Brian: Taking Courage - 12. Parents & Plants

The balcony was now filling up with plants, and Toby couldn't be happier. When he'd studied it, he had discovered that there was a problem with the light, so the plants had had to be carefully chosen.

"Toby, this is starting to look like a jungle, are you sure about these plants?"

"Oh, come on Dad. It's not a jungle, they are good traditional ones, most of them local. I'm a bit worried about the ferns, but the man in the nursery assured us that they'll do fine, if we look after them properly."

"When do I start to get my lessons in how to look after them?"

Toby grinned at his father, "May be a few simple ones first. Just to make sure."

Brian smiled, this was a big step, Toby trusting him with his plants. Gordon had already proved himself, and Drew had agreed to plant sit for the occasions when they went away. Not that anything was planned. Yet.

Gordon came out with some coffee, a mug for him and for Brian, "This is fantastic. It's like..."

"Not a jungle", Brian grinned, "I've already been told off. It's a very local plantation."

"Whatever, it's terrific. I can't quite believe it."

"Could we eat out here tonight?" Toby looked eagerly from Brian to Gordon.

Brian shrugged, "Well, there's just about space."

Gordon laughed, "If you don't mind sitting on the floor, we don't have a picnic table."

Brian smiled, "Yet. Looks as if we'll have to get one."

"We could have a picnic?"

Brian rolled his eyes and Gordon laughed, "Possible. We might be able to borrow stuff from Mum and Dad. Do you want to go over, was there anything planned for today?"

Brian shook his head and looked at Toby, "Sport?"

"I was hoping to get some stuff for a bug hotel."

"Did we know about this?"

Toby looked rueful, "I was sort of hoping."

A couple of hours later they arrived at Evie and Drew's having called at the hardware store and bought the ingredients for a bug hotel, in fact for two hotels. Toby was overjoyed, they were going to build one in Evie and Drew’s orchard and one on Gordon’s balcony. Drew and he disappeared whilst Evie made coffee and gave Gordon instructions as to where to find the picnic gear.

"Are you sure you won't need it Mum?"

Evie shrugged and smiled, "We have the table out there. We no longer have the caravan, and we never eat in the orchard. That was the original idea, but it's too much bother carrying stuff there and back; we sit out here quite happily. So, love, you can take them."

"Mum! Who the devil decorated this?" Gordon appeared with a picnic table painted in lurid colours.

Evie laughed, "Oh, I'd forgotten. I decided it was boring and needed cheering up. The chairs sort of match too."

"Wow, that's so cool", Toby had reappeared and was looking at the picnic table, "are we using this at home?"

It was only later that Brian registered what Toby had said, the idea that the flat might be now home. Still, given how much stuff Toby seemed to be cramming into the place, he was certainly taking over. Brian didn't mind and he realised that Gordon didn't mind one bit either. They had already acquired a couple of Drew's paintings, small ones, because they were of the orchard and Toby liked them. Gordon had laughed when it happened, commenting that he'd spent his life running away from his parents' work and now it was coming back to haunt him.

Toby disappeared again, to check on his bug hotel; he was still young enough to have to check on things every 20 minutes. The four adults had coffee.

"We bumped into Marcus the other day."

Gordon looked at his mother, "Marcus?"

"Come on, you've stared at his work often enough", Evie smiled and turned to Brian, "He painted the big nude of Drew."

Brian smiled, "Ahh,"

"Well, he's had to stop painting, because his arthritis is so bad that he can't control the brush."

Drew shook his head, "It's sad, and scary because he's about my age."

Evie smiled, "So, you'll have to work even harder whilst you still can", and Drew rolled his eyes, "but it's a shame because that means he can't do a picture of you two."

"A picture of us?"

"We thought it would be rather nice, and Marcus's style would suit you two."

Gordon raised his eyebrows, "You mean realistic nudes, Brian and my willies in forensic detail?"

"Well, the painting of your father seemed to go down well with Brian here and Toby."

"It's certainly a shame about Marcus's hands, but I'm not sorry about the picture."

"Oh, spoilsport. Anyway, you'll be pleased to know that Marcus's son David does photographs. Very fine and imaginative."

Gordon blinked, "Photographs. You mean of us two?"

Evie looked at him as if he was being dim, "Of course. David's nudes are almost as fine as his father's pictures. He's very happy to do you two and as we are old friends of his father, he'll give us a good rate."

"You two are paying?"

"Of course."

"For a nude photograph of Brian and I?"

"Naturally. "

Gordon shook his head and stared at Brian, "Well, what do you think?"

Brian grinned, "That Toby'll be very envious, us two getting photographed like that. I take it we can have a copy too?"

"Naturally."

"What happens if Toby's school mates come round to the house?"

Brian laughed, "We could always have a curtain over it, otherwise we could hide it in our bedroom. But I reckon we should hang it in the hall, folk'd soon get used to it."

"You're as bad as each other, I don't know why I bother", and Gordon laughed too.

Toby reappeared and wanted to know what the joke was. "Marcus, the friend who painted the big nude of Grandpa Drew, can't paint anymore because he has problems with his hands. But his son does good photos, so he's going to do a photo of Gordon and me. It'll be a nude of the two of us."

"Properly naked?"

Brian smirked, "Of course, if you can cope?"

"That'll be so cool. Will we have the picture at home, or will it be here?"

"Both probably, we'll have copies made."

"I can't wait to show people."

"Hang on, you plan to show your friends pictures of your Dad and his boyfriend naked?"

Toby shrugged, "Well, it's art isn't it, and there's nothing wrong with being naked. Can I have a photo done too?"

"Hang on there, a moment. Not naked, that gets a bit too close to kiddie-porn, you understand", Toby nodded, "we can ask if he'll do one of you clothed or something?"

"OK"

"Sport, there's something I wanted to talk about. Something your Mum's cousin David said?"

"Dad?", Toby immediately looked wary, which made Brian's heart lurch, but it was better to get this out the way now.

"It seems that Jasper has itchy feet, feels his talent would be better appreciated elsewhere."

Toby brightened, "You mean that he's going away?"

"Talking about it, down South or even abroad. Thing is, your Mum might go with him."

"I wouldn't have to go, would I?", Brian moved over and gave his son a hug.

"Over my dead body. You'll stay here with us. Right", he kissed the boys head, "For a start, there's no way we're uprooting you from school."

"What happens if you and Gordon move? You know, for jobs."

"There are no plans for that, give us a chance for us to get settled here. And if the worst comes to the worst, you spend weeknights with your Gran, right?"

"Or Grandpa Drew and Evie?"

Brian shrugged, "Maybe. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. At the moment, your Mum is still here. We just wanted to warn you. You know what she's like?"

"That she might take off at any time?"

"Yes, she might. Or she might not go at all."

"What'll happen? If she does go away."

"Well, you'll soon be 15, so we might trust you to not get lost on the train", Brian smiled, "and you could visit her?"

Toby's mouth tightened, "What about HIM?"

"We'd have to negotiate that. I'm not having him around you if he's going to be nasty, right. My solicitor's already on that, so don't worry.", he looked down, "OK?"

"OK, and Dad?"

"Yes?"

"Thanks."

Much later, they were relaxing over a beer before dinner. Toby was outside on the balcony, fussing with his plants and pleased as punch with the new picnic table and chairs.

"You cool with this naked photo lark; I can easily tamp it down with Toby and tell him we don't think it's suitable?"

Gordon smiled, "Nah, it's OK. Really. I suppose I should be used to it. Mum and Dad always had a knack of doing the right thing in the wrong way, what seems natural to them doesn't to other folk. I like the idea really, after all we've been fairly free with Toby, and it hasn't scarred him for life."

"Yet! I just worry he'll say something to Mum or Deirdre."

"If you have a problem with a teenage boy seeing his Dad and his Dad's boyfriend naked then I think there's a strong streak of homophobia in there too."

Brian sighed, "You may be right. I reckon that we might have a bit of that problem with Deirdre to look forward to."

"Unless she really does bugger off with that bloke of hers."

Brian grimaced, "Not sure about that. I keep worrying that she'll turn up, like a bad penny, pissed as fuck because Jasper's dumped her and wanting to take Toby back into her life."

"Christ, he's not a toy to be shared about."

"Precisely. Still, the solicitor seems to have got our back, for the moment."