The Cockney Canuck - 149. Chapter 149 Don's Return

I wasn’t sure how my boyfriend would react to me fathering an illegitimate child with my sister’s best friend, but he seemed to take it quite well. The fainting episode ensured he remained the centre of attention, which was always of paramount importance to him, and he milked it for all it was worth.

“He’s totally faking it,” said Daniel, an accusation that was met with disdain by the girls fussing over Nathan like a wounded soldier. Nicola was fanning him with a magazine while Stephanie—the pregnant one—ran to the kitchen to fetch him some water. Even my brother’s girlfriend, Ratana, looked concerned as she knelt by the side of the couch holding my boyfriend’s limp hand.

At times it seemed like Nathan had the entire female population at his beck and call. They tended to gravitate towards him, tripping over themselves in their efforts to pamper the boy. It made him the envy of many a straight lad at school, but unlike them, my boyfriend—who described himself as a six on the Kinsey scale—showed not the slightest interest in the female form. It was an attribute I had long admired but was unable to emulate, and now I was paying the price.

As much as I wanted to blame Stephanie for leading me on and inviting me into her bed that fateful night, I had to accept that I not only allowed it to happen but willingly provided the necessary ingredient without even considering the consequences. It wouldn’t have happened to Nathan. I was sure there wasn’t a female on the planet who could have persuaded him to part with even a single sperm.

While the girls mollycoddled my boyfriend, Daniel—eager to escape the mayhem—followed me upstairs to the bathroom.

“What the fuck. I’m not even gonna ask what you two were doing in here.”

“Good, because I wasn’t gonna tell you.” I dropped the bucket by the door and peeled off my socks before wading in with the mop. “Have you come up here to help?”

“Nope, you’re good.”

“I didn’t think so.”

Daniel watched as I emptied the bath and began wringing out the sodden towels over the sink.

“What are you gonna say to dad about Stephanie?”

“Nothing.”

“It’ll probably make his day. I mean, that’s what he wants, right?”

“It’s not what I want. It’s taken me almost a year to convince him that I’m gay and now he’s gonna think he was right all along.”

“So, why don’t you just let him believe that. Tell him it was just a phase you were going through or something.”

“You think I should pretend to be straight just to please him?”

“Why not? If it gets him off your case, then who cares?”

“Stephanie being pregnant is not gonna get him off my case.”

Daniel disagreed. He had a sly grin as he watched me clean the bathtub from the safety of the doorway.

“He might shout at you a bit to make it look like he’s concerned, but he won’t be upset. Believe me; he’s gonna be ecstatic. It’s not the kind of problem that’s gonna embarrass him; it’s the kinda problem that he can secretly be proud of and tell his friends about.”

“I know what you’re saying, but ….”

“You can’t lose. All you gotta do is play along.”

I finished wringing out my boxer shorts and threw them at him. “You're beginning to sound like Nicola.”

“I know, but she’s right. Just tell him what he wants to hear, and he’ll leave you alone. But if he finds out you’ve been doing whatever you're doing with Nathan, he’s gonna go nuts.”

“But I’m not doing anything with Nathan other than holding his dick while he has a pee.”

“C’mon, you didn’t pay me eighty bucks so that he could take a leak. I don’t care what you and Nathan get up to, but dad does, and he’s always gonna think the worst. You can’t win. He’s gonna beat you every time because he makes the rules.”

I wasn’t so sure. Lately, it seemed like Sue had the upper hand and the way she was talking made me believe things were going to change. I didn’t want to say anything to Daniel, but I was convinced Don’s days were numbered.

“I don’t think I could do that anymore. I mean, pretending to be straight. It’s like going back in the closet. No one does that.”

“You’ll only be doing it to him; no one else. Even mom will know the truth. She’s already asked us not to mention that Nathan was here.”

“She has?”

“Of course.”

“What if Don finds out we’ve all been lying to him?”

“He won’t find out because he won’t wanna find out. Don’t you get it? He doesn’t care what you do, as long as other people don’t see it. That’s all he’s worried about. He’s selling his family like he sells soap powder. Everything’s a giant advert to him. His whole life is as fake as Nathan’s fainting.”

Nicola had already told me the same thing, and even Sue had hinted at it. She was happy for me to lie to Don about Nathan. I wasn’t convinced it would work, but I couldn’t rule it out either.

I told him I’d think about what he said, then laughed when I saw Nathan’s pyjama bottoms on top of the bathroom cabinet. I don’t know how I hadn’t noticed them.

“So, that’s where they went.”

Daniel followed my eyes and giggled. “How did they get up there?”

“Beats me.”

“What happened with you and Stephanie anyway? Was she stoned?”

“No, who told you that?”

Our conversation abruptly ended the moment I heard Amy’s voice outside the front of the house. It signalled the return of Sue and sent me into sudden overdrive. But, like everyone else that day, she was early.

Nicola had the presence of mind to keep her mom talking at the bottom of the stairs, which allowed me just enough time to finish. While Daniel carried the towels and bucket into the spare room, I backed out of the bathroom on my hands and knees, drying the remaining damp patches on the floor with Nathan’s pyjamas. It was a close call, but when Sue came upstairs to get changed, the bathroom was spic and span and my brother and I were in the spare room. We must have looked as guilty as sin when she popped her head in to say hello, but she didn’t see the mop or pile of wet towels hidden behind the bedroom door.

*     *     *

Sue must have known something was going on, but I was able to keep the news from her until later that evening when all the guests except Nathan had left, and Amy was in bed. She was still at the dinner table leafing through a magazine when I brought her in a coffee and sat down opposite.

“How did the sale go?”

“Better than expected; it was busy. You should have come along; Jamie was there with his mom.”

“I didn’t know he was going. How is he?” I had been meaning to call him for ages.

“He looks well considering. That boy always has a smile on his face. Is everything okay, dear?”

“Yes, why?”

“I just wondered why you're sitting here and not downstairs with Nathan and Daniel.”

“I wanted to talk to you,” I said, holding onto a smile that faded the moment Nicola pulled up the chair next to me. She had been trying to get me to spill the beans all evening and was growing impatient with my delaying tactics.

“Robbie has something important to tell you, but he doesn’t know how, and he’s scared,” she said. “Do you want me to tell her for you?”

I pushed her away with my elbow. “No, I can do it.”

“Whatever it is, make it quick, please,” said Sue. “It’s been a long day.”

“We can leave it until tomorrow if you like. It’s not a problem.”

Nicola rolled her eyes and growled at me. She couldn’t wait any longer. “It is a problem, Mom. Stephanie’s pregnant!”

Sue must have expected much worse and looked relieved to hear the news that confirmed her prediction.

“I know that, dear.”

“You do? How?”

“She guessed. She has some kind of super-power.”

Nicola was confused. “So, you already knew. Was I the last one to find out?”

“Looks that way,” I said smugly and stood up to stretch. “I’m tired too; I think I’ll have an early night.”

Nicola grabbed my hand and forced me to sit down again. “Not so fast, coward. She obviously doesn’t know everything.”

Sue was starting to show signs of anxiety. She looked concerned by our odd behaviour and focussed her attention on me. There was no way I would be able to postpone it any longer, and the realisation brought on an instant attack of nerves. I was hot and sweaty, and my stomach felt like it was twisting inside out as I squirmed in the seat, wishing I was someplace else.

My discomfort must have been visible to Sue, who was now wide-awake and trying to read my pained expression.

“What is it, Robbie?”

“Stephanie and me … we err. Something happened.”

My heart rate may have doubled as Sue stared at me, demanding an explanation. I struggled to remember the lines I had rehearsed in my head over dinner before turning to Nicola for help.

“It’s Robbie’s baby, Mom. That’s what he’s trying to tell you. You're gonna be a grandmother, I’m gonna be an aunt, and he’s gonna be ….” She paused to think. “Well, we don’t know what he’s gonna be yet.” She squeezed my hand under the table and looked me in the eye. “See, it was easy.”

Sue’s expression barely changed as she sat cradling her coffee and staring into the space between us. I had never seen her lost for words, but I guess it was a lot to take in.

“Is this true?”

I was glad to hear her finally speak. I was beginning to worry about her.

“Yes, I think so. I mean, that’s what Stephanie thinks.”

“When did it happen?”

“When did what …?”

“She didn’t get pregnant from sitting on a bus. I want to know when it happened.”

“Before Christmas. But it was only the once. I swear.”

Sue took a long breath and covered her face with her hands.

“She was drunk,” said Nicola.

“Drunk? It gets worse!”

“She wasn’t drunk!” I glared at my sister. “You're the one who was drunk. We had to carry you upstairs. That’s why it happened!”

“Don’t try to blame me. I had a couple of drinks. That doesn’t give you the right to screw around with my friend.” She folded her arms on the table and mumbled at me. “I was trying to help you.”

“Well, don’t bother. You're only making things worse!”

Sue stood up and put her hands on the table. “Stop bickering! You both have some explaining to do, and Stephanie too by the sounds of it.” She shook her head and turned to me. “I thought you didn’t like girls.”

“He’s bi-sexual.”

“No, I’m not. It was a mistake. Don’t worry; it won't happen again.”

“It’s too late for that, Robbie! This isn’t something that’s just gonna go away. This could affect you for the rest of your life. I’m gonna need to talk to Stephanie’s parents. Are you certain it’s yours?”

“Mom, Stephanie’s not the type to sleep around. Why would she blame him if she didn’t have to? I think she would have preferred it to be someone else, don’t you? I mean anyone rather than him.”

“Thanks!”

“I don’t mean that in a bad way,” she said. “You're just not her type, that’s all.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. This was coming from the girl who was convinced Stephanie and I was dating.

“Will you make up your mind. Either she likes me, or she doesn’t.”

“Well, she obviously liked you enough to want to sleep with you,” said Sue. “I’m disappointed in Stephanie. What was she thinking?”

“It wasn’t her fault,” said Nicola. “She didn’t force him.”

“I realise that, but somehow, I don’t think it was Robbie’s idea either.”

“You're right,” I said, feeling at least some vindication. “It wasn’t.”

I hoped Sue would understand, but she was tired and angry. I could feel her eyes on me as I stared at the table.

‘Maybe this wasn’t a good time.’

“You still could have said no. You don’t need to jump into bed with everyone who shows some interest in you. It’s stupid and irresponsible and a problem you need to sort out!”

“He needs a sex therapist,” said Nicola.

Sue glared at her daughter. “I don’t need your opinion, thank you.” Then she turned back to me. “We’re going to have to tell Don; you know that, don’t you? We can’t keep this one a secret.”

“I know.”

“This is why you were asking about her, wasn’t it? She must be aware of her options. I mean abortion.”

Nicola shook her head. “They don’t agree with it.”

“Neither do I, dear, but it’s Stephanie’s choice. Maybe she’ll consider adoption. Whatever happens, she’s too young to start a family. Why did you have to be so stupid? Just when I thought you were beginning to act more responsible. I’ve bent over backwards trying to make things better for you, only for you to find new ways of causing problems for yourself.”

“I’m sorry.”

Sue looked exhausted as she sat with her head in her hands before getting up to leave. She had never told me off like that before, and it hurt, probably because I knew she was right. I slumped back in my chair, picking at a bit of dried food on my t-shirt, while she headed upstairs to bed.

“Sorry isn’t good enough this time. I can’t talk to you at the moment, Robbie. Maybe you should stay indoors until you can learn to be more responsible.”

“Grounded? For how long?”

She didn’t reply, so I turned to Nicola for an explanation. My sister put a finger to her lips, urging me not to say anything else until we heard Sue’s bedroom door slam shut.

“She’ll be okay. She just needs a little time to think about it.”

Sue didn’t sound like she was going to be okay to me. She already had a lot on her plate, and I felt guilty for making things even worse. It seemed like I was the cause of most of her problems, but I expected a better reaction than the one I got.

‘I shouldn’t have told her.’

My day had turned into a nightmare. I buried my head in my arms and pushed Nicola away when she tried to comfort me.

Stephanie said it wouldn’t affect me, but now I began to realise how improbable that claim would be, especially in a small town like Cobourg. I couldn’t just walk away; there was no place for me to go and no way I could avoid her.

My head was a mess, and now I was grounded indefinitely. I closed my eyes and listened to my sister as she paced the room, updating Stephanie on my predicament.

“He’s a little upset,” she said. “My mom didn’t take it too well, and he’s grounded. I think she wants to talk to your parents.”

I was too busy trying to listen to Nicola’s phone call to hear Nathan creeping up behind me. He bumped my shoulder and made me jump.

“Oh, it’s you.”

My boyfriend looked sad but in an adorable kind of way with big sorrowful eyes and a protruding bottom lip. It made me want to hug him.

“I overheard. Are you okay?”

I nodded as he rested his arms on my shoulders and kissed the top of my head. It felt good to have him there with me. He was the only person capable of putting a smile on my face, and he did it with ease. We still hadn’t found the time to talk alone about any of this, but I got the impression we didn’t need to. Not yet anyway. I had to grateful for that; after all, none of this was his fault.

“I’m sorry I messed up your day. I left you in the bath.”

“It doesn’t matter. You had more important things to deal with.”

“Nothing’s more important to me than you.”

“Aww, that’s sweet.” He put his legs over mine to sit on my lap and then giggled as he licked the end of my nose. “There’ll be other times. I don’t mind waiting. I’m not going anywhere.”

They were the words I most wanted to hear, and I smiled at him before burying my face in his t-shirt. A familiar smell helped me to relax, and he giggled as I kissed his chest through the thin cotton material and nibbled on his taught skin.

“I wish we could be alone tonight,” I mumbled through a mouthful of soggy t-shirt.

“So, do I,” he said. “Maybe next week you can stay at my house.”

‘Not if I’m grounded.’

It seemed so unfair. Making love to my boyfriend would have provided the perfect distraction for my overstressed brain and some much-needed relief at the end of an otherwise disturbing day. The torture was made even worse by the fact that he was sitting on my lap and so obviously feeling the same way. Earlier, we planned to go all the way for the first time since we started dating again. If Stephanie hadn’t turned up, I would have been chilling out downstairs with a satisfied smile on my face. Instead, I was the complete opposite. Worried, emotional, tense, and suddenly very horny.

My hands weren’t listening to reason. They found an easy way inside his t-shirt and circled his back as my tongue found a nipple.

I forgot about Nicola until she appeared at my side. “He’s kinda busy at the moment, Steph. Maybe you should leave it until the morning.”

I smiled coyly at my sister as she slapped my arm and frowned at me. I guess she had a point. I couldn’t imagine what Sue’s reaction would have been if she had caught me copulating with Nathan at the dinner table, but it wouldn’t have been good. We decided not to push our luck, and Nicola looked relieved to see us uncouple and relocate to the basement where Daniel was watching the hockey.

Edmonton was playing Calgary in the battle of Alberta. It was the Canadian equivalent of a local football derby, except the players were the ones punching each other’s lights out and not the fans. I watched one of the fights while I made up Nathan’s bed and then gave him a passionate kiss goodnight.

His tongue explored my mouth, and he tried to drag me down onto the bed with him.

“I have to sleep upstairs, Nathan.”

He was disappointed. His legs were wrapped around my midriff as he humped my stomach like a horny canine, leaving a damp spot on my t-shirt. I hadn’t seen him this worked up since we started dating again, but he would have to save it for another time.

“I can’t help it,” whispered Nathan. “All this talk about getting Stephanie pregnant has made me horny. I’m jealous of her. I want you to impregnate me.”

I swallowed hard at the implications and glanced nervously across the room at Daniel as I extracted myself from my boyfriend’s loving embrace and reached into my pants to push down an unwanted guest.

“That’s not possible.”

“I know, but we can have fun pretending.”

Despite an insane desire to penetrate the boy I loved and fulfil his immediate needs, it wasn’t to be. Watching us Kiss was one thing, but I doubt if my brother would have tolerated a live sex show, and I couldn’t guarantee that Sue wasn’t going to come back downstairs. It was unlike her to retire so early.

I made these points to my sexed-up boyfriend during the second intermission in the hockey while Daniel was upstairs grabbing a drink.

“Well, I don’t mind if you wake me up in the night,” he said, pressing his foot against my crotch. “I can show you what I can do without my hands.”

I nearly creamed my pants there and then before pushing him away and taking a couple of deep breaths.

The thought of snuggling up to my boyfriend’s nearly naked body was difficult to resist, and it took a will of iron to drag my heavy legs against their wishes up the wooden staircase. When I passed Daniel on the landing, he looked relieved to see me heading in the opposite direction, but he must have overheard Nathan’s not-too-discreet attempts to get me to stay.

“You know what,” he said, sporting a big grin. “I think Nathan’s going to have one of those phantom pregnancies. You wait; you’ll be running around town in the middle of the night looking for ice cream for him. It’s gonna be hilarious.”

I watched my brother go downstairs and scratched my head.

‘For you, maybe.’

When I reached the top floor, Nicola was just coming out of the bathroom in her dressing gown. She looked ridiculous with a towel wrapped around her head and her face covered in moisturiser. On any other day, I would have laughed, but I had more pressing needs to take care of, and my sights were set firmly on my temporary bed.

“Robbie, wait,” she whispered and followed me into the room.

“What do you want?”

“I’m sorry for being mean to you.”

I chuckled at her apology. “What day are you talking about? You're gonna have to be more specific.”

She looked towards the hallway, wary of waking Sue or Amy and then closed the door.

“Oh, come on. I haven’t been that bad.”

“You’ve been telling everyone that Stephanie was drunk and stoned.”

“She was.”

“No, she wasn’t, Nicola. Everyone’s gonna think I took advantage of her, and that’s not true. If you ask her what happened and she’s honest, she’ll tell you that’s not the way it happened. She asked me to get in bed with her that night, and she wasn’t drunk, or stoned, or hypnotised or whatever. Maybe she just found me attractive, or is that too far-fetched to believe?”

Nicola looked surprised by my comment. “Wow, that really bothers you, doesn’t it?”

“Yes, it does. How would you feel? Now, if you don’t mind, I’d like to go to bed.”

“I wasn’t trying to make you look bad.”

“No, you never do,” I replied sarcastically and shook my head at her. “It doesn’t matter, please go.”

“I’m sorry. It was a bit of a shock for me, that’s all.”

“You’ll get another shock if you don’t leave.” I was getting fed up with asking her, so I dragged my t-shirt over my head and threw it in the corner, hoping she would take the hint.

“What are you doing?”

“I told you; I’m going to bed. This is my room for tonight. I asked you to go, but you won’t.” I unzipped my jeans and pushed them down to my ankles, then kicked them aside and walked past her to put my watch on the shelf. It was a battle of wits that I was determined not to lose. “Fine, stay if you want.”

I pulled off my socks and stood by the bed in just a pair of briefs as Nicola watched with her arms folded and a smirk on her face. In the early days, I would have died of embarrassment, but I no longer cared. My sister was daring me to go further but expecting me to back down. When I hooked my thumbs under the waistband of my underwear, she realised it wasn’t going to happen and put her hand up to stop me.

“Okay, I’m going!” she said, turning for the exit.

“Can you switch off the light?” I giggled as her hand reached through a narrow gap in the door and patted the wall looking for the switch, but my briefs stayed on, and I was already in bed.

Her room was next to mine, and I could hear her talking on her phone for ages that night as I lay in bed thinking about Nathan.

‘He wants me to impregnate him.’

I had no idea what that meant, but it sounded like Stephanie’s predicament had affected my boyfriend in a way I never imagined.

I needed a distraction and almost sub-consciously reached between my legs to make use of some rare privacy. It was the only good thing about sleeping upstairs, but after such a traumatic day, I found it difficult to concentrate and fell asleep unrewarded with my dick in my hand and my briefs around my knees.

*     *     *

At least I was covered by the sheet when Sue came in the following morning after only the briefest of knocks. She looked pleasantly surprised to see me upstairs in the right bed, and it paved the way for some reconciliation. She opened the curtains and tapped me on the shoulder, but I was already awake.

“I’m sorry I shouted at you last night, dear. I was probably a little harsh.”

I lifted my head and shielded my eyes from the bright sunlight. “Not probably, definitely.”

“Well, I was angry with you for allowing it to happen, but I know now it wasn’t entirely your fault.”

“Do we have to keep talking about it?” I covered my head with the sheet and pulled up my briefs when she wasn’t looking. I didn’t care much for her apology and closed my eyes to go back to sleep.

“It’s embarrassing for me too, Robbie, and for Stephanie. I talked to her this morning, and she explained what happened.”

That sentence woke me up again, and I propped myself up on my elbows, then watched in fear as Sue sat on the end of the bed. The frame creaked and knocked against the wall bringing a concerned look to her face, but she held her nerve.

“You called her already?”

“No dear, she called me.”

I grabbed my watch from the shelf. It wasn’t even nine o’clock. Stephanie was never up that early when she stayed at our house.

“What did she say?”

“She said it wasn’t your fault. I don’t think I need to go into details, but she told me what happened, and I can’t see any reason why she would say that if it wasn’t true. You should have told me this last night.”

“What’s the point? It doesn’t change anything.” I sat up and covered my shoulders with the sheet. “I told you it wasn’t my idea.”

I wondered what Stephanie had said to her and why she felt the need to intervene. Whatever it was, I didn’t want to discuss it with Sue.

“I realise that boys can be manipulated into these things easier than girls. It was wrong of Stephanie to do that because she took advantage of you, but it was also brave of her to come forward and take responsibility. She said the same thing to her family; I haven’t talked to them yet, but I will do.”

“It wasn’t all her fault.”

Sue reached out to touch my arm. “You don’t have to explain, dear.”

“Some of it was Nicola’s.” I was referring to the Viagra, but I wasn’t going to mention it to Sue, whose expression told me I was pushing my luck.

“Well, you should probably thank Stephanie when you get the chance. She didn’t have to do that; she could have blamed you.”

I wasn’t sure what difference it would make, but I was happy to accept Stephanie’s confession over the version touted by Nicola.

“I still feel kinda guilty, though.”

“And so, you should. You're not innocent by any means.” I looked away as she cleared her throat and continued. “I think you have a problem.”

“What do you mean?”

“What I mean is, you’ve had too many sexual partners.”

“You think I’m a slut?”

“Don’t say that, Robbie; it’s not nice. That’s not what I meant.” Sue was flustered and completely out of her comfort zone, but she had a point to make. “Maybe you should talk to your counsellor about it. You're only sixteen, after all. Most boys your age ….”

“Okay, I get it! Am I still grounded?”

“No, dear. I think having to deal with this has punished you enough.”

I nodded. That much was definitely true, but it was a relief to know I could go out again. Maybe I could stay over at Nathan’s house, where my newfound freedom allowed me overnight access to his bedroom under the no-questions-asked guise of a friendly sleepover.

I hid my excitement with a forlorn expression and genuine regret over a stupid episode that shouldn’t have happened.

“If I could change things, I would. I’m not proud of it, you know. Not even at the time. It’s not like I went around telling everybody. Now everyone’s gonna know.” I sat cross-legged on the bed with my back against the wall as Sue stroked my arm.

“We can’t stop that, dear. People will always gossip. I thought you’d be used to that by now. The important thing is to find a solution, so you're both able to put this behind you. There are a lot of couples who want to adopt newborns. I’m going to suggest this to Stephanie. I can put her in touch with the agencies, and they’ll find the right family.” It sounded like a good idea, and I felt somewhat better knowing there were other solutions that didn’t involve changing diapers. Now she had calmed down; Sue offered a more pragmatic and level-headed approach than my sister. Experience counted for a lot, and she had that in abundance. “From now on, I’ll deal with Stephanie and her family. You don’t have to be involved, understand?” I nodded. “You won’t see the baby when it’s born, and you’ll have no contact with the adopters. It’s the best way for everyone.”

I was happy to let Sue take charge of a situation that I knew little about and something that was already way beyond my control, but once again, there was no mention of Don.

‘Am I the only one who’s noticing this?’

It seemed likely that he would have plenty to say on the matter, even if he misread it like Daniel seemed to think he would, but when I mentioned it to Sue, she brushed it off as if he wasn’t a problem.

“I’ll tell him when he gets back, but I expect he’ll agree with me,” she sighed and stood up. “You don’t need to worry; he won’t be angry at you. If anything, it’ll probably make his day.”

*     *     *

Don arrived home on Tuesday afternoon and was in the living room when we piled in from school. His business trip was successful, the client liked his presentation, and he expected to be awarded the contract. It put him in a good mood as I stood next to Sue and watched him hand out gifts to Nicola, Daniel, and Amy.

“Did you tell him?”

“Yes, dear.”

I could have done with a little more information, but he didn’t drag me into the study to yell at me, so maybe Daniel and Sue were right. I decided to skip the welcome home ceremony and go downstairs, but Don called me back.

“Don’t you want your present?” he said, holding up a t-shirt. “Did you think I was gonna leave you out, really?” It had crossed my mind, and now I was embarrassed. I had to walk over and look interested while he talked excitedly about a new client—a household name that none of us had heard of, but I suppose that was why they needed him.

The t-shirt was from Banff, a tourist town in the Rockies, and it featured a cartoon moose on the front. It wasn’t something I would usually wear, and it was a bit small for me, but I put it on anyway to show my gratitude.

I was still wearing it later that night when Don visited me in the basement easing his large frame into the armchair. It was unusual for him to venture downstairs, and when he did, he never looked comfortable, but that old leather chair was a snug fit, and I wasn’t convinced he would be able to get out again.

I was on the couch with Daniel, who stood up to leave, sensing a private moment.

“There’s no need to leave, Daniel,” said Don, and my brother sat down again, looking confused. “I was thinking of getting some work done down here. Maybe we can put a door from your room to the bathroom and replace these old chairs with something more comfortable.”

I had heard it all before. Don often spoke about his plans to renovate the house, but nothing got done. Now, with the possibility of a big injection of cash into the coffers from his new clients, he could afford to make brash promises. He loved playing the big shot and knew he could buy loyalty from his family even when their respect for him was at an all-time low. He had Nicola eating from his hand with the promise of a car, and Daniel’s eyes nearly popped from their sockets when he produced tickets for the final Maple Leaf's game of the regular season. When my brother ran to his bedroom to call Doug, Don’s smile dropped, and his mood became serious.

“Sue told me,” he said while looking at the television.

We both knew what he was talking about, and I mumbled a reply. “I know.”

“What do you intend to do about it?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, Sue seems to think that she can talk Stephanie into putting the kid up for adoption, but what if she doesn’t want that?”

“I don’t know. I haven’t had time to think about it, and it’s not really my decision anyway.”

“Robbie, this will affect the rest of your life. You have every right to have a say. Don’t let other people make decisions for you.”

“So, what would you suggest?”

“Well, for a start, it’s important to take responsibility for your actions.”

I laughed. “I’m not marrying her; if that’s what you’re trying to say.”

“It may seem funny to you, but that’s what would have happened in the past.” He had a wry smile on his face as he studied my reaction. “Would that be so terrible?”

“Yes, it would, and not just for me. Stephanie wouldn’t want to marry me.”

“Have you asked her?”

“No, of course not.”

“Then how do you know?”

“Because she wouldn’t. It’s not what you think.”

Don walked across the room to sit next to me on the arm of the couch. “You know, you had a lot of people fooled around here with your gay routine, but not me. I knew Conner was just a diversion; he’s not even gay, is he?”

“What are you talking about? Conner is a hundred per cent gay.”

“Oh, come on, Robbie. The game’s up now. You don’t need to lie to me anymore. I don’t care if you and Stephanie have something going on. I know she’s Nicola’s friend and she’s a little older than you, but she’s a good-looking girl. There’s nothing to be ashamed of. I just wish you had told me; things could have been different.”

“I don’t get it.”

“You see, for a while, I thought you were still being controlled by that little faggot.”

“Do you mean Nathan?”

“You know who I mean, but it doesn’t matter now.” He patted my shoulder and smiled. “I guess I was wrong about that. It sure is a relief to know I got that one wrong.”

I wasn’t sure if Don was playing mind games with me or if he really believed this crap, but it hurt me to hear him talk that way about the boy I loved. I wanted to put him straight, and in the past, this would have almost certainly ended in a full-blown argument with me being sent to my room and grounded, but not this time. I decided to play his game like Daniel and Nicola suggested, although it took every ounce of strength to keep my cool.

“Nathan’s not a bad person,” I insisted.

“That’s your opinion. I don’t get what the attraction was with that boy, but for your sake, I’m glad you come to your senses because he would have destroyed your life. I promised your mother I would treat you as a son; that’s why I couldn’t just sit back and watch you do that to yourself. I had to be tough on you at times, but she would have approved.”

‘I doubt it!’

“I always knew something like this would happen; although I have to admit, I didn’t think it would be Stephanie. That was a surprise. Did you get her drunk or something?”

“NO!” I glared at him, and he chuckled.

“I was joking. But she’s a nice-looking girl. I don’t blame you for hitting on her. A lot of guys will be jealous. Have you talked to her parents yet?”

“I don’t want to, and Sue told me I don’t have to.”

“Why not; they’re good people.”

“Do you know them?” It was a stupid question to ask. Don knew everyone.

“Of course. Her father is my lawyer; I’ve known him for years.”

I had plenty of time to dwell on those words as I watched Don climb the stairs with a renewed swagger that made me feel quite sick.