When the Bough Breaks

Chapter 11

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"Mom, what does gay mean?"

Abby stared at her son who'd just finished his lunch and cursed Tom for exposing their son to such things.

"Mom, what is it?"

"Being gay means that boys love boys and girls love girls."

"But I thought we were supposed to love everyone. So if I love Daddy, I'm gay?"

"No, you are NOT gay, Eric. It's the adult love. The kind of love like your father and I share. Where you want to marry someone."

"So is that nice blonde lady, Ms. P, gay?"

"She is."

"Isn't she married to the tall guy that Dad works for?"

"No, she's married to another woman."

"And she's Gus's mom?"

"Yes, it looks that way."

"What happened to Gus?"

"Sweetheart, I don't think now is an appropriate time to be discussing Ms. Peterson and her life."

"But, I just want to know what happened to her little boy."

"He was kidnapped."

"Is he dead?"

"Yes." Abby knew it wasn't a good idea, but she had to stop his questions before he started asking the wrong ones.

"Is that why she wants to be my friend?"

"Eric, put your plate in the sink and go upstairs and watch tv."

"But Mom, I'm still hungry."

"Do what I said, young man."

Eric did as his mother asked and shot her a mean look as he took the stairs two at a time.

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Lindsay and Brian sat in the back booth of the diner discussing what had happened at the Garrett's that day.

"Do you think you got through to her?"

"Not at all," Lindsay said. "If anything I think I made things worse."

"Well, I guess we should prepare ourselves for a lengthy court battle."

"But Tom is on our side."

"Tom is on Gus's side. But he still considers him, his son. He's not going to give him up so easily."

"At least he lets us see Gus."

"For how long, Lindz? His wife hates us. She thinks we're just a bunch of fags who don't deserve to have our son."

"Mel says that we're fighting an uphill battle. She thinks that they're going to tear us apart in court."

"They have enough ammunition, what with my past."

"Don't forget Melanie and me. We aren't exactly angels."

"Yeah, but you cheated with a man, so there's hope you might be straight."

"I'm as straight as you, Brian. Besides we have biology on our side."

"And they have Gus."

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Tom listened as his wife ranted about Lindsay and her nerve in coming to their house. He suppressed a sigh, running a hand over his face, trying his best to not lose his temper with her.

"And then Eric started asking about being gay."

"What?"

"He wanted to know what it meant to be gay and thought he was gay because he loves you. Now do you see what they're doing to our son?"

"Oh, God, Abby, what did you tell him."

"I told him he wasn't gay."

"Abby, I don't have time to do this right now. I'll be home by six. We'll discuss it more tonight."

"Sure, Tom, you just go run to Mr. Kinney and give him a heads up. I've already called the lawyers and started the proceedings to get custody of Eric."

"Abby, he's their son. We illegally adopted him. How hard is it for you to show some compassion for these people?"

"What about our son, Tom? He's scared they want to take him away from us. It's our job to protect him."

"Protect him from who, Abby? From his real family?"

"We're his real family, Tom, or did you forget that we've raised him since he was a scared little boy?"

"I haven't forgotten."

"Then grow some fucking balls and think about your son instead of your fucking boss."

Tom hung up without another word to his wife. He hated thinking of Eric not being in their lives, but he had to do right by the young boy. Tom knew all too well what it was like to be kept from the people who gave you life.

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Melanie looked up, surprised to see Tom Garrett standing in her office. She offered him a seat and sent her secretary out to get coffee for both of them.

"Don't get me wrong here, but you look like shit."

"Thanks," Tom replied sarcastically. "Look, this isn't a social call."

"I kind of figured as much. What can I do for you Mr. Garrett?" Melanie said in her best lawyer tone.

"It's about Eric, I mean Gus. Oh fuck, I don't know what to call him anymore."

"What about him?" Mel asked ignoring the sound of desperation in Tom's voice.

"Abby's contacted an attorney to ask for legal custody."

"I assumed she'd get around to that sooner or later. Do you know who she's retained?"

"Abby's not very forthcoming with information to me lately. She feels I've betrayed her by letting Lindsay and Brian see Gus."

"So why are you telling me this, Mr. Garrett?"

"I don't know, Ms. Marcus. Maybe because I love my son and want what's best for him."

"Even if it means the end of your marriage?"

"Yes," Tom said weakly.

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Eric sat in his room listening to the sounds of his mother yelling at someone. He knew that something was up and he was determined to find out what it was.

Ms. P was being nice to him, way too nice to him and he was certain that it wasn't just because her son had died.

Eric decided that he didn't want to go live with Ms. P and be her son, even if she'd been super nice to him.

He silently crept down the back stairs and listened in as his mother spoke to someone on the phone about him.

He tried his best to hold back the tears when his mother promised whoever it was that she'd keep him with her no matter what she had to do.

Eric hated being the reason his mother cried so much and made up his mind that he had to stop hurting all these people. He would talk to Mr. Kinney and tell him to leave them alone.

He waited until he knew his mother was in the bathroom and snuck out the front door.

TBC....

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