment and worded my next question carefully. "You're very young to be on your own. How did you end up here in San Francisco?"

  He let out a sigh. I guess I can tell you. "I'm from a dinky town in Arkansas you wouldn't have heard of. They caught me giving a guy a blow job under the bleachers at school. When my parents found out, they gave me a choice. I could go away and be cured at some religious place, or they would disown me." He told me more about the scandal at school and how his family was ashamed, but the other boy was the star athlete so he got a warning. He also told me how he survived when he arrived in the city.

  There was no shame in what he told me. I could see anger, but no shame. "But how did you end up in San Francisco?"

  He laughed at my question. "On the way to wherever they were taking me they had to stop for gas. I told them I needed to use the bathroom, and they let me go by myself. Once I was out of sight behind the gas station I took off."

  Sebastian showed up with a large tray. There was iced tea, crackers, cheese, and small plates. Andy pointed to the wheel of cheese. "What's that?"

  I grinned and pointed to Sebastian as he looked confused. After composing himself, Sebastian put on a smile. "That, my young friend, is French Brie. It is a very flavorful soft cheese you spread on crackers." He picked up the knife and cut a small wedge, placing it on a cracker. "Here, I think you will like it."

  Andy took the cracker and looked at it closely before taking a small bite. "Wow. Um… that's good. Can I have some more?"

  Sebastian winked at me. "Andy, you can have as much as you want. Just eat it slowly. Remember, you're not well." He poured our glasses of iced tea and sat in one of the wing chairs opposite the sofa. Before I knew it, Andy was peppering Sebastian with questions about the artwork in the living room. I sat back and enjoyed the easy way they settled into conversation. My mind drifted to the possibilities we discussed earlier about the future. After a while Andy yawned and I carried him to the spare bedroom while Sebastian prepared a mug of hot chocolate for our young guest.

  *****

  Once Andy settled in the guest room, Sebastian took the iced tea into the kitchen, and returned with wine glasses and the Chablis that was chilling in the refrigerator. Once I poured our drinks, I raised my glass. "To our young house guest of fifteen and a full recovery."

  Holding onto his glass with both hands he looked at me. "He's just a child, and he seems awfully small for his age. What about after he is better? We can't send him back out on the street, but we know nothing about him." He took a long drink from his glass.

  "About that." I leaned back in the sofa and put my feet on the table. Sebastian reached forward, and I lifted my feet as he placed a magazine under them. "While you were in the kitchen, Andy told me a bit about how he arrived in San Francisco. He's from a tiny town in Arkansas. His family is religious, and when they discovered he was gay, they enlisted the service of their church to fix him. It was last October when elders of his church showed up at the house. The next thing he knew, they were in a van going somewhere to pray the devil out of him."

  He finished his glass and poured himself another before slumping in his chair.

  "When the church members stopped for gas on the way to the retreat, he asked if he could use the restroom, and they let him go on his own. When Andy was out of sight of the van, he ran. From what I understand, he must have hitchhiked his way here. He had no money so you know what must have happened next."

  Sebastian shook his head. "He's only a child."

  I took a deep breath. "He's almost sixteen."

  "Shit!" Sebastian took a swallow. "My God. Isaac, he's only a baby! He shouldn't have to go through that to survive." He paced around the room before stopping to refill his glass once again. "If we do nothing, Andy will be back on the street. We should hand him over to child services, but I'll be damned if I'd do that after what he has been through."

  "Sebby? What do you want to do?" I could see his wheels spinning and he was agitated. But I knew the direction this was headed.

  "We have to call my attorney and find out what his rights are. We also need to get him a complete physical. The attorney will need his parents' address so we can have them release their rights. I'm sure if they were going to turn him over to the state they won't have an issue in releasing their parental rights."

  "Sebastian? You haven't answered my question." I refilled my glass.

  "What? Oh, what do you think? I want to keep him. Is that all right with you?" He gave me his adorable pleading expression.

  "Of course. I already knew you would want to. Why don't I check in on our guest?"

  I left him to gather his thoughts and headed to the guest room. When I peeked in, I saw he was awake, staring at the ceiling. I knocked, "Everything all right, Andy?"

  "Where's my boots?"

  I pointed to the closet. "I put them away. They're safe." I felt he didn't believe me so I opened the closet door and showed him. "Can I ask why they are so important?"

  "They cost me a lot." He looked down at the bedspread. "He owed me."

  I moved to the side of the bed and pointed. He nodded, and I sat down, wondering what had happened. "Do you want to tell me?"

  "I met this nice drag queen on Powell Street and he took me to eat. He said he could let me stay on his sofa for the night. When we got to his place, he gave me a soda." Andy looked down at the spread and started tugging at the edge. "Next thing I woke up on the sofa with my pants down and my ass hurt like… well it hurt real bad. Fucker doped me and fucked me!"

  My stomach turned, and I felt sick.

  When he looked at me, his eyes were filled with defiance. "I grabbed the boots and a watch off the coffee table and took off. The fucker owed me. I didn't steal them."

  "That never should have happened to you. I'm sorry." I patted his good leg, and he flinched. "Andy, you're safe here. We only want to help. Sebastian and I have no interest in anything else other than you getting better."

  "I… I… didn't mean that!" His face filled with panic. "I'm not… not saying you're like that asshole."

  "It's all right, Andy. I understand." I smiled as I patted his leg gently and left the room.

  CHAPTER THREE

  Lawyers and Paperwork

  Sebastian

  My Isaac
. How did I get so lucky? It was almost five in the afternoon and I prayed that my lawyer was still in the office. On the third ring the receptionist picked up. "Hargrave and Murrow, Attorneys at Law. How may I help you?"

  "Hello, Candace. This is Sebastian Montgomery. I need to speak to Mr. Hargrave, it's rather urgent."

  "One moment, Mr. Montgomery." She must have put me on hold as I listened to some awful music before Arthur Hargrave answered.

  "Sebastian? Candace told me you sounded upset. Is everything all right?"

  "Arthur, Isaac and I have an issue where we need your help. We need to find out how to gain legal custody of a fifteen-year-old runaway who has been living on the streets."

  The line was quiet for a moment. "Sebastian, that can be very tricky. It will depend on if the parents want to keep custody. It also is an issue as you are not a relative. The last problem, I am sorry to say, is that under the law, you and Isaac are not a couple. It could work if one of you applies for guardianship as an individual. If it were you, with your name recognition, financial standing, and background, it should have little difficulty with approval. Nothing against Isaac, but he does not have the same background or financial standing as you."

  It didn't matter how complicated it could get. We needed to do this. "I understand. If you can look into it for me, I would appreciate it."

  "Sebastian. Have you asked for the young man's permission? The law does not require it, but it would help in the matter." I groaned. I could have sworn I heard him chuckle. "That is what I thought. Sebastian, you need to think this through. I will look into the matter for you, but I will go no further until I have spoken with the young man."

  "Arthur, I may have jumped the gun, but this is important. I want to know what our options are if we go through with it."

  "Sebastian." Concern was in his voice. "I understand. But I also remember how you were when you purchased your home. I'll get back to you in the next two days."

  As I hung up the phone Isaac came back into the living room. "How did it go?"