Chapter 24
“It was a hate crime.I was in a gay area of London and a group of yobs beat me up.They also stole a camouflage jacket that Andy had loaned me.”
“Oh,dear.”
“I told you,I don’t care about the jacket,”Andy growled.
“Maybe‘cause of the jacket the police might be able to trace whoever did it,”Craig put in.
“How?”both Andy and Luke asked.
“Well,uh.”Craig looked uncomfortable.“I’m not saying it has a homing device or anything sewn into the lining,but don’t you have your name,rank and all that on it somewhere?”
Andy nodded.“Though I imagine Luke’s attackers would have removed that.”
The conversation drifted to other topics,Andy relaxing as the focus moved further from Luke.Then Jessica piped up with,“Would it be all right if Craig stayed here this coming weekend?”
Andy glanced at Craig,who surprisingly didn’t seem excited or anxious.Instead he appeared sad,even a little angry.
“I can’t see why not.But why?”Something was going on,and Andy wasn’t sure what.
“Well,um,it’s Keith.”Jessica found something fascinating to look at on her hands,which were folded in her lap.
“What about Keith?”Was Andy growling?He didn’t care.
“Well,he wanted to spend the weekend with me,to,um,talk.”
“You better not be thinking about taking the useless twat back.”
“Andy!”Jessica looked up at him,her eyes flashing.
“That man is a useless,lazy,bigoted pile of shit.I told you that before you married him,butwould you listen?”
“What Keith is or is not is none of your business.”Jessica’s voice rose.
Andy’s voice increased in volume to match his sister’s.“It is my business when it involves taking Craig in while you and the worthless pile of—”
“Stop it!”Craig shot to his feet and ran into the kitchen.
Andy started to get to his feet.
“No,it’s all right,I’ll go after him,”Luke said,getting up to follow.
After he’d gone,Jessica said,“That went well.”
“What the hell did you expect?”
“Yes,I suppose,”she said,quietly.
“Surely you’re not thinking of taking him back.”
“I don’t know.”She began to wring her hands.“He’s threatening not to pay any child support.And—”
“Jesus Christ.”Andy battled to keep a lid on his temper.“He doesn’t have a choice.Craig is his son.”
“Keith says because I was the one who threw him out,he doesn’t have to pay.”
“So you thought you’d throw Craig out and choose Keith instead?”
“No,of course not!How could you think such a thing?”
“I bet that’s how Craig sees it.”Andy found himself raising his voice again.He made a supreme effort to calm down.He didn’t want Craig to overhear.“I don’t think you can have both your son and your husband.Keith made that pretty clear.Or do you expect Craig will just accept things and be willing to live in a house where one parent hates him and the other doesn’t care?”
“I do care.I—”
“So tell Keith to fuck off.”
“It’s not that simple.He’s my husband.”
“And Craig is your son.”
“It’s not been easy for me.”
Andy knew they were just going round in circles.Fed up of arguing,in a quiet voice he said,“No,I don’t suppose it is easy for you.Or Craig.We’ll talk about this more on Friday when you drop Craig off.”
****
“You okay?”Luke asked.
“Yeah,suppose,”Andy said,burying his face in Luke’s hair.How did the man manage to always smell clean,fresh and amazing?
It was later that evening,the two of them were on the sofa.The wind had picked up outside,but there was a fire blazing in the hearth,and Andy wasn’t looking forward to moving from this most comfortable position to check on the pigs.
“What do you think Jessica will do?”Luke softly asked,breaking the long silence that had fallen between them.
“Fuck knows.Some people shouldn’t be allowed to have kids.”
“Keith,you mean?”
“Uh huh,”Andy yawned.It was warm in the room,but not uncomfortably so.He’d put on a couple of extra logs for Luke’s benefit.It felt so right,reclining on the sofa,with Luke leaning up against him.Andy knew he could fall asleep if he let himself.
“If Jessica takes Keith back,will you let Craig live with you?”
“I hope it doesn’t come to that.”
“But what if it does?”
Andy wondered why Luke was asking these questions.“Yes.I couldn’t sit back and watch Craig suffer.For all the grief he gives me,I love the little sod.”
Luke sat up and gave Andy a kiss.
“What was that for?”
“Because you’re a hero.”
Andy shook his head.“I’d just be doing what was right.”
“Exactly.”
****
Andy could have cheerfully wrung his sister’s neck for putting such a damper on Craig’s mood.Normally outgoing and lively,Craig was listless and unenthusiastic.By Saturday afternoon,Andy had had enough.
“Come on,you two,”he told Craig and Luke,“We’re going out.”
“Where?”Craig asked,showing some interest at last.
“Shopping.As gay men we’re supposed to love shopping.”Andy knew he himself didn’t.Especially clothes shopping.But this wasn’t about him.
Once on the open road,Andy broke down another of his barriers.When he’d driven Luke up to Yorkshire,he’d known Luke had wanted to snuggle up to him as they drove.Lassie had seen to itthat he couldn’t.At the time he’d been glad for the dog’s behaviour.But now…Andy bit his lip and before he could change his mind,he raised his left arm and rested it on Luke’s shoulders.The seat belt,plus his wish not to pull at Luke’s ribs,meant the gesture was more symbolic than anything else,but a glance at the wide smile on Luke’s face told Andy he’d done the right thing.Craig too was smiling,and,unusually for him,didn’t say anything.
****
“Does my bum look big in this?”Craig asked,emerging from the changing room.He was wearing the tightest pair of jeans Andy had ever seen on anyone;well,save Luke perhaps.
Andy shook his head.
“Please,don’t make me laugh,”Luke said,holding his ribs.
“Sorry.But do you think they look all right?”Craig posed in front of the mirror,twisting in an attempt to see what he looked like from behind.
“You’ll have every gay boy drooling at you from here to…well,the Leeds Ship Canal.”
“That’s not very far!”Craig said.“And anyway,I don’t think Leeds has a ship canal.”
“Manchester does,”Andy put in.
“Okay then,you’ll have every gay boy falling at your feet from here to the Manchester Ship Canal,”Luke said.
“Oh,Luke.”Craig put on a seductive voice and fluttered his eyelashes.“You do say the sweetest things.”
Andy harrumphed.“Are you going to buy those jeans?”
“Dunno,they’re a bit dear.”
“So why’d you try them on?”Andy remembered why he hated going shopping.
“I’ll buy them for you,”Luke said,before Andy could offer.
“Oh,Luke.”Craig leaned in and kissed Luke’s cheek.“That’s really nice of you.But you shouldn’t.”
“No,he shouldn’t,”Andy added.
“Rubbish.Is there anything else you’d like?That top you were looking at near the entrance,it’d really suit you with your colouring.”
Andy opened his mouth to protest,but thought better of it.Craig was happy,beaming in fact,and Luke seemed to be enjoying himself,too.Hadn’t that been the point of taking them shopping?
Though five clothes shops,two record stores and an aching knee later,Andy wasn’t so sure.“Have you two done yet?”
“Luke said we ought to have a look in Top Shop.They’ve got a sale on.”
“I think you’ve spent enough of Luke’s money,don’t you?”Andy looked at the several plastic shopping bags Craig was holding.He knew Luke in his current condition wasn’t earning and should save his money.