AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I moved my hand from under his and placed it on top, giving it a slight squeeze. “Well, there is no need for you to worry. She was happy that you had finally found someone who loved you.”
I watched as he slowly raised his head to look at me.
“Did she really say that? You’re not just trying to get my hopes up, are you?”
I went on to explain the whole conversation I’d had with his mum, and by the end of it, I could see hope in his eyes that he could at least have a relationship with his mother.
“So, we have arranged for us to go down there this weekend. We were going to your house anyway, so we wouldn’t be that far away. She is going to get Simon to go there as well. I can’t guarantee you will get a good reception from your father, but if you can at least have a relationship with your mother and brother, it’s a start. I'm sorry. I just hate seeing you so down.”
He lifted my hand and pressed a kiss to my knuckles. “I’m so lucky to have found you, Romeo. I really don’t know how I would live without you.”
I just smiled back at him as I gently reached across to wipe the tears from his face. “And I’m truly lucky to have you in my life. You’ve shown me what true love is like, and I will be eternally grateful.”
A smirk came over his face. “I think I need to show you again tonight.”
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Daniel
We had just left my house to head towards my parents’. It was slightly strange walking back in there after everything that had happened, but Richard had taken care of everything, so you would never have known what happened there. Plus, with the building work almost finished, I hardly recognised the area now, which I was more than happy about. I wanted to make nice memories in that house, and hopefully if Daisy and Zach joined our family, we would be able to.
Richard had offered to drive, knowing I would be a nervous wreck the whole day. I couldn’t keep my mind on anything, let alone driving. I just sat there staring out the window as we drove towards my parents’ house. The only saving grace about today was the knowledge that Simon was going to be there, and he had already given his blessing to our relationship. It was just after a quarter to two when we drove into my parent’s driveway. Like my house, it was quite impressive as you drove up. One thing I will say about my father is that he worked hard for his money. Well, he had until recently. Then he seemed to find any reason to just let my brother take over.
Richard parked the car next to my brother’s. I was glad to see he was already here. It would make things calmer. I didn’t know what I was expecting when I walked through the door, but I was sure it would end up in a major argument with my father—one that neither of us would recover from. I was just sitting there looking at the door when I felt Richard take my hand, lift it to his lips, and press a kiss onto it.
“It’s going to be fine. If it gets to be too much, then we can just leave. Remember, I love you, and nothing anyone in here says will change that. I will be by your side whenever you need me. Simon and your mum are both happy for you. That is a start, so work on building that relationship first. But I’m sure your dad will come around eventually.”
I wasn’t so sure that my father would ever come around to the idea that I was gay. I was also still upset with my mother. She may have changed her views now, but why hadn’t she stuck up for me when I came out to them? She could have at least argued with my father instead of just sitting there listening to him berate me.
I took a deep breath and looked over to Richard, who was sitting there patiently waiting for me.
“Okay, Romeo. Let’s do this. I faced your mum, so I’m sure I can face my own family.”
The fact that Richard was here was the reason I was so nervous. It was easy for me to take the abuse that my father gave me, but I didn’t want that for Richard. None of this was his fault. Just because we’d met and fallen in love, he shouldn’t have been subjected to any of my father’s rants. I just hoped, for once, that he would at least be cordial and civil to both Richard and me. I got out of the car and waited for Richard to join me. He took my hand in his, and we walked together towards the front door. I rang the doorbell, and it wasn’t long before the door opened and we were greeted by Simon.
“Daniel, I am so pleased to see you are okay. And you must be Richard. Lovely to meet you.”
We were both shocked when we were pulled into a hug. He was genuinely pleased to see us both. I knew we had spoken a few times on the phone now, and he had sounded concerned at the time, but I thought as soon as we met in person, he would go back to the brother I knew. The one that was always like my father. It would appear that something had changed, and I was starting to wonder what that was.
We followed him into the kitchen, where we found my mother busily preparing lunch.
“Daniel, you don’t know how pleased I am to see you are okay.”
She almost ran over to me when she saw me and flung her arms around me. We had always been close, far closer than me and my father, which was unusual for the eldest son, but she had never been like this with me since I was young. As I held her, I could hear her quiet sobs.
I pulled away slightly and looked at her tear-filled eyes. “I’m fine, Mother. There really is no reason to cry.”
She raised a hanky to her face to wipe away the tears. “There is, though. I have been an awful mother to you. I should have tried to stand up for you more against your father. But he would never listen to me. I’m so sorry you had to go through all that.”
I gave her a kiss on the cheek. We couldn’t change the past, so there really was no point in looking back, only forward. And whether they liked it or not, that was with Richard.
“What’s done is done. We can’t change it now. Let me introduce you to my wonderful boyfriend, Richard.”
I saw the huge smile come on her face as she looked over in Richard’s direction. He walked over and held out his hand to greet her, but was immediately engulfed in a hug himself. He looked over at me as she was holding him with a puzzled expression. All I could do was shrug my shoulders, as I couldn’t really understand it either. That was until she stepped away and spoke to him.
“Thank you, Richard. Thank you again for loving and caring for my boy. And thank you for bringing him back to me. You will always be welcome here, no matter what Johnathan says. I’ve told him he either learns to live with the fact that he has a gay son and that he is madly in love with you, or he will tarnish every memory and relationship he has with Daniel and me. I’m not allowing him to dictate to me or my sons anymore. I’ve lived my whole life being told what I can and can’t do or say. Well, that has stopped.”
I couldn’t believe what my mother was saying. I knew that, like any marriage, they had rocky patches, but this was the worst I had seen it, which made me wonder if my father would actually be joining us today.
