Jason kissed John’s neck “I love you babe.” No response as Jason heard John starting to snore. “I’ll let him sleep. Poor guy needs it. God do I love him so much.” Jason said to himself as he drifted off to sleep.
After the events of the week both of the boys were dead tired. They both crashed out late that Saturday afternoon and didn’t wake up until mid morning Sunday. John woke up first finding himself the little spoon with Jason snuggled up right behind him still sound asleep. “What did I do to deserve not only the most amazing best friend but now the most amazing boyfriend too?” John thought to himself. The thoughts of the last few days were playing over and over in his head. How he wished his dad was more accepting of the two of them like Jason’s folks were, but alas he knew that wasn’t going to happen, at least when his dad was concerned. His mother on the other hand, she was a different one, she was this strict church going lady that went with the whole being gay is a sin thing but deep down she was a sweet lady. He wanted to call her and let her know what happened with his dad as she was away at a week long conference for work. John sighed. He hoped for his sake that at least she would be more open to the idea of the two of them. She loved Jason as another son all these years and hoped that the two of them moving beyond friends to more than friends wouldn’t be too much for her to take as he was already stressed and hurt from his dad’s reaction.
John slowly peeled himself away from Jason’s arms, as much as he wanted to stay there, the urge to empty his bladder before he decided to call his mother would be for the best as he wasn’t sure how long and the conversation was going to go. John finished up in the bathroom and grabbed a shirt and headed downstairs with his phone in hand. Henry and Jason’s mom Janice were sitting drinking their coffee at the table when John walked in. “Hey son how are you holding up this morning?” Henry asked the boy, who had a worried look on his face. “I’m doing ok, I guess. I guess as I’ll ever be, I’m about to call my mom and let her know about Jason and I. Along with what happened with my dad. She’s been at that conference and hadn’t had much time or cell service there but she should be on her way home today and should have time to talk. I’m just…” John took a deep breath. “Come sit down with us hunny, it’ll be ok.” Janice spoke in her soft comforting voice. John smiled. He always loved how warm and sweet she was all these years he knew Jason and his family. “Thank you both so much for everything you’ve done for me over the years and especially this week. I don’t think I could do it without you guys.” Both of Jason’s parents smiled and both in unison. “Don’t mention it, we’d do it in a heartbeat!” They smiled at each other with their timing and exact wording. After 25 years of marriage and three kids, Henry and Janice knew each other like the back of their hand. John laughed. “I hope Jason and I have half of what you guys have after 25 years…” he realized it said it out loud and not in his head like he thought he did. Janice took the boys hand and smiled “oh I’m sure of it. You two are already so in sync and have known each other for so long it’ll happen if it’s not already John.” She smiled and John smiled back. “I just love you guys so much for everything. I wish everyone had parents like you two!” John said causing both Henry and Janice to take a deep breath and smile and both hug the boy. John needed that hug badly. At least he has one set of “parents” that accept him for who he and Jason are. “I’ll let you borrow them but you can’t hog all their attention!” Jason said as he came walking into the kitchen smiling. “Morning mom, morning dad.” Jason moved to give his mom and kiss on the cheek and a hug. Then moved over to give his dad a hug as well. “And good morning to you handsome!” And Jason gave John a kiss on the lips in front of his parents. “Ugh can you guys get a room already!” Jason’s brother and sister, Travis and Emily said walking into the kitchen laughing. John and Jason just laughed. “Hey little bro how you guys holding up? I saw the post from that bitch ex girlfriend of yours…that’s fucked up.” Travis asked. “Yeah we’re ok right now but you see John over here…” Travis who hadn’t been home the past few days looked at John realizing he was bruised up. “Oh fuck man what happened to you!?” “Travis! Language!” Janice scolded the older boy. “Yeah yeah yeah mom ok. Who did that to you?” Travis inquired. “Please don’t tell me it was your dad!?” Emily chimed in. The boys looked at one another and before they could begin Henry cut in. “Yes. Daniel did that to John after he found out about them from that video. And he came here yesterday trying to start something else again and I had Brad come by and he ended up getting tased by Brad and Derek and get cuffed.” Henry said then chuckled at the part about Daniel being tased. “Damn John that sucks! I’m so sorry that he did that to you! Just know I love you like another little brother man and if you two dweebs need anything and I mean anything you let your big bro know…ok?” Travis stated. “Yeah me too.” Emily said. “What did I ever do to deserve such a great accepting family?” Jason said squeezing John’s hand and kissing his cheek. “Thank you for being there for us, we love you guys.” John replied. “We love you too.” They all said back. “Well I better get this phone call over with, see how it goes to my mom reacting to this news and my dad’s mess as well.” John said getting up from the table. “Thanks again all of you. It means the world to me.” Jason got up and they went back upstairs to Jason’s room to make that phone call. “Are you sure you want to do this now?” “I’m as sure as I’ll ever be. I’d rather she hear it from me before she hears it from my father.” John picked up his phone and scrolled until he found his mom’s contact information and hit call.
“Hello? John is that you?” A soft female voice could be heard coming through the speaker. John called her on speaker phone so Jason could hear everything as well. “Yes mom it’s me. How’s the trip coming?” John said as cheerfully as he could, he wanted to talk to her but wanted to bring the subject up carefully. “It’s going quite well actually. I just got off the phone with your sister…” John panicked. “Oh shit…” he thought. “Yeah? How’s she doing on the dance team trip?” “She’s doing fine and the team is doing great. But now that you called is there something that you needed to tell me John?” Her voice all of a sudden thick with an inquisitive tone. John looked over at Jason and grabbed his hand tightly. “Now or never the way I want to” he thought. “Mom…I have something to tell you and I hope you’ll be ok with it.” John sighed and took a deep breath. “I’m…gay. And I have a boyfriend. And well you know him. You know him quite well actually. It’s Jason. Jason and I are gay and together. I wanted to tell you myself.” Jason smiled at John and squeezed his hand, proud that the other boy was able to say that and not panic. There was a silence on the other end of the phone for a few seconds. “Well…that’s a bit of information to take in…ummm…well…” his mom replied. He took a deep breath and asked “mom..are you ok? I hope you still love me after what I just said…” his voice cracking now and tears welling up. “John…while I don’t understand it and never have had to deal with this sort of thing first hand until now…I still love you very much my boy.” John sighed a relief and started crying and Jason held him. “Oh mom you don’t know how much that means to me, to us. I love you so much mom and I’ve been scared to tell you and after dad…” John suddenly stopped talking. “John…please tell me you didn’t tell your father without me there….” a worrying tone in her voice could be heard. She knew that John’s father was not an understanding man and knew the sort of pressure he put on their son and daughter. “John…are you there? Hunny are you crying? What happened!? Oh my god…you didn’t did you!?” Jason spoke up as John was a mess. “Hey it’s Jason…” “well hello Jason is John ok?” Jason looked at John and continued. “No he’s not actually. You see…you remember Mel?” “Yes I do actually Jason…a stuck up little bitch if I ever knew one. What does she have to do with all of this?” Jason chuckled at her describing Mel. “Well long story short…she was pissed when she found out about me and John here and showed up to my house the other night and caught me giving John here a goodbye kiss in my driveway. Then put that video of us kissing on social media and when we got to school the next day it was everywhere.” “Oh no you poor boys…oh oh no…” she stuttered realizing where Jason was going with this story. That moment John’s mom knew that he knew and something must have happened to one of both of the boys. “John…baby did your father hurt you?? Tell me please….please tell me he didn’t do anything to you two!?” John sighed and wiped his tears away for a second. Quietly he answered her back. “Yes…yes mom. I was here at Jason’s after school that day after it all happened and he called me home pissed off. So I told Jason bye and went home. As soon as I walked in the door…” “oh no baby…I’m so sorry…” Jason took over from here. “Yes. So he walked in the house to talk to his dad and he well…he beat the shit out of John and kicked him out of the house. He’s been staying here with me and my family since. He’s been scared to tell you because he didn’t know what would happen.” John’s mom took a deep breath. “John…John are you there?” “Yes mom I’m here…” “are you ok!? I’m so sorry that asshole beat you baby! I’ll be home tomorrow. Have an early flight out of here. I’ll be there by lunchtime!” John smiled he wasn’t sure of how his mom was going to take this news and certainly thought the worst like his father…but instead his mom went the opposite direction and sounded fully supportive of him and Jason being together. “Jason baby you take care of my sweet boy there until I get home! I’ll come straight over there once I land! I have to get going back into this last meeting for the conference, are you sure you don’t need me there? I’ll leave right now!” John replied “I’m sure mom don’t risk your job and besides Jason is taking really good care of me.” He winked to Jason and made Jason chuckle. “Ok. If you need me call me. I love you baby and I’m so sorry your father did that to you. We will take care of this when I get back!” “Ok mom see you tomorrow. Love you.” And with that John ended the call.
“Well…that certainly went better than I ever hoped for.” John turned to Jason. “Yeah sounds like she’s on board and just wants the best for you babe.” The boys laid down on the bed and snuggled up to one another. “I just couldn’t bring myself to tell her about him getting arrested. I know they’ve been on the rocks for a while now and I’ve always had a feeling mom was ready to leave father but…” John said. “I think she’s afraid of him just like my sister and I are. I’m so thankful for your family Jason. I love you.” Jason kissed his forehead. “I love you too. I love you so much it hurts.” John smiled.
The boys went back downstairs and found Jason’s parents sitting together on the couch snuggled under a blanket watching their favorite tv show. They saw the boys come back down the stairs and paused the show. “So how did the call go John?” Henry asked. “Yeah how did Brenda, I mean your mom take the news?” Janice asked. John smiled and replied. “Actually really well. She’s coming back tomorrow and wants to stop by and see me. I couldn’t tell her about my dad and him being arrested. But…with Jason’s help we did tell her everything else that happened and she was accepting and sorry for my dad’s behavior.” Jason and John sat down next to them. “Well I’m glad you have atleast one decent parent John!” Janice said. “Yes. Me too. Do you boys want to finish watching with us?” Henry asked. They looked at one another. “Sure dad. We would love to.” The boys grabbed another blanket snuggles up to one another as Henry pushed play.
They sat there, cuddled up, watching tv with Jason’s parents and neither one of them could be any happier in that moment.
