The Cockney Canuck - 94. Chapter 94 Too Cute to be Single

The excitement which had been simmering since I found out about my friend’s imminent arrival, had reached boiling point by the time we pulled up outside the front of Nathan’s house on Thursday afternoon.

It had stopped raining and the warm sun made its first appearance of the day at the same time as my smoking hot boyfriend! Nathan was dressed to impress with designer jeans, a blue and white check hoodie, gleaming white sneakers and a Blue Jays baseball cap. Even Daniel was impressed and gave his friend a wolf-whistle as he walked across the lawn like a model on a catwalk and beaming a familiar, bright, toothy smile. He responded with a sexy wiggle, a cute little shimmy and a comical expression that looked to be somewhere between pain and an orgasm as he pressed his face up against the window.

As my boyfriend climbed in the back to sit next to me, Don got out of the front to go and talk to Nathan’s mom who was waving at us from the porch.

“Nathan, you look…?”

“Blue,” said Daniel.

“Yeah, you look very blue.”

It was a polite description but did little justice to the boy underneath who looked almost too perfect to be real. His mad eyes matched the colour of his clothing and he looked as if he was wearing some kind of lipstick. I was captivated by his brighter than usual red lips as Nathan pushed up against me and made the most of Don’s temporary absence with a quick but very sensual kiss. He even managed a little dip of his minty tongue while resting his hand strategically on the inside of my thigh.

It justified my last-minute decision to wear jeans instead of shorts but made a mockery of our promise not to show affection in front of my brother who was sitting in one of the two middle seats looking back at us with a close-up view of the proceedings.

Daniel was slowly becoming accustomed to seeing us holding hands but this was a big step for him, which he handled remarkably well, waiting until we were finished before faking a cough to remind us of his presence.

Nathan was politely unapologetic to his best friend. “Sorry Daniel but your brother’s adorable.”

“That was weird,” said Daniel but it didn’t stop him from watching and he too was interested in the colour of his friend’s lips. “Are you wearing lipstick?”

“It’s lip gloss,” replied Nathan.

“Hmmm, whatever it is, it tastes like strawberries,” I said licking my lips.

“Yeah, I know. Do you wanna try some, Daniel?”

“Yuk! No thanks.”

“You don’t have to kiss me, I can put some on for you, if you sit still,” said Nathan and he pulled the stick from his pocket and waved in front of Daniel’s face.

“Get away from me,” said Daniel turning away to face the front. “Robbie probably won't mind though.”

“I know he won't mind,” said Nathan and had we been alone and not on our way to meet my friend from England, I may have been persuaded to partake in his sexy little game. “Do you want me to do you, Robbie?”

“Maybe another time,” I said, keeping him at arms-length. Although I couldn’t help laughing at his offer to ‘do me’ in the back of Don’s car.

“If you guys are gonna be like this the whole way, then I’m getting out here,” said Daniel but he looked as if he was enjoying the show and was smiling as he poked his head around the side of the seat.

“Not the whole way,” I said. “We never go the whole way.”

“Yeah, I bet you don’t,” said Daniel sarcastically and Nathan rolled his eyes.

“You could come and join us in the back if you want sweetie, there’s room for three and I don’t mind being in the middle?” I smirked and slapped his arm. “Ouch, what’s wrong, I was only being friendly?”

“Robbie, you got a hard-on, dude,” said Daniel and he was right. In that kind of mood, there was only so much of Nathan that my todger could take before wanting a taste of the action. It was too prominent to deny and Nathan jumped on it.

“Oh my,” he said feigning shock and covering his mouth. “Did I do that?”

Daniel found the whole thing highly amusing, hanging out of his seat laughing and I was forced to make an adjustment while resisting Nathan’s attempts to help, which were only making it worse.

“Can you keep the noise down please boys?” said Don as he climbed into the car but his choice of words was begging for a response.

“I’m trying to keep it down,” I said frowning at Nathan and pushing him away as Daniel rolled up again.

Nathan was in fine form; as lively and entertaining as I had ever seen him and as we settled down for the long drive I watched him as he combed his hair with his fingers and fiddled with a wrist full of bracelets. The lip gloss was the icing on the cake. There was absolutely no mistaking his sexuality. That day he was full on gay and I loved him for it.

It looked as if he was stepping up to the plate and relishing the challenge that Tom was likely to bring. It was certainly an improvement on his lacklustre mood the previous day and the perfect response to what I was sure would be a difficult evening for him. It made me want to love him even more and a sleepover at his house suddenly seemed a lot more appetising than it had done earlier.

I was looking forward to seeing Tom but I was also looking forward to him meeting Nathan. It was a chance to show him off to a boy who was certain to cast a critical eye over any partner of mine. On this form, Nathan wasn’t giving Tom much to work with and was sure to win him over just like he did with almost everyone he met.

The exception, of course, was the guy doing the driving and tapping the steering wheel to the sound of Fleetwood Mac’s greatest hits as we joined the mother of all highways, the dreaded four-oh-one.

‘What will Tom make of all this? The family, the house, Cobourg? ME? Have I changed much, do I sound any different, do I look any different’?

Nathan was playing with his phone but he knew that I was watching him and every so often he would give me a quick glance and a smile or turn to poke his tongue at me but I kept my eyes on him as only a boyfriend could do. Maybe it was the excitement and anticipation of seeing Tom again or maybe it was just sitting so close to the hottest looking boy in the world, but whatever it was, I was suddenly in dire need of a hot bath or a cold shower.

We reached Toronto at just after five; the middle of the rush hour and the four-oh-one was crawling in both directions. We were in the express lanes but moving at barely walking pace. Then the world’s busiest stretch of highway became the world’s biggest parking lot as sixteen lanes of traffic came to a complete standstill in both directions for as far as the eye could see.

It was an amazing sight and a bizarre place to be reading explicit text messages from a boy seating only a couple of feet away. I never realised how much fun could be had with a simple text message but it probably wasn’t the best time to be reading about my boyfriend’s thirst for my love juices, as he quaintly described it.

*  *  *

I arrived at the airport a total wreck and I was shaking with nerves as I stood between Nathan and Daniel on the other side of the barrier in the Terminal One arrivals hall.

“How’s your cramp now?” asked Daniel.

“Better,” I said but it was always likely to return with the culprit standing so close to me on the other side and when I turned to look at him he gave me a quick kiss on the cheek.

The flight from London had been delayed by half-an-hour but the electronic display now had the word ‘landed’ flashing next to it, which sent a chill up my spine.

‘He’s here at last’!

It was hard to believe that it was only nine months since I walked through those doors to meet my new family in almost the same spot as we were standing. It was one of the most nerve-wracking experiences of my life but the start of an incredible rollercoaster ride which I was convinced would conclude tomorrow with my adoption. It would be the final official stamp of approval that would end a period of probation and tie me to the Taylor family forever.

Whatever Don’s views or insecurities, he was still my mom’s brother and my only blood relative. It was my mother’s dying wish for them to adopt me and I could see no logical reason why I shouldn’t fulfil it. ‘You don’t get to choose your family, nobody does. You just have to make the most of the hand that you're dealt’. Those were Don’s words when he first talked to me in England.

I had always wanted to be a part of a family and this was the only chance that I was going to get. Despite all the uncertainties, there was no way that I was ever going to turn it down.

I was convinced that I was doing the right thing and I knew that Tom would understand that more than anyone. He had seen me when I was at my lowest ebb; on my own with my mother terminally ill and an uncertain future ahead. Back then, I was lonely, scared, bitter, and jealous of everyone. They were the darkest days of my life, by far. Nothing that I had ever experienced in Canada, even came close to it. The adoption would finally close that terrible chapter forever and consign it to the deepest vaults of my memory!

I was crying when I said goodbye to Tom in England and I was crying again when I saw him walking towards me in Canada. His face lit up the second that he recognised me and I nearly scrambled over the barrier in an attempt to get to him as if a couple of seconds were going to make any difference. I put my arms around him for a hug and he lifted me off the floor, squeezing me so tight that I couldn’t breathe. He was taller, maybe an inch or so, I was sure of it and his hair was much shorter than when I saw him last on Skype but everything else was the same, even his smell.

“What are you crying for, you little baby,” he said but as I desperately tried to wipe away the evidence with my sleeve, more tears followed. “I wasn’t expecting you to be here, it was supposed to be a surprise.”

“You know I hate surprises,” I said slapping him playfully on the arm. “Anyway I was too smart for this lot, I worked it out.”

“No you didn’t, dummy,” said Daniel. “He thought we were throwing a party for him.”

Tom laughed as he looked around at everyone and waited for me to introduce him.

“This is my brother, Daniel,” I said and I watched them shake hands before turning my attention to the beautiful and very gay looking boy standing next to me. “And this is my friend Nathan.” There was no need to say anything else.

“Hello mate,” said Tom, shaking his hand and looking between the two of us. Don was next; the person who had arranged everything. He knew Tom from England and they shared a few words and a handshake before he was all mine again.

“I can’t believe it’s you,” I said.

“Why, who were you expecting?”

“Nobody…not until this morning anyway. This is totally unreal.”

“So it was a surprise after all?” said Tom. “But it’s cool, I didn’t want to have to wait until tomorrow to see you.” I thought that it was a really nice thing to say and for a moment I was hugging him again. It was, unsurprisingly, a highly charged and very emotional experience for the both of us, but it seemed to rub off on everyone else too and even Don looked a little choked up. Tom, as always, seemed to handle it better than me but the real surprise package was Nathan.

He was never at his best playing a supporting role and I was expecting him to be a little jealous of Tom. The way he had been acting and even the way he was dressed all led me to believe that he saw my friend as a potential threat and I was bracing myself for typical Nathan like spotlight-grabbing performance on the way back.

It was a surprise, therefore, to see him taking a back seat as Tom and I enjoyed a rather emotional reunion. He looked genuinely happy for me but obviously didn’t want to get in the way. I knew how difficult that would have been for him to do. If Nathan wanted to impress me then he couldn’t have played it any better than he did that day.

“Okay boys, let’s go,” said Don as he took Tom’s suitcase and led the way back to the car. We walked in pairs; Nathan and Daniel in front with Tom and I bringing up the rear.

“You haven’t changed,” I said.

“You have.”

“In what way?” I asked.

“You look a lot happier,” he said and I tilted my head and smiled at him. “See I told you.”

“I’m not always this happy, Tom.”

“I know that stupid,” he said and then he deliberately slowed down so that we couldn’t be overheard. “Your boyfriend’s nice.”

I smiled bashfully at him. “He doesn’t always wear lipstick.”

“It suits him but I just didn’t expect you to be with someone so…camp. Sorry, I’m not having a dig or anything.”

“I know what you mean, it’s okay. He’s not always like this but I think I quite like it.”

“Yeah, I bet you do,” he said. “See, I told you that you would meet someone over here. You're too cute to be single.” He elbowed me playfully in the ribs. It was probably as good a time as any to tell him.

“Tom, I may as well get this out in the open now, because it’s probably important. You might not like this so don’t be annoyed with me but….”

“You told him about us, didn’t you?”

I shrugged and looked at the ground. “Sorry, I didn’t know that you….”

“You didn’t think that I’d ever come and visit you, did you?”

“No.”

“So you gave away our secret; that you swore never to tell.”

He had me completely fooled and when I stopped to face him at the entrance to the parking lot, I was almost in tears.

“You're not gonna cry again are you?”

“I’m sorry Tom.”

He laughed. “Shit man, you’re so easy to wind up now.”

“I feel really bad.”

“Why, because I don’t?” he said as he walked away to try to catch up with the boys. “Come on or we’ll be walking to your house.”

‘I don’t think so’.

“So you're not mad at me?”

“No, it’s cool, but I love the way you get all guilty and stuff. That’s cute. I expected you to tell your boyfriend about us. I’m surprised that he’s not jealous. He seems really quiet, is he shy?”

‘The guy’s wearing lipstick at an airport and Tom thinks he’s shy’?

“Actually, he is jealous but he’s doing his best to hide it. He’s really nice. You’ll get a chance to meet him properly when we get back and he’s definitely not shy.”

“Well, he looks pretty nice from here,” he said and I did a double take when I realised that Tom was staring at his butt. “Sorry, I’m just pointing out that he’s got a nice…bottom.”

I don’t think that I had ever heard Tom pay a compliment to a boy’s bottom before, except maybe mine. It was another surprise but I put it down to excitement and maybe a touch of jetlag.

“Are you still seeing…that girl?” I asked.

“No,” he said abruptly and I guessed that it was a sore subject.

“Oh, well I was dating a girl, you know, for a while,” I said enthusiastically.

“Yeah, you told me. How did that work out?”

“It didn’t.”

He laughed loudly which attracted Daniel and Nathan’s attention and they turned around as we reached the car.

“I didn’t think it would,” said Tom with a cheeky grin.

“I tried,” I said.

“You're not cut out for it. I wanted to tell you at the time.”

“What do you know?”

“More than you,” he said.

“Bollocks.” Don’s stare was a warning and I covered my mouth but we still laughed. The boys had been watching and listening to our little performance with interest but I had a feeling that Nathan wasn’t going to be left out for long.

“I still can’t believe that you're here,” I said in the car, “It’s crazy, I didn’t think that I would ever…well, whatever.”

“Don’t be soft,” said Tom. “I said I’d come and see you.” He put his arm around my shoulder then messed with my hair. “What are you doing, growing your hair for peace or something? How far do you live from here anyway?”

I looked over at Nathan and Daniel in the middle seats and we laughed. I could remember asking the same question when I arrived but the answer I got then was probably a lot more honest.

“Oh, it’s just around the corner,” I said. “Not that far.”

“Cool,” he said.

‘By Canadian standards’.

*  *  *

An hour-and-a-half later he asked again. “Okay lads, so how far away is it really?” We had just passed Bowmanville, the furthest reaches of the Greater Toronto Area and the four-oh-one was moving well. With Don’s lead foot I was guessing about thirty minutes.

“About another three hours,” I said.

“You're having a laugh,” said Tom. “I need to pee. You know what I’m like.” I nodded. Tom had a weak bladder, he would go twice as many times as I would in a day.

“Tom needs a pee,” I called out and although reluctant to stop at first, Don was eventually persuaded to pull off the highway to allow my friend to jump out and relieve himself at the side of the road.

“Be quick,” said Don. “I’m not supposed to stop here.” It was dark and we were in the middle of nowhere.

‘Like anyone’s really gonna be worried’.

As Tom’s stream splashed against a bush for ages, I stuck my head out of the open door.

“You wanna be careful of bears around here Tom.”

“Bears are you serious?”

“This is the time they go looking for food,” added Nathan.

“You're joking; do they eat humans?”

“Whatever they can get?” said Daniel.

“They like sausages,” I said and laughed.

“I know you're winding me up,” he said but he didn’t waste any time getting back to the car and was still doing his zipper up as he sat next to me. “You don’t really get any wild animals around here do you?”

“There are a lot of wild animals in Canada,” said Nathan. “And most of them wear skirts. So be careful out there.”

“Yeah, well, they don’t worry me,” said Tom and I shared a surprised look with Nathan as Daniel tried to change the subject.

*  *  *

“So this is the famous Tom that you keep talking about?” said Nicola and she inspected my friend closely as if she was thinking of buying him.

“Leave him alone Nicola,” said Sue. “Tom dear have some more to eat.”

“I don’t talk about him all the time,” I said.

“No thanks, Mrs Taylor,” said Tom.

“You used to,” said Nicola as she leaned over between me and Amy to help herself to a slice of pizza. “You’re cute though.”

“Thanks,” I said and she slapped me across my back, much to the amusement of Amy.

“Not you, dork. I mean your good-looking friend over there. I should introduce you to Naomi.”

“No don't,” said Daniel and I shook my head in agreement.

Tom was always a hit with the girls in England and I expected Nicola’s compliment to be the first of many from the girls of Cobourg, especially if we took him to the beach, although I also got the impression that Nathan quite liked what he saw too.

“I love your accent,” said Nathan staring at my friend from across the table. “But you talk quicker than Robbie and I can’t understand you.”

“Robbie's just slow, period,” said Nicola and I gave her the finger as I headed to the kitchen for a drink.

“Nathan’s got a thing about accents,” I warned Tom.

“No I haven’t, but he’s got a nice voice. Like Michael Caine. He should be an actor; you don’t do drama by any chance do you.” I looked at Daniel and rolled my eyes.

‘He should be an actor; you don’t do drama by any chance do you'?

“No,” said Tom who was looking a little overwhelmed.

“You should give it a go, you have the face for it,” said Nathan and I wasn’t going to disagree with that.

“Nathan’s an actor,” I shouted from the kitchen. “Can’t you tell?”

There were too many people talking at the same time and I felt sorry for poor Tom, who was trying to keep up with the different conversations but looked as if he was beginning to fade.

‘I know exactly how you feel mate’.

Sue was in the kitchen. “Ask Tom if he wants a drink dear,” she said. “And why is Nathan wearing lipstick?”

‘He’s a queen, why do think’?

“It’s not lipstick, it’s coloured lip gloss or something.”

“It's lipstick dear, trust me.”

“Whatever…Tom, do you want a glass of pop?”

“A what?”

“Pop,” I said. “A fizzy drink.”

Tom thought it was funny. “Blimey, you're talking all American.”

“The Americans call it a soda,” said Daniel.

“If you want Robbie to speak Cockney, you just have to make him angry,” said Nathan and Tom along with everyone else agreed.

“You’ll get a lot of swearing too,” added Daniel.

‘Very fucking funny’.

With Tom there, I had already noticed myself slipping back into deepest Cockney but words like pop, through necessity had become standard for me in Canada. Tom decided that he would have a tea instead and I had to ask Nicola to find it for me in the pantry.

“So who’s the lipstick for?” she said handing me a box of teabags “You or Tom?”

I laughed. “It’s not lipstick, it’s lip gloss. Nathan can be a flirt sometimes, but he’s only having a laugh.”

“As long as Tom’s okay with that,” she said. “Oh, but Tom’s okay with you, right? I mean he knows about you and Nathan?” I could see Sue’s ears prick up over the other side of the kitchen and I knew that I had to be very careful what I said. It was starting to get very complicated.

“Yes, of course, he knows,” I said. “He’s always known about me.” I walked out of the kitchen shaking my head and leaving the conspiracy theorists to their gossip.

In the dining room, Tom had obviously had a second wind and was in full flow recalling funny stories from his school, some of them involving me. He had Nathan, Daniel, and Amy, hanging onto his every word like his disciples.

My boyfriend looked as if he was well and truly captivated by Tom’s charismatic Cockney charm until I made him jump by pressing a cold can of Sprite against his back.

“A fizzy-soda-pop for Nathan and a cup of Rosy-Lee, for Tom.”

“Cheers mate, they tell me we’re going to Niagara Falls on Sunday. I’ve always wanted to go there haven’t I?”

I couldn’t remember him ever mentioning that before but I agreed and sat down next to Nathan, who turned his head to me, smiled and kissed me on the cheek. It was a simple show of affection which made a mockery of Nicola’s assumptions.

Nathan had a knack for turning even a fairly innocuous kiss, into something incredibly sexy. There was something intensely erotic about the way that he pressed those soft lips against my skin and left them there just a fraction of a second longer than necessary. It made me want to pull him into my lap and make mad, passionate love to him.

For a boy who had never kissed anyone before me, he was getting pretty good at it and later that evening while Daniel took Tom on a tour of the house, he was able to share some of his strawberry flavoured lip gloss with me.

“Why are you so horny today?” I whispered.

“Because I love you, of course. Is that not a good enough reason?”

There wasn’t much I could say to that. “I love you too Nathan and I was really proud of you today.”

“You were, really?”

“Yes, and don’t sound so shocked, I’m always proud of you.”

“Why?”

“For wearing lipstick at the airport and calling it coloured lip-gloss.”

He laughed. “Okay, so it is lipstick, but I thought you wouldn’t like that.”

“I thought it was hot…on you anyway. I hated it on Fran though.”

“Tom isn’t straight, is he?” said Nathan.

“Yes, of course he is.”

“I don’t think so.”

“Does it matter?”

“Not really, it’s none of my business what happened before we met. Now is different though; it would mean a great deal now.” I understood what he was saying and I was glad that he said it. At least we were reading from the same page.

“So, I guess you're staying here tonight?”

I was tempted earlier but I really wanted to be with Tom too and my hesitation was enough for Nathan to concede.

“It’s cool,” he said. “You guys haven’t seen each other in ages. He’s your best friend, have some clean fun and I’ll see you on your birthday.”

“What about tomorrow; I’ll be back in the afternoon?”

“I won’t be available tomorrow, my dad’s taking us out somewhere. But we can text.”

I laughed at his suggestion and wondered if I could get away with sexting him while in the court.

Nathan jumped up from my lap when he heard Daniel’s extra loud voice at the top of the stairs but our guilty expressions were enough to convict us and Tom especially found it quite amusing. I was still getting used to seeing him in the house instead of just a grainy image on the monitor that would occasionally freeze or cut out altogether.

Skype was good but nowhere near as good as having him there with me and I had to keep touching him to make sure he was real. I don’t know what he thought and maybe it wasn’t such a good idea to be touching my ex-boyfriend if that’s what he was, even if it was just on his hand or arm.

“This is your bed,” said Daniel pointing to the sofa-bed that I had helped set up earlier. “It’s also a sofa but it’ll probably be better to leave it as a bed while you're here.”

“It gets stiff when it’s not been used for a while,” I said. “It’s difficult to pull out.” For once it wasn’t meant as a pun, but they all seemed to think that it was. “I’m being serious; it takes two people.”

“And a bit of lubrication?” added Nathan laughing. “If it does get stiff Tom, then I don’t mind coming over to give you a hand pulling it out.”

“I’ll remember that Nathan,” said Tom and I definitely noticed him checking out my boyfriend’s ass as he turned his back on him. There was a lot going on below the surface and Daniel looked a little uncomfortable with the constant gay innuendos. I didn’t blame him. The past few weeks had been a steep learning curve for the boy who the next day would become my brother.

It sounds bad but for once I was pleased to see Nathan go home. I wanted to have Tom to myself for a while, although I wasn’t sure how long he was going to last. His eyelids were already at half-mast.

“I hope you have a great adoption tomorrow babe, okay?” said Nathan after kissing me on the cheek. “Does this mean that you're gonna have to start calling Don, Dad?” I gave him a one finger reply and called him a cab while he gave Daniel and then Tom a friendly hug goodbye.

*  *  *

Tom managed to get a lot more done on his first night in Canada than I did but by the time Nathan had gone and Daniel was in bed he looked physically and mentally exhausted.

I was fussing over him; was he hot, was he cold, did he want a drink, another pillow, or some extra blankets, when all he really needed was a good night’s sleep. He laughed at me as he undressed and sat on his bed.

“Stop it,” he said. “I can manage.”

“I want you to be comfortable that’s all…I owe you….” He put his hand up to stop me.

“I knew you were gonna say that. You don’t owe me anything.”

“But you looked after me when I stayed at your house.”

“So?” he laughed. “You had to sleep on the floor.”

“Not all the time.” He looked a little out of his comfort zone when I said that and I wasn’t entirely easy with it either.

“Well, you don’t owe me, okay?” I nodded and watched as he took off his socks. Then he looked at me suspiciously and threw them at me. “Keep away from my feet,” he said laughing before climbing into bed.

“You're safe,” I said as I walked to the stairs to switch off the lights.

“Nathan’s a cool bloke though isn’t he?” said Tom. The lights were off but the moonlight was enough for me to see my way across the room. “You didn’t tell me he’s your brother’s best friend; I bet that went down like a lead balloon?”

“I’ve had a few problems.”

“I heard…Daniel told me some stuff while you were snogging pretty boy down here. You should’ve told me.”

“That I was snogging Nathan?”

“No, you plonker. You should’ve told me about your problems. You never call me lately.”

I hung my head in shame and then walked into the coffee table as I went to sit in the armchair.

“Fuck it. I’m sorry.”

“You're the one who hurt yourself not me mate.”

“No, I’m sorry for not calling you lately”

“It don’t matter now…I’m glad you found Nathan.”

“So am I, he’s a pretty amazing person,” I said.

“I bet he keeps you happy too, right?”

“What do you mean by that?”

“You know what I mean,” he said but when I didn’t answer he backed down. “Sorry, it’s personal, I know.”

“Goodnight Tom.”

I made it to my bed in the next room but decided to leave the door open rather than leave him on his own. I had stripped off to my undies and was about to climb into bed when he called me and made me jump.

“I thought you were asleep.”

“Robbie, can you come here a minute?” he said.

“What is it?”

“Come here.”

I could see his outline sitting up in bed and walked over to stand by the coffee table. “What is it?”

“Sit down a minute,” he said patting the bed next to him. “It’s okay, I’m not gonna rape you, gay boy.” Those words were familiar, they were the words that he had used when he first offered me half of his bed in England, only this time it had to be a joke and I could see him smiling in the dark.

I thought it was strange that he should remember them after all this time even though I knew that I would never forget. I hesitated but did as I was told, trusting him, just as I had always done.

“What is it Tom?”

I sat on the edge of his bed and smiled nervously at him. Then I tensed up as I felt his arms around my shoulders but he must have sensed my discomfort.

“It’s okay,” he whispered. “I just wanna hug that’s all; are you alright with that?”

“I suppose.”

“I’m so happy to see you again, mate,” he said and I felt a tear on my shoulder as he hugged me. “It was bad when you left, but I was so excited when my dad said that I could visit you. I've been counting the days, I just wanted you to know that.”

He squeezed me as tight as he could and held me for a few seconds before releasing his grip and lying back down on his side.

It was a totally innocent gesture but a very private moment between two friends, who for a while were much more, and I felt bad for not hugging him back. “Thanks, Tom.”

“I’ve really missed you,” he mumbled but when I looked down, he was already asleep and snoring. It made me giggle. If I needed any more proof that it was him, then that was it.

‘I recognise that snore anywhere’.

Then, certain that he was asleep, I pulled the sheet over him, tucked him in, and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before going back to bed.

“I missed you too, Tom.”