Chapter Two
“And, Dad, guess what?” Stephen’s focus was on his son, but his attention was pulled away when he heard the loud roar in the parking lot, and someone on a bike zoomed out of there as if the devil was on his heels.
“I swear he’s going to kill himself faster on that thing than a bullet.” Stephen turned to see his uncle looking at the driver as he and the bike disappeared out of sight.
“Who was that?” Stephen asked.
“Brenden,” his uncle Tuck answered.
Stephen stiffened and hoped that no one realized the change in his posture, especially his uncle. He looked at his father, who was staring at him with a critical eye. He was the only one that knew everything about Nicholas and his relation to Brenden.
“Come on, let’s get out of here,” Stephen said changing the subject quickly. “I’m sure this little monster is hungry.” He pinched Nicholas’ cheek and walked to his car.
Tucker hugged his father before touching his cheek gently. “I’m glad you’re here, big brother,” he told Julian
“Me too.” Julian smiled.
“I’ll see you in a couple of days,” Tucker said to Stephen. He ruffled Nicholas’ hair, then walked to his car.
The rest of the walk to his father’s car was silent, he knew his father was stewing, and he’d definitely hear it once Nicholas was in bed. They got to the car, and he opened the door for Nicholas to climb in.
“I can do it myself, Daddy,” Nicholas said.
“Oh, I forgot how much of a big boy you are sometimes,” Stephen told his son.
“Mhm, Grandpa makes me do it by myself all the time.”
“Okay then, show me.” Stephen watched as his son expertly buckled his belt and then looked up at him with the proudest smile on his face.
“Tada!” Nicholas cheered.
“Fantastic! I am proud of you.” Stephen leaned in and pecked Nicholas on his cheek. He checked the fastenings on the belt to make sure it was secured correctly before standing up and closing the door. He got in the front seat and looked at his father. Typically, Stephen would’ve taken a cab to and from work, since he still didn’t have his own car yet. The last car he had had broken down on him a few months earlier, and it had to be scrapped. He was lucky that his dad and Nicholas were in the area when he called to check on his son. It was then his father volunteered to pick him up.
His father was also Nicholas’ caregiver whenever he was at work. Five years earlier, Julian became burned out from his job and took a leave of absence, which lasted longer than he expected it to be. It was a godsend when he found out he was pregnant and had to go back to work three months later. Stephen silently chuckled, recalling after Nicholas was born how unprepared he was for the new addition to his life. He’d always prided himself on being organized, but Nicholas threw all his organization skills out the window.
“Thanks for picking me up, Dad, I appreciate it.”
“It’s not a problem, son, it gives me a chance to see my big brother,” he responded as he started the car and backed out of the parking space.
“I’m sure he feels the same way,” Stephen said with a smile.
“I take it you still have not told him about you and…”
“Don’t say his name, Dad, better yet, let's talk about you know who later. I’m sure you have a few choice words for me.”
“You are an adult, Stephen, and you know I try not to interfere, but I think the boy needs…”
“Dad, seriously, enough. I feel terrible enough about everything, please don’t make me feel any worse.”
“I hope you know what you’re doing.”
The truth was he thought he did in the beginning when he accepted his uncle’s offer. Stephen thought he was aware of what he was in for when he moved his family to Providence, notably, so close to Brenden. He realized he went about everything the wrong way. The main thing was keeping Nicholas from his father. He hated lying to his uncle.
The man had supported him through everything since his adoptive father died. He felt guilty for hiding the truth from everyone. Julian knew exactly who Nicholas’ father was. When he’d found out he was pregnant, Stephen thought he was doing the right thing. He was protecting his son from the heartbreak of having a father that would reject him. Stephen realized that he was probably projecting his feelings onto Nicholas.
Stephen looked in the back seat to his son, in so many ways he resembled Brenden. They had the same color hair and the same strong facial bone structure. He wondered if his uncle Tuck had already figured it out and was waiting for him to come and speak to him about it. Uncle Tucker was like a second father to him. Stephen was adopted at ten. His birth father left his real mom right after he was born, and when he turned four, his mom abandoned him at a church. He was sent to live in an all-boys group home and those times were the parts of his life Stephen wished he could forget. But at times the memories liked to rear their head like a nightmare.
Being smaller and younger than most of the boys, he was bullied. Because of his eyes and the long length of his hair and feminine features, the bigger kids had picked on him. Held him down and dressed him up in anything that resembled a dress or a skirt. Their favorite thing was calling him a fairy princess. And that wasn’t even the worst of it. It wasn’t his fault the directors of the group home were unsympathetic bitches and refused to cut his hair no matter how many times he cried and begged them to. As an adult, he made sure not to miss his bi-monthly haircut appointment. Other than Julian and Nick, no one else knew about what he’d experienced in the group home.
