An Unexpected Gift

by Brandon Carlisle

  I went to him and wrapped my arms around his neck. "He politely reminded me of how I can get ahead of myself, but he is looking into the matter. It seems it could be rather simple to gain guardianship, or extremely complicated. He recommended that we first get permission from Andy before proceeding. Guardianship, though, would have to be only one of us."

  He laughed and pecked me on the lips, his thumb stroking my cheek. "I could have told you that part. We should talk to him about it tomorrow. Let's let him get settled in for the night. We also need to have Abigail come over later so he can meet her."

  So much had happened to Andy I didn't want him to feel inundated. "I'll call the museum and leave a message that I'll be in late tomorrow. Let him rest tonight and I'll bring Abigail in the morning to meet him. I think we should sit down with her first, so she knows a little about him."

  "Good idea. How about pizza for dinner?"

  "Wonderful. I'm not in the mood for Chinese again. You call in the order. Get just one. Extra-large, and you choose. I'll call Abigail and see if she wants to come down and join us.

  *****

  Abigail is an absolute angel. When she arrived, she had a small plate of her special brownies. We thanked her, but had to explain. "Abigail, we appreciate the brownies, but now that Andy is here, we need to keep the desserts with your special addition away from Andy."

  "Of course, dear." She winked. We explained over dinner what happened to Andy, minus the embarrassing details, and how he got to the city. As she never had any children of her own with Albert, she wanted to watch over Andy as if he were hers. Abigail was candid about her earlier life. When she was a young girl of thirteen, she had been gang raped. Permanent damage from the experience prevented her from having children. She told us that was one of her reasons she went into teaching; because she loved being around children.

  After dinner was over and she returned to her flat, we shared one of her brownies while we settled in for the evening with a rerun of 'Charlie's Angels' before heading to bed. We stopped to check in on Andy, and he was sound asleep, the hot chocolate we left him still on the night stand.

  "Please! No! No! Don't hurt me!"

  The screaming woke us and, in an instant, we were in Andy's room. He was thrashing about and Isaac grabbed his arms, careful of his cast, before he could hurt himself. Running my fingers through his hair I whispered soothingly in his ear until his eyes fluttered open and he realized where he was.

  "I'm sorry. I'm sorry." He was crying, and I did my best to calm him.

  We sat on opposite sides of the bed. I leaned down and kissed his forehead. "Everything is fine, Andy. There is no need to apologize. You had a nightmare. What happened was horrible and we won't let it happen again. You're here with us. No one will hurt you." I looked up to Isaac, and he nodded his head. There was no way we would ever turn him out. We sat on the bed until he was fast asleep and then we returned to our room.

  Once we were back in our own bed, I curled up with Isaac, placing my head on his chest while he stroked my hair. I simply couldn't understand the violence against us, and found it utterly bewildering. It wasn't possible to make someone gay. All we wanted was to love and be loved. So why the hate?

  "Sebby?"

  I still couldn't believe I had a pet name and loved it. Anyone else trying to use Sebby would have received a severe dressing down. "You better not be asking me to move."

  "No. I wouldn't dream of it. I need this now, too." He stopped stroking my hair and gave my scalp a little tap. "I think we should look into maybe getting help for Andy to work through what happened."

  "Maybe. Let's give him a little time to adjust first. It might be because of how recent the attack was." I didn't want to believe he might need help, but if he did, I would find the best doctor for him.

  Once Isaac drifted off, I still could not sleep. I slipped out from under his arm and sat in the window seat overlooking our garden. The window was open, and I felt the goosebumps on my arms. I went to the other side of the room and opened the armoire to grab a sweater.

  When I bought the house, the master bedroom was very large, but my adding a master bath before moving in meant the room was no longer square, but more of a rectangle. As it is with most converted Victorian homes, there was scant closet space, and I purchased an armoire for each of us that were on the far side of the room. Closing the door, I thought about whether we should get one for Andy and realized once again, I was getting ahead of myself. Curled up on the window seat I gazed at the clear sky focusing on the stars to clear my mind.

  Looking back, my life in New York City was shallow and rather empty. After Leland moved, it became devoid of any meaningful contact, as I had no other close friends, and my family was cold and uncaring.

  I was raised by nannies and trotted out with my brother, Simon, by my parents for public events when needed. He was the perfect child and followed every rule. Going into the family business when he graduated from university, marrying the debutante, joining the social club. The only person other than Leland that I ever felt close to was my paternal grandfather. That relationship materialized when I was sixteen and was all too brief.

  Everyone thought Grandfather Zachary was a cold and aloof man, including myself. That was until my sixteenth birthday. He notified my parents that I was to visit him alone that day at two in the afternoon and he would be sending his driver for me. It was my first audience alone with the old man, and, to be honest, I was rather afraid. My father stressed that I needed to be on my best behavior as it could mean a lot of money and prestige for my future and the family.

  When I arrived at his apartment, a butler I had never seen before greeted me. He showed me into the drawing room and my grandfather directed me to a chair next to him by the fireplace. "My boy, I have something very important to discuss with you. What I am about to tell you must never be shared with anyone. If I hear you have betrayed what we discuss, I shall nullify your trust. Do you understand me?"

  Nervously, I nodded, "Yes sir." His behavior was nothing out of the ordinary. Grandpa was always distant and gruff.

  "You should have the opportunities in life I denied myself. You are young, and I know it has been difficult growing up in your home. Your father is not a loving man and I am to blame. It will not always be like that. Someday, soon I hope, you will be a young man on your own. When the time comes, I hope you will make the right decisions for your future."

  "Grandfather? Are you ill?"

  "Nonsense! I am an old man with many regrets. Regrets I hope you will not repeat. Now, I want you to listen carefully. I see myself in you. Sensitive, caring, and also, this is very important, in your sexual predisposition."

  He must have seen the confusion on my face and continued.

  "Don't worry, child. As I have told you, this is a conversation only for your ears. Times were different when I was your age." He looked up at the painting of him and grandmother above the fireplace. He was seated in the same chair, her standing behind him, her hands on his shoulders. They were almost regal in their pose. There was warmth, tenderness, and a sense of love, but no real romance in their eyes.

  His eyes were sad when he looked back at me. "I denied who I was, knowing I could never fall in love because of my station in life. Your grandmother, God rest her soul, was a good woman. She knew I was different. She knew I could not give her what she needed from a husband. My Elaine was an understanding woman who accepted me for who I was, never doubting I loved her as much as I possibly could, being how I am. We had an arrangement only she and I were privy to. Gerald, her chauffeur, was devoted to her, and gave her what I could not."

  Grandfather rang the bell for his servant. "Peter, would you pour me a brandy and bring a pitcher of lemonade for the young master?" Peter went to the liquor cabinet and poured a generous snifter for grandfather, setting it on the table by his chair, and excused himself.

  "Let me see. Ah, yes… I was telling you about your grandmother. She was a wonderful woman and never let scandal
touch the family name. I performed my husbandly duties so we could have a son to carry on our name. But beyond that, Gerald fulfilled your grandmother's needs where I could not."

  My head was swimming at the news. No one in our family had ever hinted at such a thing.

  "As for myself, I was very discreet. My manservant, Edgar, was my devoted companion throughout our marriage, just as Gerald was for your grandmother. Whenever we were alone, away from any hint of potential gossip, we were simply two couples in love. We would play bridge together, listen to the radio, or read many evenings. When Edgar passed away a year ago, I thought I would never recover. I don't want you to go through the same pain and loneliness I had to endure. Hiding who I was. Things are different now. I am not saying it will be easy."

  "I am giving you an opportunity to break away from that cold house earlier than your trust says. Instead of twenty-five, you will gain access to your trust on your twenty-first birthday. I will pay for your tuition and expenses to live on campus when you go to the university. With luck, you will move into a place of your own before you graduate."

  Peter returned with the lemonade and poured before excusing himself again. When we were alone, grandfather raised his brandy snifter.

  "Let us toast to you making the right decisions and being true to yourself. I doubt I have ever told you before, but I love you boy. I always have."

  That was the last time I saw him. He told no one in the family about his illness because the vultures in the family would begin circling. He died several months later from cancer. In his will it was specified that I was to go away to college and live on campus with all expenses covered. If my father did not abide by this bequest, my father would be excluded from the will and the estate would be held in trust, and divided equally between my brother and me when we reached a specified age. My father never said a word.

  I must have fallen asleep because I felt Isaac's strong hands on my shoulders. "Sebastian, come to bed, let your mind rest for a few hours."

  I pulled one of his hands to my cheek. "I was just thinking of my grandfather. If only I had the chance to know him better."

  He led me back to bed, wrapped his arms around me, and slumber overtook my concerns.

  *****

  It was quiet for the rest of the night and when dawn broke, I was already in the kitchen preparing what I hoped was a healthy breakfast for a child; toast, cereal, scrambled eggs, orange juice (not Floridian), and coffee. My plan was to make an omelet, but it was a disaster. The final result was scrambled eggs mixed with ham, cheese, and mushrooms. At least I tried. I heard Isaac come into the room and turned to greet him. He saw the breakfast tray on the kitchen table and stopped.

  "How many people are you feeding? If it is for me, thank you, but you know I don't have a heavy breakfast." My expression must have dropped because he wrapped his arms around me and gave me a soft smile. "Baby, he is just a boy. You saw how small he is. I don't think he can eat that much. No matter how hungry he is. But I know he does need to put on weight, so maybe he will eat it all." He smiled, trying to make me feel better.

  I let out an exasperated sigh. "I want to make him feel welcome."

  Isaac went to the freezer and retrieved a bag of frozen peas, placing it in a towel. "I heard Andy stirring when I went past his room. I will place this around his knee. Everything looks delicious."

  The toast popped up and were nice and golden brown. I grabbed the butter and a jar of jam from the refrigerator. He kissed my nose and then nuzzled my neck. "Why don't you take it to him. What he doesn't eat I will have for breakfast. I'll pour myself some coffee. Scoot." He patted me on the ass and I headed to our guest room with the tray. "When you come back, I'll take in the frozen peas for his knee."

  The door to the guest room was ajar, but I knocked out of courtesy.

  I backed my way into the room and heard a cautious, "Good morning."

  Andy scooted up in the bed when he saw what I was carrying. "Good morning to you, too. How did you sleep?" I hesitated a moment when I took in the injuries on his face. It still shook me how they hurt him. The swelling to his right eye was now subsiding, but it looked horrible. At least it was open. The bruising was changing color. More important, the damage wasn't permanent. I remembered how angelic his face was when he would come in the center.

  "You mean besides that fucking… oops, sorry." He covered his mouth, and I watched as his face flushed. "This bed is really comfortable." He looked around the room and panicked. "Where's my clothes?" We dressed him in one of Isaac's T-shirts and a pair of my silk pajama bottoms last night.

  "I put them in the laundry. You need to tell me your sizes so we can pick up more underwear, pants and shirts." I set the tray at the foot of the bed and went to adjust his pillows. "Let's try to get you more comfortable so you can eat breakfast. I wasn't sure what you liked, so I made a bit of everything."

  "That's all for me? Whoa!"

  All right. Isaac was right. I guess I overdid it. "Have your pick. What would you like for lunch?" Andy looked over the tray. I can't imagine the last time he had a decent meal.

  "Lunch?"

  "I'll let Abigail, our neighbor, decide what to make you from what we have in the kitchen. She'll be checking in on you today while we are at work."

  "My stomach is kinda…" He tilted his hand back and forth. "I think it might be all that crap they gave me for the pain at the hospital. Maybe the toast, cereal, orange juice, and coffee?"

  "Do you want me to help you eat?"

  Even with everything that happened he grinned. "Nah. I'm right handed. Maybe if you could move the juice and coffee to the other side of the tray?"

  I moved them to the other side. "I'll let you eat in peace."

  "Thanks." He dug in and I could tell even though his stomach may have been off, he was famished.

  Shaking my head, I wondered how any person could say they could love their child if that love was conditional. "If you need anything just yell. I'll be able to hear you." I grabbed the plate of scrambled eggs and mug of now cold chocolate from last night and returned to the kitchen.

  *****

  Once I sent Isaac on his way, I called Abigail. She must have been sitting by the phone because she picked up on the first ring. "Hello?"

  "Hello, Abigail." I laughed. "Were you waiting for my call?"

  Laughing, she sipped something after clearing her throat. "Of course! Do you think I have a full calendar at my age? Are you ready for me?"

  "Yes, my dear." I had to cover the mouthpiece as I chuckled. I loved the old dear. Though I can't consider her old, except in her appearance. She was younger in her heart and personality than most of the people we knew. "Please come downstairs and I can introduce you to our guest." Two minutes later she was knocking at our door.

  "I'm dying to meet the dear boy. I made chocolate chip cookies for him. Not the special kind. Just tasty. I didn't add nuts either, just in case he can't digest them right now."

  I set the cookies on the hall table and gave her a hug. "You would have made a wonderful grandmother."

  "It wasn't in the cards. You can't be a grandmother if you were never a mother. Sometimes I hate being retired. I loved being around all those kids when I taught art."

  "Well, you can mother Andy all you want. The poor boy never got it from his home, and he could use it now." Looking at the cookies gave me an idea. "Let me get a tall glass of milk first, then I can introduce you to our special guest."

  I left the door open earlier, so I knocked on the jamb. "Andy, I'd like you to meet our upstairs neighbor, Abigail. She is an artist, so she is home quite often."

  "Hello, Andy. Sebastian and Isaac asked if I could look in on you while they are at work. I live right above you. If you need anything, and I am not here, you can just call me and I'll be right down. You have the most beautiful hazel eyes. They go wonderful with your hair."

  He looked at me and then Abigail. "Uh… thanks."

  "Andy, this way if you need anything Abigail can ge
t it for you without you having to move too much. She also baked you these cookies." I placed the cookies and milk on the nightstand and placed the tray and empty dishes on an empty chair by the wall.

  His eyes went wide at the treat on the nightstand. "For me?"

  Abigail sat on the bed, placing a hand on his good arm. "Why, of course they are, dear boy. Sebastian, now I have someone to make more sweets for." She grinned at Andy. "Do you like oatmeal raisin ones too? I also make delicious brownies with walnuts, and chocolate icing."

  Abigail was writing on his cast. "That's my telephone number. Now you can't lose it. If you need something and I am not here, don't you dare hesitate to call me. Promise?"

  Andy looked down at his cast, embarrassed. "Would it be all right if I call you Abby?"

  She looked up at me, her eyes wet, wiping them before looking back to Andy. "My late husband used to call me that. I think that would be very nice." Getting up from the bed she kissed him on the forehead. "If you need anything, make sure you call me." Making her way to the door she placed a hand on my arm, "I'll wait for you in the kitchen."

  Sitting on the edge of the bed, I explained to Andy that I would leave for work in a little while, and that Abby would be here when I left and check on him during the day. Once I said goodbye, I found Abby rummaging the cupboards until she found one of her special brownies. I poured us both a cup of coffee and sat down at our kitchen table.

  She pinched off a piece of her brownie. "People claim to be Christians and God fearing and all that bullshit, yet they cast out their child like a piece of trash. It disgusts me." Dipping the corner she broke off in her coffee, she popped it into her mouth and smiled at me. "Don't worry, dear. I'm just having a bite to calm me down. I won't eat the whole brownie."

  Forcing a smile, I sipped my coffee. "If I weren't needed at the museum today, I would join you and stay home with him."

  "I was just starting a dream catcher. I think it would look lovely over the boy's bed. Is it all right if I bring it with me to work on while I am here?"