Chapter 3 -- Inspiration
I woke up early the next morning, by the standards of a college student. It could have been the excitement of the trip. It could have been the excitement of the night before. I couldn't tell for certain. The sun had already risen and was shining through the window. Tony lay on the bed, peacefully, smiling. He was so different, in every way, from Adan. Whereas Adan had been out to get anything he could, Tony was full of love. It wasn't just sex or money that he wanted. He seemed so genuine. Adan had made me self-conscious about myself, telling me that he'd been willing to "settle for me." Adan had been unwilling to go out with me and be seen with me in public, but Tony showed me off. I'd met and hung out with all of his friends. His frat brothers seemed cool with the fact that he was gay, and even welcomed me when I came to visit.
I put on some shorts and then went into the kitchen to make some coffee. When it was finished, I fixed a tall mug and sat at my computer. Before long, I'd checked all my email accounts and had begun reading the news. Of course, it was cold in Toronto, I learned after checking the weather where I'd be later in the day.
It was as I sat there that I felt his warm hands run across my shoulders. Those strong masculine apendages rubbed the shoulders and top of my arms. They made their way around to my chest and rubbed down the abs. He kissed the top of my head. "Good morning, Jake."
"Good morning, Tonito. ¿Como te sientes hoy?" (How are you feeling this morning?)
"Uhh...me siento bien." (I feel good.)
"That's awesome. I had a lot of fun last night."
"The both of us had a lot of fun." I turned and kissed him on the lips.
He kissed my neck as we faced each other. He hadn't put on any shorts that morning, and was in all his glory. My hand explored his body. Half of me was excited about being at home, with my family; half of me wanted to stay right there, in that moment, with Tony. I stood and looked him in the eye. It was still there. The love that was in his eyes during our amazing sex the night before was still there. He really was in love with me, and it was so nice. It felt so amazing.
"So what time do I lose you?"
"3:45. That's when my flight leaves."
"I wish I could come with you. I've seen you every day for the last two months, and I'm not sure that I will survive."
"You are so sweet, my love."
"You're kind sweet yourself, dude." A moment of silence ensued. "I'm seriously going to miss you."
"I understand the feeling." We smiled at each other. God his smile was amazing, I thought in that moment.
"So you probably need to get stuff ready to leave then."
"Yeah. You probably do, too."
"Nope. I got my stuff together last night before I came over. So I'm yours until I drop you off at the airport."
"Yay for me. I'm glad I decided to leave from Charlotte instead of Atlanta."
"What?"
"Yeah. I changed my ticket last week."
"Sweet!" I smiled at his excitement. I wrapped my arms around his waist and kissed him deeply.
"So I have a good few hours with you, but if we're gonna make it to Charlotte, we've got to leave soon."
"Yeah. I've got most everything ready to go. I just need to pull out my heavy coat and I'll be good."
"Nice. We'll get dressed and then be on our way."
"Alright."
"Can I ask a favor?"
"Certainly."
"Do you have a pair of boxers I could wear?"
"I certainly do, Mr. Cisneros," I said, breaking my embrace with him and rummaging through my drawers to find a suitable pair. "Here, babe. Will these work?"
"What does T.O. stand for, though?"
"Toronto, Ontario."
"Nice." He pulled them on, and then turned to let me inspect them.
"You have a Grade A ass, senorito."
"You really like it?"
"I certainly do."
He helped me get ready as quickly as possible. He pulled out some clothes from a bag he'd brought the night before and rapidly dressed as I gathered up everything I'd need to take with me. Before long, we were pulling out of the apartment complex and onto the interstate. We passed through Atlanta quickly. The traffic there was far worse than anything I'd ever seen in Toronto. By the time we again saw country, we were in South Carolina. The traffic thinned considerable until we were close to Greenville, where Tony explained his parents wanted him to go to school at Bob Jones University. The thought of their extraordinary religious teachings made my stomach churn. I was glad that I'd chosen Auburn. It seemed liberal and open in comparison to the stories he told.
The ride to Charlotte was far too short. Given that we had very little time for check in, he drove me straight to the airport. He parked the car and walked me to check in. The look in his eyes when he finally had to depart was priceless.
"I'm gonna miss you, Jake."
"Igualmente, Tonito." He pulled me into such a tight hug. I wrapped my arms around his waist and held him tightly myself. He sniffled for a second. "What's wrong?"
"I don't want to let go." I smiled at his signal of emotion. Behind this strong, masculine man lay a heart of pure gold.
"God, I love you, Tony."
"I love you, too." He let go of me and allowed me to see his puffy eyes. "Now you better go before you miss your flight."
I refused to be concerned with what people would think and I planted a big kiss on him. He of course returned it. "I'll see you in a couple of weeks." I felt my own well beginning to overflow.
"Yeah. I will not be missing that flight, I promise," he said, raising one of his hands to cover his heart.
"Alright. You better not. I better be going. The flight leaves in a half hour, and I've still got to go get through security."
"Alright babe. I'm gone. Call me when you get home."
"Yes sir. I shall." I kissed him lightly again and hunched my bookbag over my shoulder once more.
"Bye Jake." I forced myself to pull away from him. He continued to look at me as I walked away from him backwards. He stuffed his hands into his body-fitting jeans that left little to the imagination. He was wearing a long-sleeve, button down shirt that had a light pattern etched into it. The pattern was made of the same white color. I soaked in the way his hair fell on his head, the way his long legs fit his frame. His leather boots made me think of the time he tried to teach me to line dance. For a Hispanic guy, he was very Southern. I blew him a kiss and then turned to go into security clearance line before going to the gate. I was only feet away, but I missed him already. When I finally turned to present my bags and belongings to the security officer, he turned away and walked out the airport. I turned my head and saw him walking away.
I made it through security and found the gate I'd be leaving from. I read a magazine I'd bought during the time I was waiting to depart for Toronto. My mind wasn't on reading, though. All I could think about was Tony. I only thought about his lips, his eyes, his ass, his smile, his tears as we departed. I wanted him to be with me, but it wasn't in the cards that day.
Before I boarded the plane, he sent me a text saying that he was at home and that he loved me. I replied as I was walking onto the plane. Once in my seat, I turned off my cell phone and got my iPod ready for the flight. I was glad I'd taken it, since there were small children behind me that would probably be acting crazy through the whole flight. As the plane took off, there was a little jerking. The remainder of it was smooth.
"If you look out the side of the plane," the captain said, well into the flight, "you will see Canada."
A moment later, I heard some humming from the back of the now nearly silent plane. I recognized the tune as the Canadian national anthem. A man closer to the front began singing, "O! Canada! Terre de nos aieux...Ton front est cient de fleurons glorieux!"
Another lady began singing the English version, "With glowing hearts we see thee rise, the True North strong and free."
Eventually, several people (including me) joined in with the singing of either version. By the end, we were all smiling and laughing. The Americans, of course, looked at us like we were crazy. That's fine; we look at them the same way.
After a few more minute of flying, the captain informed of us of our final descent. Home! It would so drastically different from Auburn. Auburn was warm; Toronto would be frigidly cold. Tony would most likely be with me in Auburn; he wouldn't be in Toronto, immediately. I missed him terribly.
As the plane came to a stop at the terminal, we were permitted to turn on our cell phones. My Roger's phone seemed grateful to find a home network to hit off of, and I received a plethora of text messages, mostly from Tony, but a couple from my brother, Danny. I replied to Tony, telling him that I was home and that I loved him. I got a response just a few seconds later telling me that he would call me later. I sent a message to my brother, who told me that he was waiting for me at baggage claim. To be just minutes away from my little brother was awesome.
I walked off the plane and looked around at my fellow Torontoans. I breathed in the air and whispered to myself that I was home. I imagined that Tony would have probably said "Damn it's cold," if he'd been there with me, in that moment.
I pushed through the crowds of people as I made my way to Pearson's baggage claim in Terminal 2. My brother was there, waiting. Despite the fact that he was younger, he was taller and stockier. He loved hockey. That's an understatement; he lives for hockey. For graduation from high school, my parents bought him season tickets for the Maple Leafs' home games. (I think he cummed a little when he opened the box.)
"Jake!" he screamed when he saw me.
"Danny!" I yelled back. We both smiled as we met and went into an embrace.
It was good to see my brother. I'd missed him so much when I was in Auburn. He and I had always been very close. Our sister would be off doing God-knows-what and Danny and I would stay at home playing video games or watching TV. He was smart; he was funny; he was drop dead gorgeous but had little luck with the ladies. He was more interested in romance than fucking. I admired that trait in my brother. He got into a bit of trouble when he was younger, but compared to my sister, he was a saint.
"I've missed you, Jakey."
"Likewise, brother."
"So I thought we would go to a hockey game tomorrow night." I chuckled.
"Alright. I'm assuming the Maple Leafs?"
"Yep. They're playing the Canadiens."
"Nice. Should be a good match."
"Oh shit. It will be so much fun. I can't wait for it." I loved his enthusiasm for the game, along with his zest for things overtly Canadian. We gathered my bags and headed for the car. On our way home, we took the long way, heading up Yonge Street. I breathed in the sights and the city. It was so amazing to be home.
We pulled up to our home shortly thereafter. It was a marvelous three story home in Toronto. The third floor was Danny's apartment. Mom and Dad's suite was on the second, with my room nestled in the corner of the house on the second floor, next to my parents' suite. Jane had moved out several years ago, to be independent. I couldn't have taken anyone to her house, even if I'd tried. Partly because I don't drive, partly because she never invited me. She is a Leo, which explains most everything about her, for those who know something about astrology.
The first story was where the family lived. We watched TV together (at least the four of us). We cooked and ate together. I missed that. I missed Thanksgiving this year, which was the first time I'd been away from my family on that holiday in so long. It was good to be able to come home for a few weeks and spend Christmas there, even though I'd be going to Cuba for a few days when Tony got there.
Danny parked his jeep in front of the main entrance to the house. My mother and father came running out of the house. My mother grabbed me and began blabbing.
"You've lost weight. Are you eating?"
"Yes ma'am."
"I don't know. We'll have to fatten you up a little," she said, poking my side.
"Susan! Don't crowd the boy. Here, Jake, give your father a hug," he said crowding past my mother and taking me into an equally hard embrace. "I've missed you Jake."
"I've missed you too, Dad."
"Now, who's crowding whom, Daniel?" my mother asked my father. (Dad is Daniel; Danny is Daniel, too, but isn't ever called that.)
Dad and Danny carried my bags up to my room while my mother and I went into the kitchen. She fixed me my favorite sandwich, PB&J. It was nice to be in her presence. She was a formidable woman. She was tall. She had brown hair that was always fixed nicely. She was a lady always in the latest fashion, but was very humble in her personality. She mostly dressed the way she did for her job in the Premier's office. She was also expected to be very nice looking when attending consular functions in Cuba. For my entire life, she'd been a lady of amazing grace and dignity. My dad was the same way, except his hair was thinning, and he was slightly larger than he had been earlier in his life. He was very professional on the outside, but on the inside he was very laid back. He would always give us a chance to argue a point, and then give us advice about life. He would let us make our own decisions, though, and be there to support us through whatever we decided. His hair was brown, just like mine, but a little longer. (Partly because I cut my hair very short, almost shaved.)
That evening, we enjoyed each other's company. Mom and I prepared dinner. She cooked some Cuban dish, and I fixed a Southern dish that Tony had taught me how to make. It was a nice evening. I truly loved my family, and I was glad to be around them. I thought about what Tony was doing. I assumed he was spending time with his brothers and family. I loved him so much, and I wished he had been able to come with me. Around 6:30, I ran upstairs to grab my phone. By the time I got up there, the phone was ringing.
"Yay!" I said when I realized it was Tony. "Hey babe!"
"Hey." He didn't sound well.
"What's up?"
"I told them."
"About the trip?"
"Yeah..." he fell silent.
"About you?"
"About us."
"I take it that it didn't go well." He began to sob. "Where are you?"
"I'm in a parking lot. They kicked me out of the house."
"Oh God. I'm so sorry babe."
"It's OK." He got silent again. "My mom said that she was disgusted. Gui said that he hated me. Martin just left the room. I couldn't tell if he were angry or what. Daddy didn't say anything."
"Oh my God babe. I am so sorry for all of this." My brother opened the door to my room. He saw the look on my face and came and sat beside me on the bed.
"You OK, brother?" he asked.
I shook my head and continued to listen to Tony. "They're gonna tell my grandmother, and she's not gonna know my side of things. Oh shit. I wish I hadn't had to tell them, but I couldn't go on living a lie."
"I'm proud of you, and sad at the same time."
"I love you, Jacob Henry."
"I love you, too, Tony Cisneros."
"I wish I were up there."
"You're more than welcome to come if you want."
"I wouldn't want to impose on you and your family's time together. I'll probably just go back to Auburn until I come up to meet you."
"No. I insist that you come up tonight or tomorrow."
"Jake. I don't want to bother y'all."
"Talk to Danny for a second."
"Jake!"
"Hey dude," my brother said after I put the phone on speaker.
"Hey Danny. How are you?"
"I'm good. So are you coming tonight?"
"I don't want to bother y'all during the holidays."
"You wouldn't be a bother. Besides, mom has been wanting to meet you." Tony began to cry again. "Dude. Whatever it is, I promise Mom will make it OK."
"Thank you, Danny. You remind me of my brother Martin."
"Olvide que eres hispano." (I forgot you're Hispanic.)
"I don't speak Spanish that well. Ask Jake."
"You speak perfectly," I said.
"No I don't, but thank you."
"Tony. I love you. We would love to have you here."
"He's right, Tony," Danny added. "If you make Jake happy, you make all of us happy."
"Well not quite, Danny," I added, trying to make Tony laugh.
He chuckled for a second. "Ask your mom and make sure."
"MOM!" Danny and I yelled in unison.
A moment later, we heard Susan Henry climbing the stairs. "Is one of you dead?" she asked as she came into my room.
"No ma'am. We need to ask you something. Rather, Tony would like to ask you something."
"No Jake. You ask."
"You ask her."
"Yeah. I'm not gonna bite, Tony," Mom added.
"That's not what Dad says," Danny joked. Mom gave him a very stern look and then began to laugh.
"Whatever he's told you, he really does like it," she shot back.
"Mom. That's so gross," I said, smiling from embarrassment.
"What is it babe?" she asked.
"Would you mind if I came up earlier than expected?"
"Heavens no," she answered without thinking. "When are you coming?"
"I was thinking of driving up tonight?"
"From Charlotte?" she asked.
"Yes ma'am. If that's OK."
"Don't drive. Drivers in Toronto are horrible."
"Which is why I don't drive," I added.
"I don't have the money to fly, though, Ma'am."
"Jacob. Go get your dad's card. Tony. We'll pay for it. Jacob will call you back in a half hour with flight instructions. Is that OK?"
"I don't have the money to pay you back right now."
"It'll be part of your Christmas present," she said.
"I'd have to pay you back, ma'am."
"If you insist, but Daniel and I don't care. I assure you."
"I will pay you back. I promise. I just need to hug Jake."
"Aww. How sweet! Well. We'll call you back in a few minutes with flight information."
"Yes ma'am."
"Bye Tony," my mother said.
"See you later, Tony," Danny added.
"Jacob. I love you," he said. My mother and brother gave me goofy faces.
"I love you too, babe."
We hung up the phone and instantly went to work finding him the earliest available flight to Toronto. Another reason why I loved my family is because they were willing to treat Tony like family, just based on the my word.
"So find him a flight up tonight," my mother instructed. "He didn't sound like he was in a good place."
"Yes ma'am."
"And get your dad's card. If he asked how much it cost, don't tell him."
"Mom. He's a man of his word. I can't lie to him."
"Good answer. Then tell him it cost a dinner and good romp in the sheets."
I smiled at my mother. She smiled back. "And regardless, make sure that he knows you love him more than anything else in the world."
"Yes ma'am."
"What exactly happened?"
"He came out to his family."
"And they didn't take it well?"
"To say the least! His mother said that he disgusted her."
"I have a right mind to go to Charlotte and hit her," she said as she became more and more angry. "Tell him that I love him, and that he's always welcome in my home, unless he starts doing coke. Then we have a problem."
"And take him to Tim Hortons in the morning. Get him some donuts and coffee."
"Yes ma'am."
She and Danny walked out of my room. I looked up CanadAir's website and found a flight that would be departing Charlotte around 9:00 that night. It was the closest flight that wasn't already full. I hit the reserve button and put the card information in, after my brother brought my dad's gold card up. I ran downstairs and secured a ride from Danny to the airport around 11 and proceeded back up to call Tony and let him know the details.
"Hey babe," I said after I dialing his number from my parents' home telephone, since it was free to call the US.
"Hey."
"Can you be at the airport by 7?"
"Yeah. How much do I owe your parents? Be honest..."
"My mom said to tell you that you owe her dinner and owe me a good romp in the sheets, when you get ready."
"Jake," he started to whine.
"They don't want you to worry about that." He began to cry, but I'm not sure if it were something that I'd said or whatever had happened.
"I love you, Tony, and I want to see that you're happy."
"I love you, too, Jake. I so never expected to find a guy like you. You're hot; you're smart; you have goals in life. You're perfect."
"I not perferct, just inspired."
"I'm gonna have to remember that." I could hear his smile. "So I have my passport and driver's license. Do I need anything else?"
"Nope. The passport should be everything that you need, even though, all you'd have to have would be a picture ID and your birth certificate."
"Oh."
"Canadians are easy like that," I joked. He laughed. "So you're gonna be here in a few hours."
"Yeah. Thanks to my amazing boyfriend."
"He is pretty amazing, isn't he?"
"Yeah." He paused for a second. "Hold on one second. This is Martin."
"Text me and I'll call you back."
"OK. Love you."
"Love you, too."
We hung up the phone, and I instantly worried about him. What was his brother telling him? Was he getting another round of the family crap?
I went back downstairs, with my cell phone and the cordless phone from my parents' office with me. My parents and Danny looked at me. "Is he OK?" my dad asked, genuinely concerned about the welfare of a man he'd never met.
"Honestly. No."
"What happened?" my father asked. I began to cry again, for him. I couldn't in my wildest dreams fathom how or why a family would act the way his had. Danny got up and gave me a hug.
"It's OK, bro. He's gonna be here in a little while and you can take care of him. It's gonna be OK. I promise." I was angry. I wanted to be in Charlotte so that I could beat the shit out of his brothers. I wanted to look in his mother's eyes and tell her that she was an evil person. I wanted to look at his father and ask why he didn't stand up and defend his son, his own flesh and blood. I cried as Danny continued to hold me.
"It's OK, son," my dad said as he came and rubbed my back.
"It's OK, Jake. Get it all out of your system," my brother instructed. How had he become the sage one?
"I love you guys."
"We love you, too."
I got a text in just a second, while my family was holding me in the warmth of our living room. "I need to call Tony back."
"OK," my mother said. "Go call him," she said, a slight puffiness in her eyes.
I climbed the stairs, going to my room for a small bit of privacy, though if they really wanted to know what was going on, they'd just come into my room and sit beside me on the bed. It was their M.O. It was the family's M.O. I dialed the number to his cell phone.
"Hey babe," he said, sounding a bit more upbeat, a bit like the regular Tony.
"How was the talk?"
"It was good, Jake." He was still emotional from the day, which I could understand. His whole world had turned upside down. "He told me that he'd love me no matter what, and that I was always his brother. He promised me that he'd talk to Gui about stuff."
"That's a positive, I guess."
"Yeah. It is. He asked about you."
"Really?"
"He asked me what you were like. He asked me if you were a good person. He said that you sounded like a cool guy, even though you're Canadian." I chuckled. "He promised to speak slowly when he met you." I laughed. "He also told me that he was going to miss me on Christmas, and that I was to call him the minute I got to Toronto."
"How did our little brothers get so wise for such youth?"
"That's what I'm saying."
"So I'm almost at the airport."
"I'm glad you're coming up here, Tony."
"Me too." He stopped for a second and there was silence on the line. "I know you probably think that I'm a freak..."
"NO! Heavens no."
"...but I'm so in love with you."
"I love you, Tony."
"I love you, too."
"OK. So I'm at the airport now. Jake. Thank you, and tell your parents that I said thank you."
"You can tell them when you get here. They'll still be up."
"OK. I'll see you around 11 then."
"Yes sir."
"Jake."
"Tony."
"Te quiero."
"You're so mushy. But I love you."
"Alright. We're becoming way to sappy. I will see you in a little while."
"Yes sir. Ciao babe."
"Bye."
We hung up the phone and I lay on the bed for a few minutes. "Everything OK?" my brother asked, barging into my room without knocking.
"Yeah. Martin just wanted to tell him that he loved him."
"What a brother is supposed to do?"
"Can I ask you a question?"
"Sure, Jake." He sat on the bed.
"What did you think when you found out about me?"
"I was a little upset because I didn't know anything about it. But I got over it quickly, because I realized that you were my brother still. It's just that you like dick, and I like pussy. You're still Jake."
"And you're still Danny," I joked, turning my head to look at my brother. The little brother who would annoy the piss out of me. I reached my hand over and patted his arm. "I'm glad you're my brother, Dann-o."
"Yeah. You're alright most of the time, yourself Jakey."
"So when are you gonna come to Auburn to see me?"
"Maybe next term, during break or something. I would love to come down there. Maybe I'll find a hot chick or three."
"You never know. You could get laid so easily. My neighbors would love you."
"Really."
"They wanted me for the first week and a half I lived there, until they found out that I liked dick as much as they did."
"I'm getting hard thinking about two girls."
"Just don't pull it out in here."
"Why not? I thought you liked big thick cocks," he joked.
"Just not my brother's..." Danny laughed.
"So when are we leaving for the airport?"
"About 10:00 or so."
"OK. So I have about two and half hours to get rid of this hard-on?"
"You are so gross sometimes, Danny," I joked.
"I'm not the one who sticks his dick in poop shoots."
"Yeah...well...the word vagina creeps me out."
"What about clitoris?" he joked.
"Ewww..." I fained disgust.
"There's nothing wrong with a clitoris," my dad said as he came into the room.
"Damn heteros! Y'all are gonna take over the world." They both laughed.
"Is Tony OK?" he asked, standing in the doorway.
"Yeah. His brother just wanted to tell him that he still loved him."
"Well. I'm glad he has a cool brother."
"Kinda like me," I said, looking at Danny, who was smiling.
"So I need to shower before we go."
"Me too," I said. "I want to be nice and clean for Tonito."
Danny left my room, patting my dad on the shoulder. "Jacob. Take my card, and if he needs anything while he's here, put it on the card."
"Dad. He won't want you to do that."
"Then don't tell him."
"He'll get pissed. He's a proud, Southern man like that."
"I thought he was Hispanic."
"In ethnicity alone."
"Oh."
"Jacob. It sounds like he's a sound individual. You might just have found a good one this time." He smiled and then walked out of the room. I lay there for a few minutes and just thought about Tony. He truly was amazing. On our third date, he tried to cook hamburger steak with gravy and mashed potatoes. I say tried because when the apartment filled with smoke, he realized that he hadn't quite succeeded. He apologized. It was cute when the Chinese delivery guy arrived and complained about the smell. Tony said that he hadn't bathed in two days and pulled up his shirt and showed off his abs. The boy was dumbfounded for a second looking at Tony's tight midsection. `My boyfriend is hot,' I thought. The guy left in a second, insisting that we not give a tip. Tony of course wouldn't take any change from the transaction. It was funny. I guess you had to be there.
After a shower and a fresh set of clothes, Danny and I were ready to leave for the airport. We took a more direct approach but were still almost a half hour early for the arrival of his flight. The panel said that it was on time, and would be arriving shortly. It seemed like an eternity. All of the events of the evening ran through my head as we waited. An announcer went over the loud speaker and announced the arrival of the flight. I got more anxious as a swell of people came into the baggage claim area. Tony wasn't there. I looked around but he wasn't coming through the entryway.
"So did you miss me?" he said, coming up behind me and wrapping his arms around my waist.
"TONY!" I screamed as I turned around. "Oh my God. What happened?" I asked touching his face. He had what would have been called `an impressive shiner' in the South. I felt myself swelling up.
"When I said that my dad didn't say anything, that wasn't a lie. He got up and punched me in the face." I reached up and kissed him on the lips. "Now that makes me feel better," he produced the words from his swollen lip.
"Oh my God, Tony. You realize that my mother is going to smother you with attention when we get back to my house."
"As long as you can have me afterwards," he joked. He pulled me into a hug. "I'm glad that you're here."
"Me too." I felt him begin to cry softly on my shoulder. "I love you, Tony."
"Thank you."
"For what?"
"For loving me unconditionally."
"The sex isn't too bad either," I joked. He chuckled as my brother walked up to the two of us, carrying Tony's suitcases. He obviously hadn't unpacked at his house before he told his family.
"Hey. I'm Danny."
"Hey man. I'm Tony."
"It's nice to meet you."
"Likewise, Danny."
We walked out of the airport and found the jeep. I climbed into the back to let Danny and Tony have the front seat. Danny took the long way home, to give Tony a quick view of the city. Tony looked tired. As we pulled to the door, my mother opened the door and stood on the front porch. We piled out of the car, and she ran down. She stopped when she saw Tony's face. "What did they do to you?"
"Nice greeting, Mom," Danny said.
"My dad punched me."
Mom walked to him and pulled him into a big hug. They didn't say anything else for a moment, but Tony started crying, resting his head on her shoulder. "It's OK. You're safe now."
"Thank you. How much do I owe you guys?"
"Did Jacob not tell you? Dinner and give Jake a good lay. He's been uptight since he got here." Tony laughed. "I'm Susan."
"It's nice to meet you."
"Igualmente."
"So I heard you wanted to see what Cuba looked like..." she said as the two of them walked toward the house. Danny and I grabbed his bags and took them up to my room. The king-sized bed was enough room for the both of us.
By the time we'd gone downstairs, mother had forced him to hold a steak over his eye. In exchange, she was showing him pictures from Cuba. Not just any pictures of Cuba, but pictures of me as a child. I walked to where he was sitting at the kitchen table. He wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me closer.
"And this is our first trip to the beach."
"Jake looks cute in his red shorts," Tony said.
"And if you were to see the other side, you'd see a big maple leaf," I added.
"Jacob's always been very patriotic," my mother.
"He's such a good guy," Tony said to my mom. "And he's got an amazing family."
"Thank you, very much, Tony. Would you like another RC?"
"I would love one, please."
"Alright," she said, walking over to fridge and returning with another can of RC.
They spoke for another two hours, until both of them were far beyond deleria. Dad and Danny had both gone to bed hours before. I waited up for Tony, when he came into the bedroom, he looked around.
"Wow," he said. "Nice room."
"Thanks. It just got so much nicer."
"Why?"
"Because you came in."
"I should have caught onto that one. I've had a lot on my mind today."
"Come lie down. Tell me what's on your mind."
"I don't want to bore you with my minutia."
"Number 1...it's not minutia. Number 2...what bothers you also bothers me." He came and lay down on his stomach next to me.
"I can't understand some things."
"Like?"
"Why your parents are so nice to me, for one."
"Because they like who I like. They put up with Adan for three years."
"Twelve hours ago, I was getting beat up by my dad. My mom told me that she was ashamed. One of my brothers told me that he hated me; the other one said that he still loves me, but then didn't defend me. Your family is the exact opposite of that. Your mom has treated me like she's known me for years; your dad bought me a ticket to come up here; and your brother is acting so cool around his brother's boyfriend."
"They like you, Tony. I promise." I turned onto my side and looked at him directly. He was still wearing a t-shirt he'd been wearing earlier, but had shed the jeans in exchange for a pair of green track shorts. The white socks he wore came to the middle of his calves. I put my hand to his face. It was still tender to my touch. I leaned in and kissed his bruises. "I love you, Tony."
"I'm quite fond of you myself." He stopped for a moment as if in thought again. He moved onto his side and looked me directly in the eye. "You're so cute."
"Thanks!" I pulled him into one last kiss the evening, and he nestled up into me. I pulled the covers over both of us and kissed his forehead once again before turning out the lamp that sat on a small table beside my bed. He was safe, then.